Great Lakes Eliot Ness - Great Lakes Brewing Company

5lat5ive

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought a Great Lakes "Taster's" 12-pack. 2/4. Bottle into a pint glass.

A - Caramel-brown, slight carb from the bottom for a short time. 1-inch muddy-white head. some lacing.

S - Sweet, malty, mild citrus (lemon-orange), floral aroma.

T - Caramel malt, pineapple, mildly roasty, and a bit of honey. It's hard to find the hops, but they're there. Slight alcohol bite.

M - A little sticky, but not like an ipa could be, more like a porter/stout. smooth. thick-medium bodied.

O - Maybe a little too sweet for some, but I love it.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 00:03:06 | More by 5lat5ive

Treyliff

West Virginia

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

A- pours a dark copper color with a small light tan head and small fizzy lacing?

S- clean malt, faint hops, toasted grains, super fresh and clean.

T- lots of sweet malt with a bit of caramel, faint herbal hop accent, finishes dry with toasted grain, good linger.

M- medium body with a bit of chew and medium carbonation, very smooth.

O- Complex for a simple brew, very well balanced and eat to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 19:24:19 | More by Treyliff

JamesMN

Minnesota

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

Appearance: Deep copper/caramel color. Soapy two finger off-white head.

Aroma: Caramel malt. A hint of hops.

Taste: Caramel just like in the nose. A little nutty. Pretty smooth, not much bitterness. Surprisingly there is some heat in there from the alcohol which shows up in the back of your throat.

Mouthfeel: It's got a full body and the right amount of carbonation. Sort of coats the mouth as you drink, which isn't necessarily good or bad. It depends on how syrupy you like your beer.

Final Thoughts: I'm not sure why this beer is so highly acclaimed. It doesn't really live up to the hype for my tastes. I probably won't seek this one out in the future. Although, it gets props for being the best amber/vienna lager I've had.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 03:07:02 | More by JamesMN

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

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

poured into a glass stien.

Appearance: light amber / orange bodied beer with a slight copper hue. An off white head with easily two fingers of head. The head has some staying power and leaves a little bit of spotted lace on the glass.

Smell: grainy, biscuity, and bready malt profile with a touch of caramel sweetness. A touch of citrus and grassy hops.

Taste: This beer tastes almost identical to the nose, but has just a touch of nuttiness in the malt profile like a brown ale. Really nice balance between the malts and hops really smooth lager beer. Finishes with a grainy cereal note.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Smooth easy drinking summer beer with nice flavors and fantastic smoothness. Carbonation is crisp and clean.

Overall: This is a great beer all around. Summer is here and this is a solid option when it gets hot.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 01:55:08 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

socon67

New York

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at Lou Malnati's with some deep dish. Enjoying this Chicago trip....

A - Pours amber with a reddish hue. Nice lacing on the glass. Foam retention is solid. Some carbonation.

S - Sweet smell with some mild hoppiness. Also get some floral scent.

T - Nice tasting amber. Listed here as a vienna lager and is very similar to Sam's Boston Lager, with a hoppier bite. Really enjoyable style.

M - Went great with pizza and I see this is a go-to beer with food. Wish this was readily available by me. Feels smooth and so easy to drink, yet has a very robust flavor.

O - For the style, one of the best I've ever had. My first chance at Great Lakes and this did not disappoint at all.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 02:55:52 | More by socon67

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass, bottled.

A - clear bronze amber with 1 finger white head with moderate retention and moderate foamy lacing.

S - caramel and honey malts with bready yeast and wheat

T - honeycomb and beef jerky, caramel malts and bready yeast.

M - light body, moderate carbonation, crisp

O - a very solid sweet lager light and crispy

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 22:23:53 | More by williamjbauer

srv33

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

Pours a medium amber, with a quickly disappearing cream colored head. Scent of toasty malts, caramel, biscuit, and a touch of hops. Taste follows nose with prominent notes of sweet toasted malts, toffee, and a fresh doughy taste. Well balanced mouthfeel with somewhat delicate carbonation rounds out this brew. Another solid beer from Great Lakes.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 19:05:36 | More by srv33

cmq103

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from my 1/6th keg into a Duvel Belgian Tulip glass.

Appearance: Standard ice tea, dark amber color tap pour resulted in a nice ½” beige head reducing to a thin ring after a few minutes. Lacing was sticky, but minimal.

Smell: Sweet caramel-butterscotch combined with toasty malts and a hint of vanilla. A swirl of my glass provided a gentle hint of booziness once the beer warms. Not a dominant nose, but very inviting nonetheless.

Taste: As with the smell, sweet caramel and toasted malts attack the palate immediately. Mild hop bitterness is present in the middle but the toasted malty/nutty sweetness finishes perfectly. Absolutely delicious…One of the best Vienna Lagers I’ve ever had.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation was perfect for this medium body beer. This beer is extremely well balanced for sure.

Overall: Although a tad higher ABV than most lagers, well worth the exchange for the entire flavor this Vienna Lager has. A lingering sweet malty finish is what I enjoyed the most. I could easily see myself buying another 1/6th keg of this. This quasi-session beer could easily steer me to having a few in one sitting. A great all year round brew from Great Lakes. The Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is still my favorite from this brewery but this one sure comes in a close second. Well done!!

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2012 01:33:20 | More by cmq103

mikeg67

New Jersey

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

12 oz bottle. Pours amber with a long lasting white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of caramel malt and noble hops, hints of cherries. Body is medium and slightly crisp. Taste is of caramel malt in the beginning followed by herbal, earthy hops. Finish is long and dry. Nicely balanced excellent brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 13:29:09 | More by mikeg67

fields336

North Carolina

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

12 oz bottle, best before august 15 SAPP glass

A: Dark reddish to amber color, completely clear 1.5 finger caramel head, with nice bubbles, carbonation is nice off the bottom, head dissipates slowly, leaves some sticky lacing on the sides as it recedes.

S: some nice toasted malt, bread, toffee, caramel, citrus, herbal

T: caramel, huge gobs of toffee, along with a toasty bread taste. hop presence is less than i remember but a slight earthy/grassy/citrus bitterness at the end. ever so slight alcohol taste as it warms

M: Medium bodied, creamy, dry finish, carbonation is nice, cleansing, paves the way for the hop bitterness

O: a nice complex refreshing lager, awesome.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 04:52:54 | More by fields336

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a lovely amber color with a big off white head that has a wonderful retention. The head faded very slowly over time to give a good level of lacing.

Smell – The smell is heaviest in a bready and biscuit aroma. These are mixed some lighter sweet caramel a mild citrus hop aroma.

Taste – A smooth lightly roasted and bready flavor meets the tongue. This is mixed with some light nutty flavors as well as a very light caramel flavor. The carmel fades and the nuttiness gets a bit stronger as the taste advances. While these flavors transition, notes of a citrus hop also come to the tongue. At the very end, the taste bitters ever so slightly leaving a rather nice bready-lighty bitter flavor on the tongue. Very pleasing.

Mouthfeel –The body of the beer is just above average in creaminesss with a carbonation level that is just below average to average. Both are great for the lighter roasted flavors, but niehter are too intense to take away from the flavors and drinkability.

Overall – One fantastic easy drinking brew with great flavors. A great drinking experience for this Vienna.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 00:05:54 | More by Darkmagus82

Dray

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I bought this at a bottle shop and was looking to cross off some of my, "wants" on my list.

It poured a dark amber with a nice head, but it was the aroma that smacked me in the face. It just said to me, your not gonna forget me anytime soon! Then I drank it. Then I wanted another, but only bought one!

I have to say that after I was finished drinking this heavenly beer I smelled the glass for the next 20 min. While contemplating going to the store and getting more.
Must try!!!!

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 12:41:26 | More by Dray

devilben02

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a rich, deep amber color, with a modest beige head on top. The aroma is subdued but comforting, with a combination of musty hops and a light bready sweetness. The flavor is much more potent, with big notes of fruity, sweet, and nutty malts being balanced by a dull, musty, earthy character. These flavors are bold and complex at first, but the flavor becomes muddier as the beer opens up, with just a bit of an uncomfortable astringency and an alcohol burn (either that or this beer just pairs miserably with goldfish crackers). The texture is a bit resinous and almost syrupy, which is less desirable than the crisp, clean character that is the hallmark of most lagers, but it goes down fine. Overall, this rich, flavorful lager has some flaws, but I still wouldn't hesitate to buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 14:51:38 | More by devilben02

ccrida

Oregon

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

12 oz bottle poured into a Yuengling Bock glass, Eliot Ness is mahogany with a small off-white head leaving light lace.

Smell is bready, a bit grainy, and a light touch of citric hops.

Taste is also fairly hoppy for a vienna larger, a touch phenolic, some metallic notes, over a bready backbone. Better then that may sound, a larger of character.

Mouthfeel on the dry side, yet slick hop oils. Full but soft carbonation, medium bodied.

Drinkability is solid, a flavorful, stronger yet smooth, Americanized amber larger. I had this a lot when these guys started and I still lived in Pittsburgh. Back in town visiting family, I'm surprised to see I never reviewed them. Even better then I remembered!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 03:37:25 | More by ccrida

Veristic

Tennessee

3.5/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Eliot Ness poured into a pilsner flute, consumed on 5/4/12. Best by date: 6/3/12.

A- Massive three finger head with good retention, pillowy & off-white. Deep amber-copper body with a slightly red hue. Good clarity. Spotty lacing.

S- Out the neck, smells malty & slightly sweet. Once poured, light malt aroma. Fairly uninteresting.

T- Very balanced. Light toasty vienna malt, slightly sweet. Decent amount of hops. Moderate-light bitterness. Very tasty and easy drinking, quaffable. Dry aftertaste with nice toasty vienna malt lingering.

M- Moderate body. Moderate to moderate-high carbonation. Slightly creamy.

O- Not that I've had that many but this is the best Vienna Lager I've ever had. Also one of the best lagers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 15:21:58 | More by Veristic

dtreindl

Virginia

4.9/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow! Everything about this beer is well executed. The head is thin (1/4"), but dense and yeasty, dissipating to an ultra-thin lacing. Color is a beautiful dark amber. Mouthfeel surprisingly creamy and the flavor is spectacular! They pushed the envelope with a flavor of toasted bread with a hint of dark fruit. They walked right up to the edge of the cliff without stepping over. They didn't overdue anything but packed this brew with a great flavor palate. It's just a perfectly balanced flavor. A little sweet on the front, little bitter on the back end. Not too much of either, but also not a victim of a conservative brewer going light on ingredients. The only aspect I could possibly criticize, if I was really looking to do so, I didn't get much out of the aroma. That's another reason the flavor was so surprisingly impressive.

Great Lakes is quickly becoming my favorite brewery if they keep up this superb brewing!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 19:20:26 | More by dtreindl

Beer_Runner

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoy by date: 06/14/12.
Slow pour into a standard pint glass.

A: One finger of dense, dark beige head that disapated very slowly to a layer of light foam and left some lacing. An amber color and very clear. Plenty of very small carbon bubble raising to the top.

S: The aroma is very mild. Some caramel malt and some floral hops.

M: A medium body. Very smooth and dry. Very clean.

T: Begins with dark, sweet malt, and then a grassy hops enters. Very crisp. A good amber lager, but nothing adventurous. Very well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 00:30:29 | More by Beer_Runner

C20Percent

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

*Full disclosure -- not a huge lager fan*

A: Pours a pale golden-red amber color with an egg shell head with red hues. Fair amount of bubbles in the body and tiny pieces of sediment swimming around. Very nice feature. Unfortunately the lacing was average. Overall, good appearance.

S: Getting a fruity, bready grain aroma. Gave it a swirl, and I could swear I smelled an orange. Very subtle aroma for me. Once your nose gets accustomed the smell blends in with your surroundings. Just above average for me.

T: A nice toasted grain flavor with a subtle fruity backbone. Some spice in there for sure. Pepper or cloves, maybe. An almost-crisp characteristic that just misses the mark. Finish is -- surprisingly -- a little boozy. Good for a lager, just not all the way there.

M: This is where the beer fell a bit flat for me. A medium to heavy body. Heavier than I expected -- kind of syrupy. There's some chewiness that's turning me off. I hate to say this beer could use some hops, but well... Not amazed with the feel.

O: Kind of "meh" for me. One of those good and bad beers. When I drink a lager, I want something that's crisp, and this beer doesn't have that. Decent flavor, but falls a bit short elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 17:49:16 | More by C20Percent

mltobin

Connecticut

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

Picked up a 12 ounce bottle of this at a bottle shop in Philly.

Appearance is a copper color with two fingers of head, that with a couple sips turns to a nice ring of lace. Its` nose has bread, caramel and some fruit. The taste has toasted malts, fairly sweet, very nice in general. Mouthfeel is medium and has a crisp finish. This is tasty beer, wish we had distribution of this in CT.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 02:50:29 | More by mltobin

BeerDawgs

Georgia

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

A - Red amber with a decent amount of clarity. A touch of head and slight lace left on the glass

S - Sweet malts dominate, but not much aroma. Probably the weakest component of this beer

T - Lots of caramel, sweet, and malty. A touch of spice, and a bit of a bitter backbone from the hops.

M - Full bodied and thick.

O - A very well balanced red lager. Its not my prefered style, but it is very very good if you are into this type!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 00:12:15 | More by BeerDawgs

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours cloudy copper to an ambered brown with a small light brown rocky head. Sweet malted barley with sugary notes and a hoppy nose with vanilla hints. Warm and sweet creamy caramel flavor greets your tonue with the first draw and leaves you with a creamy hoppiness. Medium-bodied and creamy/fizzy palate.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 00:11:12 | More by WoodBrew

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

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

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Hazy Crimson color with a foamy 2 finger head. Lacing retention is a bit on the spotty side/

Smell - Spices, sweet yeasts & malts, and a nutty scent. Smells a bit grassy, but with an overt sweetness brought on by the sweet malts.

Taste - Malts, Yeasts, Sweet Nutty Flavors. The earthy grass scent is nowhere to be found here. Very sweet tasting Vienna Lager!

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with just the right amount of carbonation. It's also a very crisp feeling lager!

Overall - I've never been a big fan of Vienna Style Lagers, but this was pretty good! It's got just the right amount of sweetness combined with a rather simple flavor and that's good enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 03:14:51 | More by NuclearDolphin

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from a bottle into a Victory tulip

A- pours a dark shade of amber that is perfectly clear, with a one finger slightly tan head. Looks extremely impressive!

S- slight caramel and toffee notes...very mild, very good

T- slightly sweet flavors come through, with a tremendous malt backbone....hops are minimal

M- medium bodied, actually on the thick side. Carbonation level is good

O- this is a solid amber lager. I'd drink this over Yuengling every day of the week, but I think I prefer Boston Lager overall

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 21:26:12 | More by bigfnjoe

siege06nd

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a nonic pint...

A: The red copper color on this is spectacular. Really clear and crisp looking. A finger and a half of light tan head that is beautifully uniform and creamy. The head settles to a half finger, but with good retention. Very good lacing.

S: Really really really nice malt bill on this, with some excellent pine and citrus notes from the hops. I get grains, bread crust, and some light caramel. Also some pine and grapefruit hop notes.

T: Slightly burnt biscuit, caramel, bread crust, orange rind. Crisp and supremely refreshing. Wow is this good. A nice sweetness balanced almost perfectly with a little hop bite.

M: The most stunning facet of this one...perfect balance between flavors, spectacular creaminess and relative complexity while maintaining a light crispness characteristic of the style. Wow.

O: Who said lagers can't be amazing? Great Lakes has been churning out some of the best in the land...between this and Dortmunder Gold, you should never want for an excellent lager again. A great treasure in this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 20:51:33 | More by siege06nd

sweethome

Illinois

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

Pour is deep amber, bordering on ruby. Beautiful head develops and leads to nice lacing. Nose doesn't match what it looks like, muted, a little brown sugar and .... not much else. But - this is a lager.

Entry is crisp but full of flavor. Rich malts flow outward over the palate. Honey, brown sugar and a hint of roast malt. Delivers to style - german beer hall malt flavors. The hop backing cleanses quite well....but a lingering sweetness stays. Wow, what a beauty. Still as good as when I had in the pub in the late 1980's.

Rock on!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 03:19:02 | More by sweethome