Eastside Dark - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

2/5  rDev -45.2%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

12 oz bottle notched Bottled on December, 3rd week. No year given though.

appears a dark brown color with red highlights. thin white head, decent head retention.

a bit of a vinegary sour odor. this isn't a flanders red, so not a good sign.

taste is slightly sour too..but still drinkable.average carbonation and body.

either this beer is slightly infected, or maybe it's actually a year (or hell, 2?) old and has gone bad.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 01:23:50 | More by jmdrpi

Drew966

Florida

2.05/5  rDev -43.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

This beer pours a reddish brown with decent head from a twelve ounce brown bottle. Smells a bit malty. The first sip was a nice roasted malt flavor. Unfortunately, things went down hill from here. The second and subsequent sips had an unpleasant sour taste that predominated. I shared this beer with a friend, who had to pour his out (he supplied the beer, and told me before we drank it that he didn't like it, but didn't say why, but he wanted my opinion). I was able to finish the half bottle I had, but it was not good. Apparently, the problem was not just with this bottle per my friend. I'm not sure if this was a bad batch or if it wasn't handled well after brewing, or if this is just how it is supposed to taste. Based on what I had, I can't recommend this.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2006 03:29:00 | More by Drew966

hopsaplenty

Virginia

2.1/5  rDev -42.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12oz. brown bottle, “Bottled on Aug wk3” notched on label.

Gloomy garnet. Minimal head of tan bubbles that vanishes in a blink, leaving a small pile at the edge and a vapor trail smear across the top. Nutty, grassy spice aromas are faint, and there is a bit of toasted bread as well. A touch of grassy spiced hops quickly gives way to a sweetly sour off flavor. The roastiness is barely detectable beneath the vinegar blushed sourness. Thin, watery body, there is some fine carbonation which is one plus. Unfortunately the sourness overwhelmed all aspects of this beer. According to the label, this is supposed to be “a rich, dark lager like the ones Milwaukee’s founding fathers might have enjoyed on the old Eastside.” This was on the light side of dark, and not overly rich. If the founding fathers enjoyed this – more power to them as I did not.

White elephant BIF strikes again.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2006 13:48:35 | More by hopsaplenty

thelagerheads

Michigan

2.25/5  rDev -38.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

You know the fake Mona Lisa with the mustache painted on? This beer is that but with a stinky little Budweiser foamscud caterpillar 'stache. It tries to have body and be a dark being but if you rinse the mud off it has a corporate label taste across its chest and through the neck and away it goes to blasé land. Poor little penny ante brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2006 20:59:45 | More by thelagerheads

TastyTaste

Minnesota

2.63/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 oz. brown bottle served in a Sam Smith tulip.

Appearance: Lots of carbonation stuck to the side of the glass, cola brown bottle. Head is large but fades fairly quick.

Smell: Carmel, malt, all very slight.

Taste: Sweet and fairly tart. Not the greatest. Citrus flavors, seems like they are out of place.

Mouthfeel: Fairly thin, light prickly carbonation.

Drinkability: Not too good. I would skip this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2005 04:43:15 | More by TastyTaste

bashiba

Iowa

2.78/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Had a nice dark mahogany color with a thin off white head, a bit of lacing.

The smell had just a bit of baking chocolate and a touch dark malt.

The flavor is average at best with some nice dark grain flavors up front with a touch of chocolate, but a bit of an off sourness mixing in with the hops in the finish.

The mouthfeel is light and a bit thin.

I just can't get past the wierd sourness, it ruins what could have been a decent beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2008 21:50:15 | More by bashiba

GilGarp

Colorado

2.78/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served cold in a pint glass. This beer pours a dark cola brown with good clarity through the edges. Almost no head formation and basically no retention.

Aroma is difficult to detect but a subtle roasty dark malt character comes through.

Flavor is sweet and malty with a roasted grain punch. Tastes a bit oxidized with some of that funky wet cardboard flavor. Not pleasant.

Mouthfeel is medium-light bodied with stronger than expected carbonation given the lack of head. Drinkability is limited just because it simply isn't very good.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 21:30:30 | More by GilGarp

Jwale73

Rhode Island

2.88/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to my friends at FSRI for the 2nd installment of my Beer of the Month club. 12oz. bottle served in a pilsener glass. Bottled during the 3rd week of January notched on the bottle. Poured cola brown with maroon highlights when backlit. One inch frothy, off-white head slowly recedes leaving generous strands of lacing in its wake. Mild nose - earthy, lactic acid, perhaps some cocoa. Taste is difficult to describe - earthy and vegetal. Mouthfeel is light and lively. Goes down easy, but kind of weird tasting.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2009 00:05:18 | More by Jwale73

beerphilosopher

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass from 12 oz bottle.

A - Medium dark, with a thin light tan head. Virtually no retention or lacing on the glass. Almost no carbonation.
S - Smoke, nutty aromas, and slight floral hop background.
T - Hop bitterness up front, with caramel and nut maltiness taking over. A "fruity" bitter finsh.
M - Medium-bodied with a slight watered-down feeling on the tongue. Stronger taste on the first sip that slowly dissipates as you finish the tasting.
D - A decent dark lager, thought I am, admittedly, not a big fan of this style. A little thin and not particularly visually pleasing. A drinkable lager, but not high on my list to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2005 20:06:07 | More by beerphilosopher

cjgator3

Florida

2.95/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle

A- Pours a dark brown color with a light tan head with good retention and lacing.

S- The aroma is toasted malts with faint chocolate and coffee. 

T- The taste like the aroma is toasted malt up front with some chocolate and coffee flavors.

M- The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, this was a decent beer but probably not something I would purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 02:56:11 | More by cjgator3

barleywinefiend

Washington

3/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a deep, dark amber-brown. Head appears then fades quickly. Aroma is somewhat lacking, some graininess, some chocolate, faint hop. Decent sweet malty taste, dark malt bite is minimal, toffee or carmel peep out. This beer company would not survive in WA state.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2008 21:21:19 | More by barleywinefiend

hwwty4

Missouri

3/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a 12oz bottle into my New Belgium globe glass. This beer pours a dark cola brown with a 2 inch beige head that leaves no lacing. The aroma is chocolate syrup, cola, and just a bit of toast. No hop presence. Honestly the flavor is almost exactly the same. Light chocolate, uncarbonated Coca Cola, toast with just a light medicinal bitterness. The mouthfeel is light with a light carbonation. Wow, I think this is the shortest review I've wrote in a while but there really wasn't much to say about it. Really mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 00:07:03 | More by hwwty4

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.03/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A= Dark yet still "see through" brown with a tiny head that falls fast leaving a ring around he glass
S= pineapple and malty sweetness?
T= darker malt flavor, maybe some coffee that's been diluted with a slight pineapple flavor left.
M= average all around. really doesn't get much more average.
D= Decent. pretty average beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2009 05:38:48 | More by jjanega08

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to BeerFMAndy for this bottle!

Poured into a pint glass. Pours a ruby-tinted dark brown with a large beige head on top. Great thick retention; left little lace. Scents of roasted malts, grapes, and wet clothes. That's an interesting scent. This isn't the most pleasing aroma I've come across.

The body is thinner than I would like as well. Some mild carbonation on the tongue, but it's just lacking in depth. Sweet brown sugar right away in flavor. Some toasted breads in the middle, and a slightly sour syrup-y back end. This was alright, but I've had much better of the style, and much better from the brewery. Probably my least favorite of theirs so far.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2010 19:16:21 | More by Onenote81

Wasatch

Utah

3.03/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks goes out to beerwolf77 for this one.

Bottled During: Apr 2009, Wk 1

Pours a nice dark brown color, too much carbonation, HUGE foamy off-white head, with TONS of sticky lacing. The nose is malty, bready, with lots of caramel. The taste is slightly sweet, malty, bready, with lots of caramel. Medium body. Drinkable, I was expecting alot more from this brew, disappointted.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2010 23:59:43 | More by Wasatch

plaid75

New York

3.08/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a dark mahogany hue with a one and a half finger frothy white head. There was good retention and decent retention.

The smell featured an upfront sour aroma with a mild caramel.

The taste was likewise bitter with a smooth sweet malt toward the finish.

The mouthfeel was a bit astringent, but otherwise of average fullness for the style.

Overall a decent lager. Not as smooth as the typical dunkel.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2008 02:08:30 | More by plaid75

dtivp

West Virginia

3.1/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark brown with amber hues, very small light tan head that fades quickly into a partial cap, moderate lacing.

Aroma of light roasted malt with a hint of dark chocolate.

Taste starts a slight toffee sweetness, balanced by a roasted malt with a slight after taste.

Mouthfeel was light to medium body, moderate carbonation, smooth but a little thin.

Overall an average beer, lacks a little crispness, not sure if I would run to the store to buy.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 23:05:03 | More by dtivp

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured brown in color with no head and very little carbonation. The aroma is of burnt malts, and the hops are just slightly noticeable. The came across as a little grapefruity. The flavor came across as very watered down, but there was a little bit of chocolate and some grean Christmasy seasonal tones. The mouthfeel was flat and very dissapointing. Not something I would choose again because it is overall quite lifeless on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2005 00:46:03 | More by MuddyFeet

jeffmonarch

Maryland

3.13/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle in a pilsner glass.

A - Dark reddish brown with little head and no lace.

S - Malt. That's all I can pick up is a little malt.

T - Light and smooth. Taste a lot of malt. Slight sweet flavor.

M - Light bodied, smooth, good presence with little after taste. Clean.

D - Ok. Not an overly great beer but solid. If it came down to this or bmc's, there's no thought needed.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2007 23:01:15 | More by jeffmonarch

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Eastside Dark is a clear brown color fletched along the edges with translucent gold, an off-white head is about a finger tall but doesn't really leave any lacing.

Sweet malts dominate the nose here, with maybe a touch of toasted malts.

Well, Eastside Dark tastes sweet, but it also has a fairly pronounced sour twang. First I get the sour, lactic flavors, and then comes the sweet malts. The malts are pretty good, lending this beer a good flavor profile for munich Dunkel Lager, but I don't really like the sourness.

Mouthfeel is pretty unremarkable.

The drinkability is hurt by the sourness in my opinion. In fact, I could see this being a very good beer without that lactic twang because I do like the malt bill. However with it, I was looking forward to finishing this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 15:03:34 | More by Hojaminbag

Pauly2X

Wisconsin

3.15/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Deep mahogany 1 1/2 finger head faded to a sizeable wisp.

S- Very mild hops and roasted malts.

T- Nice balance on the take but the finish over powers with roasted malts.

M- Very smooth, velvety almost.

D- Depending on my mood I could throw back a few.

Not exactly tops but a rather enjoyable brew nevertheless.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2007 19:38:14 | More by Pauly2X

BoitSansSoif

France

3.15/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-Poured a brownish amber w/a one-finger beige head. Fades quickly, but leaves thin cap. Light tracing.
S-Malt w/faint chocolate. Faint hops.
T-Light chocolate malt and nuts w/faint hops. Aftertaste is chocolate, hops, and faint mineral.
M-Light-bodied w/carbonation tending on the higher side. Decent balance.
D-Good session brew; probably my favorite thus far from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2008 04:48:45 | More by BoitSansSoif

danimalthegreat

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Minimal head, deep amber color, very clear

S - Malty barley smell. stronger than i expected, even for a dark lager

T - very roasty maltiness, pretty bitter... similar to a strong German beer

M - medium to high carbonation and thin

O - Not my favorite style, but it hit all the characteristics that you'd expect from a dark lager. I wouldn't buy again but I'd recommend to a friend who likes the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 17:10:41 | More by danimalthegreat

shadow1961

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Lakefront Brewery's Eastside Dark lager pours out a big rocky head over a deep
cloudy brown brew. Carbonation is active, the nose is dark toasty malt and yeast.
The flavor is more dark malt with a bit of hop in the finish. Aftertaste is a bit of grain,
a bit of hop. Pretty decent lacing. The mouthfeel is crisp and balanced. Again, with
this beer, as with so many others, what you get a good basic beer- nothing extreme
here, just the kind of stuff I imagine thousands of hometown breweries made before
Prohibition made American beer what it became. At least before the homebrew/micro
era. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2007 08:36:01 | More by shadow1961

PurpleCloud

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Good dark lager, but lacking a head.

S: Not too strong and quite average. The smell was hoppy, but so light that it barely adds to the beer.

T: Slightly better than average. Good hops taste, but low on barley. I like the taste, but I feel as though it's a bit forgettable. One of those beers you'll drink a couple of times but never remember doing it.

M: Good carbonation and very smooth.

D: Best part of the beer. Goes down easy and it's light enough to drink with a big dinner.

Overall: I like East Side Dark and would certainly recommend it to friends. However, the taste is just a bit too light. It needs to be boosted, given a shot of flavor and character. At the end of the day, people will remember that they drank a good beer but will not remember the name. Lakefront is an amazing brewery! But I think they held back on this one a bit.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 01:03:53 | More by PurpleCloud