Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company

utopiajane

New York

3.44/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours a deep gold with an orange hue. Mostly clear and effervescing. Good retention and sticky white lace. Nose is not what I expected. Weed like with lots of bread and nutty malt character. Caramel. Citrus is there but faint, a little floral and herbal, a hint of tropical fruit but doesn’t quite stretch out. Taste is grassy, very nutty , herbal, with lots of malt rolling sweetly over the hay like palate. Cracker, biscuit, and a little bit of sweet orange. Finishes crisp and dry with just enough bitter hop oil and sweet honey on a cracker. This is a very big malt Pale Ale that drinks lovely and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 10:37:19 | More by utopiajane

JMScowcroft

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Great Lakes Brewing Company - Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale

Look - Pours a mostly clear deep copper with amber hues. Full foamy head that breaks down and leaves huge chunks of lacing. Good retention.

Smell - Deep almost red rich malts with some slight pine and tangy mango hops. Light on the hops.

Taste - Carbonated bready malt and a citrus hop punch, dry and bitter.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium bodied. Dry, chewy, and quite drinkable. Booziness is low at 6%.

Overall - Meh, this one didn't thrill me, there are far better. That is not to say that it was bad, because it wasn't at all, it just wasn't amazing.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 12:47:56 | More by JMScowcroft

Dope

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

06/02/13 best by date.

A: Pours a clear ruby red. Big fluffy offwhite head. Head fades slowly, leaving moderate splotchy lacing behind. Nice retention.

S: Mild grapefruit and pine with a little biscuity malt.

T: A little pungent grapefruit up front. Backed up with just a hint of pine, primarily in the finish really. Dry biscuits for the malt in the middle. A little bitter and dry in the finish.

M: Medium bodied and standard.

O: Not a bad APA. This one's a little old so I gave it a little leeway on the scores. Nice and tasty and easy drinking though.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 03:45:39 | More by Dope

TeamMathis

West Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Yellowish orange. Clear.
Smell: Flowery honey biscuits.
Taste: Flowery honey biscuits and Cascade hoppiness/bitterness.

I really like this Pale Ale. It's such a good balance of sweetness and hops. The smell is very distinctly flowery and biscuity with a touch of honey. The taste reflects this but adds that excellent bitterness. This is what I want out of an APA. I would definitely get this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 01:52:44 | More by TeamMathis

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.46/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into becker pint glass. Golden orange, the color of honey, crystal clear with a medium-thick white head that dissipates pretty quickly leaving some delicate lacing. Smells of clean malts with slight bitter hops in the background. Taste follows nose; clean and smooth malts with a crisp bitter hop finish that rounds off a great-tasting beer. A great drinkable beer, I could easily put away a 6-pack of these.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 00:45:21 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

BeerYoss

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- Amber/orange, some lazy carbonation, quite clear. the off-white head fairly quickly retreats to the surface and stays there. not much lacing on the way down

S- Strong citrus and pine hop smell.

T- Strong pine hop taste. I am not a fan of super hopped piney pale ales but this one presents the hops in a very clear and strong way without blowing away the rest of the beer. quite enjoyable. something in there reminds me of apples.

M- Clean and refreshing. pretty high on the carbonation. light body, doesn't coat the mouth too much

O- Very approachable. one of my favorite pale ales. it's not trying to be anything too unique. it is just good.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 01:20:40 | More by BeerYoss

thedoubler55

New Jersey

3.64/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a copperish orange in color, a nice one finger off white head at the top, and leaves a little lacing around the glass as you sip away.

S: A little bit of floral notes up front and some grassy notes as well, a slight hint of bread as well.

T: A nice mild pale ale, up front some sweetness with some bitterness on the tail end, grassy notes as well as some floral hint as well.

M: Medium bodied and a good amount of carbonation.

O: A very good pale ale, this brewery keeps on surprising me, glad my liquor store stocked up on this stuff, a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 18:45:17 | More by thedoubler55

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.54/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a deep orange to gold color. Fairly clear with only a hint of haze. Smaller, one finger head that retains well and laces pretty good. Head is off-white to cream in color.

S- Pretty big doses of floral and piney hop flavors for an APA that's best by date is in just a few days. Hops are dominant through the entire smell of the beer, with an occasional, very faint waft of sweeter malts.

T- Pretty much like the scent. This flavor profile reminds me a lot of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Hops start it off and persist throughout, prominent, but not quite dominant. Very consistent hops that won't overpower you, but also doesn't leave you wanting more. Ends with a crisp hop bite.

M- Crisp, clean, and pretty smooth going down. High carbonation and medium weight from the hops are the only inhibitors to swilling this faster.

Overall, a very solid APA. Like I said, this reminds me a lot of a SNPA. I would say this is the more eastern, or maybe midwestern version of a very standard, very solid pale ale like a SNPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 01:53:56 | More by boilermakerbrew

fitrock2112

Ohio

4.51/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured the Burning River into a pint glass.

A - Nice amber colored beer has a finger and half of golden head. Looks like a pale ale should.

S - Nice hop bitterness, some malt sweetness comes through as well.

T - Very tasty creamy pale ale. Again some hoppiness initially, but the sweet malts come through mid palate. This brew has some body to it. Really nice.

M - I have to admit this is nice and creamy, medium carbonation.

O - Great Lakes does a fine job here, the best Pale Ale I've had to date.
Highly Recommended ! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 20:16:49 | More by fitrock2112

SportsandJorts

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: a deep orange, a little bit reddish. a finger or so of a white head that fades pretty quickly

Smell: sweet fruits right up front, only distinguishable is apple, citrusy hops.

Taste: sweetness but more from caramel malts not, fruits, none distinguishable but still there and citrus hops. pretty hop-strong and bitter but balanced nicely

Mouthfeel: lighter body and fairly refreshing. slightly bitter lingering but very clean

Overall: This is probably my favorite pale ale not to use rye or toasted malts. the fruitiness from the yeast reminds me of english style yeasts, and it works out nicely here. definitely worth a try if you can spot some fresh stuff on the shelves.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 22:39:51 | More by SportsandJorts

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.81/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Acquired from a friend on a trip to Ohio.

A- Pours a golden orange slightly hazy body with a thick 2 finger white head that reduces to some uneven foam on the top of the beer. Leaves some uniform lacing.

S- Citrus, yeast, lemon peel, sweet caramel, grapefruit, toffee.

T- subtle pine and citrus sitting on a light caramel malt, honey, nearly vanilla backbone. Not much bitterness of aftertaste. Not much as far as flavor.

M- Medium body, medium-high carbonation.

Middle of the road pale ale. Maybe the hops have faded with time.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 02:13:02 | More by gcamparone

CardiacNP

Louisiana

3.55/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A decent american ale from Great Lakes Brewing Co. Purchased at Fox & Hound in Ohio

Golden Color Clear nice head and lacing

Lightly hoppy and mild floral aroma.

Spicey hoppy taste

Smooth mouth feel. moderate carbonation Floral taste and mild hop finish

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 02:02:09 | More by CardiacNP

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Smells almost like orange juice. Bright fruity hop nose right off the bat. Notes of grapefruit and citrus.

Super orange hop flavor up front with underlying grapefruit notes. Hop flavor rolls over the tongue and stays consistent through out the sip. Medium bodied with a touch of malt sweetness. Sweetness lingers but bitterness builds with each sip make for quite a balanced beer. Goes down almost too easy.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 20:04:46 | More by jtierney89

gr0g

New Jersey

3.59/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear, golden amber in appearance. Nice head formation and retention, with some equally nice lacing left behind. Aroma is floral with a bit of grapefruit rind. Nothing special, really, though it's worth noting this bottle is 3 months old.

A well-balanced take on an APA in terms of flavor. Moderate bitterness from start to finish. Cracker-like grain note from the malt body. A little bit of vague citrus from the hops. Solid, but kind of boring - just like the aroma. The smooth, slick mouthfeel redeems it a bit.

A solid pale ale, but there are better ones around.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 16:58:32 | More by gr0g

thlayli87

New Jersey

4.19/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed from notes.

A - Amber-orange color with a finger head that fades to a sticky ring. Decent lacing.

S - Fruity with notes of peach and mango, bready malt.

T - Caramel malt, fruity sweetness, bready, with a lingering hop presence that's not evident in the nose.

M - Medium body, some chewiness on the tongue, very drinkable.

O - This is an exceptional pale ale with a pleasant tantalizing fruitiness that doesn't overwhelm. The fruitiness complements the bready and malty flavors very well. Drink this one as fresh as possible to experience all the fruity goodness it has to offer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:30:10 | More by thlayli87

lunarbrew

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured hard with only about a finger of head. Pours rich amber with. Standard. I'm not really impressed with the smell. The beer's nose is a little stale. I almost get some lagered notes. There are additionally some bready qualities in the scent, followed by a mellow earthy (and somewhat mossy) background. The flavor was not at all what I was expecting. The lagered scent follows through in the taste, but is followed by very rich (medium darkness) malt flavor. There is medium sweetness and a crisp dry finish. The hops are interesting in this beer. Not a large profile, but most present in flavor (as opposed to bitterness or smell). I mostly taste earthiness (fresh cut grass and moss). There is a bit of fruit here too, but not a typical citrus hop bomb. The fruity qualities are subtle, smooth, and complex. The mouth feel is typical and well-executed for an APA: a smooth texture, medium carbonation, and medium body. Overall this is a fine brew. It's not my favorite APA, but it turned out being quite drinkable and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 03:10:34 | More by lunarbrew

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

A - Clear copper, white head has decent retention and lace.

S/T - Nicely balanced pine hops, bready, biscuit malts, caramel sweetness, touch of diacetyl. The medium body is very smooth across the palate and finishes crisp and clean.

O - Easy drinking pale ale, well balanced. Crisp, clean flavors. The touch of diacetyl doesn't really take anything away from the drink.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2013 13:59:48 | More by garuda

MickeyBeer

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A- Pours a deep golden color with about one and half fingers of head. Nice retention, some active bubbles rising, and nice lacing left on the glass.

S- Really great hop aroma. Bitter and citrusy with a bit of malt backbone as well.

T- Deliciously hoppy APA. Bitter, with a little bit of maltiness to balance it out.

M- Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Really smooth and easy to drink.

O- An excellent APA. Good aroma, taste and mouthfeel. I will have to grab this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 00:31:58 | More by MickeyBeer

barnzy78

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, pours deep golden with a frothy, white head that fades into a foam leaving some sticky lacing. Citric aroma with biscuity malt & a touch of caramel and yeast. Tastes are a nice meld of toasted grain, caramel, grassy herbal hops, grapefruit pith, a bit fruity, and some hoppy spiciness on the finish. Medium mouth-feel with ample carbonation. Overall, a very solid go-to APA that fits the style perfectly.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 00:54:20 | More by barnzy78

AmitC

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Enjoy by date crossed - 3/3/13

Excellent pour. Just a tad thicker than one finger thick off white colored head. A lot of bubbles rising up vigorously. Excellent lacing on the sides. Very clear pale golden color. Looks really phenomenal.

Aroma is a tad bit moderate in strength. Very similar to its elder brother Commodore Perry. A bit rustic, off beat wild weed aroma. A good amount of malt notes.

Flavor is very much the same but with a jest. A nicely balanced flavor that gives a hint of hops but is not bitter. A little bit of orange peel and grape fruit mix towards the end. Finish is very slightly bitter with a lot of dryness.

Mouth feel is light medium. Very easy, smooth and sessionable touch. High on carbonation and effervescence.

Style Rate: 4.25
Personal Rate: 4

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 02:14:38 | More by AmitC

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland, OH

A: Pours a crystal clear pale amber in color with some moderate to heavy amounts of visible carbonation and some golden yellow highlights. The beer has a finger tall off-white head that quickly reduces to a medium patch of very thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light aromas of caramel malts with some moderate aromas of floral and citrus/orange rind hops.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of pale and caramel malts with just a touch of sweetness. The malts are followed by light to moderate flavors of floral and citrus/orange rind hops which impart a light bitterness which lingers for a short amount of time.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of crispness upfront.

O: This is an easy drinking beer that pairs up well with the food served in the brewpub at Great Lakes - I think this beer would go with just about anything. Easy to drink and refreshing, enough hops to be interesting but still enjoyable and not overly bitter. This is just about sessionable (just a touch high on the ABV to really be a session beer).

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2013 12:33:05 | More by dbrauneis

JG-90

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

bottle into glass

A - Clear light copper color. Yields an impressive large foamy head with nice retention and heavy lacing

S - Pale malts, stale bread, a little bit of floral, and less fruit (can tell right away it won't be a "west coast" pale ale)

T - big malt start, then funk, followed by a hint of pineapple and grapefruit, then floral, with a wet-biscuit finish. A little malty for me, but is balanced very nicely

M - Medium body for a Pale Ale with medium-high carbonation.

O - I always go for hoppier beers, but this malt forward APA was a pleasant surprise, very solid beer

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 21:51:18 | More by JG-90

JPlo

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark golden color. Hazy clarity. Head lasts above average with great lacing.

Feel: medium bodied, with moderate carbonation and a finish that's long and slightly wet.

Aroma/taste: Hops are floral with slightly citrusy and herbal. Malts a carmelly, grainy, little nutty.

Overall, nice hop with a mild/smooth, tangy malt finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 18:50:22 | More by JPlo

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

From: Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: Best by 1/13/2013
Glass: Standard US pint

Great Lakes' APA is a well-balanced take on the style, with interesting orange citrus scents and flavors being prominent alongside a grainy, cracker-like malt contribution. Neither side ever overpowers the other, though the bitterness threatens to in the closing moments of each sip. A pleasantly balanced APA with some unique characters to it. I'd pick this up again if in the mood.

Pours a 2cm high head of off-white colored bubbles, which has above-average retention, gradually settling to a fairly thick cap atop the body of the beer. Lacing is also above average, leaving thick washes of lace along the entire perimeter of the glass. Body is a fairly bright copper-orange color, with light brining out brighter and paler orange and yellow hues. Carbonation is visible through the transparent body, and while numerous, does not seem aggressively active.

Aroma is of orange rind, very mild citrus, lightly floral, with sweet pale malts. Definitely going against the trend of ever-hoppier and more fruity APAs, this one sticks closer to the 80s-90s APA roots with noticeable malt and hop notes, both of which never go to extremes. Perhaps somewhat anachronistic considering the insane flavors that can be coaxed from APAs today, the balance is still appreciated,

Front of palate is at first juicy and sweet, like fresh orange juice, then quickly becomes crackery or biscuit-like and sweet, as from pale malts. Mid-palate is cracker-like with notable orange rind flavor and hop bitterness that still does not manage to overpower the malt component. At times, I'm reminded of a hoppy, sweetened iced tea (with a twist of orange) effect going on. Back of palate is substantially more bitter than mid, with bitterness being about 75% of the flavor, the remaining being of citrus fruit esters and cracker-like malt flavors. Aftertaste of hop bitterness with orange rind and light malt sweetness.

Beer is medium-bodied, with carbonation of medium intensity. The result is never fizzy, just managing to effervesce slightly and gently foam the beer upon the palate. The mouthfeel is therefore somewhat foamy, slightly creamy, and generally smooth. Closes out dry, bitter, and slightly sticky.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 04:49:41 | More by falloutsnow

socon67

New York

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Orange\amber pour with a frothy white foam. Lacing is decent on this one.

S - Scents of citrus and some sharp hop bitterness. Some mild spicy notes as well.

T - Pale malts and a tartness of oranges. The bitterness from a blend of hops is consistent but never overwhelming. Crsipness presents a very fresh taste.

M - Light feel but the body of this beer feels like a pretty robust pale ale. Bitter bite stays with you. Slight carbonation.

O - Having tried a few Great Lakes beers from a sampler pack, I'm really liking the products they produce. This is one of the better american pale ales that doesn't come off too dry, or masquerade as an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 19:48:42 | More by socon67