Great Lakes Grassroots Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company

ToasterChef

Maine

4/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured form a cellar temperature bottle (as the label recommends) into a pint glass. The beer is clear with a golden orange color and a ton of carbonation inside. A pure white bubbly foam head sits atop the liquid. There is a bit of sediment floating around inside. It has a strong farmhouse aroma, full of Belgian-style yeast, light colored grains and a bit of vinegar to give it a slight funk. The flavor is very floral. The label states that coriander, lemon balm, chamomile and lemon basil we used in the brewing process; I imagine they are imparting this taste. The finish is slightly peppery and it lingers on ever so briefly. There is a noticeable sweet coat left after each swallow, and less carbonation than I expected top find (although you can certainly tell its there. The Grassroots Ale goes down very easily. It's alittle too strong to call it a session beer, but I certainly can picture myself enjoying a few of these on a warm day. I didn't really enjoy this beer too much the first time I tried it, but I like this bottle a lot more. I'm not sure what changed.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2010 20:26:46 | More by ToasterChef

JoeBloe

New York

2.73/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

had this on tap in cleveland - the descrription of this local brew intrigued me - it looked good on the pour, a big fluffy head on a deep amber body - smell was intriguing as well, herbal notes prevailed - but tasting this stuff produced a 'whoa' from me and a 'blech' from the wife - i've had some good farmhouse ales and not much in the way of the saison style, but as a beer the coriander, chamomile, herbal, grassy action was a bit too much to handle - a little sticky in the mouth as well - with a taste i really didn't want to stick around - i finished the pint but couldn't possibly have another -

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2009 23:26:03 | More by JoeBloe

yesyouam

New York

4.13/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Great Lakes Grassroots Ale is a slightly hazy pale yellow ale with a huge, creamy, dense white head that has excellent retention and lacing. It sure smells like a farmhouse. It's funky, with notes of old fruit, barnyard and bret. It's medium bodied and super velvety smooth with a clean finish. It's slightly tart at the beginning of the taste and then it turns smokey. The aftertaste is like bacon. This is a super funky ale.

[Sampled at the 2009 Flower City Brewers' Fest at Frontier Field, Rochester, NY]

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2009 12:25:19 | More by yesyouam

lflow

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Great Beer from Great Lakes -- as usual. I love that they've taken a traditional style, and added a little jazz to it. Refreshing, but complex. Perfectly carbonated by my home kegerator.

Beautiful shining dark shade of Gold. Thick white frothy head.Smell is fruity and pungent. Like... Saisson?

Tastes like crystal malt, belgian yeast, and ... grass (maybe hay actually). Kind of earthy, but pungent. The flavor of the herbs is also strong.

This beer also has a very smooth and full mouthfeel, unless that's just expert pub operation.

Only down side is a kind of salty after taste. So... Keep drinking it, try not to stop!

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2009 03:02:38 | More by lflow

cooncat

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at the "Beer On The Bay" (Erie) fest (7-25-09).

I have to admit, this was a beer I was skeptical about tasting/reviewing. After seeing so many negative (D & F) scores for this GLBC offering, I was put off. GLBC is one of my favorite craft brewing companies. Everything I've had from them has been solid and very much to BJCP style guidelines. So when I started reading things like "sulphuric", "farty" and "skunky", I was thinking, "OMG, has GLBC finally gone and produced a loser?" "Did a bad batch get out?" Fortunately, by attending the fest, I was able to dispell all those notions. Now to the review.

The pour from tap produces a nice apricot yellow colored brew, capped with a light and fluffy off-white head. Head retention is decent, with evidence of some lacing (not a lot though).

The nose is lightly scented with various herbs and is very much like your typical Saison. This one has a few other notes to ponder, beyond the citric, zesty lemon aromas you typically get. There is coriander and lemon basil. I get the coriander, but I'm not sure I can put my finger on the basil.

Taste, again, is very typical of a Saison, but has more of a spicy note than a citric lemony note. I guess this is GLBC's own signature on the style. Its not objectionable, just different. NOTE: I found absolutely *nothing* in the nose or taste that even remotely brought 'sulphuric, 'farty' or 'skunky' to mind, so forget about that right now. Those who used those adjectives perhaps might not have had Saisons before, or have an 'under developed palate'. Mouthfeel is closer to medium than light, and very smooth. Despite a moderate abv of 6.2%, there is no notice of the alcohol - no fusel notes at all. I'd rate drinkability as high; for those who appreciate the Saison style. There is *no* Farmhouse Funk associated with this brew .. relax and let the melody of flavors commingle on your palate.

Not my favorite GLBC brew by a long shot, but I did enjoy it, after finally having a chance to taste and review it. Don't let the negative reviews scare you off, as they did me. If you enjoy Saisons, seek this one out and give it a try.

Na Zdravje!

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2009 11:36:43 | More by cooncat

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +33.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A-Hazy, bright, orange-amber with a medium bright white head that holds on strong and leaves nice lace.

S-Lemon zest, apricot and grassy qualities with spicy yeast notes in the background.

T-Bright lemongrass, lemon zest, apricot and fresh cut hay. Spicy , dry finish.

M-Light bodied, sharp, tart and crisp.

D-A totally solid summer session beer.This is about as refreshing as a "homegrown" saison can be. A wonderful example of what using fresh, hand cared for ingredients can do for a brew. Kudos to the folks at GLBC for using their own products and creating such a fine brew!

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2009 12:32:23 | More by Deuane

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, luscious amber with a thin and not persistent white head. Malty aroma is somewhat fruity, mainly banana with a touch of lemon. Flavor is richly malty and fruity with some strong eskers; banana flavor dominates, and it is slightly sweet and rather refreshing. Texture is smooth, lively and edgy, leaving a fruity finish.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2009 01:59:24 | More by Cyberkedi

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at HopCat. Served in a tulip.

Pours a lightly hazed orange, some red highlighting, thick white head forms, drops to a solid ring and leaves some big chunks of lace on the glass, great retention. Smell is real nice, orange peel and bread, biscuits, coriander, quite spicy and yeasty, wheat, more orange, fresh and zesty. Taste is similar, spicy at first, coriander, pepper, oranges, very dry and bready malt profile, wheat, some yeastiness, light earthy bitterness and dry in the finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with medium carbonation, very refreshing and drinkable. A pretty solid saison, I enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2009 15:36:30 | More by Viggo

minterro

Michigan

2.83/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: bright orange but not clear, with a slight off-color white head, that sticks well to the top of the beer and leaves some lacing.

S: musty; sweet and sour

T: not very good. earthy, spice and maybe some vegetables thrown in there. the after taste is really bad, yuck! however if you wait a while before sipping again you start getting another not so bad after taste.

M: medium to thick body & good carbonation

D: pretty average drinkability, not a very good tasting but went down pretty easy for being so thick... it didn't suck overall. Glad i didn't buy a 6 pack of this, wouldn't drink it again.

notes: by far the worst GLBC beer i have tried, surprising disappointed with this beer... whats up GLBC?

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2009 03:45:14 | More by minterro

projectflam86

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a cloudy golden color with a thick white foam head that leaves some scattered lacing.

S- Light spice and malt make up the nose. Coriander, lemon, grass and some other citrus scents are all barely detectable.

T- Lots of spice (coriander, clove, chamomile, basil), earthy and fruit (banana, lemon, orange peel) flavors. A light yeasty flavor present as well that reminds me of a 'Belgian' like taste (maybe its just me). A bit of a musty aftertaste.

M- Relatively light bodied with ok carbonation.

D- A decent brew that is a little different style than I'm used to but still pretty solid.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2009 16:41:06 | More by projectflam86

Hojaminbag

Colorado

2.3/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A cloudy lemon colored body with a slight white head that has some good retention and leaves a few sheets of lacing.

Smell is rather peppery, very spicy, a little bit bready.

Taste is very well spiced. Too much so actually. In addition to coriander or peppery flavors there is all kind of medicinal flavors and a little bit of grassiness. Underneath all those spices there is actually the malt profile and taste of a saison, but that is blotted out by the spices.

A little heavy and undercarbonated for the style I would say.

This beer suffers in all facets from too much spices. I think without them, this one has the potential to be a decent saison.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2009 04:25:56 | More by Hojaminbag

dirtylou

Washington

3.6/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

on tap, malt house

cell phone notes

appearance: murky straw body, sudsy white froth

smell: white corn, very earthy, sweet malt balance, corriander and other spice

taste: oddly enough - i cant get past a very raw white corn taste. other earth and vegetal notes are a little exaggerated on this beer as well. Very underwhelming

mouthfeel: active carbonation

drinkability: fine

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2009 15:01:30 | More by dirtylou

ltjska04

Kentucky

3.48/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I just had this on-tap at the Taste of Cincinnati. In the plastic cup the beer is a bit cloudy but has a nice creamy white head that lasts. Due to all the delicious smells wafting around from the other booths I didn't detect too much here, just a little lemon and grass. I haven't had many saisons, but this reminded me of a Belgian. I think it was the yeast. There's a little bit of a grassy and honey flavor that's not bad. I finished this beer with no problem and could drink another, but with the other good choices abound I did not.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2009 01:44:25 | More by ltjska04

Kolsch

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap from home draft system.
Kegged date: Enjoy before August 09.

Appearance: is typical Saison. Cloudy light yellow/orange with foamy head that reduced to a small cusp as it warmed.

Smell: definitely can smell the chamomile. This combined with the Belgian yeast, produces a vegetable smell though I don't find that off putting at all.

Taste: is similar to smell. Chamomile and vegetable. Spicy, though I would like to see more spices as this is the way I prefer my Saison's. This is a strange tasting beer. It is very tasty when cold but at mid-temp loses it's nose but when it settles to luke warm, picks back it's flavors again. Weird...

Overall: I liked this version of GL Saison. Others have stated they can't get past the vegetable smell but to me that is what makes this different than the other multitude of Saison's that are out there.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2009 10:52:29 | More by Kolsch

tctruffin

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I'm not familiar with Saisons, so I can't compare it to others; however, this light golden brew presented itself like just about any run-of-the-mill belgian wit. More banana than clove in both aroma and taste. Medium bodied, finishes crisp. I found the banana to be a bit much for having more than one.

A well-crafted, refreshing drink that is quickly forgotten when tasting GL's other superior brews.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2009 14:48:17 | More by tctruffin

tmoneyba

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared at local BA tasting and draft at Barley's Smokehouse.

Poured a clear yellow-amber color with an average creamy white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate to heavy herbs, lemon and earthy aroma. Medium body with a slick texture and lively carbonation. Medium citrus sweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration.

This is a good beer for style and my expectations where met.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2009 01:13:29 | More by tmoneyba

Lepley

Pennsylvania

2.63/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Orange in color with very little head.
S: Strange. Grassy, herbal, floral. Soap? Somewhat like soap, or baby-power or talcum. Sterile like a public restroom.
T: Fruits, light hops, grainy, lemon, grassy. This soapy flavor carries over. It was so strange and off-putting.
M: Lighty carbonated.
D: Personally I won't drink this again. The strange sense of soap disgusted me.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2009 20:29:55 | More by Lepley

nrbw23

Ohio

2.58/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Pours a hazy golden color with a nice foamy white head.

S- A lot of spices going on here. Peppery, coriander, and a touch of a citrusy note.

T- Again a huge amount of spices and peppery finish. This one reminds me a lot of a witbier.

M- Fairly light in body and good carbonation.

D- One of the few Great Lakes brews I'm not a total fan of.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2009 04:34:28 | More by nrbw23

endincolorado

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- Hazy orange amber with cream white head. Nice lace

Smell- Crisp grainy malt. Some earthiness. Light fruit. Interesting herbal aromas include chamomile, and some basil.

Taste- Nice crisp, bready malt flavor. Herbal flavors are just right and complement the malt nicely. Some lemon and chamomile. Quite refreshing. Leaves a pleasant, slightly hoppy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel- Medium body. Almost creamy. Great carbonation.

Drinkability- Quite refreshing. Herbal flavors could become overpowering after couple.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2009 23:44:37 | More by endincolorado

imaguitargod

Ohio

2.58/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Ended up at the local brewery for Cleveland...Great Lakes! I noticed a new brew they had on tap which they've never brewed before, Hale Ale. This was a really nice attempt at a Saison ale. Light golden in color, mild/medium head with a slight lacing. Very subtle sweetness and no hops detected by my taste buds. A small barnyard funk comes in on the aftertaste that's comparable to a slight dryness. After a full pint I found myself not wanting another one, but it was a good attempt...some aging might do it good.

Jonathan Passow

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2008 17:40:43 | More by imaguitargod

neenerzig

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on-tap at the brewery last night when I went in there to enjoy a BA Blackout Stout. This appears to be another on-tap only "pub exclusive." Saw this beer listed on the board, never have had it or even heard of it before so I of course had to try one after I finished my Blackout. When I asked the bartender what style this beer is he told me a Saison. I think this is a brand new beer they have never made before. It is not even listed anywhere on Great Lakes' website as of now. Served to me in a standard pint glass. This beer is a hazy medium gold color with an amber hue. The white head was about 1/3 inch thick when served, settling very quickly to a thin surface layer with a thin to medium white ring lining the inside of the glass. There was a white film layer in the middle of the surface of the beer that did not extend all the way around the surface of the beer. Weird, never seen a surface layer like this before. Decent to good lacing. Sweet caramel malt aroma with some definite spice along with a hint of fruit. There is also some definite spice, a very distinct spice flavor that heavily reminds me of Sam Adams Summer Ale. I think Great Lakes may have also used Grains Of Paradise in this recipe. There is certainly some chamomile and the taste is rounded out with a trace of citrus hops. Has a crisp, full bodied mouthfeel with moderate to heavy carbonation. Easy to drink. Another good beer from Great Lakes!

Eric

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2008 03:13:01 | More by neenerzig

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at the brewpub with dinner last night. The pub description was "light ale spiced with ginger and lemongrass", and for some reason I thought it would be a saison. But the wheat haze was easily visible in the beer when it was served so I guess I then thought this was a version of a wit. Not sure... Anyway the aroma and flavor of ginger is hard to miss, not really overpowering but not extremely pleasant in a beer. The lemongrass is OK but with ginger a little tends to go a long way. I had a hard time detecting other flavors, and it diminished the drinkability quite a bit for me. I won't try it again but it was an interesting recipe.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2008 10:10:04 | More by TurdFurgison

kimcgolf

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was a different beer, but actually enjoyable. Poured to a lemon-gold color, with thin white head that lingered for most of the glass and left decent lacing. Aroma was a mild mixture of hops and waht smelled like ginger, with a hint of lemon. Taste was very heavily ginger, which carried over into the finish very nicely.

I couldn’t have many of these, but for one, it was a good experience.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2007 09:47:38 | More by kimcgolf

dherling

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +19%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured out a murky gold color, small off white head, minimal lacing. The nose was spicy, with lemon and other citrus notes. The tast was much the same as the nose, a little bit of malt as well.Medium body, medium carbonation. Quite a tasty and refreshing brew.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2007 19:50:31 | More by dherling

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer has a hazy bright orange body with a bubbly cream colored head that fades quickly. There is a gentle carbonation of bubbles that pop out of the hazy body every once and a while.

S- This beer has a smell of soft fresh wheat bread with some hints of cooked ginger that come through when it warms.

T- This beer has a big apricot flavor with softer notes of flowers and wheat. There is a slight snap flavor at the finish with a hint of green hops. In the malt flavor there is a warmth and spice note that is probable from ginger but without the bite of ginger.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a slight slippery note in the texture.

D- I didn't know what this beer was when I ordered it so I was surprised to see a murky American Wheat Ale but it added to the mystery. This menu said it is made with ginger and lemongrass but I didn't get any lemongrass flavors at all. The ginger was a dull cooked flavor and not the fresh ginger snap that I have tasted in other ginger beers. This beer is refreshing and an interesting twist but nothing I would have to have another glass of.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2007 18:49:58 | More by rhoadsrage