Great Lakes Independence Ale

Geat Lakes- Independence Ale

A- Deep ruddy red/ brown with a slim light lacing head. Small rings around the glass.
S- Nutty molasses and light chocolate malt. Very light on the nose.
T- Vanilla, hazelnut, and caramel malts with a slight woodsy oaken licorice hoppiness.
M- Creamy smooth and nutty dry malt. Thick sweet malty dry finish.

Overall- Big malt and a nice earthy hop touch. This 1 drinks pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 10-27-2009 22:29:44 | id: 1025470

Pours a nice deep red/amber color with some nice head and a tiny bit of lacing. Great scent, very deep and malty with a nice hop hit. Excellent taste, a deep red ale with excellent malt flavor and a very nice American hop hit at the end. Typically, I prefer less hops in my red ales, but this one was excellent with a nice citrus hit; the hops weren't overpowering but complemented it nicely. Went down very well. Quite possibly my new favorite American red ale.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 09-14-2009 14:01:11 | id: 996010

Had this on Draft at the UPICK6 beer store in Erie. Presented in a standard pint glass.

An impressive 1 inch head adorns the reddish copper colored brew. The head is fairly long lasting, and provides some nice lacing on the sides.

Nose is a bit understated, but definitely hop forward.

The taste on this beer changes so much over the pint. At the start, when it's chilled, the hops come to the fore, and its as hoppy as an Am. Pale. Even though hoppy, you can still catch a malty balance through the hops. As the beer warms, and you head into the 2nd half of the glass, the flavor profile definitely shifts to the malty/sweet side. Again, though malty, there is still sufficient hops to prevent it from being cloying. What a wonderfully complex brew. Mouthfeel is medium from top to bottom. Drinkability is high. The change in flavor profile is so interesting that it keeps challenging you sip after sip.

Too bad this is a pub only offering. Find a place which has it on tap. This is definitely one to seek out. Nice job once again Great Lakes!

Na Zdravje!

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 08-16-2009 15:06:13 | id: 976807

Amber-orange bodied, perfectly clear and sporting an inch or so of sturdy off-white suds.
The nose is full of pine tar, crushed flowers, dried prairie stems, mangoes, melons, crusty breads, and toffee.
It begins through the mouth with a doughy breadiness that meanders toastier as the sip progresses. Some vague nuttiness is noted as this point, It sweetens with caramel and toffee, and a slight tropical fruit nod, as the hops begin to take their turn. Here on out, it's piney and flowery, with a dried wild grass crispy bitterness taking the reins and riding it long through the swallow.
Taut, medium bodied. Steady, moderate carbonation.
This is a all-around solid quaffer, and a completely enjoyable, hopped-up Amber Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 08-12-2009 07:18:42 | id: 974164

On Tap poured into a pint glass.

A:Soft clear amber in color with tea like hues. The off white head pours one finger thick and hangs around for the duration of the pint. Nice sticky lacings climbs all over the glass.

S:Floral citrus and pine hops. Sweet caramel or toffee. Wet earth and fresh baked bread.

T:Citrus and pine hops make their presence known with a nice bitterness. A soft wave of caramel malts flow in to balance things out with a fresh bread aftertaste. Floral hop bitterness finishes things off from apparent dry hopping.

M:Slightly slick and sticky. Medium carbination. Slightly dry and bitter.

D:Easy to drink and pleasantly satisfying. I would prefer this to Commadore Perry IPA any day of the week. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 08-07-2009 22:34:58 | id: 970965

a: clear deep amber in color with a khaki head that shows strong retention and heavy lace, inviting appearance

s: caramelized malt sugars support a hop profile that provides a blend of candied pine with some soft citrus and tropicals, rich and aromatic

m: carbonation soft and around medium in level, with a smooth medium body

t: much like the aroma, candied pine hops are carried on a caramelized malt body, some tropicals work their way in

d: no problem, good for at least a couple

standard pint at Alchemy, Madison, WI

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 08-05-2009 23:59:10 | id: 969709

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer pours a crystal clear warm orange body with a creamy thin head that soon breaks up into patches and then disappears. There is a gentle carbonation of big bubbles gliding to the surface.

S- The big green pungent aroma dominates with some herbal and pine hints coming through as the beer warms.

T- This beer has a big pungent hops kick with some softer cream and pale malt hints to follow. The finish is a big crisp bite of dandelion bitterness that lingers on the tongue after each sip.

M- This beer had a creamy medium-full mouthfeel with no alcohol heat.

D- This beer is big and pungent with not much depth which is ok but the hop bitterness was just to bitter, especially as it warmed.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 08-04-2009 13:56:06 | id: 968864

On tap at Whole foods in Dublin OH.

Beer handed to me in a GL pint glass, appears orangeish brown with a nice 1 in flufy head. Clear and no particles in it like i like. Smell is all hops, citrus and pine. The taste is more pine then cirus, i would like it to have more of a citrus flavor. I could drink 3-4 of these in a sitting. Reccomended

As others have said this tastes like a better version of Burning river. Its good but i can think of other beers that i would rather get at my local stores with the same type of flavor. It is good for the style though.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 08-03-2009 18:13:03 | id: 968302

I had this one on tap at Binny's South Loop in Chicago on 8/1/2009.

A= This ale poured a vert clear copper orange color with a 3/4" off-white head. The head dropped to a skim fairly quickly but left some incredible lace down my glass.

S= Lots of citrusy west coast hops in the nose, but also a big sweet caramel and bready malt presence too. Pretty balanced actually.

T= The caramel and chewy malts were the first things to stand out, soon followed by those citrus and resiny-pine hops. Hints of floral and fruity esters danced throughout. Finished dry but not astringent, and left a 75% hops / 25% malt aftertaste.

MF= Medium bodied with a nice, lively carbonation level that suits this beer perfectly. Nice and crisp.

D= Extremely easy to drink. Fairly balanced, yet the obvious dry-hopping gave this one a respectable hop bite. I could easily session this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 08-02-2009 21:49:03 | id: 967682

Served in a standard 16oz pint glass with the Great Lakes decal on the side.

Appearance: nice 1' head that turned to small cusp around rim. Nice reddish color duh...

Smell: hoppy and very inviting. Not sure what hops were used but they really smell West Coastish to me.

Taste: Yup...West Coast IPA land. Piney, resiny hop goodness. Not over hoppy be any means but pretty balanced with the hops taking forward approach. After the initial swallow the malt comes afterward to annouce itself. Very nice beer and very drinkable at 6%.

Overall: I am not a fan of Burning River and think it is overhyped and underhopped. THIS IS WHAT BURNING RIVER SHOULD BE. Note to Great Lakes...replace Burning River with this pronto!

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 08-01-2009 13:18:33 | id: 966713