Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Double IPA

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

Great big huge light orange head of medium sized bubbles. Frothy on top. Head recedes very slowly. Wonderful aroma with a load of mandarin oranges. It is like I just opened up a can of mandarin orange segments. Light caramel malts and some other citrusy hops. Color is a bright amber orange. WOW, super smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Totally did not expect that. Expected a dry and bitter flavor. The bitterness shows up late swallow. Lots of oranges and sweet malts. Some honey and candi sugar. This is actually pretty damn sweet the further I get into the bottle. Medium palate that is a little bit slick. Finishes creamy and smooth with some lingering oranges and lots of sweetness. A very different IIPA. Someone who likes sweet brews will love this one. I probably should have drank this much sooner btu it is still damn good at this age.

22 oz bottle, via Puddintane. Looks like this was released some time around May 07. Now almost 10 months later, I must say I’m not expecting to be blown away. Pours a hazy orangish copper under a nice one finger fizzy beige head that faded to a wispy covering. The nose is fairly light on the hops, some light pine and floral notes, but the malt seems to have taken over with its sweet caramel and toffee maltiness. Smells very candy like. The flavor still has a good bit of bitterness up front, but none of the lively citrus zestiness it must have had fresh. A little pine sap and a medicinal note on the finish. The malt isn’t especially prominent either, it’s not super sweet like I was expecting, more of a crusty bready flavor to it. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, not especially cloying or sticky, with moderate fizzy carbonation. Overall, this is maybe not be over the hill yet, but most likely a whole different animal compared to what it must have been fresh, judging from the earliest bottle ratings. I hope that they do another batch of this so I can get a fresh one.

This bottled brew from JSquire at a rating party poured a small sized head of foamy fine to medium sized off-white colored bubbles that were and left behind a very hazy dark orange brown colored body and a fair lacing. The mild aroma was hoppy and floral. The mouth feel was very tingly at the start and at the finish hoppy aftertaste. The strong flavor contained notes of very strong hops and dark malt. A wonderful best in class brew.

Bottle courtesy of Thaichile, thanks Mark. Pours hazy orange color with a smallish white head. Aroma is citrus, light malt, floral. Flavor is grapefruit, light orange, caramel, floral. Palate is medium bodied, medium carbonation, finished bitter yet slightly sweet and sticky. Nice!

Pours hazy orange with a thin off white head. Heavy citrus and a bit of hops for the aroma. Flavor of oranges, pear, hops, and a nice malt background. Finishes thick with a bit of carbonation. A good IIPA. Thanks santa!

Hazy dark amber pour w/ a small white head w/ some lace. Odd light fruity aroma some definate cereals a hint of apricot and a touch of hops covered w/ lots of alcohol. Palate is well coated and lihgtly creamy. Flavor is full of cereals some lightly citrus hops, overly alcoholic taste.

bottle courtesy of crizay: pours an orange cooper colour with a small white head. aroma is very fruity and citrus hops. excellent hop aroama with some malt background. very citrus. flavour is very citrus as the aroma was. a great tropical fruit flavour wtih a nice hop bitter finish. very good.

22oz bottle from my Secret Santa. Aroma of pressed pulpy orange juice, mint, pine resin, apricot, pear and pineapple juice. Pours muddy orange/copper with a thin white head leaving average lacing. Lots of orange zest, pineapple, caramel. Bright hops. Some green apple, green tea. Very tart for an IIPA. Medium bodied. Rather sticky but not cloying. Finishes zesty and tart.