Great Lakes Nosferatu - Great Lakes Brewing Company

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BA SCORE
92
exceptional
-
1,276 Ratings

THE BROS
90
exceptional
-
read more »

rAvg: 4.11
pDev: 10.71%
Reviews: 771
Hads: 505

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
Great Lakes Brewing Company

Ohio, United States

Style | ABV
American Strong Ale | 8.00% ABV

Availability: Fall. bottle (691), on-tap (75), growler (5).

Notes:
Imperial Red Ale

View: Beers (64) | Reviews (193) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by Pahn:

Pahn

New York

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

12oz bottle into a Duvel tulip. Thanks to BA shufon for including this as an extra in a recent trade.

Label indicates "best by 12/16/10," and website says "shelf life: 90 days." Whoops! Reviewing it anyway because as is it's an above average American barleywine.

Appearance: Careful pour yields a two and a half inch, fluffy, bonewhite head that dissipates loudly, rockily, and slowly, leaving tiny spots of lacing everywhere. Pours a very hazy deep red, and leaves thick lacing islands.

Smell: Big American barleywine aromas, with a little more biscuity aroma than usual. Sticky and sugary dark fruit smells along with caramel. Slight musty aroma and a bit of oxidation. Reminds me of the sensations I got when I first smelled Olde Gnarlywine.

Taste: Follows the nose exactly. Figgy caramel, slight oxidation that doesn't clash, biscuity aftertaste. High bitterness and surprising alcohol heat keep the malt in balance. No trace of Simcoe or Cascade hop flavor left; no pine, no citrus, no weed, etc.

If this were marketed as an American barleywine and people said it should taste this way, there wouldn't be much disagreement. Lots of flavor development with the fruity/sugary malt up front, and very satisfying breadiness and alcohol heat in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Low side of moderate carbonation. Sweet without being sugary. Slightly dry finish.

Overall: I'd like to try this beer fresh, but it's definitely a worthy beer as is. If you're a fan, consider putting some away and having it some cold Winter's night. 4pk of these at 1~2 years old is like having a 4pk of decently aged Old Ruffian or Olde Gnarlywine.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 02:51:12 | More by Pahn

More User Reviews:

NJB145

Michigan

4.25/5 rDev +3.4%

05-20-2013 01:00:55 | More by NJB145

Jakob

Illinois

4.25/5 rDev +3.4%

05-18-2013 16:22:25 | More by Jakob

GinsuDave

Michigan

4.25/5 rDev +3.4%

05-15-2013 10:23:41 | More by GinsuDave

sugrefd

Illinois

5/5 rDev +21.7%

05-13-2013 10:28:41 | More by sugrefd

ncstateplaya

North Carolina

4.25/5 rDev +3.4%

05-09-2013 17:25:23 | More by ncstateplaya

ahbithwabm

Illinois

3.5/5 rDev -14.8%

04-30-2013 16:34:48 | More by ahbithwabm

fullmoonbeer

Ohio

3.5/5 rDev -14.8%

04-30-2013 01:54:23 | More by fullmoonbeer

Hanzo

Virginia

4/5 rDev -2.7%

04-28-2013 19:04:25 | More by Hanzo

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

4/5 rDev -2.7%

04-27-2013 16:08:54 | More by Jason1337

Bluecane

North Carolina

2.75/5 rDev -33.1%

04-21-2013 06:51:35 | More by Bluecane

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