Great Lakes Nosferatu - Great Lakes Brewing Company

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

Chaney

District of Columbia

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

I would like to drink this from a Great Lakes "Nosfertu" snifter, but since I don't have one, a chilled Coors mug will have to do. Kidding: Served in a Delirium Tremens tulip.

A: Poured a beautiful, glistening, crystal clear, ruby red color, with about 3/4 - 1 finger beige head that retained itself and then some.

S: Very grainy brown sugar notes and very rich in its assertion. It's as if and American Imperial Red and a more classical, German style brew (perhaps a Doppelbock) were mixed together.

T: Yeah, to my mind, this is much more towards the German side that the American one. But what do I know? Grainy and initially off-putting, but after I got used to the flavor bill, I started to enjoy it. Not a spice bomb in any way, and had a nice fresh barley flair mixed with some good old fashioned American hops.

M: This one smelled sweet enough, but trust me, that is TOTALLY bleached out when it comes to taste. The German element practically stains the teeth and I dug that about it. Great feel here, especially the pleasant bitter afterbite.

O: I'm so glad I finally got to try this brew that always comes around this time a year but I'd never taken the plunge. Great idea for a Halloween seasonal as well....

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 19:33:39 | More by Chaney

tastybeer

North Carolina

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

A: Clear, red-orange color, small head. Lace is spotty. Looks inviting.

S: Quite an array of aromatic goodness here. Deeply sweet, tangy, and spicy with mouth-watering citrus, caramelized apple, biscuit malt, honey, and various other fruit. Slight woody musk in the mix as well. All combined makes for delightful sniffage.

T: All of the above with increased caramelized sweetness. This beer is multifaceted. Deep and dark flavors (caramel, malts, wood, leaves, purple/dark red fruits perhaps) with an edge of brighter, brisker flavors like orange, lemon, grapefruit rind, and perhaps hot red pepper? I may be going out on a limb for that last one...

M: Dense, full feeling body with a medium body-like ease of consumption. Feels heavy, soft, and clean. Light bitter tingle via hops and carbonation through the finish. Very pleasant.

O: This is a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 22:56:55 | More by tastybeer

jtd1969

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Reddish orange color. Great lacing and perfectly carbonated

S - Citrus Lemony grapefruit smell with caramel and bready.

T - Caramel and deep rich malts that has some pepper and a light citrusy bite(Grapefruit mainly is what I get ), Finishes with a crisp earthy hop that really makes this ale a treat.

M - Medium bodied, thick rich carbonation

O - Such a delicious red ale. I really have enjoyed this four pack. Shared one with a friend of mine on the golf course and he was really impressed. I recommend it

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 01:05:38 | More by jtd1969

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I am shocked in the lack of aroma in this beer. I get nothing but a very slight, almost absent caramel note. It doesn't smell bad, it just has virtually no aroma.

Perfectly clear and deep red in color with a light tan head that laces moderately on the glass. Its a great looking beer, for sure.

Thank god it tastes better than it smells. I get a burnt sugar flavor, molasses, caramel candy, and a nice floral hop note in the background. It has a lighter body which shocked me especially for an 8% ABV beer, with medium carbonation and the finish is a touch on the dry side. It's a good beer, but not one of their best seasonals.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 05:01:51 | More by tlazaroff

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from old tasting notes.

Coppery amber in color with a single finger of cream colored head with mediocre stability and lacing qualities.

Smells and tastes about the same: sweet caramel blended with plenty of juicy citric hopping and a small hit of ABV hotness, and a faint garnish of cherries.

Medium body and carbonation levels, smooth texture.

Appropriately on the sweeter side for a Halloween seasonal, I suppose... although I couldn't see myself consuming more than one bottle per session because of how sweet it is, much less the relatively high ABV...

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:14:57 | More by WastingFreetime

Jesse13713

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Okay. Me and this brew have had our differences in the past. I've left it in the back of my fridge for months now, the famous Nosferatu giving me the evil eye every time I select another brew instead of him. This will be my third year trying a single of this beer. The last two times have not gone well. Poured into a Hoppin' Frog snifter.

Appearance - A thick, creamy head that laces excellently to the glass. About a half-finger of head coats the surface of the beer. The ale itself is a deep, blood-amber with a roasted maroon/burgundy quality. Carbonation creeps up the glass. A really bewitching appearance.

Smell - Nothing outlandish. Alcohol and dark cherries with a hidden roasted malt trait in the hindsight. Not terrible; not impressive. Here goes nothing . . .

Taste - A relief. This proves that my tastes have indeed changed over the last year and a half. The entire beer has a strong roasted alcoholic feel to it. The taste of strong beets and dark cherries reign supreme. As the bottle describes, a strong ale with a powerful bite attached to it. Sweet malt with red wine-like qualities.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability - While this brew and I get along much better than we did in the past few years, it is still far from my favorite strong ale. Still, it is chock-full of roasty fruits and does a bit of damage to the palate. Medium to heavy-bodied. I will try another one of these fresh when the new season rolls around.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 02:30:43 | More by Jesse13713

beergod1

Ohio

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

Pours a dark amber color, with a small off white head. Smell of big caramel malt, juicy citrus hops, and hints of sweet Ripe fruits. The flavor is fairly sweet as well, caramel malt, and wood notes, as well as some piney hops in the finish. The hop bitterness really shows up in the aftertaste, and stays awhile in the mouth. Good beer that I don't buy often enough.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 00:09:27 | More by beergod1

Etan

Illinois

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Brooklyn tulip.

A: Pours a nice murky brownish-red with a soft, sticky tan head. Really nice retention and lacing.

S: Reeks of sticky hops and heavy, wheat-like malt. Pineapple, black pepper, burnt sugar, tangy dark wheat, caramel malt.

T: Big, sweet red malts (caramel, bread, dark wheat, grain, nuttiness, little bit of chocolate) pushed up by some spicy, earthy, slightly citric hops (grapefruit, grass, mint leaf, pepper). Dark grain, a little bite of alcohol, and some bitterness in the finish.

M: Frothy and creamy carbonation, medium-bodied.

O: This is one of my favorite American red ales. Achieves a great balance between the malts and hops. Unique and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 21:44:54 | More by Etan

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

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

I poured this one into a glass, it has a nice amber color body with and great looking 2" white head that hangs around. The smell is has nice ctrus aroma to it. The taste has a nice grapfruit/hop taste up front with a malt sweetness on the back of the tongue. The mouthfell is very nice and overall this is a really good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 02:25:53 | More by chefhatt

Blueribbon666

Ohio

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

Review from notes
Pours a reddish mahogany color into Blackout Stout pint glass with about a quarter inch of head. Smells of crisp hops and a biscuit like malts and a bit of rye like grain.
Taste/Mouthfeel; Full and hearty in the front having a crisp burst of hops that warms from the alcohol on the back end as it goes down finishing crisp and clean with a nice hop taste that almost seems like it has a bit of rye in the mix. The abv is warming and not boozy in the least. Overall, another solid offering from Great Lakes, well done would certainly recommend and get again in future seasons to come.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 11:37:09 | More by Blueribbon666

jtmartino

California

3.7/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful dark crimson from a bottle into my Bruery snifter. Smell is rich, bready malts...but there's something else I attribute to the tart, fruity hops.

Taste is interesting - big, bold malt sweetness. Caramel, toffee, bold fruit and mild bitterness. Lingering aftertaste of toasted wheat cereal and light astrigent fruit.

Mouthfeel is good. Medium-bodied and good carbonation.

This is a good sipper. Nothing too complex or crazy, but a nice winter warmer style. Good on these cold, rainy days.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 06:29:49 | More by jtmartino

tvv375ia

Iowa

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

poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass

A-clear auburn with less than a finger of head that faded quickly with a little lacing

S-some citrus hops up front followed by some carmel malts

T-much like the smell a little roast carmel taste with some mostly grapefruit citrus

M-good carbonation witha medium body

O-not bad, I wouldn't mind drinking a few of these if I could get it around here

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 14:12:50 | More by tvv375ia

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a murky red with a 1.5 finger off-white head. Spotty lacing down the glass.

Aroma is slightly sweet caramel malt and earthy hops.

Starts off with a touch of citrus, but quickly goes into a caramel sweetness. Finishes semi-sweet with some bitterness from earthy hops.

Medium mouthfeel and carbonation.

Pretty good brew and solid as always from Great Lakes. I wish the hop profile were a little more complex, but really only nitpick complaints. This tides me over until NN hits.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 22:38:52 | More by jmarsh123

mccann51

New York

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

Served out of a 12 oz into a small sniffer.

Nice red colour with good carbonation. Aroma of malt and citrusy, earthy hops, though not a strong nose. Taste of caramel, citrus fruit, and raisins. Rather sweet, but balanced by the distinct alcohol bite and hop bitterness. Overall, a delicious beer, if a bit heavy. A four pack would make for a very nice liquid dinner.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 04:46:41 | More by mccann51

aranheaney

New York

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

Had this one cellared since October 2011, best by 12-10-11 date on the bottle. Poured into a DFH Snifter:

A-Some carbonation that is quickly gone, leaving a trace of head and some lace, appears thickly opaque, with a tannish, almost cider-like shade

S-little hops, some roast, very different, again I come back to cider

T-very good, little or no hops, some malt and a bit of roast

M-just right, not thin by any means, but nothing unpleasant

O-good, I'll have to try a fresher one to see how it compares

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 14:26:01 | More by aranheaney

barczar

Kentucky

3.85/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours into the pint a slightly hazy copper color with a solid one finger yellowish cream head that slowly dissipates, leaving thick lacing along the sides of the glass.

Aroma is thick with caramel malt and floral hop dominating. Citrus hop and bready toast round out the profile. Alcohol is subtle.

Citrus pith and grapefruit are apparent throughout the flavor, with toasty malt comprising the backbone, leading to a bitter hop finish. Nutty, toasted malt plays a bigger role as it warms.

Body is thick, with moderate carbonation. An alcohol warmth is present but not overwhelming.

Overall, a very solid beer. The hops are fairly dominant over the malt in the flavor, perhaps more so than the aroma indicates. Definitely worth a try, though a bit misleading to label it a red ale...imperial or not.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 08:56:46 | More by barczar

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle

Appearance - Clear copper/red colour with a large size fizzy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some great lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, grapefruit, hay, cherries

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel and some hops. There is also some raisins/cherries mixed with hay/herbal notes. It ends with a malty sweet aftertaste and a light lingering hop bitterness.

Overall - I think I was expecting more hop bitterness with this one. I see that my bottle was 'best before nov 2011' so maybe that had something to do with it. Anyways, still a very drinkable beer and the alcohol was well hidden - just not something I'd reach for again.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 14:25:02 | More by spinrsx

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a reddish copper color with mild carbonation and a thin layer of foam.

S - Aroma is light for a big beer...grassy and a little earthy with some citrus mixed in.

T - Matches the nose to a "T". Grassy, earthy, and toasted caramel, no more, no less. Flavor stays even across the sip. The aftertaste leaves a citrus, grapefruit and earthy presence. Finishes more on the malty side.

M - Medium body, slightly watery at the very end, mild carbonation on the tongue. Finishes fairly clean and doesn't leave much of a lingering aftertaste (though, maybe a little pine and citrus), finish is semi-dry.

O - Not doing much for me, for an American Strong Ale, I was expecting more.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 04:09:14 | More by jzeilinger

falloutsnow

Illinois

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

Bottle purchased from West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL.
Aged for one year in my fridge (best by 12/30/10).
Poured into my grandfather's old pint glass with a columnar stand.

Pours a ~2.5cm head of tan foam with a slight reddish tint to it. Decreases, but is continually renewed, leading to a 0.5cm cap of off-white foam atop the body. Excellent lacing along sides of glass, literally huge cobwebs of the stuff. Body is an amber-red color out of light, in light it is a gem-hued orange-red with some turbidity.

Aroma is hoppy first, with grapefruit, tangerine, and pine scents, then I notice the malt: bready, slightly syrupy, a bit of sweet potato mash.

Taste is a solid mix of hearty, robust maltiness with spicy and bitter hops. Particular hop character of mild pine and grapefruit, with specific malt flavors of dense whole-grain German bread, mild cocoa, . Slight alcohol flavor and burn in the latter quarter of taste, even after a year. Aftertaste is of mild hop bitterness and faint malt extract.

Body is medium to medium-heavy and features sharp carbonation at first, which later fades to gentleness. The effect is, at first, a sharp mouthfeel, which gradually changes to a fairly smooth one. A little off here. Alcohol is sharp on the latter half of the taste, warming and slightly burning. Finish is mildly dry.

Very different from other strong ales I've had, but the style is not particular. Overall, quite good, would willingly pick up another four-pack if I could find it. Also, my year of aging this shows that it ages well in a fridge.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 18:44:51 | More by falloutsnow

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a clear, golden red color with a one-finger tan head of bubbly foam. It left soapy sheets of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled very piney and malty with a touch of booziness.

T - It tasted malty and sweet with a spicy bite. Nice piney hops with a touch of citrus.

M - It was crisp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with an alcohol warmth and a dry finish.

O - This is a good Great Lakes beer. Glad I found this one at Zipp's in Minneapolis.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 22:05:47 | More by zeff80

BeRanger

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours amber, with about one finger white head which disappears quickly - mild lacing.

S: Has a sweet smell - fruits, malts, caramel and possibly some rye.

T: Fruity hops up front, doesn't have a real alcohol kick even being an 8% ale. Finishes very smooth

M: Medium body with light carbonation - a good combination. I feel as this could be a session beer even though it's higher than the ~5.9% benchmark.

O: I liked it - a very well balanced American Strong Ale. Glad I was able to find a 4-pack of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 01:31:39 | More by BeRanger

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

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

12 oz. bottle poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass. Cross between caramel brown and orange in color. Off white colored, creamy looking head. Lots of different sized bubbles and it provides really good lacing to the glass. Good looking beer overall.

Smell is unique in the sense that it wasn't quite what I expected from an "imperial red" but it smells freaking awesome. In a nut shell we're just talking about generous portions of caramelized malts and mostly citrus hops, but it's more complex than that. There's also a slight funk to it that I can't figure out, like a type of natural preservative or something. Don't get me wrong, hops are probably the strongest portion here, probably just the blend. However, this is quite an interesting and very good smelling beer.

Taste is something all it's own as well. HUGE malt backbone here. Big time caramel malts provide some general sweetness. This is followed by a fruity combination of flavors. Sort of like dried and glazed holiday candied fruits, like apricots and figs. The ending flavor is hops, glorious hops, mostly citrus. Probably past it's prime here, but really tasty.

Mouthfeel is good. Full bodied, slightly creamy with a good carbonation level. Relatively clean feeling overall. Starts sweet and finishes with a nice bitter bite at the end. Absolutely stoked at the opportunity to try this beer. This beer wasn't fresh, but was awesome. Love to have a fresh one and an aged one to compare the two sometime, but this is certainly good enough for now.

Thanks bpfrush for the killer extra, you're the man Brian!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 02:21:22 | More by AndyAvalanche

Gushue3

Massachusetts

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

Thanks to JDiddy for this extra, you da man.

A 1 finger white head with a tiny hint of red in it and the body is light red with an orange tint. head retention isnt too much and leaves behind lighter lacing.

S Big sweet malts like caramel and and some spice. Very sweet with a slight hop bite.

T Nice caramel malt bomb thats sweet but not overpowering. Theres some hop taste toward the finish that leaves a bitter bite.

M medium feel with similar carbonation. leaves my mouth feeling sticky.

O not bad stuff here. This one had some age on it so I'd love to try it fresh and taste some big hops. pretty good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 00:25:16 | More by Gushue3

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

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

A-reddish amber color with an off-white head with good retention and lacing

S-malt and yeasty aroma with hints of sweetness

T-roasted malt and sweet fruitiness with a nice bitter hoppy finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation and slight bite to it

O-a nice red ale with a nice biting bitter finish

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 22:00:49 | More by MDDMD