Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company

tdm168

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - light caramel amber with a thin white lacing of head

S - caramel, some faint apple

T - apple, caramel, fruity esters, faintly bitter, some sweetness

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is a rather simplistic beer. The esters from the yeast provide most of the flavor offering some fruitiness. The malt is prevalent, but it really only adds caramel. This was a nice beer to try once, but this isn't something I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 23:52:44 | More by tdm168

ValpoExpo

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

06-17-2013 20:07:42 | More by ValpoExpo

goblin7704

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

06-11-2013 22:24:21 | More by goblin7704

I_BYE_MI_BEER

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

06-11-2013 17:21:01 | More by I_BYE_MI_BEER

tectactoe

Michigan

3.66/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75

Rusty, sunburst orange throughout with an otherwise nice clarity that's obscured by a gentle, yeasty haze. The head grows quickly and recedes not quite as fast; eggshell colored and fluffy as all hell, it leaves a few sheets of lacing on the glass, though they are pretty fast to run down back towards the top of the beer.

Hmm, wow, the nose is just a bit different than any other brew I've smelled before; perhaps (and most likely) because I haven't had too many Irish red ales. Malty sweet with rich caramel and buttery toffee aromas at capacity, followed up by a lighter, yet integral proportion of lightly fruity and somewhat grassy hops. Toasted malt is the key player here, and I would assume that the hops may be more aggressive when this beer is a bit fresher; I'll admit that it's just a little bit past its prime now.

Well, the nose wasn't lying; Conway's Irish Ale is a malty bomb that lays the pipe as soon as it hits your palate. Coming out a bit more robust than the aroma, the flavor smacks you with some faintly metallic caramel malts - sweet, rich, toffee-like, and toasty. Lighter bready flavors bring up the rear; somewhat buttery and toasty with a touch of burnt grains and graham cracker.

The hops are there, and even for being a touch over-the-hill, they still balance the malty sweetness nicely; a nice round of slightly floral and grassy hops roll through the flavor profile, hand-in-hand with an orange-like fruit juiciness that can't go unnoticed. Mildly bitter, enough to counteract the sweetness, but not enough to scrape any enamel away or anything like that. The finish lends a hand to some slightly nutty and woodsy, toasted malt flavors for a warm, dry finish. Thicker bodied than you'd expect with a mild stickiness that adheres to the sides of my mouth; a little cloying and teeth chattering in this respect.

One of my first of the style, I enjoyed it a bit, although I know I'd get tired of it after one bottle (much like I did this time around). The intense caramel and toffee malts are nice at first but can be a touch overwhelming after twelve ounces. Tasty brew, no doubt, but one is certainly enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 01:10:12 | More by tectactoe

Segelstrom

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -21.5%

06-10-2013 23:21:13 | More by Segelstrom

billbeers

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -21.5%

06-10-2013 00:41:10 | More by billbeers

judkinst

Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

06-06-2013 00:57:02 | More by judkinst

ystazi

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

06-05-2013 01:27:22 | More by ystazi

nineworldseries

Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -28%

06-02-2013 23:26:54 | More by nineworldseries

paulys55

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-31-2013 13:50:57 | More by paulys55

ADTaber

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-29-2013 00:10:13 | More by ADTaber

Honus1

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-28-2013 01:19:13 | More by Honus1

spark3148857

New York

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-28-2013 00:01:56 | More by spark3148857

FilumDee

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -21.5%

05-25-2013 19:55:39 | More by FilumDee

sir_rucker

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

05-24-2013 12:27:20 | More by sir_rucker

bobbyr5

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-24-2013 03:22:50 | More by bobbyr5

msinger1002

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-23-2013 21:37:13 | More by msinger1002

maxcoinage

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-23-2013 02:27:02 | More by maxcoinage

Wally

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-23-2013 00:04:37 | More by Wally

Rdc67

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-22-2013 19:51:56 | More by Rdc67

kell50

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-22-2013 01:47:25 | More by kell50

brewcifix

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%

05-21-2013 22:20:11 | More by brewcifix

touchmeimsac

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-20-2013 14:23:16 | More by touchmeimsac

NJB145

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-20-2013 00:59:57 | More by NJB145