Great Lakes Holy Moses - Great Lakes Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Easy drinking creamy, with big initial head. Cloudy orange. Lacey.Banana wheat aroma. Good slightly acidic and herb tea, subtle clove, corriander, ginger, with lemon with orangey aftertaste. Nicely carbonated.Thanks DavidR from Toldeo. Great Lakes has another winner.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2006 03:54:04 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.47/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Significantly cloudy lemon-gold with quite a bit of fine, suspended yeast. The head is on the large side of average, is slightly darker than pure white and is moderately firm. It doesn't seem as sticky as the heads on most other Great Lakes beer and doesn't persist nearly as long. Underwhelming lace, but not a bad look overall.

The nose is of untoasted grain, citrus fruit peel and spice. One large mouthful tells me that this is a great summer beer with loads of palate-saturating flavor. Like the nose, it's equal parts wheat malt, orange peel and coriander. In other words, a classic witbier.

This is one of those beers whose whole is superior to the sum of its parts, even though the parts are pretty damn good on their own. Not one of the three major flavors steps out of line to dominate at any point along the flavor arc. Holy Moses is a veritable symphony of a witbier and is some kind of delicous.

The body/mouthfeel isn't the the usual Great Lakes body/mouthfeel. That is, medium-full at a minimum. That wouldn't fit the style or the purpose at all. In fact, the mouthfeel is just right for a summer quaffer. It's expansive enough to give definition and dimension, but light and airy enough to go down ridiculously easily on a warm summer day.

I must admit, I wasn't blown out of the water after looking at and smelling this beer. From then on though, look out! Holy Moses is, without question, my favorite witbier and is possibly my favorite summer seasonal as well. Great Lakes Brewing Company continues to impress.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2004 20:38:59 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served at about 50 degrees and poured into a Hotel Water Glass about 8 ounce Pint Glass shaped

A - Poured a very bright golden amber with a smallish maybe one finger high head of white fizzy lace that formed on top. Very hazy and cloudy with lots of sediment floating around and eventually settling down to the bottom of the glass. Decent retention left behind just a touch of lace across the top and no side glass lace what so ever. Lots of carbonation rippling up from the bottom of the glass to reinforce the head and just streaming up from the bottom of the glass.

S - The smell was very light and bright with lots of yeast and wheat like aromas. There were some light hints of fruit and a touch of grassy and grainy qualities in it as well. There was light grape and a touch of lemon in it as well. A earthy grassy quality as it warmed up.

T - The flavor was very light. The first thing I picked up one was a light yeast flavor. Nice hints of peach and grss mixed in but both were very light and did not really contribute all that much to the overall approach. The finish was very dry and had an almost light wine like taste to it, very long and drawn out it was really very nice and a classic witbier.

M - Super light bodied ale, this was about as light as you can go before you turn into like a light lager almost. Extremely well carbonated this kept fizzing and cracking until the very last sip. It was very light going down and a smooth creamy after taste.

D - Awesome session ale. I could have drnk this all night long it ws just that light and easy to drink. Flavors were very bright and easy to handle as well with a very nice overall balance to them. Classic sessionable ale at its best here, could have had ten of them.

Overall this was a classic Witbier with a really nice little twist at the end. I am loving all these great lakes brews I have been able to get up here they are really great quality and this one ws no exception. A really quality little ale here I would definitly try again.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2008 11:20:52 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another thanks to Jeff for sending this to me.

A: The pour is a surprisingly pale yellow color with a fuzzy white head.

S: A very heavy spice note to this beer. Lots and lots of coriander to it with a slight orange peel note. Some bread and wheat, but not all that sweet. A touch of pepper on the back end, too.

T: Somewhat bitter with a strong pepper flavor. There is a little bit of grass and coriander, too. Somewhat sweet, but nowhere near as much as most witbiers. A little bit of citrus on the finish.

M: Pretty light in body with a fairly high level of carbonation.

O: Not really all that great for a witbier. Sort of lacking the typical flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 05:05:38 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Tedwarhc for this bottle. Served in a tulip.

Pours a slightly-cloudy golden color with a single-finger white head that sticks around for a bit and is quite creamy. Nice spotty lacing as it falls to a thin cap. Nose brings a good dosage of wheat plus some light citrus and spice. Flavor has a bit too much spice and doesn't showcase the malt and citrus character enough. Light body with crisp carbonation and a dry bit of coriander in the finish. Pretty good brew from Great Lakes.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 23:36:42 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a pale golden color and a big head that leaves sheets of lace

Smell: Peppery aroma with a significant wheaty yeasty element

Taste: Banana and fruity up front with a spicy peppery finish; distinct coriander taste

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and fizzy

Drinkability: Refreshing and very well made

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2007 23:20:02 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of Jdoolin: Poured a whitish/yellow color ale with a nice pure white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of coriander and wheat is dominant and refreshing. Taste consists of a good malt presence with a nice dose of wheat, coriander and some orange peel. Refreshing with a full body for the style. Well done and stays within the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2007 17:10:52 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.1/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From the tap, the brew proved to be somewhat of a disapointment Upon the delivery of the beer, I noticed a clearer-than-normal opaquness and fizziness that I had not noticed in the beer before. Aromas are as soft, malty, spicy, and fruity-fresh as I remembered. The flavors, however, seemed off; getting into Lager territory and not the delicate citrus flavors that I expect. Instead a medium, tart apple flavor mixed with cereal grains and pilner malts flavored the brew. The mouthfeel was also off; not the velvety, airy, dry, clean texture I wanted, but a carbonated, 'scrubbed' feel that left a grain flavor in the finish. Not that I was a bad beer, but it was not a good Wit.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2007 12:35:14 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the Pizza Plant on Main,poured a hazed lighter straw color with just a thin wispy head that was gone quickly leaving nothing left on top.Quite spiced in the nose big coriander with a touch of phenolic clove the citric element to seemed to take a back seat but it was noticable enough,full mouthfeel for the style this is a pretty sturdy wit beer.Well rounded flavors between the spice and orange-like flavors with that phenolic yeast spiciness coming thru for a long finish.A good take on the style while Iam not a huge fan of the style a wit beer can go down well after a long day at work like yesterday,to me this is a slightly beefed up version of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2007 13:24:26 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Holy Moses! Sorry, I couldn't resist. This guy pours a hazy pale golden straw with half a finger of white foamy head on top. The smell is of orange peel, coriander, wheat, banana, clove, and cracked pepper. A slight yeastiness is also perceptibly trying to squeeze through from beneath, but to only partial avail. The taste is very similar, though the grains and spices are more separated than public facilities following Plessey v Ferguson (too soon?). The first wave consists of the wheat and orange peel; the second of coriander, cardamom, pepper, clove, and even a strange hint of salt. The banana is only mildly there, as though he's got somehwere better to be, constantly looking at his watch and tweeting the time away while everyone else has the time of their lives. Some people, y'know? The body is decidedly medium, with an active carbonation that comes in briefly but strongly in a sudden burst of effervescence. I'm not much of a fan of that, but the overall taste and effect keep the drinkability from being shredded by the wanton CO2 assault.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 01:22:37 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very light yellowish color, under a big, snow-white head, the perfect picture of a witbier, really.
Aroma, ahhhh!, light, citric, but spicey as all-get-out, zesty, uplifting...ni-i-ice!
Taste: zing-a-zing-ahhhh!, as the Spice Girls would say...refreshing, slightly citrus, but so delicious, and easy to toss back...spicy and light citric flavor sendure on the palate, and remain on the tongue, very appreciated. Really remains, and that's a good thing, y'all.
Wow, very distinct, very delcious!
Matches admirably against all the best witbiers I've ever had...good job, Great Lakes! Yum!

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2004 07:58:56 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a pale gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a light, pale and wheat malt scent. There is a faint scent of coriander and orange peel, but much less than most wits. The taste is decent. It has a watery wheat malt flavor with some spices and orange peel in the finish. It's much lighter than most. It has a mild citrus element as well as a weak Belgian wit yeast presence. The mouthfeel is decent also. It is a low bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a really average wit. It's real plain and uninteresting.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2007 21:52:10 | More by WesWes

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured with the yeast at the bottom of the bottle. This beer sits a fully hazy, orangish gold color with a frothy white head. The aroma is quite spicy with notes of citrus, both orange & lemon, a bit of a hot spicy pepper like note and even a bit of ginger at the end. This is quite spicy overall, even for your typical Wit.

The taste is lightly sweet throughout, but is balanced by a spicy astringent note and a bit of acidity / tartness. The orange character is evident in the taste, perhaps even dominant, but it is not quite as evident as it is in the finish. The beer has a full compliment of spicy notes though; with notes of spicy pepper, even a bit of hot alcohol that is reminiscent of ginger and perhaps even a bit of chile-like heat thankfully it is missing that earthy, distracting note that is characteristic of your typical American coriander, which I don't think belongs in beer except in minute notes. This beer has a slightly fuller mouthfeel to it than some Wits, but it is still quite light and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2005 02:48:01 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.28/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Acquired via trade from JAYW, so a big "Thank you" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light yellow color with a short white head that fades quickly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of wheat and yeast with a little bit of spice, banana & lemon.

T: The taste starts out with some spice (coriander & clove) along with flavors of wheat and yeast. Then some mild fruit flavors of lemon and banana come in. The malt character is thin and the hops presence in mild. The after-taste is slightly sweet and a little bready.

M: Crisp and very smooth, light-to-medium body, medium-to-high carbonation, clean finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not filling at all, excellent representation of style, I can see myself drinking quite a few these, yet another very good beer from Great Lakes.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2007 01:38:39 | More by TheManiacalOne

emerge077

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy orange, with a decent foamy head, and some lacing. A swirl of the glass quickly brings the carbonation to life. Smell is pleasant, but not especially fragrant. Most Wits have some zesty citrus in the nose, it was hard to pick up much beyond faint yeast & slight coriander.

Taste is on par with Belgian varieties.The coriander/orange peel combo isn't overpowering, and the addition of chamomile is welcome and subtle. Holy Moses has a medium body, with effervescent carbonation that dances the flavors on the palate in a lively way. Finish is somewhat dry, but very thirst-quenching and session worthy.

A great Witbier for a sunny day...

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2006 02:47:53 | More by emerge077

Gavage

New Jersey

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

Appearance: pours a hazy pale yellow color with a short one finger head that lasts a while. Some mild lacing shows up during the session.

Smell: citrus and a general spiciness are soft but pleasant.

Taste: wheat, coriander, hints of cracked pepper, and some orange peel are well balanced. Bitterness is soft but nicely complimentary to the flavor profile.

Mouthfeel: lighter side of a medium bodied beer. Crisp from start to finish. Aftertaste is very brief.

Drinkability: a very refreshing and easy to quaff wit. Definite summertime session beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2008 11:58:06 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours clouded light yellow with a thin, lasting, creamy head. Creamy lacing sticks to glass all the way down.

The smell is light - clove, coriander. Banana-like fruitiness.

The taste is of lightly spiced dough - clove and coriander. Lemon and banana fruitiness. Sweet, lightly spiced finish.

It has a creamy texture. Full-bodied for the style.

A nice wit to have, esp. on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2007 14:35:41 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A very good wit, my only complaint was that it was a touch thick. It was a lovely hazy yellow, smelled of sweet coriander and spice and tasted about the same. I'm not usually a big fan of the slice of fruit thing, but this beer seemed to be asking for one. Go figure.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2006 06:35:14 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 12 oz bottle from a trade with DuqTroops.

A: The witbier is a hazy, pale yellow color that almost looks like it has greenish hints. The head is a thin white ring that looks like it could provide a bit of lace in the glass.

S: The aroma is a soft wheat aroma with hints of coriander and curacao peel.

T: The flavor is that of a classic witbier. The wheat body is light and soft enough to support and allow the spices to shine. The whaet body is slightly tart as well, providing a bitterness to pair against the spices. Finally, the spics are strong enough to make themselves known without oversweetening the ale. Lemony citrus, orange peel and pepper are the dominant flavors in the beer.

M: The spices and wheat tartness play well together, creating a sweet and sour taste.

D: The witbier is very easy to drink, soft and spicy, tart and sweet. Well made, I'm gonna save a bottle for the summer and enjoy it in the right season.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2006 01:54:02 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What a good day, when you go down the liquor store a day like today in our country's drinking culture known for piss beer and lime wedged filled clear bottles there is nothing more refreshing than walking by everyone else with a six pack of Great Lakes Holy Moses. At the beginning of the pour a crystal clear gold but this is followed by the swirl of the bottle to get all of the yeast from the bottom in order to place the haze and transform the appearance into a beautiful sunrise on a slightly hazy morning. The massive foaming head glistens as I attempt my first sniff at the aroma. Wonderful hints of clove and the yeasty citrusy zest with coriander and other spices going on. When I sipped on this fine summer day treat I was welcomed with much of the same flavors and the bite of the wheat malt and a hint of vanilla like smoothness. Wow this beer ties it all together so nicely the musty yeast producing such great tones along with all of the spices added this beer deserves so much credit in the world of wits. Mouthfeel light and fluffy but syrupy in the finish just sticks to my taste buds I love it. Wow drinkability, well I'll have another what a great treat for anyday just a well constructed beers and if your aren't into wheats try this one out it may just sway how you feel about them.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2003 17:33:13 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

Pours an oh-so-slightly fogged straw with a decent white head that is leaving some lace on the way down. Nose is citrus and funky. And even though it doesn't show a lot of spice, I think it's what you expect from the style. Flavor has a pretty good body. Decent level of funk mixed with a vibrant citrus edge. The only detracting feature is its lack of staying power. It seems to fade just a bit quicker than it should. Feel is good. Overall though there is a biting edge that detracts from things I have to say. And also it seems to lack a balance that would make it easier to drink. Overall it is a decent interpretation of the style from an American brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2008 05:05:31 | More by RblWthACoz

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a two-finger white head that fades slowly leaving some lace. Cloudy pale amber color. Medium bodied. Nose has a very slight maltiness. Medium carbonation. Layer of yeast at bottom of glass. Starts and finishes sweet, hops stay mainly in the background. $1.49 for a 12oz bottle from Liquor Barn Lexington, KY.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2004 23:05:34 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a chalice)

A-This beer pours a hazy lemony orange color with a thin white head that dissipates very quickly.

S- The sweet perfume smell of oranges and chamomile and roses are very fragrant.

T- The taste is not as sweet as the smell. A very dry tartness with a light hop finish makes this beer interesting. A light wheat softness helps this beer and a very faint pickle spice in the hops at the finish but it may be more of an earthiness as it warms.

M-This has a medium full mouthfeel that has a nice smoothness to it. There is a bit of fizziness due to the high carbonation.

D-This beer has a wonderful smell that is very different from the taste. It would be nice if more of the smell qualities were in the taste aswell. Good wit but could use some tuning.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2005 20:03:58 | More by rhoadsrage

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to battlekow for this...
Appears a hazy gold with a a small white cap and spotty lacing.
Smell is of wheat, coriander, orange peel, and pepper.
Taste is of canned corn with dry cardboard coming through.
Mouthfeel is dry with not a whole lot going on.
Drinkability...nothing special other than the label.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2005 17:43:01 | More by weeare138

Zorro

California

4.65/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 Oz Bottle sampled through the efforts of justcas and BIF across America.

Pours a cloudy pale gold colored beer with a thick long lasting white head.

Smell is sweet and spicy with a clear smell of coriander. Very floral aroma and slightly lemony. Citrus rind and powdery yeast aromas. Malt doesn't feature here except as a slight sweet aroma it simply hides and lets the spicy scent dominant.

Taste is mild and slightly sweet and bready with a big hit of spice and lemon flavor at the start. Coriander and vanilla seem to be the largest flavor here but the flavor doesn't stop there. Orange and lemon and faint black pepper too. Quite stout hop bitterness in the after taste for the style.

Mouthfeel is good.

Quite a superior Witbier here. Tasty and full flavored this is a beer that a BA and you mother can like equally well.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2006 21:34:06 | More by Zorro