Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster - Great Lakes Brewing Company

vfgccp

New York

3.35/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Light apricot gold with a touch of haze. Par white head with ok ret and lace.

S - Ginger, orange zest, pine, booze, broccoli, and a strange savory note.

T - Orange marmalade, resiny pine, wax, and a spicy booze.

M - Relatively smooth, medium body. Touch of syrup. Twang of booze.

O - Resiny hop character with a lot of alpha bitterness. Balance is just ok.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 01:47:21 | More by vfgccp

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip from a 12 ounce bottle, Lake Erie Monster pours an orange/amber hue with about a finger's worth of fluffy white head that quickly settles. Lacing is sticky, and carbonation is subdued. Aroma is a touch off-putting at first. Dank hop aromas of pine and some onion blend with caramel. Taste is much better. Malty notes of caramel and toast up front, with a green element on the mid-palate, followed by a burst of citrus, pine, and cedar. Finish is dry and floral.
Full-bodied and flavorful, with a viscous mouthfeel from the hops. Alcohol is well hidden. This beer is quite easy to consume, and although the nose isn't as balanced as the taste, it's quite tasty. Another rock-solid effort from Great Lakes.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 03:54:28 | More by WYVYRN527

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Best by 08/15/12; poured into a wide-mouthed snifter.

Held to the light, the beer gives off a bright, peachy glow with some shaded haze. An off-white head sits as a soapy glaze and thick ring, having fallen the inch that it had once risen to. Very gentle pour, so as not to disturb any dregs at the bottom of the bottle.

The nose suggests fresh leafy hops with bright stone fruits and some tropical fruit nuances and pithy citrus. Apricot, papaya, pineapple, pine, and grapefruit come to mind. Almost smells like it could be the Imperial version of Aprihop. There's plenty of malts in the bill here, too. Not showing off any caramel or toasted notes, just a heap of musty raw sourdough.

Intensely bitter first sip. Raw hop cone-infused, citrus pith, tropical fruit rind, apricot, pine, bitter greens, and an underlying fructose sweetness. Huge IBU levels, just enough maltiness to make it tolerable. In fact, the hophead in me is in utter delight. Aromatic hops, flavoring hop acids, and bittering all in play here. And, it literally takes three or four sips to recognize a trace of alcohol warmth. An All-Star IIPA.

Insanely drinkable (except for the bitterness). Reading 9.1% ABV drops my jaw, at this point. Slightly oily in a medium-bodied kind of way. Generously carbonated for the strength. Exceptional feel, as the level in my glass is falling fast.

Where does Lake Erie Monster fall among the Top 50 of the style? Is it even up there? Because, it should be. Tremendous brew. One that I enjoy year-after-year.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 18:37:47 | More by thecheapies

MCDuhamel

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a tulip. Orange, pale liquid showing lots of bubbles, with a tight white head that stays with the beer. Moderate lacing. The nose is citrus, slightly resinous. American hops flavor dominates up front, with some maltiness in the middle, showing a bit of honey but no graininess. The finish is dry and bitter. The alcohol reveals itself mostly in the finish too, with a bit of heat. Feels big and slick. Somewhat better balanced than many beers in this style, still very much about the hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 21:45:30 | More by MCDuhamel

AUSFUR21

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I always look forward to have my first Lake Erie Monster of the year, I am not a big IPA fan but this beer here is not so over powering with Hops that I can't taste the other flavors. If your looking for a beer to get you were you need to be this is a great beer to start with.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2012 02:21:28 | More by AUSFUR21

haddon

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at Country Boy Brewery tap room.

The pour is a dark amber colorwith a 2-finger white head.

Sweet with malts & a tinge of orange. Hints of pine... evthing is subtle on the nose

A mild-to-moderate level of bitterness with plenty of malt. The citrus notes from the hops are present if you wait for it... orange & a bit of pineapple. I find it to be well-balanced.

Medium in body with moderate carbonation.

A very strong offering from Great Lakes. Glad I had it fresh on tap. Not sure it would hold up well and since there are lots of great DIPA's out there... prob would not by off the shelf.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 00:27:24 | More by haddon

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

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

12 Oz poured into a snifter
2012

About a year ago, I was just getting into craft beer I noticed this on the shelf and was way too much of a wuss to buy it. Later, after falling in love with IPA's I have been anxiously awaiting this beers release.

A- Pours a classic hazy orange with a one finger off white head. Slight alcohol legs and pretty good retention.

S- Incredibly skunky hops. The hop profile is dominates by citrus like pineapple and some grapefruit. Slightly piney but very funky. Sweet backbone but no noticeable characteristics, all hops here.

T- The hop profile is just like the smell but with a heavier influence on the pineapple and skunkyness. It's a very flavorful. DIPA in the hop department. While the hop profile is rather rank and impressive I slightly prefer a west coast IPA.

M- This is a bitter beer and the bitterness will linger around for a while. The aftertaste is hoppy and sticky. This is a slightly warming beer even though I cant pick up and alcohol in the taste.

O- This is a pretty dang good IPA that holds a candle to the best in the great lakes states. I would not say this is quite as good as hopslam but it has the exact same hop flavor in my opinion. Makes sense being that they are only about 200 or so miles apart. Not as good as hopslam but MUCH cheaper and should be a solid contender for your IPA fix.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 02:47:56 | More by TwelveOunces

DrewV

New York

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

NOTE: I wanted to re-review this beer because of its seasonality rather than update my review from last year's batch. So, I had to change the serving type. But this review is from the BOTTLE, not a growler.

I just received this year's batch of The Monster. Rather than update my review of last year's (which would make no sense), I'm going to review this year's batch separately.

A: Pours a brassy golden color in the glass with a foamy white 1-finger head. A good looking beer.

S: A very well blended aroma rises from the head. Tantalizing, but not overpowering. Almost mouth-watering. It makes you want to take a sip to find out what's next.

T: A rich bitterness blends with the citrusy tangerine flavor. Maybe a hint of pineapple too. No floral flavors here! This is an aggressive citrusy brew.

M: Thin body, but with enough effervescence to carry the malt across the palate. By comparison, Lagunitas Maximus has a much fuller mouthfeel, which I prefer in a big beer like this.

O: Amazingly refreshing for a DIPA. But its high drinkabiliity can be brutal as the weather warms up in the summer months. Possibly the best overall DIPA east of the Rockies. Great Lakes has done it again. Amazing consistency with their seasonal brews.

Serving type: growler

05-25-2012 01:16:53 | More by DrewV

Daehpoh

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance is a light golden orange with a bit of haze. On the lighter side for a DIPA. Nice thick, sticky head on this one.

The aroma I get is apple juice, sweet apricot, citrus fruits, and some fresh cut grass. A bit subdued for a hop forward beer.

Bold hop flavors up front, grapefruit, mango, some pine followed by honey sweetness and caramel. Good balance between sweet and bitter. Better flavors than aroma.

Medium-heavy body and slick going down with a dry finish. Nice.

Being an Ohio guy, I really want to like this beer but it just falls short for me on the DIPA scale. It is a good beer, but this is a crowded field and there are many better options.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2012 22:20:10 | More by Daehpoh

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is the second year old bottle Ive had, and surprisingly both are good. Even at a year old, it looks the same. Very cloudy orange with a head of tiny white bubbles. Smell is actually pretty balanced. Slightly sticky sweet with a leafy hop presence. The taste is much the same. Sweet malt backbone (honey mostly) accents the leafy hops quite well. After a year, its held up very nicely.

Update

The smell is very balanced with a good malt backbone, yet theres still some citric (grapefruit and orange and lemon) in there as well. I love the taste. Theres a thick powdery malt backbone thats different from the rest of the GLBC lineup, but it works here so well. There is a nice bittering hop presence, but the citric hops presence (juicy orange, lemon zest, and grapefruit) feel oily and slick. Its a bit different than other DIPAs, its more slick and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 20:52:39 | More by VncentLIFE

SLeffler27

New York

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Glows orange to deep amber with golden highlights and hazy throughout. Lots of fine carbonation guilds a big, creamy orange head that leaves rings and chunks of lace on a tulip glass.

Smells fresh and fruity with orange hops and apricot. Orange takes over after the first few sips.

Opens with a strong, bitter bite that carries right through to the finish. Each sip has flavors of orange rind, pineapple, mild sweetness, and a touch of tartness. The freshness of this sample greatly added to the experience.

This monster has a full body with drying alcohol, soft carbonation, and light metallic notes. Overall, it has a slick texture and leaves residual sugar.

While aggressive, this is worth the experience and worth repeating over an extended period of time. I preferred it on a hot day while reading in the shade.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 12:05:23 | More by SLeffler27

JayQue

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A better than average DIPA...nothing to blow your socks off though. Pours a hazy butterscotch color. A hard pour produces a medium slightly off white head and average lacing. Head retention is ok.

Smell is mild piney and citrus hops...good but not that powerful.

Taste provides an initial shot of piney and citrus hops and then some balancing sweet malts. Once again good but not that memorable.

Mouthfeel is good. Right level of carbonation, crisp and rich.

Overall a good DIPA. Very enjoyable, but I have had better.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 14:40:19 | More by JayQue

giblet

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this poured with two fingers of head. steady carbonation, nice hoppy aroma, and nice orange color. this is a good beer. not quite a super great beer. falls just short of balance for an I.IPA. still a top ten to fifteen in this category. nice dry hoppy finish. great lakes is awesome.

suckem up and movem out.

giblet

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 18:52:47 | More by giblet

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.48/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12 ounce bottle into an Ommegang glass. Best before 11 August 2011. From notes. Reviewed 25 June 2011.

A: Golden-pretty with some visible bubblse. Light white head has a short retention but leaves good lacing in its wake. Pale orange; pleasant. Quite clear in the light.

S: Malty-sweet fruit, generous citrus, some hops.

T: Meh. It's pretty good. Heavy and strong, with lots of supporting malts and boring but bitter hops. Noticeable grapefruit in the flavour. The aftertaste is vegetal and smoothly mundane.

M: Breadily pleasant; earthily expansive.

O: A good beer, but not a very good Double IPA. If you're drinking Great Lakes you could do better...but you could also do worse. I wouldn't recommend it, but you might enjoy it anyway.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 21:11:27 | More by AgentMunky

jjboesen

Maryland

4.8/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This review is based on a snifter enjoyed at RFD in Washington, DC. To start, Great Lakes “Erie Monster” is a sight to behold: there is a half-inch head shimmering atop a translucent body of dark amber, a still pool of liquid void of any carbonation bubbling. There is a small spot of light shining at the bottom of the glass.

As the nose inhales an intense blast of raisin, plum and almond, the palate is being overwhelmed by massive explosions of oak, honey and peat – a taste sensation akin to sipping your favorite single malt scotch; following this initiation, there is an eventual hoppy finish that is camouflaged with a heavy blanket of currant.

This is complex, yet not intimidating. In fact, you really discover, if you have not by now, how delicate is the brewing process; there is a fine balance of sweetness and substance. No, this is no session quaff; it is one to savor and respect. Great Lakes Brewing is an excellent brewery that tempts one to hop a plane to Cleveland. If you cannot make the trip, at least make the effort to seek out the Monster.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2011 20:07:36 | More by jjboesen

DarthKostrizer

California

2.63/5  rDev -35.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle shared by NoSignsOfPain in which she got in a BIF recently from MikeytotheB Expired 8/30/11 seriously who the fuck sends someone expired beers in a BIF Real nice bro real nice Drank on 10/29/11

Look: Orange in color with 1/4 head and no retention

Smell: Awful malt and candied orange notes not good at all

Taste: Is identical to the nose with the exception of there is a slight bit of alcohol presence in the flavor

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium carbonation

Overall: The 3 of us that drank this drain poured it. Not sure if it was off cause it had expired 2 months ago or not but with that being said the beer should not have turned this bad in those 2 months. Avoid this beer especially if MikeytotheB sends you one.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 19:41:17 | More by DarthKostrizer

lurpy1

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a decent amber/orange, with a head that is suspsiciously white and BMC looking. Great lacing, coats the glass as the beer vanishes. Smell is pine, citrus, mild spice. The taste begins with a wallop of citrus and hop, finishes somewhat dry. A bit of alcohol burn in the mouth takes away from the finish.

Certainly a very good beer, but as a DIPA, not a huge wow factor. Recommended nevertheless.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2011 03:13:40 | More by lurpy1

keytown

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy copper color with a two finger white head & nice lacing

S - Lots of citrus, some pine & a hint of caramel

T - Starts of with tastes of citrus: pineapple & grapefruit with a little mango. Piney hops in the middle & sweet caramel on the finish.

M - Medium body with a dry finish

O - Great beer, one of my favorites of this style & probably my favorite from Great Lakes Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 03:08:02 | More by keytown

heebes

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Past it's prime bottle.

Pour is a semihazy golden with a finger of white foam head. Nose is caramel and bread malt, the kind that once humbly provided a balanced backbone to plenty of hops likely. There is a light creamy floral note. Taste is the same: malt forward and bready. Stale. Mouthfeel is dry bitter.
If I had known about Great Lakes bottle dating I wouldn't have picked this up. Hope to find a fresher bottle in my future travels.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 20:09:38 | More by heebes

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Great Lakes could be the best thing that ever happened to Cleveland. The brewery continues to impress....which is more than can be said about the Browns. The beer poured a clear golden/orange color with a large frothy white head. Nice retention, a little lace. The smell included citrus, orange peel, fairly floral, and malt. The taste had citrus up front again, pineapple & grapefruit; turning quite floral with a candied hops presence. In addition, caramelized malt. Has a nice bitter finish. The mouthfeel was good....full body, medium low carbonation with slight alcohol on the finish. Overall a nice imperial IPA, with a very strong floral presence in the taste. I will drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 23:12:30 | More by WoodBrew

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$3.50 bottle from Abe's.

Extreme chill haze. Orange body. Mountainous off-white head. Dense lacing.

Heavy pine aroma with some mango lurking in the background.

Big thick caramel beginning. Juicy fruits - oranges, apricots, mango. Big bitter blast at the swallow which carries on throughout the long aftertaste.

Firm medium mouthfeel carries the beer smoothly on its journey across the tongue, while the beer does its best to assault the tongue.

If you like abrasive IIPAs, and I do, this is a keeper.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 23:14:42 | More by RonfromJersey

soju6

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours aslightly hazy copper color with a good head that fades slowly to nice lacing.

S: Aroma of citrus, a bit of fruit and malt sweetness.

T: Starts with a citrus bite up front with a mild caramel sweetness with a mild bitter finish.

F: Medium body, well balanced, just a bit boozy.

Another solid beer from Great Lakes. worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 01:52:31 | More by soju6

fdkayti

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a nice amber orange with a thin but frothy white head that fades quickly but leaves admirable lacing. Leaves a little to be desired, but for the most part I find it rather attractive.

S- Pineapple and apricot, almost like a spicy fruit salsa. Nice piney hops and a sweet caramelish kick bring up the rear.

T- Follows the nose point-blank. Tropical, spicy notes followed up by a moderate hop kick. Booze shows enough to leave a little burn on the tongue.

MF- Medium/medium-heavy with a satisfying dry finish. Probably my favorite part of this beer. Subtle carbonation brings things together in a super way.

O/D- The first high abv true craft beer I ever tried a year and a half ago, this is one of those that brought me to love this style. Nowadays I could use a bit more hop bitterness. The only thing that takes away from it's drinkability is the booziness, which, hey wait, adds to it's overall likeability. Glad to finally get to review my gateway brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 00:48:03 | More by fdkayti

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours bright gold/orange with a small white head that leaves lacing.

Smells of grapefruit, citrus and other tropical fruits.

Up front your palate is assaulted with citrus and grapefruit flavors with a touch of caramel in the middle. Finishes a little bitter with a bit of a booze burn.

Mouthfeel and carbonation are average for the style.

Great Lakes delivers another good one. I love the loads of citrus. The alcohol is a bit too present in a brew with this ABV and limits drinkability, but otherwise very good.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 23:20:42 | More by jmarsh123

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a slightly hazy copper-orange color with a finger of frothy white head atop. The head fades down slowly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is full of citrus hops and topical fruits. There is also some herbal hops and a bit of sweet caramel malts and a touch of booze.

T - Starts off with a nice kick of citrus hops with lots of grapefruit and a bit of pineapple. Nice bitterness alongside. Through the middle, some more bitterness comes through with some herbal and grassy hops. Some of the sweet caramel malts come through as well. The finish is big on the herbal hops with some nice bitterness, sweetness, and booze lingering.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a nice dry and resiny finish from the hops.

D - Very drinkable. Nice strong hop profile and there was just enough malt flavor and other flavors to prevent it from becoming a hop bomb.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 05:47:55 | More by ngeunit1