Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Double IPA

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Cleveland, Ohio USA

The bottle that was brought to the tasting might have had a bit of age on it. Not sure, but the reason I thought that was that the hops seemed to have faded a bit for an DIPA. Either that, or the beer just isn’t that good. The hops had a dankness about them that made them seem old. Nothing fresh about them. It carried some floral character too, like dried flowers. Sweet caramel malts permeate the nose too. The beer poured out a dark amber/gold color with a nice two-finger thick creamy head. Flavors of fruity hops, clean caramel malts to keep things in check. Nothing to be wow’d by but still a drinkable beer.

Bottle @ Kolding Bryglaug Americans tasting.
[thank you, myrup!]
Pours hazy orange with a creamy, lightly yellow white head. Aroma is lots of citric hops, some grapefruit and a chewy biscuity malts background. Fine, dry mouthfeel. Flavour is pretty sweet, medium crispness, lots of citric and fruity hops. Good, but there are better IIPA’s.

Bottle. Pours a hazy orange color with a big fluffy white head. Aroma of hops, spices and citrus. The flavor is of hops, malt, citrus and spices. Has a dry bitter finish.

Tasted at the May Northern California Beer Tasting. This imperial IPA pours a medium orange gold color from a 22oz bottle. Small sized white foamy head. The aroma is piney hops and caramel malts. A medium bodied Imperial IPA. The hops are caramel and sweet. The hops are piney and citrusy, but kind of ‘missing’. There was a very noticeable drop off in hop flavors. Seemed more like a barley wine than an Imperial IPA. Nice beer, but it wasn’t even an IPA. Good carbonation. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

Pours a hazy copper color with a tan head. Aroma is some caramel, and juicy fruity citrus grapefruit hops. Flavor is nice caramel with a juicy grapefruit hop finish and a little bit of alcohol burn. Would love to try this fresh.

22oz (2008 vintage) from fiver29.... poures a muddy mostly opaque orange brown with a thin wispy/soapy white head with bubbles gravitating towards the side of the glass..... strong initial burst of pineapple hops with a pervading sense of tropical sweetness endures throughout..... this one comes off as pretty sweet with a big fruity hop component with an equal amount of a sugary malt backbone. barely noticeable bitterness. very light carbonation with a thin, watery mouthfeel. drinkable nonetheless.....exact same numbers as drewbeerme. ha!

4-24-08 bottle shared by Crizay - thanks!
Thick dense orange pour with a nice off white head and some light lacing. Sweet warm grapefruit and orange smell. Flavor is rich and fruity - almost alcoholic pie like. The hops aren’t too bold or loud but they are surely there in the background. Mouthfeel is nice and balanced with a good medium level of carbonation. Overall, very drinkable. Thanks Chris and Beth... woooow!

Pine and grass nose and, thinning just a bit in the flavor which was sweet.