Great Lakes Nosferatu - Great Lakes Brewing Company

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.21/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This is a 2011 vintage on tap at tap and mallet in Rochester ny. Poured a hazy deep amber into snifter with thin white lacing. Sharp alcohol aromas with a sweet base malt background. Smells "hot"
Taste is awesome. Sweet malts ...sugary and honey with some mellow hops. Nice tart malt note. Its dry and sweet...easy drinker but a sipper...very interesting brew and did Ikea mention delicious? !
Really an amazing brew. Glad to try the 2 year vintage on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2013 01:02:20 | More by DrinkSlurm

mscudder

Georgia

3.16/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

Served in a snifter.

A - Deep amber hue with a large ivory head. Head reminds me of a Belgian Quad and leaves fair lacing.

S - Warm hops, light booze, caramel, pepper and some grapefruit.

T - Warmth from the booze throughout, hop bitterness is high for a red while other flavors are overshadowed by the presence of pepper. Finishes dry.

M - Medium body with moderate carbonation.

O - Reminds me of a tamed, slightly thin, Arrogant Bastard. Not a huge fan of either brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 04:44:44 | More by mscudder

JackieTH

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from tasting notes.

Pour was amber red with a nice cap of foam and great lace. Smell was biscuits with a heap of earthy rye spice, some minor citrus elements. Layered. Similarly the taste was complex with layers earthy spice, rye, citrus pith, bitterness, dark fruit, ensconced in a toasty biscuit package. Medium velvety body. Drinks heavier than it really is. Nice ale, was enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 19:09:55 | More by JackieTH

Pencible

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: This poured a clear copper with moderate white head.
S: It smelled like wild honey and copper hops, with some raisin and dried apricot.
T: It tasted like copper and waxy hops and wild honey, with some sugary apricot and raisin. It had a clean and bittersweet aftertaste with some alcohol warming.
M: It was somewhat thick with a little carbonation. Slick body.
D: This was reminiscent of Flying Mouflan, with similar scent and taste, which is a good thing. The body was decent, but the finish was a bit rough. Age may help mellow. Fresh was solid, but not quite mind blowing.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 20:35:56 | More by Pencible

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I would have to say this is one of my oldest "Wants" of all time. I remember surfing this website 3-4 years ago and saw how this was one of the higher rated Strong Ales at the time and I have always loved Nosferatu by Murnau. Finally having it, no idea on freshness.

A- A murky dark amber beer pours from a bottle into my pint glass. A one finger off-white head foams up but falls pretty soon after to just a small ring and some random thin clouds atop the beer. The heads texture was bubbly and foamy and what is left of it leaves spotty but persistent lacing.

S- Some deep caramel malts like an Old Ale with the grains also contributing biscuit, toast and nutty hints. Fruit aromas come as well, with some citrus from hops and darker red fruit from the yeast. Balanced but on the maltier side at this point (age details below).

T- Definitely has that "Strong Ale" feel which to me lies somewhere between hoppy Barleywine, Old Ale and Brown Ale. Strong malts give notes of caramel, toast, biscuits, roast nuts and cracked grains. Hops less effected by age here than in the aroma, citrus peel is big as well as pine and herbal hints. Some yeast bread, spice and dark fruits to round it all off.

MF- Fairly creamy body which is not extremely thick but does carry its weight to support the big flavors. Bitterness still in tact in the finish at a moderate level. Carbonation is smooth and helps the beer drink very easily.

Judging from the Great Lakes website, it seems like this is somewhere around 5 months old and it holds up well. It says 90 day shelf life, hopefully I can get some fresh in September 2013 and re-review it but I will leave this up as I consider it a pretty positive review. This beer brings it all, a nice hop profile (even after months), big malts and a good yeast influence. Balanced and an easy drinker for 8%.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 03:30:38 | More by cbutova

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Received as an extra in a trade and poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Poured a crystal clear amber hue with a half a finger white head that fades quickly to leave light, light wisps.

S - Not much for hops at all here. Must be pretty old as there are light pine notes but for the most part its malts.

T - Light pine and malts here with a strong bitter finish. Just rather average here.

M - Mouthfeel is solid. Nicely carbonated but with a lingering bitter finish.

O - Overall not a bad beer, just perhaps not as fresh. Really kind of muddled.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 17:07:36 | More by rudzud

tectactoe

Michigan

3.96/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a murky copper, burnt amber color with a light tan head, small and receding leaving the smallest amount of lacing along the sides of the glass. Aroma was sweet and malty - lots of heavily toasted caramel malts, giving a nice backing sweetness and toasty feeling, along with a decent sized handful of hops, floral and lightly peppery around the edges, adding a bit to the sweetness but more to the herbal and bitter side of the aromatics. Nosferatu has a pretty powerful nose; strong and robust, but not fear-inducing or overly abrasive.

The first thing that hits the palate is the solid malt infrastructure. It rolls out on the tongue and coats the mouth to hold steady and pave the way for the upcoming flavor rush. Caramel and toffee malts line the walls, along with a grape and plum flavored sweetness that kicks into high gear almost immediately. The malt displays some other characteristics, like toasted bread, sweet and buttery, with a touch of brown sugar and/or molasses. The alcohol is there, but not too strong, and give it that "booze-soaked" dark fruit profile that is common in many strong ales and barleywines.

Don't let the malt fool you, though - the hops are no stranger to Nosferatu. On the nose, they were more detectable as peppery and herbal, but on the palate they come off as more floral and citrusy, as they bring some lighter fruits to the table; grapefruit, apricot, faint oranges. Bitterness remains on the lower side, meaning this doesn't quite resemble an IPA or a DIPA, but the hops still play a huge role in this beer's flavor. Aftertaste finishes with a floral, peppery warmth and a fading, boozy raisin flavor. Medium body, almost on the thick side, just a touch away from being sticky - slightly wet and slick with medium carbonation.

I've been wanting to try this one for a while now, and I'm glad I finally did. Wonderful flavors all around. I've heard this one compared to Arrogant Bastard often. Is it better? Tough call. I think I'll give the edge to AB, because of it's abrasive, yet controlled hop profile and pronounced bitterness while remaining so malty and drinkable. But Nosferatu is still a damn good beer that I wouldn't pass up if given the chance to have again.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 12:38:51 | More by tectactoe

Amish_Ambush

4.98/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Reviewed on: 09-15-2006

Notes: Medium off-white head. Deep reddish brown in color. Strong hop and grapefruit notes. The tasting notes are intensified grapefruit and hops with figs and a bit of malt present in a pleasing, bitter aftertaste here. I am going to guess they poured a bunch of Chinook hops into this beer. I may be wrong but it is fun to guess. Nosferatu boasts a medium body that becomes quite creamy when you allow it to warm up a bit.

Last night a friend and I did a taste test between this ale and the Stone "Arrogant Bastard" ale. We were sure that we would like the Stone ale better. But we found to our surprise that AB was quite muted in flavor and body when compared to Great Lakes Nosferatu. Great Lakes Brewing company has something special with this beer.

One of my favorite seasonal beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:06:08 | More by Amish_Ambush

emyers

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes 11/12/12. 12 oz bottle - best by date 11/25/12 - poured into a Great Lakes snifter.

Appearance: Deep clear red with a thick fluffy off-white head. Good head retention, leaves a nice lacing all the way down the glass.

Smell: Deep, rich toffee, lightly toasted grains, figs, plum, raisins. Really not much hop aroma to this one, which is unusual when compared to a lot of the newer imperial reds out there, but very nice.

Taste: The toffee and raisins are back in the forefront with biscuity malt and a big dose of bittering hops on the finish. The hops are very present, but in bittering only - not much hop flavor. This is a welcome change from many imperial reds out there. I can't speak enough about how perfect the balance of this beer is - lots of layers of toffee/caramel flavor from the malt but it's held in check wonderfully by the bittering hops.

Mouthfeel: Exceptionally smooth and silky. Pretty light-bodied as far as imperial reds go, which works very well with the flavor profile. Perfect carbonation level. Nearly flawless.

Overall: To me this beer embodies fall. Nothing beats it on a cool autumn day. It doesn't punch you in the face with hops like some of the newer imperial reds coming out (Pipeworks Blood of the Unicorn and Bells This One Goes to 11 come to mind), but I prefer this beer to those due to its impeccable balance, silky mouthfeel, and a certain x-factor that I can't quite put my finger on.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 06:36:41 | More by emyers

jcook

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This abides by German purity law, yet somehow has a slightly sprucy flavor to it (chinook hops?). Great taste and mouthfeel make it a worthwhile pour. Tends to linger pleasantly on the palate, so savoring it makes the experience better. Gotta love the label artwork.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 04:07:19 | More by jcook

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into CBS snifter. Served chilled, but enjoyed slowly to room temperature.

A) This is a really nice red brew. Kind of a cranberry copper color. An aggressive pour provided a full finger of head, which was well maintained. Nice lacing...

S) Plenty of caramel maltiness, there was also a light scent of fresh pineapple chunks. Light grass and citrus shavings.

T) Again, a good amount of caramel maltiness, a little roast too. The pineapple I found on the nose is not prominent on the flavor front. There is light citrus peel. I would have like a bit more of the tropical fruit and citrus to come through. This finishes up grassy and bitter. The 8% ABV stays well hidden.

M) Medium body with decent carbonation. It has a nice smooth mouthfeel out of the gate, but this gives way to a mouth coating bitterness, which is primarily citrus rind, with a touch of grass.

O) This is a very good imperial red... It really comes down to what you enjoy most, and I would have preferred this to have more of a tropical fruit/citrus hop presence, kind of like a Lucky 13 or Brian Boru. Glad I finally gave it a try, and have no regrets.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 05:44:23 | More by RoamingGnome

MadScientist

New York

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A light copper color with great clarity and a long lasting light-tan head.

S: A rich malty aroma with a moderately-strong citrus and resinous pine hops aroma. The aroma is complex but I get all malt hops and alcohol with little else getting past.

T: A strong grainy malt flavor with a firm hops bitterness complimented by a decent amount of alcohol. There is a moderate citrus hops flavor. The balance is pretty bitter with an off-dry finish and a linger hops bitterness in the the after taste.

M: A lightly creamy, medium-full bodied beer with moderate carbonation. A strong alcohol warmth.

O: I look forward to this Strong warming beer every year with it's solid bitterness and decent hops flavor and aroma it never disappoints.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 01:16:51 | More by MadScientist

claspada

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear, reddish-amber color with a medium sized frothy, off-white head that recedes to leave some spotty lacing.

Aromas begin with the hops consisting of grassy, grapefruit and spicy pepper. Then you get more citrus and biting grapefruit. As it warms you get some of the malt base with a a toasted biscuity maltiness and emerging alcohol.

The tastes begin with the toasted biscuit maltiness a bit of caramel sweetness. Then the grassy, leafy hops combined with freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice which adds a ton of bitterness. The finish has some spicy alcohol and spicy hop character as well.

The mouthfeel medium bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is thin, brash and biting.

Overall this was a miss for me. For how much I love great lakes lagers and darker beers, I have found their IPA line-up to be quite underwhelming. There is too much alcohol, brash hops and a thin mouthfeel which just doesn't work for me. As a big fan of Amber Ales (imperial or generic), I cannot recommend this.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 16:31:01 | More by claspada

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

ST: 12oz poured into a pint glass.

A: Amber with a thick finger slightly brown head. Clear with slight carbonation. It leaves a thick ring of lacing down the glass.

S: Nice bubblegum, spicy hops, orange, malt.

T: Lots of hops up front join with a bit of bread in the middle followed by a nice mellow hoppy, spicy, slight caramel note finish.

M: Medium.

O: Sweet, spicy, then dry, Nosferatu is a mellow gem. It gets better as it warms, smoother and balanced despite the heavy hop presence. A must try and one of those few beers I would buy on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 23:29:04 | More by ianjsullivan

kylehay2004

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Single finger head with decent retention and excellent lacing on a hazy copper body. Aroma of syrup, caramel malts, resins but overall mild. Flavors are pretty tough to handle at first. Very boozy and tart/sharp. Mosty mollases caramel, red apple, fig and tart grapefruit. Medium body and moderate carbonation. This one may have been infected. A little too funky. Also the booze were hard to get used to verging into barleywine realm.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 03:04:56 | More by kylehay2004

HANGOVER

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Freshest by date 11/25/12 poured into an over sized wine glass at around 40-45 degrees.

Appearance- Auburn red in color with a small off white head and low carbonation.

Smell- Strong caramel malt smell with hints of citrus and pine.

Taste- Strong malt presence balanced out with hops, but caramel is definitely the primary in this brew, nice bitterness with a slight aftertaste.

Mouth feel- Nice medium mouth feel.

Overall this is one of the better red ales that I have had and I would definitely recommend this to someone who likes a malt forward IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 00:05:34 | More by HANGOVER

BierStein711

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from the tap at the pub, three finger head in a ten ounce goblet

Appearance, deep copper amber, like a Full metal jacket

Smells of hop, malt, and perhaps a coarse, burnt oak

Tastes of oak, hop, and warm malts

Mouthfeel: Creamy and luxiourious

Overall, this Imperial Red is well worth your time. Have a go! I don't think you'll find this in a six pack though.

If I had the chance though, I'd put it in my fridge.

This is my favorite red ale.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 05:27:19 | More by BierStein711

Meerkey

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Nice, deep ambery red. A bit of off-white head.

S: Sweet, grainy malts. A little hoppy. Nice, but not exceptional.

T: About the same as the smell. A little grassy/herbal. Not bad. Graininess lingers.

M: A little flat and disappointing. Hint of carbonation.

O: Not a bad beer. Has some good qualities, but overall not super exciting. I wouldn't mind drinking one again, but I probable wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 23:37:13 | More by Meerkey

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Weathered copper orange on color with a hazy viscous appearance. Poured with a short off-white foam that slowly reduces to a wispy cap that leaves random sticky lacings on the glass. Malty caramel aroma is prominent with sweet candied apples, citrus orange, earthy pine aromas, and a touch of booziness beneath. Thick, grainy feel that supresses the carbonation a bit. Caramel and toasted malt flavors up front with ripe apple sweetness followed by tangy citrus hop flavors through the middle that slowly evolve into a combination of resinous pine hop bitterness and boozy heat at the finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:26:45 | More by IronLover

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

We pour a dark brew, of a reddish cider coloring. It holds a creamy two finger head of eggnog colored bubbles, showing great retention. Once it finally begins to abate it leaves sheets of patterned lacing all around the glass, with aggregates across half the liquid’s surface. There is a thick haze to it, no sediment, and average carbonation. The aroma is a mix of rich caramel and coiny malts, with citric, floral, and soapy hops. The malts also show a rye-like quality, with some sourness and bite on the back. The sting of booze and the milkiness of heavy creamer become stronger with warmth. Our first impression is that the beer is nicely satisfying. As we sip, the flavoring opens with sweetness of caramel malts, and a spicy lemon hop. The hops also show nectar of sweet flowers, with an herbal breakfast tea quality. Really, it tastes like cold tea, with generous inclusions of sweet creamer, honey, and a wedge of lemon. The middle peaks with more strength to these tea-like tannins. We finish with more sweetness than anywhere else in the sip. This comes in the form of strawberry freshness, sweeter citric hops, caramel malts, lemon candy suckers, and sweetened iced tea. The aftertaste breathes of white sugar, dirt and grit from the initial hit of malts, peppery booze, lemony hops, and light floral notes. The body is medium to full, and the carbonation is medium. There is fantastic slurp, cream, and smack to each sip, with a general softness as it sloshes around the mouth. The mouth is left cooled, wet, and satiated, with little dryness to speak of, despite the stark tannins. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the smoothness of flavoring, and the beautifully creamy feel. The flavoring showed a nice depth to the malts in the way of sweetness, while the hops came in for a nice balance. They, too, were sweeter, giving an ultimate impression of a sweeter beer, all around, to the drinker. The feel is really what did it for us. While the flavoring was all there, the mouth was so creamy and delicate, with such glorious creaminess and frothiness, we were left coming back for more and more.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 04:36:03 | More by TheBrewo

blackcompg

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from their 12oz bottle...

Appearance - Pours nearly 2 fingers of light khaki foam, body is a beautiful translucent amber red,

Smell - Ripe plums, mango, ruby red grapefruit, some lite carmels, touch of vanilla.

Taste - Starts with ripe plums and some ripe papaya and mango, then I quickly get some grapefruit pith and dry plum pits, along with a slight anise licorice flavor. The finish is ruby red grapefruit pith, on the dry side, with touches of plum sweetness at the sides of the tongue.

Mouthfeel - Medium mouthfeel with some nice full flavors, carb is medium and provides a little cleansing with some sharp edges at the sides and mostly the back of the tongue.

Overall - There is some really nice complexity and balance going on here - A very interesting and flavorful imperial red, one that I would definitely recommend and try again.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 03:50:31 | More by blackcompg

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

600th review.

16oz pour. Rust-colored. A little hazy. Soapy ring of head that's nearly the color of cream.

Melony hops, booze, brown sugar, caramel malts, and a moderate roast.

Hop flavors range from pine to canteloupe to orange blossom. Big hop character with a punctual malty soup of caramel and toasted dark breads. Great heat. Perfect cold-weather sipper. Light-bodied for the style leaks the strength, but the carb is gruff enough to persuade you to take a gulp.

Impressive. Awesome hoppy strong ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2012 01:45:32 | More by thecheapies

augustgarage

California

3.93/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a wide-mouth stemmed goblet. Best before 12/06/2012.

Clear carmine body supports a low smattering of beige micro-foam which settles to a light collar and an ominous skin. Delicate sandy lacing and light shimmering tears.

Caramel and citrus in the nose with a nice blast of fresh hops with a solid backbone of malt. Hints of nectarine and melon come forward as well as a faintly spicy herbal note.

Moderately bitter palate entry, clean and potent leading into a mix of very dry biscuity malt, a wave of citrus and candied fruit finishing with an earthy peppery dryness. Strong yet with sufficient complexity to hold your interest (this evolving quality improves as the ale warms). The malt could have a bit more character, but the balance between malt and hops is very good.

Medium-bodied, smooth and a tiny bit thin with a mild astringency throughout.

A good "imperial amber" which indeed has a bite to it.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 22:58:25 | More by augustgarage

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into DFH Signature glass. Best by 11/13/12. Thanks to mrfong07 for sending this one.

A - Pours a dark amber color with a thin layer of off-white carbonation. The dense, but thin, head makes for the perfect laser etching effect. I can make out the entire Dogfish logo on the surface. Great lacing.

S - Sweet orange marmalade, pine hops, and a nice mellowing roasty character. Maybe a bit nutty. Complex and different form the norm.

T - Very similar to the nose. Caramel malts and a nutty/roasty character that keeps it form being very sweet. Some dry, bitter pine on the finish.

M - Medium bodied and smooth.

O - I understand why this is classified int he somewhat ambiguous style of american strong ale. The flavors are very unique with a combination of roasty, hoppy, and nutty. This is a perfect fall brew in my opinion. I highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 01:58:06 | More by NoLeafClover44

JamesMN

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Slightly hazy amber/red hue with very light brown head.

Aroma: Nice barley character with some sweet hop presence.

Taste: Like this one immediately. Great barley flavor in there, the whole malt bill shines. Caramel and amber malt flavors as well. Nice earthy and hop presence with a little grapefruit. Very good balance of sweet malt and bitter hops. Moderate bitterness in this one, probably around 60 to 70 IBUs. A bit of a dry finish and lingering hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: A tad over medium bodied with average carbonation. Easy drinking.

Final Thoughts: I heard some good things about this beer so I went ahead and bought a bottle. Wish I would have sooner. A well-rounded full-flavored brew with a lot of things to like about it. Would I drink it again? Yep.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 23:53:22 | More by JamesMN