Great Lakes Nosferatu - Great Lakes Brewing Company

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

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.93/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- pours a dark amber-brown with a two finger light tan head and awesome lacing stuck to the glass.

S- biscuity nose with piney hops and sweet malt

T- piney-citrus hops kick up front, balanced with a sweet caramel maltiness. Notes of toasted grain offer a solid backbone. The alcohol produces dark fruit flavors and is warming but not overpowering.

M- medium body, medium carbonation, not too syrupy for the ABV, finishes slightly foamy.

O- this one packs a lunch but is well balanced, the malts are sweet, but the hops provide just enough to balance it our. This is definitely a sipping beer and a good selection for a cold night.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 14:35:12 | More by Treyliff

Maltser85

3.93/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This beer poured a nice clear red color with nice small bubbles streaming up from the bottom. The head was a nice frothy off white.

Smell was hop forward with notes of fruit and citrus with a hint of spice. This smell was backed up by a definite caramel maltiness. No hint of alcohol.

Initial taste was slightly earth hop forward that moved into the sweet malt. Caramel filled the palate followed by a sharp hop bitterness the dissipated to a nice alcohol warming in the belly. As the beer warmed it seemed to thin a bit in the mouthfeel, however the alcohol did not become more apparent.

I liked this beer a lot, my only complaint is also my greatest compliment. This beer is very simple. Hop bitterness and sweet malt. It is deliciously simple and that is probably its only fault!

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 01:58:37 | More by Maltser85

mattbk

New York

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

A: Clear, amber, lightly carbonated, nice tan head.
S: Some decent hop presence on this, crisp grapefruit, there's some underlying sweetness, not a ton of aroma because of the low carbonation.
T: First, hop presence, then bitterness, then yields to malt sweetness. The flavor is more grapefruit and orange citrus, the malt is toasted bread, biscuity, some caramel. The two play well together and make this a very interesting and flavorful beer. I like that the hops aren't overwhelming here, I find this happens too many times with ambers, which turns them into IPAs..
M: Medium mouthfeel, low carbonation, good for style.
O: Not an overwhelmingly amazing beer, but solid on all fronts, and featuring the signature Great Lakes maltiness, which is one of my favorite tastes in any beer. Worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 02:34:22 | More by mattbk

CHADMC3

Connecticut

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

Pours a very nice transparent ruby colored body with copper hues beneath the half inch tan head that slowly dissolves to leave a scattered lacing around the glass.

Sweet fruity and caramel malt notes rise from the glass as well as earthy hops, a touch of peppery spice, and yeast.

The flavor offers more sweet malt, nutty and caramel, with a woody hop bite, and just a hint of dark fruit like cherries.

Medium to fuller in body with generous carbonation and a biting hop finish.

As advertised, this beer has tons of character and is great for a cool autumn night.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 01:40:18 | More by CHADMC3

sleuthdog

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoy by: 11/25/12
Poured into tulip

Appearance: A hazy gannet red looking beer with a two fingers worth of off white head. Head settles to a film on top of the beer and leaves a decent amount of lacing.

Smell: Dank hops is what comes to mind first mixed with a sweet dark fruit character. I pick up on a sweetness from brown sugar?

Taste: Sweet up front with qualities of caramel and bread and quite malty. Hops come in slightly mid to late palate but ever so slightly in the form of an earthy dank character. I have to note as the beer warmed up I'm getting a nutty note in the aftertaste especially.

Mouthfeel: A medium bodied beer with a nice amount of carbonation. Creamy and smooth and where's "the bite" described on the beers label?

Overall: Pretty good offering. Not a standout but enjoyable at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 01:52:10 | More by sleuthdog

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter.

A: Clear red-brown with a two-finger, off-white, creamy and foamy head that lasted several minutes and left a nice film. Nice lacing.

S: Citrus hops and subtle delicious smelling malt.

T: Light to moderate sweetness and moderate bitterness. Dark caramel malt and bitter hops. No taste of alcohol. Slightly nutty finish.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Smooth and slightly warm.

O: A solid strong ale. I would have preferred a bit more dark fruit and malt and slightly less hops, but still really good.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 02:13:49 | More by SolipsismalCat

B33R501

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

strong ale? much more of an amber i would think. stunning ruby red appearance, held up to the sunlight this saturday am and watch the little bubbles rise to the top and light up like twinkling Christmas lights, very pretty indeed.

lucious red ripe strawberry malty aroma. taste follows, mix of red ripe strawberry and raspberry, cherry. very interesting and delicious. hops to balance. light body, thin mouthfeel.

i can see the appeal to this beer, but slightly mettalic aftertaste detracts for me. im not the biggest great lakes fan, the few ive tried are underwhelming. some beers and breweries are overrated and im glad i got the single, not the 4 pak.

but this was a visual treat. fix the finish and i would have rated this higher.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 14:20:46 | More by B33R501

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 Oz bottle poured into a tulip

A- Pours super hazy rich amber orange. A one finger of an off white/ sand colored head. Slight alcohol legs.

S- Hop dominant nose. A lot of citrus and pine. A lot of ripened dark fruits. Sugary malts.

T- A slight bitterness up front. A big beer and a touch of alcohol to start. The middle of the beer is malty, some toffee and caramel. A slight bit of dark fruits like raisins and plums. A nice hop profile, with citrus, pine and some onion like herbal notes.

M- This beer has some big feel to it. Some burn from the alcohol. Bitter, chewy and rather silky. A sticky, hoppy, bitter aftertaste and feel.

O- This is a great beer, its like a middle of the country take on Arrogant Bastard. I may age one or 2 to see what happens but its great fresh.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 00:39:48 | More by TwelveOunces

wedge

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep, ruby red color with a thick, fluffy head on top, quickly dwindling to a bubbly covering. Heavy, oily hop aroma...sweet citrus, dark fruit, spice, bread, leafiness, and pine. Smooth, piney Simcoe, grapefruit, light pepperiness, caramel, biscuit, and a little brown sugar. A tasty blend of flavors creates a lovely balance. Medium body, not too heavy on the tongue, creamy, solid bitterness. Very nice...

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 23:05:44 | More by wedge

divineaudio

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

pint glass. best before date marked.

a - pours a deep copper shade and gave me a thin cap of tan head. leaves thin legs of lacing in the glass.

s - cherry, honey, berry, tangerine, fresh baked bread, grass. wow.

t - deliciously malty and hoppy. i'm getting big berry notes with not so big grassy and citrusy notes. malt character is lightly bready with toffee notes. bitterness is resinous but subtle enough to allow the other flavors through. finishes dry and extremely well balanced.

m - lighter side of medium in body with the right amount of carbonation. finer co2 profile gives it a smooth and creamy feel. ever so slightly slick from the hop oils.

o - a damn fine beer and one of my favorites from great lakes. really glad they make this every year.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 01:32:26 | More by divineaudio

merc7186

New York

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured on tap at Mr Goodbar in Buffalo NY, poured into a pint glass.

A: Deep Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, Thing White Head, Some Lacing

S: Semi Sweet Malts, Floral

T: Floral, Semi Sweet Malts, Toffee

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet, Mildly Drying

Overall, a really nice mildly strong ale with good hoppy character.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2012 00:11:58 | More by merc7186

rangerred

Tennessee

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a slightly hazy deep read with a very thick two finger tan head. Outstanding head retention and lacing.

Aroma of spicy, piny hops along with roasted malt and a little chocolate and cinnamon.

Flavor has piny hops up front along with a little bit of tropical fruit. Lots of malt to back up the hops with roast, coffee, light chocolate, and a little bit of caramel. Bitterness is moderate to high but doesn't really become noticeable until the finish. Alcohol is very well hidden and the mouthfeel has decent substance.

Overall, a very impressive beer from Great Lakes. The malt and hops compliment each other perfectly and the beer is surprisingly drinkable for 8%. A really great beer for fall.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 02:07:13 | More by rangerred

duceswild

Maryland

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

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Best by 11/22/2012.

Pours a redish orange color. With a tan head that leaves lacing throat the glass. Smells is of light citrus and malty charastics. I also get some caramel and cherries. Taste is very similar. Though this beer is 8% I don't get much alcohol taste from it. Mouthfeel is crisp and medium bodied.

Overall this is a well rounded solid option from Great Lakes. Have yet to be dissipointed in their beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 15:22:23 | More by duceswild

BasterdInABasket

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 0z. bottle poured into Duvel Tulip, Enjoy by date: 11/22/12
A- Deep amber-red in color, very hazy, pours slightly off white one finger head
S- Rich caramel malts, hops, citrus, grapefruit, pineapple, great balance in the nose
T- More of the same, great balance, nice fruit notes, especially cherry, close to putting a 5 but 4.5 will do
M- Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, flavors linger on in the mouth which is great
O- Great name and great artwork. Oh yeah and a great beer as well, very impressive balance and the fruit and cherry on top of this make this a fall favorite for me

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 05:19:31 | More by BasterdInABasket

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a beautiful orange-amber color with a one finger off white head. The head has pretty nice retention, but eventually fades slowly over time to leave a nice level of lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is big of a piney hop and caramel sweetness. Mixed with these aromas are some nice lighter notes of citrus hop as well as some lighter dark fruits.

Taste – The flavor starts with a nice bready and pine hop taste with a lighter caramel sweetness. The initial taste is only lightly hopped and semi-sweet with a nice smooth flavor. A fruity sweet flavor then comes to the tongue. These flavors down the bitter more, but only temporarily. The sweeter caramel is soon lost as more bitter pine comes to the tongue. Toward the end of the taste a nice citrus hop flavor of grapefruit and a lighter tangerine flavor come to the tongue, leaving a very pleasant citrus hop flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was nice and creamy up front getting crisper at the end of the taste. The carbonation level of the beer was on the just below average side. The body was fantastic in this brew. Up front the creaminess suited the light sweetness and bready nature of the flavor very well. But as the taste went on the crisp feel at the end was wonderful for the pine and citrus hop flavors. Overall, the carbonation was at a good level for both. Quite a nice mouthfeel.

Overall – This is one tasty Imperial IPA. A great blend of hop, malt and sweet with fantastic flavor transitions and an excellent feel.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 00:59:27 | More by Darkmagus82

tdm168

North Carolina

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

A - dark, ruby amber with a huge cap of off white head that has good retention

S - caramel, bready, piney, herbal, spicy; very hoppy

T - toasted malt, roasted malt, caramel, piney, bitter

M - medium bodied, warming alcohol, well carbonated

The appearance, nose and mouthfeel are almost spot on. The flavor is complex but confusing. It's very malty but overly toasty and roasty. It's hopyy but the hops can't contend with the malts. I probably won't pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 16:16:08 | More by tdm168

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 11/19/2012. Pours crystal clear reddish orange color with a nice 2 finger dense light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Thick foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, mango, pine, herbal, orange zest, pineapple, caramel, toast, and floral. Awesome aromas with great balance and complexity. Taste of grapefruit, pine, caramel, orange zest, pineapple, toast, floral, and herbal spiciness. Good amount of spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, pine, caramel, toast, floral, and herbal on the finish for a good bit. Great balance and complexity of flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance as well. Slight cloying bitterness after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy, slick, and fairly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent strong ale. Great hop flavor complexity and malt balance; and quite smooth to sip on. Very enjoyable stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 03:24:48 | More by superspak

theHoff77

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another beer on my radar for the past year, since I have become a fan of just about all GLBC beers.

Poured into a pint glass. Nice red amber in color with maybe a one finger head and little lacing. This beer is very malt forward which is about the only thing I pick up in the smell and it dominates in the taste. Very well balanced in flavor and besides the malt I get the hops, some toffee, and sweet tart fruitiness. It comes off very smooth at first but has a bitter dry aftertaste that is non-offensive. My overall opinion is that it is a really good beer but it lacks distinctiveness and for a seasonal I was expecting it to be a bit more bold all around. Because of this I can't say it justifies the higher price of it, which was close to $12 for a 4pk. If this was on their main line of beers I would probably rate it higher, but in the scope of things it's just another quality product from GLBC that I recommend for at least a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 23:34:45 | More by theHoff77

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

1.88/5  rDev -54.3%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

12oz bottle poured into a Kasteel goblet.

Appearance- Blood red in color with a half finger of khaki head that leaves lacing.

Smell- Lots of pine. Smells like a car freshener. Also a hint of lemon and bread.

Taste- Yuck, I'm getting so much pine and citrus. Not my thing at all.

Mouthfeel- Over carbonated making the pine bomb even harder to choke down.

Overall- This is a prime example of why you don't judge a book by it's cover. This is a beautiful looking beer that has an unbalanced pine hop presence. It was a drain pour x2 for me, but I'm not into beers being over hopped especially with piney or floral hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 02:37:46 | More by BrownAleMale

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

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

Pours brown with orange shine. Two finger head with walls of lacing.

Subdued pine, caramel malt, slightly toasted, slight nuttiness.

Well balanced. A little boozy. Some pine again, sweetness, smooth bitterness, bitter aftertaste.

Big substantial beer, nice body.

Good Imperial Red here. Great Lakes fails to disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 01:02:21 | More by TheMultiYeast

The_Blodge

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A: Served from a bottle into a tulip glass. Pours a crystal clear bright red color with a one finger head. nice lacing down the glass as the head slowly dissipates into a thin film. Love the redness of this one.

S: Fruity notes with bright citrus hop character. Orange and grapefruit. Malty undertones but blend well with the bright hop character in the nose. Not picking up a lot of alcohol. Very subtle. This one will bite.

T: Bitter up front like an IPA. Pleasant hoppiness with a hearty, malty finish. Fruit notes. Delicious!

M: Big bodied beer with a chewy mouthfeel. Creamy texture. Tight carbonation. Somewhat over carbonated in my opinion.

O: One of my favorite beers this time of year. This is a dangerous beer. It will sneak up and bite you...for real.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 22:20:22 | More by The_Blodge