Lakefront Bridge Burner Strong Ale

Brewed by Lakefront Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

22 oz. bottle. Pours a thick beige head of poor duration, with much lacing, over a clear amber brown (SRM 20-25) body........nose heavy with grapefruit, pine, resin, with a fair load of toffee mixed in.......taste initially has a sweet expectation to it, but remains dry and then the balancing bitterness comes in, minimal pine, resin, citrus in the bitterness, but there is an alcoholic woody chemical sharpness that lingers..........mouth feel is thick, but not chewy. carbonation is low after the initial exhuberance. Like many "American" Strong Ales I have tasted, it is hard to place this beer. It does not taste or smell particularly balanced, and it has some of the ocassiionally off putting chemical aromas that seem to be found sometimes in this category. I guess it is because of the forces used.

Aroma is slightly oxidized, some pine hoppiness, bright fruit, and caramel malt. taste is slightly hoppy, sweet, fruity. Mouthfeel is lower in carbonation, a bit bitter, and sweet. Decent.

Bottle. Head is initially large, frothy, light brown, mostly lasting. Body is medium to dark brownish-amber. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (caramel, toasted grain), moderately to heavily hoppy (resin, apricot), lightly yeasty (dough), with a note of cotton candy. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately to heavily bitter. Medium body, velvety/oily texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Pretty ordinary...big wallop of raw/green hop aroma, but other than that it’s not particularly compelling or rich. Surprisingly light bodied for the ABV, and a rather weird, slick texture too.

Pour is a dark copper color with an offwhite head that dissipates pretty quickly and leaves a look of some propagating yeast on the top of the drink. Interesting. The aroma is alcoholic upfront with some bitter hoppiness dancing in the background and a caramel sweetness. Flavor falls a little short unfortunately. Fruity at first, then some caramel malt, followed by a faint bitterness. To finish it all off is a burnt malt and rubbing alcohol experience. It leaves a pretty off putting taste in your mouth. Guess I should just chug it and get it over with.

Bomber poured a clear dark amber with a small lingering amber head. Aromas of carmel, apple, orange, light grapefruit and light pine. Palate was medium bodied and crisp with a smooth dry finish. Flavors of carmel, pink grapefruit, orange, earthiness and light pine with a smooth dry lingering moderatly bitter citrus finish.

Dark amber, almost ruby red with an off white head. Aroma is mostly hops. Flavor is very hoppy with a fairly sweet finish. Malt is present, but overpowered by the hops. Overall a good strong beer, though a bit overbalanced. Hops are a little overpowering, but it’s the sweet, alcohol finish that might prove a bit much.

Bomber from Bottle Trek. Dark copper color with a multifinger beige/tan head. Aromas of piney hop and darkish caramel. Medium plus body with creamy, frothy carbonation. Flavor is caramel with resin. Flavors are strong. Very well balanced. Finishes dryish. Very good drink.

Murky brown (Dubbel like) appearance was not all that attractive, but the head atop was beige, two finger thick and decent looking. The aroma was a lot hopper than I was expecting, as the smell of resinous hops was unmistakable. The taste matched the smell with drying bitter hop taste evident up front. Backing this up were raisin like malts that was not too sweet. The body was soft and viscous and finish very dry and chalky. A nice strong ale I would love revisiting.