Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA - Great Lakes Brewing Company

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had a few bottles before this review, so this is a review of several samples.
Most glasses have had a fresh hop aroma, but always with a strong malt base, but more pale malt than stronger/sweeter type.
This sample has less hops than other. Also seems to have a bit of yeast.
Pretty rich overall, both from full malt, but also from a hop oil. Bitterness is long and drying. Nice sweetness up front - sweetness from both malt and hops. Clearly both english and Am. style hopping. Complex and interesting.
Rather full mouthfeel and carbonated on flatter side, which I prefer.
This was a better beer than I expected. Overall good drinking beer. Better than most for style and a new favorite from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 19:46:16 | More by garymuchow

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from the bottle into a Napoli Grande glass

A- Poured a clear pale orange color with a two finger soapy head that left lots of chunky soapy lace

S- Very fresh and slightly astringent aroma. Very earthy, caramel notes, citrus, and floral aroma. This beer smells exactly like when you walk into the Great Lakes production facility

T- Sweet cracker and biscuit malt character with caramel notes. Lots of earthy and grassy hops with some citrus and spice notes. Pretty bitter for an English IPA but well-balanced with the sweetness from the malt. As it warms you get a little bit of alcohol in the taste

M- Medium body, prickly carbonation, finishes dry, some nice alcohol warming

O- This is one of the beers that really got me into craft beer and I still love it. I can't believe I have never reviewed it.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 00:24:56 | More by Hoptometrist

Luigi

North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours out a mild hazy orange color with a massive off white head. Holds three fingers at first and then settles down to a thick blanket of foam and chunky lacing. The head retention stays until the last sip.

The aroma is full of citrus and floral aroma, with a nice balance of bread like malt and mild alcohol sweetness.

the first flavor to hit the palate is the rich citrus notes. Grape fruit and orange hint from a complex mild sour flavor with a sweetness from the malt. The alcohol does have it's role in bringing a balanced flavor.

Medium bodied and easy to drink, but take it slow at 7.5% ABV

Over all this is one of finest IPA's in America. I would buy this ale again and again!! Cream of the crop.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 04:18:44 | More by Luigi

TenHornsProud

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear orange with a white head that lingers and laces.

Smells of bready, astringent grapefruit and some other floral notes.

Taste is bready, cracker stone fruit that goes into a more grassy and floral middle before ending on a bitter, slightly spicy hop note with lingering sweetness.

Medium to lighter body with overly present alcohol. Oddly boozy.

A fine enough IPA that is malty and hoppy with notes of spice and stone fruit but too boozy for its own good.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 03:33:08 | More by TenHornsProud

cragus

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

355mL bottle into snifter
A - Pours a clear golden amber with a finger of rapidly dissipating head and no lacing.
S - Grapefruit, soap, apple, very light note of cherry
T - Citrusy hops, grape, apple, and a surprising amount of maltiness for an IPA.
M - Moderate body with low carbonation.
O - A tasty beer. A bit maltier and less citrusy than I usually like IPAs, but tasty nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 05:44:24 | More by cragus

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into tulip. Courtesy of my brother. No date on the bottle.

A- Slightly hazy bright orange pour with a two finger sticky off white head. Lacing is chunky and sticky.

S- Sweet malts, peaches, mango and strawberry. Slight pine. There is a subtle spiciness to it (almost like it had rye added to it)

T- Sweet peaches, grapefruit and a little pine. Malt backing is chewy with a lingering bitter finish and a touch of alcohol.

M- Light to medium body, good carbonation and a touch of alcohol warmth.

O- Surprised I've never tried this before. I am more of a West coast American IPA but this was enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 22:13:53 | More by korguy123

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Light amber in color. Weak standing for a head, and what was left of it went away in a heartbeat. I'm left with a waning gibbous of foam on the surface. 2.5

Ripe orange and grapefruit hop presence with a bonus of earthy humulus tones and semi-herbal quality. Biscuity malts with a noted sweetness that carries out from the mouth of the glass. 4.0

Chewy grains that are nicely baked like flaky crusts. Huge earthy tones dominate the citrus of the hops. Hoppier than most English varieties. Not as sweet as expected, nor as bitter, but the bitterness surely holds up for awhile in the finish. A little chlorinated. Still some nice stale bitter orange and spice notes about in this one. 3.5

Lower tier on carbonation. And, the body is thin enough to reveal the alcohol. Could have a few more 'blankets on the bed' to make this more drinkable. 3.0

A great-smelling and decent-tasting English IPA, but seriously missing that 'sling-one-back' drinkability that usually forgives any sins (flaws) to the brew. Still recommended. Perhaps falling short because I had a sip of a tasty Penn Cheeky Yinzer earlier this evening. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 02:46:54 | More by thecheapies

C20Percent

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a pale golden-yellow with a semi-bubbly cream colored head of foam. Not much else to speak of here, though. Very limited amount of bubbles. No sediment. Those are the factors that -- for me -- push an appearance to the 4-5 level.

S: A sour-orange aroma with a caramel malt background. Earthy notes finish the aroma off. Kind of a little of everything here. I'm not a huge fan of malts in my aroma. I prefer heavy citrus of heavy pine, but I like this.

T: Pleasant surprise here. First, definitely getting the sour citrus picked up in the aroma. Very nice. A very malty finish -- that if I close my eyes kind of reminds me of a porter. Finish is also dry and bitter. But, at the same time, this is a very refreshing beer. The malt doesn't distract me like it does in some beers. Pretty good taste here.

M: This is where the beer wins me over. Love the feel. The body is noticeably lighter than most IPAs. Think lager type feel. And, I love that. Don't get an opportunity to drink many good lagers, so a good IPA that feels like one is wonderful. Also, should make mention of the well-managed abv -- 7.5 is on the heavier side, but it's well-managed here. Perfect carbonation. Perfect feel. Kudos.

O: Gotta be honest -- wasn't expecting much from this beer. And, it kind of blew me away. Great Lakes only recently came to NOVA, and I had heard a lot of good things about the brewery, and it delivers here. Great beer -- so tasty, so drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 18:31:58 | More by C20Percent

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 12 oz bottle with a drink by date of 5/14/12

A - A clear copper, with 1 finger of head and a slight sticky lace left on the glass

S - A HUGE citrus hop aroma. Alcohol is prevalent. Smells delicous

T - Citrus hops upfront, with a huge bitter aftertaste. Wow, very well balanced. Citrus, then bitter hops. Finish is a little too bitter.

M - Light bodied, smooth.

O - When I took my 1st few sips, I thought it was a very citrus forward IPA, but then as I worked my way through it, I noticed it has a huge bitter aftertaste

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 06:30:24 | More by BeerDawgs

tut2528

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -13%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours about 1-1.5 fingers worth of head, retention is high and a little more on the thicker side. pretty decent lacing as well. appearance is very transparent and thin. its just a shade darker than a american light lager. very unimpressive. it is also important to note that this brew is 1 day past its "please enjoy by" date of 4/16, so this may be an unfair review.

S: hops dominate the nose, but there is also a strong barley character and a sugar malt backbone. a light citrus is present and surprisingly, no alcohol present.

T: first things that are noticed is the initial hop component and the very crisp finish. breaking it down, this beer has a very nice orange/citrus aspect along with a touch of grape fruit. there seems to be a spice in there as well, but i am unable to determine which spice. again, the alcohol is very well hidden.

M: definitely medium bodied, strong hop bittnerness sits along the back.

O: this is a decent beer, but not great. when consumed directly out of the fridge, i enjoyed the balance and the hop content that was complemented by the fruits. but as it warmed (within 12-15 minutes), the balanced was thrown out of balance, and the fruit notes really begin to subside making this beer less desirable.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 02:47:46 | More by tut2528

UCLABrewN84

California

3.65/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to drewone for sharing this one at jmgrub’s tasting.

Pours a clear honey orange with a foamy beige head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus zest, and some spicy and peppery hop aromas. Taste is the same with a mild bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good IPA but I like the way it smells more than the taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 00:42:34 | More by UCLABrewN84

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a bottle at Cork City in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours a golden yellow to orange in color with some light hints of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall off-white head that shows very good retention properties with a thick cloud-like layer remaining over the entire surface of the beer. Significant lacing is observed.

S: The smell is dominated by the citrus hops - more of an orange/orange zest aroma than lemon but with some more subtle hints of lemon as well. Overall not too intense a smell to this beer though it does become more pronounced as the beer warms.

T: This beer has a fair amount of lingering hop bitterness which is contributed by the citrus hops present (this is more of the citrus zest/rind taste). There is a very light amount of malts in this beer.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Very enjoyable and a nice beer but probably too hoppy/bitter to be a sessionable beer in my opinion. The citrus hops are really highlighted in this offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 12:25:00 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle at Cork City, Hoboken, NJ

A: The beer is clear yellowish orange in color and has no visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that slowly died down but never completely faded away.
S: There are very light aromas of citrusy hops in the nose; however, these become much stronger as the beer warms up.
T: The citrus flavors in the taste are much more pronounced compared to the smell—grapefruit stands out in particular. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness and no malty flavors are noticeable.
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very easy drinking and has lots of citrusy flavors without being too bitter.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 07:22:06 | More by metter98

NardiByNature

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Golden with pretty nice clarity. The short and sticky head; settles into a faint cap. Leaves tons of lacing.

S: Some fruits in the nose are the usual suspects – grapefruit, orange juice, maybe even some of that sticky apricot smell. It’s sweet but the smell is spicy too. It has some of that peppery hop quality in-common with a pilsner.

T: Fruity, bitter, and a little peppery at once. Relatively complex. Theres a citric component, apple, white pepper, and bread crust. Nice.

M: The finish is great – juicy, bitter, and a little dry.

O: Solid offering. There are lots of very good IPAs out there; this is one of them. It’s clear, bitter, and features some juicy fruit.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 23:35:42 | More by NardiByNature

littlelorib

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Date of 05/15/12 stamped on the bottle.

Pours a crystal clear orange with a half finger of creamy head. For such a small amount of head, it does last a while. Smell includes a hint of malt sweetness, but mostly hops - piney and citrus. The taste starts with hop bitterness, but then blends with malt and finishes with dryness. Its actually very nice and not as hoppy as i was expecting. It has a nice light to medium body and a smooth mouth feel. The alcohol is well hidden.

My first English IPA, and it does have a different feel and taste than the American IPAs that i have been tasting. I am enjoying the multifaceted taste as the other flavors of the brew pull the hops into a nice balance. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 00:11:27 | More by littlelorib

WMEugene

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

My exploration of Great Lakes' lineup continues.

A - Pours a clear golden color with a small head and pretty good lacing.

S - Light floral hops, a bit of citrus mixed with the malty backing. Nice, but not particularly strong.

T - Nice citrus flavors, hop bitterness merge with the bready, biscuity malts. Well balanced, and definitely an East Coast style IPA.

M - Medium bodied, very crisp and drinkable. Once again, very well balanced and an inviting brew. Almost perfect mouthfeel.

O - This is a very good and enjoyable IPA. It doesn't overwhelm, but it doesn't try to. Recommended if you want a basic IPA to enjoy and have a few of. After trying some of their other offerings, I can say that I'm very happy to have Great Lakes in Virginia now.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 17:44:24 | More by WMEugene

dtreindl

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Excellent IPA! Drinking a 12 ounce bottle.

Perfect balance of malt and hops. Fresh aromatic hops greet the nose. Mouthfeel is great too, a little chewy foam, not overly carbonated. Flavor is top notch IPA! Great Lakes claims this is an English IPA but I think the citrus and light pine hops resemble more of an American IPA.

I don't like too much malt counterbalance in my IPA because I think hops should be on display and not overshadowed with malt sweetness. In this case I think Commodore Perry has just enough malt backbone to act as a pedestal for the delicious hops on display.

It's not a modest abv at 7.5%, but I could drink this stuff all night! In fact...I might just do that.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 00:28:12 | More by dtreindl

wedge

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoy by: 05/14/12 - With a shelf life of 90 days according to their website, I assume this was bottled quite recently.

Clear golden color with a tight, creamy looking white head on top. Pulpy citrus and melon hop aroma...dried fruit, herbs, and wood as well over a hint of cereal grain. Sweet grapefruit and pine flavor from the US hops contrasted by the leafier, somewhat vegetal, Fuggles. I'm not sure it's a combination I would have used, but it ends up pretty tasty all the same. Slick, oily, zesty, and bitter, it is undoubtedly an IPA, but I suppose somewhere in the grey area between American and English. Pretty good, though it just doesn't wow me in any way.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 22:32:22 | More by wedge

yamar68

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle to mug:

Pours a peachy gold with a fat fluffy white head and tons of needlepoint beading. Smells nice - bits of grapefruit and orange peel backed by slightly nutty, bready malts. On the tongue, it’s less aggressive than many others of its genre. Without knowing, I’d probably label this one an American Pale. It’s satisfying, nevertheless. Nicely balanced and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 00:58:52 | More by yamar68

BeerNutz324

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into a pint glass

Ap- pours a clear amber color with decent head retention.

Ar- grapefruit and yeast

T- a little bit of hops and some grapefruit/citrus but I get more of a "hefewiezen" taste to me. Not really what I expected from an IPA. This beer hides the 7.5% alcohol really well.

M- good carbonation, light/medium body.

O- one of the few beers from GL that I am not impressed with. Tastes more like a Hefewiezen than an IPA to me. Not one I would seek out again. Pretty disapointed as a matter of fact.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 01:38:45 | More by BeerNutz324

MaximalC

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep, burnt amber color with good clarity. Head is only moderate, even with a vigorous pour, and disappates in short order. The aroma is fantastic--fruity, clean, and just enough pine to grab your attention without overpowering the gentler scents. The flavor is pretty much what you would expect from a solid IPA--bitter, fairly piney, without a whole lot else going on. Pretty good as far as IPA's go, but they aren't a style I typically enjoy, so I can't give the taste a ringing endorsement in the grand scheme of things. Overall, a nice yet unremarkable representative of its style.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 01:34:52 | More by MaximalC

beerme626

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Moderate, proud gold with busty, foamy head that stays strong. Medium bubbles complement nicely

S: Hoppy, a bit floral, but generally difficult to smell. Maybe I'm just stuffed up.

T: Hoppy without the intense bitterness. A bit of citrus on the end. Tasty and clean, but not too powerful.

M: Very tingly and carbonated on the tongue. A blast of alcohol and hops on the back as it washes down.

O: Good. Not my favorite, but a solid, consistent IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 00:21:08 | More by beerme626

tdm168

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a bright yellow with a big mountain of soft, white head that has great retention. The nose has a sweet, bready, malty aroma with some faint hops in the background. The flavor has a big malty backbone that is bready and a little sweet, almost birthday cake like. The hop character is mildly citrusy, but big and bitter, and it dominates the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth with just the right amount of carbonation.

This is a nice IPA. I like the big malty backbone. The hops are solid and are a nice match to the malts. This is well balanced, smooth, and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 23:44:00 | More by tdm168

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It has a nice fruity and herbal type of aroma, with a nice full hop flavor. Surprisingly mild for an IPA, but refreshing at the same time.

Very drinkable for an IPA and extremely balanced between the hops and bitterness. Another great brew from the geniuses at Great Lakes.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 01:30:39 | More by JohnnyMc

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into CBS snifter.

A) Light amber, pretty clear, just a slight haze. There was a good finger of white head. The head settled to a nice cap, with plenty of lacing initially.

S) This had a pretty sweet aroma. I picked up canned peaches and some mandarin orange. There was very light pine.

T) Good malt/hops balance. This starts out with some malt sweetness, bitterness follows with some light pine and citrus + citrus rind. There was a little bit of booze too.

M) A medium body and nicely carbonated. Really quite smooth to the finish, which is somewhat dry. The aftertaste is of fruit and a little alcohol.

O) Another nice offering from Great Lakes. This was a very enjoyable English IPA. I would gladly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 04:09:24 | More by RoamingGnome