Great Lakes Brewing Alchemy House Double IPA

I picked up a four-pack of Great Lakes Brewing Alchemy House Double IPA at Giant Eagle while in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a golden-amber color with a frothy white colored head that leaves a lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of passion fruit, orange, lemon, mango, tangerine, and fruit cup. The taste is sweet with citrus hops before a bitterness settles in. Plenty of passion fruit, pineapple, and mango dominate the palate with some tangerine, orange, and lemon accents. Some pine, pepper, and floral flavors make an appearance but are not dominant. The alcohol content is 9.4% ABV. This was a solid Double IPA and a departure from the prototypical one that grapefruit and tangerine dominate, as this one focused on passion fruit and mango flavors.

Greal Lakes Barrel Aged Blackout Stout

In a beer trade with Cleveland Food and Brews, I received a bottle of Great Lakes Barrel Aged Blackout Stout. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, toasted malts, and alcohol. The taste is bold and chocolaty with lots of bourbon and vanilla. Some cherry flavor peeks through and the beer finishes with alcohol, oak, and toasted malts, yielding a dry mouth feel. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. This was one of the better barrel aged beers that I have ever tried, and I would say drinking it is heavenly. It is very boozy, but the base beer is strong enough to withstand the extra punch.

Great Lakes Nosferatu

The last beer I had for the evening at Fat Heads in Pittsburgh on a recent visit was the Great Lakes Nosferatu. The beer pours a dark amber color with red tints and a thin bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma is malty with caramel and alcohol mixed in as well. The taste is sweet but dry with an oak taste. Alcohol is somewhat prevalent, but mixed in with some caramel and toasted toffee. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in to the beer, but have heard some great things and it did not disappoint. The beer was quite delicious with sweet and oaky flavors, but the alcohol constantly reminds you that it is present in this beer.

Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale

While out at dinner on Mount Washington in Pittsburgh at the Grandview Saloon, I ordered a Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale to go with dinner. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of caramel, lemon, and pine hops. The taste is sweet with caramel making a great base for the beer. There is a good pine and lemon citrus accent with some orange and tangerine mixed in as well. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. This was a wonderful pale ale and I would definitely order it again. It goes very well with crab meat, which was part of the meal that I ordered. It has a great bitters and a complimentary sweetness that was much better that I had expected.

Great Lakes Oktoberfest

I ordered a glass of Great Lakes Oktoberfest from TJ's in Paoli. The beer pours a caramel color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma is sweet and malty with caramel coming to the front of the nose and pronouncing itself. The taste is smooth, sweet, and malty with lots of caramel. There is a delicate sour hop balance on the finish. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. This offering from Great Lakes is one of the best Oktoberfest beers that I have had, and I would highly recommend picking up a six-pack or ordering a draft if you get the opportunity.

Great Lakes Blackout Stout

The second beer I ordered while out at Fuel & Fuddle in Pittsburgh was the Great Lakes Blackout Stout. The beer pours a black color (duh!) with a thin filmy tan head. The aroma is faint but chocolaty. The taste is full of chocolate and espresso with a good cream finish and a bit of oak and licorice hidden in the background. Then it converts into a pretty strong and powerful finish. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. All I could think about while drinking this beer was “wow, wow, wow.” The sweetness is this beer was perfectly balanced with the bitterness of the espresso and some big hop flavors as well.

Great Lakes Christmas Ale

For my birthday, I was provided with a six pack of Great Lakes Christmas Ale. The beer is an amber color with a light foamy head. The aroma is full of spices including cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. The taste has a base of tasted malts and is mostly comprised of cinnamon with hints of nutmeg and a light honey sweet undertone. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I think what surprised me most was the honey accent which made the beer just sweet enough. This beer had an excellent balance and did not overdo the spices.

Pittsburgh Brewfest 2009

I went to the Pittsburgh Brewfest to help support the Pittsburgh Rugby Club. It was hosted at the Steelhouse, Bar Room, and Saddle Ridge in Station Square. I thought the event was well organized and had good food for all to enjoy. Below you will find my tasting notes of the beers I had from the night.

Erie Brewing Company Ol' Red Cease & Desist- The beer is a red amber color with a malty aroma. The taste is sweet at first with a hop and spice bite on the finish. It has a slight dryness due to the alcohol content. The alcohol content is 10.1% ABV. I thought the taste was great for the high alcohol content, as it was not apparently that it was that high.

Erie Brewing Company Mad Anthony's APA- The beer is yellow in color and is cloudy and unfiltered. There is a slight yeast aroma. The taste is very light with mild hops. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I thought this wasn't a bad pale ale, but it was light on the flavor. However, it makes it very easy to drink.

Erie Brewing Company Misery Bay IPA- The beer has a copper color with no head. The taste is dry and hoppy with a slight malt undertone. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. I drinks a little bit creamy and is very enjoyable.

Rivertowne White Lightning- The beer is a cloudy white with a sweet coriander aroma. I thought it had an excellent taste, consisting of coriander with grapefruit accents. The alcohol content is 6.3% ABV.

Bud Light Golden Wheat- Due to the fact that it was free, I decided to give the Golden Wheat a try. It has an unfiltered gold color with a minimal wheat aroma. The taste is lemony, but very light. There is no aftertaste. The alcohol content is 4.1% ABV. At first, I thought that it was not as bad as I expected it to be but it was not great. However, it did get worse the more I drank it and I would not recommend this beer.

Boulder Mojo IPA- The beer had a decent head and a gold color. The aroma consisted mostly of floral hops. The taste is smooth with lemon and pepper accents and it finishes with plenty of hops. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. I thought that the beer was pretty good, but it was a little too carbonated.

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter- The beer is amber in color with light head. The smell is sweet with a light vanilla hint. The taste consists of toasted malts with a sweet vanilla undertone, but the vanilla is faint. The alcohol content is 4.7% ABV. I found that as I let the beer warm up it got better, so if you try this beer drink it after it has warmed up.

Southern Tier Phin & Matt's- The beer has a pale gold color with a lemon aroma. The taste consists of lemon with a slight pepper accent. It finishes dry due to the hops. The alcohol content is 5.4% ABV.

Great Lakes Eliot Ness- The beer is dark amber in color with a lofty head. It has a light malt aroma. The taste is malty with hints of caramel and a dry hop finish. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV. I really liked the flavor and the drinkability of the beer.

Penn Brewery Kaiser Pils- The beer has a golden color with no head or aroma. The beer has a light crisp taste. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I thought that this was a decent pilsner. It is very light drinking, but still has enough flavor to make it enjoyable.

North Coast Brewing Company Old Rasputen Russian Imperial Stout- The beer has a black color with a tan head. The smell has hints of chocolate. The taste is hoppy with toasted malt and chocolate flavor. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I really liked this beer and plan on having more in the future.

Three Rivers Underground Brewers Smoked Porter- The beer is dark brown in color with a light smoke aroma. The taste is malty and sweet with a light smoke finish. There are chocolate and toffee hints. I am not sure what the alcohol content is due to it being a home brew. This beer ended up being my second favorite beer of the night and it was full of flavor.

Three Rivers Underground Brewers British Ale- The beer is a dark brown color with a lofty creamy head. It smells very fresh and lightly hoppy. The taste is sweet and dry with a nice malt flavor. I am not sure what the alcohol content is due to it being a home brew.

Three Rivers Underground Brewers Slutty Red Head- The beer is a dark amber color with a frothy head. It has a light hop aroma. The taste is smooth and round and finishes slightly dry. It has a light cream taste. I am not sure what the alcohol content is due to it being a home brew.

Atwater Vanilla Java Porter- The beer is a dark brown color with a lofty tan head. It smells like coffee with cream. The taste is full of chocolate, java, and vanilla. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. I thought this was the best beer at the brewfest. The flavors were so dynamic and pleasing that I had to have several glasses of this beer. This is definitely a recommended beer.