Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA - Great Lakes Brewing Company

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

Rhynes2

Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I love Great Lakes and I also love IPA's so I found this beer to be amazing. This brew has a nice straw color and nice two finger head that laces nicely down the sides of the glass. There are some light citrus notes present on the nose. The taste has a nice and light hop spiciness that fits the alcohol content very well. I buy this brew all the time and would recommend this one to anybody.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 23:20:25 | More by Rhynes2

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

CooperEllis

New York

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

The review for this beer came to me in a dream. And I forgot it in another dream.

12oz bottle into 8oz taster.

Just inches of fluffy white on top. It's eggshell colored and eggwhite consistency. But the beer is nearly clear. Brite, but essentially translucent.

A little hay, a little lemon and not much else in the nose. The empty bottle smells delicious, though. Mandarin orange, sugar, rich malt. Too bad none of that made it into the glass.

It's bitter. It's crisp. It's clean. A touch of pine at the end. Otherwise, the taste is pretty "meh". And I freaking love this brewery just for giving us Ed Fitz. So "meh" is tough to write.

Light on the mouthfeel. There isn't much carb, but there is too much bitterness and it lingers. It's not 'the style' that is the problem. I happen to love this style, but this misses the mark. Not good for an English IPA, and not particularly better if viewed as an American IPA. One note.

It's passable but there isn't much here. Many many offerings in the English IPA category I'd reach for before this.

(167th)

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 00:48:36 | More by CooperEllis

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

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

This one looks very inviting when poured into a glass. It has a nice goldne color body with a nice 1"finger of creamy white head, that hangs around for a while. The smell is of piney, with some citrus coming through. The taste is bitter of hops but the malt come in to give it a nice balance. Also i get some citrus on the back of the tongue. The mouth feel is great and overall this is a excellent English IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 04:21:03 | More by chefhatt

barczar

Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a brilliantly clear orange tinted gold with a two finger ivory head that persists well, leaving thick lacing on the pint glass.

Honeysuckle, pine, resin, and muted citrus dominate the aroma, with a light caramel malt supporting the hop assault.

Fairly sweet caramel malt, bread crust, and honey usher in a mid palate hop flavor, with grapefruit pith, pine, and a resiny bitterness overtaking the balance to the fairly bitter finish.

Body is moderate to almost creamy, with moderate carbonation.

Overall, a but more sweet initially than anticipated, but definitely a bitter hop dominated brew. Citrus was somewhat muted, but still added complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 07:05:23 | More by barczar

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a clear light orange with a thick white head. Plenty of fresh clinging bubbles and lacing.

Smell offers an ideal balance of candy-like sweetness, tropical fruit relish, dank juicy hops and very light cilantro/herbal/mint quality.

Taste is well balanced between bitterness and flavor. Moist citrus and light grassiness lead into a mildly spicy, hop character with a big punch of bitterness. More mild spice notes in aftertaste with bitterness.

Well bodied with pleasant carbonation. Nice IPA.

Great beer from Great Lakes

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 01:25:20 | More by TheMultiYeast

BrokenStones

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Almost clear yellow orange, two finger head with some lacing.

S-Mainly citrus hops with some grass notes as well.

T-Starts with citrus sweetness, end with decent bitterness with pine and grassy notes.

M-Medium to light bodied, carbonated and resinous.

O-My first GLBC beer, a solid IPA. Would have liked to seen a little bit more bitterness in there.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 21:41:01 | More by BrokenStones

keanex

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an English pint on tap at The House of Brews in Turnersville.

A: Clear amber body with a thin white head.

S: Faint hints of some sweet citrus. Very mellow.

T: Pale malt base into a nice light citrus bitterness. Well balanced and mellow. Very easy to drink, but doesn't stand out.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation with a slight sharpness to it.

O: Easy to drink and good alcohol content for this mellow IPA. It doesn't stand out, but it is a good representation of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 18:21:05 | More by keanex

pigc

Nebraska

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a golden blond and light ruby red color with two finger head.

S - Bready malt, light citrus hop, hint of spice.

T - Starts out with a slight spicy hop flavor followed by a drying crisp finish. This seems to have a stronger spice kick than other English IPAs but I like it. Reminds me of a hoppier version of a winter warmer.

M - Medium body with lots of carbonation. Bubbles seem to explode in your mouth.

O - Pleasantly surprised with beer since it was two weeks past the best buy date. This beer was very enjoyable and well worth seeking out. The hops seem to hold up very well.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 01:42:03 | More by pigc

rogueleonardi

Ohio

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

A - Gorgeous! Gold with an orange tint, light ring of white head left by the time it got to my table.

S - Can't really figure out the smell of this one. Possibly some citrus, maybe some malt, it's hard to describe exactly what i'm smelling.

T - Delicious. On my first sip I can definitely taste some citrus. Missing the maltyness I was expecting. Definitely has a bitter bite as it finishes. No real taste of alcohol to this one.

M - Very full flavored, good carbonation.

O - This a beer a will be having over and over again. The full flavor, and bitterness mix well, and have a good balance.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2012 17:27:47 | More by rogueleonardi

Clowerweb

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz. bottle into a pint glass. Freshness date: 02/21/12

A: Pours a slightly cloudy golden/orange-ish color. Two finger cream colored head with large bubbles that dissipated quickly, leaving a decent but unimpressive lace.

S: Not much of a smell at all, although I'm having a bit of sinus trouble right now. I picked up on some hops and citrus, although even with sinus problems I could tell that this one doesn't have a strong scent.

T: Light hops and fruit with a touch of malt. Finishes dry with bitter hops. A lot less piney than many other IPAs, although I detected just a bit. Could use a little more layers and complexity.

M: Moderate carbonation, just enough to tickle the tongue, dry, definitely has more body than expected, goes down smooth.

O: A pretty decent IPA. The balance isn't bad, it could use a little more nose and I generally prefer a little less bitterness and more depth of flavor. Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 23:07:24 | More by Clowerweb

andrewjraab

Michigan

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

A - golden almost orange color. Nice thick and white creamy head that disappeared quickly.

S - Hoppy, Fruity, Bready, Sweet, Citric....a collision.

T - Nice balance between the hoppiness and the maltiness. A bit of fruity, and citric flavors. Sweet and bitter finish.

O - This is another very solid beer from Great Lakes. I don't think I've had a beer from GL that I don't like. It is as smoot as a babies bottom and is inexpensive enough to be a mainstay in my fridge.k

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 01:39:10 | More by andrewjraab

kalkavekkian

Michigan

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

I picked up a six of this the other day while looking thru the options at the store. Cracked open a bottle tonite and was pleasantly surprised! Poured out a deep golden into a pilsner glass with a thick rich head that stayed around for quite a spell.
Thick sticky lacing throughout the drink. Smelled of strong hops with a touch of fruits. The taste was nice and bitter with the hops strong and dry at the finish. Somewhat like two hearted only not the grapefruit tones. Mouthfeel was medium to slightly thick while going down smooth. Very drinkable and i could feel a slight buzz after savoring a glass for about 15 minutes. This was very good ipa with a nice balance of flavors and not too expensive. $7.99 a six. I will definitely pick some more of this up as it's about $2.50-$3.00 cheaper than two hearted and very near as good! Nice job Great Lakes!

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 05:31:44 | More by kalkavekkian

rlee1390

Indiana

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

A-Almost clear yellow orange, two finger head with some lacing.

S-Mainly citrus hops with some grass notes as well.

T-Starts with citrus sweetness, end with decent bitterness with pine and grassy notes.

M-Medium to light bodied, carbonated and resinous.

O-My first GLBC beer, a solid IPA. Would have liked to seen a little bit more bitterness in there.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 00:43:48 | More by rlee1390

gtermi

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer pours a golden color with a nice head that doesnt last very long. There are a lot of bubbles that form and head to the top of the beer and forms a ring around the glass.

S: I really love when you get a lot of hops in the nose. Some regular IPAs smell a lot of malt, but this one has a much strong hop scent. There is also a bit of sweet malt, but it mixes perfect with the hops.

T: I was expecting a lot stronger flavor in this beer. At first I get a nice bit of hops, but it quickly fades into malt. It has a nice taste, but nothing that blows me away.

M: The beer is very smooth for an IPA. It leaves an oily feeling inside of my mouth.

O: This is a very solid beer. I was happy to try this and think that this is one of the better IPAs on the market.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 00:28:48 | More by gtermi

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pilsner glass. Best before 23 August 2011. From notes. Reviewed 30 June 2011.

A: A finger of white head and some bubbles complement this golden, cheerful beer. Bright yellow in the light. Clear.

S: Fruity and floral -- apples, mango, grapefruit, hops. Sweeter than expected, but nice.

ST: Delicious! Fruity-sweet, with ruby grapefruit gaining ground before losing out to the apples. However, hops add a strong bitterness that controls the endtaste. A wine-like aftertaste. A bit complex, but not too much so to be easily sippable.

M: Full-bodied and nice. A bit of watery (this is a good thing) smoothness that the overall gentle malt character can't erase.

O: Fantastic beer; great brewery. Super-drinkable and equally tasty. Hoppy, but not overly so -- sweetness offers a nice balance. Recommended fo' sho'.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 21:25:26 | More by AgentMunky

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

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

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for this bottle

Review adapted from notes taken 1/1/12

Appearance: Super clear golden orange, little white head, nice lacing

Smell: A nice balance of citrus, pine, and caramel malts - juicy orange, grapefruit, and some floral citrus - a nice malt base underneath

Taste: Again, nicely balanced - sweet, juicy orange, grapefruit, some pith - some oily pine - not particularly aggressive - nice pale and caramel malts, a little bready - a little toasted, nicely bitter and sweet

Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, great level of carbonation

Overall: Well rounded and all-around solid

This is an English IPA? I really had no idea. This classification is irrelevant to the fact that this beer is great. It's easy drinking and excellently balanced. I would buy more of this if I could. Bonus points for the fact that I can't really say anything negative about this beer

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 19:45:22 | More by angrybabboon

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

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

A: a pretty clear golden body with a a fluffy head that is here to hang. very pretty lacing.

S: this thing smells like cotton candy. pretty malt forward for being an IPA. granted an EIPA, but still an IPA nontheless.

T: a bitterness that is nicely balanced with sweet, toasted grain. a little bit of cereal. flavor is good, not exceptional, but certainly tasty. finish is sweet and bubbly.

M: a very mild carbonation that works particularly good for this brew. medium body.

D: a tasty EIPA from great lakes. this style is nice to see the balance of english hops with a tasty malty backbone. great balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 05:16:14 | More by Jimmys