Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold - Great Lakes Brewing Company

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.78/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cheers to pwoods for this one, thanks Patrick!

Pours an effervescent honey with 1+ finger of cream colored head. Good lacing & average head retention

S: Flowery & perfumy hops, pears & peach

T: Honey malt, grassy hops, & a touch grainy bread up front. More fruittyness, breadyness/crackery notes & a touch of dryness along with more grassy hops. Finishes with grassy & soapy hops & more grainyness

MF: Medium bodied, moderate carbonation & great balance

Great drinkability, spot on for the style, damn near flawless

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2009 02:46:12 | More by russpowell

rawhydes1

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

As part of a variety 12 pack, purchased at Sam The Beerman in Binghamton. Boy, am I glad I made the 1 hour drive!!!

A true gem of a lager.

Beautiful golden amber color, with nice head.

Smells biscuity and sweet. Taste is VERY SMOOTH, with bready and raisin notes. Absolutely delicious!!

Smoothe, full, mouthfeel. One of the most drinkable lagers I have ever had.

With adequate marketing, this could easily outsell Yuengling Lager... not even in the same class.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2010 13:28:53 | More by rawhydes1

beerhistory

Ohio

4.78/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A -poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Beautiful golden / copper color with a fine 2 inch head that creates wonderful lacing.

S -light citrus smell with some definite breads -but very light on the nose...you can tell this is going to be a crisp, refreshing brew. Certainly smells like a summer brew for the back yard.

T - Exceptional -malty flavors up front with a lingering hop bitterness.

This is an exceptional beer. Great for a warm summer day in the back yard. Also -the 5.8% ABV is an added bonus as you can have more than a couple and still remain functional.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 23:00:37 | More by beerhistory

BierStein711

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is a lucullan delight!

This is a outstanding lager! Two and a half finger head with a golden body. The carbonation is moderate, not overpowering like some carbonation.

Smells of wet grains, cereal, wheat, and alcohol.

Tastes: Wheat thins, crackers, medicinal herbs

Mouthfeel: Perfect, not watery like some lagers

Overall, this beer is a winner. Try it today!!!

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2012 21:36:17 | More by BierStein711

BillyB

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Clear burnt orange to copper color. Thin off-white head that gradually dissipates.

Sweet malty aromas followed by a nice piney but subtle hop aroma. Great balance but gently leaning toward malt.

Taste is bready, biscuity, sweet malt, caramel and a hint of toffee with a nice hop balance.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and so smooth and creamy I could drink about 100 of these.
Michael Jackson once wrote that this was one of his top 10 favorite american beers. I can see why.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2007 05:36:04 | More by BillyB

witster18

Tennessee

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

FIrst... it is very important when drinking this beer, as with all great lakes beers, to drink them at the proper temperature.... the better(cleaner) the beer the more that will be hidden when it is drank at too cold of a temp...
so let this one warm up just a bit... then the flavors will REALLY shine through...

keep in mind that this is a near 6% beer... sometimes while drinking GLBC brews they can be so smooth that you forget they have a little kick.

Nose is citrus, and a floral rosieish hop.

The Hizzel faShizzell MaNizzell! This oustanding brew is unbelievable for a Dort that can be found in nearly every Ohio grocer! The Grassy Hops and the sweet malt collide with upmost efficiency. There is a hint of lemoness(very subdued) and a great hoppy/earthy finish. There is this amazing floral sweetness to this beer and the warmth from the alhohol along with that sweetness makes this beer flat out dangerous... in a really, really good way. The mouthfeel is AWESOME! This is the easiest drinkin, best tastin, 5.8, American Produced Lager available! The Brown bottle hides a beautiful golden color. I'd like to think I have an educated beer palate....and this is the beer that I wish I never ran out of...especially in the SE Tenn sun...
I go WAY out of my way to keep this stocked whenever possible....you should too!
Head nice but dissapates quicker than expected.
Lacing is wild and ominous! Nice oily surface.
Nose is hoppy.
Taste is bitter/sweet(floral)/great earthiness/hops/crisp/refreshing(slighty dry)
finish is definately hoppy...especially for a lager beer
OVERALL-I've tried about 1,000 different beers...and this is EASILY TOP FIVE!
Lagers are usually non-complex, watery, and utterly forgettable... THIS IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSite... THANK YOU SIR may I have another?

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2007 22:22:10 | More by witster18

wiseguy142

New York

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a beautiful tawny gold with a medium sized fizzy/frothy head that dissipates in under a minute. Smells of light caramel and lemon with some nuttiness to it. The taste brings me right back to Germany. Very sweet, with a clean bittering presence throughout the sip. This is definitely a really unique beer. The caramel flavors are so appealing and so perfectly balanced by the malty sweetness. A nice medium/light mouthfeel keeps it nicely in between a pilsner and a pale ale. I only have one bottle of this left and I wish I just had a whole boot of it.. or at least a Maß.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2008 06:48:55 | More by wiseguy142

Optifron

Illinois

4.73/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

11/15/2012 out of the bottle

Appearance: Pours solid gold, crystal clear, with a dense white head. Great lacing

Aroma: Clean, pale malty, bready aroma. Smooth, earthy hop aroma.

Taste: Wow. Just wow. I had a bias coming in since I don’t typically love lagers, and this is fantastic. Incredibly clean flavor. Wheat bread maltiness up front, with a great hop finish. I don’t imagine this is an American hop. Not as in-your-face as most of the American varieties I’m used to. Likely one of the noble hops? (looked this up. Bittered with cascade, but flavor/aroma are hallertau).

Mouthfeel: A little on the dry side of the middle. Very nicely smooth.

Overall: Great Lakes has wowed me again. This might be the best lager I’ve ever had. Drinkability is outstanding as well, but without sacrificing a rich, full flavor of great bready malt and clean hop balance.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 20:58:44 | More by Optifron

frazbri

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a classic. Nice white head on a deep bronze body. Refreshing mild cabonation, not spritzy or flat.
The hops are noticable on the nose, but not overpowering.
Bitterness is present enough to balance the star of this show, the malt.
This is a beautiful beer. Arguably the finest Dortmunder style beer anywhere. If you want malt, this is your beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2004 23:55:42 | More by frazbri

maggotbrain

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The beer is a deep brassy color. After pouring, it initially had a thick white head which has receded to a thin layer over the top of the beer. As I take each sip, webs of lace form down the sides of my mug. The only reason I don’t give this a 5 for appearance is the fact that it really more orange than gold, but that’s just because I feel like being picky.

Sniffing the beer, I pick up a light grainy aroma.

This beer tastes wonderful. It is clean and refreshing, yet still complex and satisfying. The lightly sweet, bread like malt flavor is perfectly balanced with the refined hop bitterness. This beer is the very definition of balance.

The beer has a medium body and a moderate level of carbonation.

The drinkability of this beer is untouchable. There really isn’t much more to say about it.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2005 03:29:48 | More by maggotbrain

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This poured a nice transparent gold with some head that subsided to a slight cloud over the glass, smell is grassy and malty, very tasty. Flavors in this brew are sweet and bready, with a slight hop aroma. to does finish quite cleanly and goes down ever so smooth.

All I can say about this, another fine brew from a fine brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2007 23:35:06 | More by funkengruven

riboflavin88

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer had a great color; khaki, golden, and crisp. Had a nice white head with decent carbonation. The aroma was grainy, and like others who rated this beer, it had notes of biscuit and oatmeal. A very drinkable/ session beer. I highly suggest this beer to have as a staple in your fridge.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2008 20:27:58 | More by riboflavin88

MacDaddyJ

North Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this great beer on tap at the Flying Saucer in Charlotte, NC

This German style Dortmunder pours a bright clear gold with a nice frothy white head that leaves nice lacing down the sides of your glass. The aroma gives off plenty of sweet malt, with some light breadiness on the end. Dortmunder has a nice medium body with a light amount of carbonation that works perfectly with the heavy amount of malty sweetness. Great Lakes did a great job of balancing this Lager with a near perfect amount of herbal and citrus hops. The brew dries up fairly quickly, although there is a little remaining sweetness. This is an excellent, light sessionable Lager weighing in at a drinkable 5.80% abv.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2010 22:53:42 | More by MacDaddyJ

Frothboss

Kentucky

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance is clear with nice golden color, no seriously it really looks gold. One finger head quickly fizzles away. Smeels malty and bready with light hop scent in the background, good solid smell that i can get without even putting my nose to the glass. Really enjoy the smell. Tastes great, well rounded and balanced. Malty bready flavor up front with hoppy aftertones that leaves a good clean finish. Gives a nice solid feeling. This is not the first time i have had this particular beer...this is the 3rd sixer i have purchased and wont be the last sixer. Nice solid beer to keep in the fridge for any time of year.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 02:59:24 | More by Frothboss

AtLagerHeads

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Truly an exceptional lager. In Cleveland on business, I asked about good local brews. I was pointed toward Great Lakes Brewing as outstanding, and it is; I can't wait to get back to Cleveland to visit their pub. I bought a six pack to go, along with a sixer of GLBC's Eliot Ness. After sampling it I panicked that I wouldn't find it again closer to home. Not to worry; even my local grocery store now has it prominently displayed and it's showing up on tap.

This is an incredibly drinkable beer. Beautiful medium golden color, a pleasantly tan-colored head that fades a bit too quickly, good lacing, and a pleasant richness to the feel. Nicely balanced grain sense, it starts well and ends well. Could this be my ultimate favorite? Maybe, if it weren't for GLBC's Eliot Ness!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2003 18:44:14 | More by AtLagerHeads

studentofbeer

California

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The beer has a strong malty aroma with orange notes and floral hops. The color is a clear pale orange.

As for the taste, wow, now that is a fun lager. The orange nose comes to full fruition in the malt, with a nice mandarin sweetness coupled with a tangy bread taste. The hops help bring out an herbal and citrusy zing, and the body is bone dry, leading to an almost puckering mineral finish. The only thing that might limit this one on a hot day is the relatively robust body. Still, I'd rather have one of these than two of most other things. There isn't a flaw in this beer.

I've heard good things about this beer, but boy, am I pleasantly surprised. Definitely add this one on to my top summer beers list. maybe top anytime beers.

Their website notes Hallertau and Cascade hops (we found where the refreshing citrus comes from). Sounds good to me.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2004 15:22:12 | More by studentofbeer

smakawhat

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a Nonic pint glass.

A giant fist full almost rock hard white head is created off the pour. Does fall at a normal pace. Body is a super clear just barely amber but dark golden color, real nice color on the body here. No carbonation from the bottom. Good retention on the head.

Smell is a wonderful bread malt sensation on the nose. Slightly dense with some real nice grain feel behind it. This smells great borderline baked whole wheat bread.

Taste is a wonderful body, and great simple sweetness that doesn't feel corny. This is almost literally like liquid honey that is tolerable and not overly sweet on the finish. Oh man this tastes FANTASTIC. A malty expansive filling on the first sip, just a hint of alcohol sweetness and finishing with that slight sweet honey and bread taste.

This is overall great beer right here, man I could just pound these back like nothing, I want to have this on tap somewhere it just feels so perfect. This could be my borderline lawnmower go to beer all the time lager right here.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 02:12:43 | More by smakawhat

mmmbeer

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12 oz. bottle with clearly-marked freshness date; 30 IBUs, best at 45F. Courtesy of BA greenethumb. It is a deep golden color, unfiltered?, fairly carbonated with an inch of light tan head that leaves beautiful lacing. The very enticing aroma emits toasty malts and earthy/spicy hops. Rich and toasty Munich malts meld with sweet and grainy pilsner malts on the palate, backed by very flavorful spicy/perfumy hops that impart a lingering medium bitterness. The body is medium and smooth, with a chewy, dry finish - a bit heavy, but very nice. What a great beer here - crisp and refreshing, with a lingering finish. This is as easy to sip and contemplate as it is to drink by the pint; or at least it would be if I only had more bottles! A wonderful craft-brewed domestic lager.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 17:12:33 | More by mmmbeer

socon67

New York

4.68/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Golden pour with a high white foam that looks soapy and clings to the glass more than it laces. Small bubbles of carbonation move about.

S - Smells of fresh grain bread, honey, and pale malts.

T - Crisp taste that has notes of wheat, honey, and noble hops. For a relatively light style this has an incredible amount of flavor. I'd put this against any of its Eurpean counterparts. Finishes with a subtle amount of bitterness.

M - Easy drinking, and has a sandpaper grit on the tongue. Light bodied, but plenty of flavor.

O - I really enjoy how Great Lakes can make solid representations of basic styles. I would take this over plenty of comparable German imports. Just need to make another trip upstate to get this.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 18:37:26 | More by socon67

thelagerheads

Michigan

4.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

$7.99 for a mixed 6
12 oz bottle
Good Time Party Store
Northville, MI

Ahhh- a golden ale without that over-hopped citrus spray. An even keel blend of bready malts and hops and a kiss of honey and faint citrus sweetness that doesn't paralyze or send the tongue off into oblivions of taste but goes down with an easy hit of cleanness. I now know what Sylvia Plath meant when she said "The snows of the Tyrol, the clear beer of Vienna Are not very pure or true." No they aren't, not like this golden by-product of the German Purity Law.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2006 13:52:23 | More by thelagerheads

grayburn

South Carolina

4.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The beer pours a slightly hazy robust golden hue with a dense white head. Lacing and retention are both excellent.

The smell and taste are in perfect balance, there is just enough hopping in both. Almost pine and citrus...light floral notes as well. Quite impressive.

This beer comes together perfectly, it is incredibly well balanced. Smooth creamy feel that ends up somehow finishing clean and lagerlike...wow.

I could drink this by the gallon, an excellent offering.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2009 00:26:00 | More by grayburn

potownbill

New York

4.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I now have a new favorite beer!!! Got it at Halftime in the town of Po.
Appearance: Gold, beauty of a white head
Smell: Biscuit, sweet malt
Taste: Sweet malt, biscuit, some Citrus nops.
Mouthfeel: Smooth!
Drinkability: I have not had too many beers more than once in the past three years. I bought two sixes of this stuff because it was soooo good!

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2010 21:46:56 | More by potownbill

champ103

Texas

4.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a perfectly clear golden/orange color. A billowing two finger white head forms. Fine and tightly packed bubbles with great retention. Rings of sticky lace left all the way down the glass.
S: At first fresh baked bread and biscuits. Zesty peppery yeast comes next. Then fresh cut grass. As it warms some fruity aromas come out. Citrus, peaches, and even apples. A lingering dry bitterness that brings everything together. Excellent.
T: Again, excellent. A great toasted malt, baked bread flavor. Peppery yeast comes next. Some fruity esters that follow the nose. Lingering grassy and floral bitterness. Everything is so clean and finishes very dry. Amazing.
M/D: A medium body with perfect carbonation. So crisp, clean, and dry. It does not get any better than this. Very easy and enjoyable to drink. All day with this.

Without a doubt one of the best lagers I have had from any brewery. A treat to drink, and something that should be shared with anybody that thinks lagers are inferior in any way. One of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 05:12:27 | More by champ103

nomad

Kansas

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Another one of those beers I've had so many times without ever wanting to reflect upon it besides, ah, well... damn that's good!

Pours a clear and gorgeous gold with an orange hue, varying sized carbonation release intermittently supports a thin but strong head. The color in and of itself is beautiful though the lacing is a pleasant surprise for a lighter lager.

Smell is herbal, minty, crackling German hop garden. Sharp and pinching in effect with a bare gasp of husky malt. The flavor continues with all types of herbal, minty, snappy hops slicing through with extreme Noble character. Underneath is a fuller mouthfeel than expected which balances the bitterness and near-oily hop resins while allowing just a smidge of caramel/high-kilned maltiness. Finish is mineral-tinged and almost clean with a husky malt and vegetal hop dryness.

Bracing, bursting, beautiful beer. So fresh if you live in the Great Lakes.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2005 17:24:45 | More by nomad

DuqTroops

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Great Beer! My favorite of the Great Lakes.

Appearance - golden color, little white head.

Smell - malty aroma.

Taste - citrus and malts. little hops.

Mouthfeel - very easy to drink, calming flavor and one of my favorites to have plenty of.

Drinkability - always have this on retainer. great beer to give to friends!

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2006 03:20:41 | More by DuqTroops