IPA - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

Reaper16

Alabama

3.48/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle served into a nonic pint glass

Pours a pretty typical IPA color -- that classic, warm orange color. Half a finger of disparate, sudsy offwhite head form. Good lacing despite the unimpressive consistency of the foam.

The first thing I smell is caramel malt, which is not a good sign. But rest assured, there's hoppiness to be found here. Some top-end pineapple represents the most exciting aspect of this IPA, and there's lots of orange and spruce to play off of the sweet malt profile.

When people talk about balanced IPAs they might unwittingly have this beer in mind. It has juicy hop flavor without much bitterness. I'm actually disappointed in how not-bitter Lakefront IPA is. There's caramel malt and biscuit malt sweetness, but not so much that it dominates the fruit flavors from the lupulin. It finishes very clean; too clean for me.

This is a medium-bodied beer, perhaps even on the lighter side of medium. It's pretty wet and juicy if you're into that. I like a drier mouthfeel typically but this is still solid.

Overall, this is a very Midwestern IPA. It isn't crazy with the hops, but it is hoppier than the East Coast style. It's very balanced, and balance has a place in the IPA world.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 06:35:25 | More by Reaper16

bierbrauer

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, purchased locally, ($7.99/6). Bottled week #1 of December, case marked 12/09/11, 23 days ago. Poured into tulip glass.

(Review updated on 2/26/12. 12 oz. bottle ($8.99/6). Bottled early in Feb., case marked 2/9/12, 17 days ago).

A: Very cloudy amber, with 1"+ off-white head that drops slowly and leaves a consistent thin layer of lacing. No effervescence is visible.

S: Pine, citrus & tropical fruit, malt.

T: Sharp pine & fruit, then malt, followed by moderate bitterness.

M: Medium body and moderate carbonation; very smooth; neutral finish.

O: Extremely balanced; a tasty, highly drinkable, mid-range IPA by one of Wisconsin's top breweries.

note: Lakefront is well worth a visit, especially for a Friday tour, followed by a polka-music-accompanied fish fry in their expansive beer hall; on the west bank of the Milwaukee River, just north of downtown.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 18:59:59 | More by bierbrauer

bastu

Tennessee

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled in the 3rd week of November.

Looks like a typical IPA, golden orange with a 1 finger head that disipates pretty quickly.

Smells of faint citrus and piney hops.

Taste follows the nose, with some sweet malts and moderate hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel is ok, nothing special.

Overall this is a drinkable IPA but not something I'm going to go out of my way to have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 02:25:03 | More by bastu

TTAmod

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into pint. Bottled during the 3rd week of August, 2011.

A: Poured a hazy orange with minimal white head. Quite a bit of sediment in the liquid, akin to the Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA

S: Smell is of resinous pine hops.

T: Strong pine hops supported by a solid sweet malt backbone with a hint of grapefruit on the end. It's a really refreshing and balanced IPA.

M: Medium and really smooth, actually. Definitely very nice.

O: A very solid IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 23:19:50 | More by TTAmod

ForWhatAlesYou

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle from the brewery into a LAkefront IPA pint glass.

A: Small white head. 90% clear orange color. Lots of small carbonation. Little lace.

S: Piney hops. Spicy citrus amd malt. Really strong and balanced.

T: Full malt back bone holds up hop bitterness. Fruity esters finish. Apple cider, grapefruit, dry white wine. Juniper and grain.

M: Very balanced in viscosity and drying hops. Carbonation very fine.

D: Could easily sit through a bunch of these. Very good. Worth seeking out (even in an IPA flooded market.)

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 17:05:51 | More by ForWhatAlesYou

drabmuh

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle sent to me in a BIF recently by Lando Calrizian, thanks Lando. Served in a Bruery tulip.

Beer is amber, hazy, moderately carbonated, off white head, some lacing, decent retention, looks good.

Earthy sweet aroma, piny hops, malt.

Beer is medium in body, sweet, with a hoppy, earthy, sulfury, piny, mid palate and a light bitterness on the end, a decent IPA but not great, nothing too special but I'll have no problem drinking the 4 pack I have.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 02:38:03 | More by drabmuh

Immortale25

Florida

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

Poured into a snifter. Label says bottled during the 4th week of July.

A- Sitting for close to 6 months hasn't done a thing to the carbonation. From a heavy pour comes a two finger white head that retains a good while, slinking down to a full inch and is billowy with great lacing as well. Many minutes later, the head's still going strong. Nice! Has a light copper color.

S- Glorious. Fresh, wet, floral hop aromas flow from the snifter bringing to mind grapefruit and pineapple plus a slightly astringent smell that I chalk up to the alcohol mixing in with the hops.

T- The taste is much more balanced with the malts stepping up to the plate while still letting the hops do their job. Notes of fruit and grass are abound in this fine example of a single IPA. Damn near perfect if you ask me. The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is the aftertaste is a tad metallic. Other than that, super solid!

M- Medium-high carbonation. A bit slick from the hop oils. Medium body.

O- This is fantastic. Lakefront is quickly becoming one of my "breweries to look out for in 2012."

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 00:46:24 | More by Immortale25

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got a bottle of this via trade with toblerone. Thanks Toby. Poured into my Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

A: A medium golden orange color with a one finger white head. Nice lacing.

S: Citric hop notes mixed with some floral and herbal tones. Biscuit and fresh bread show some sweetness on the nose.

T: Citrus hops come out first with grapefruit, lemon, orange and get mixed with a decent amount of herbal and floral hoppiness. The hops get mixed with a medium bready biscuit like malt bill that keeps the beer somewhat balanced with some sweetness. Finish turns back to the citrus notes with some bitterness. Nice beer.

M: A bit thin actually with no alcohol notes to it. Nice carbonation.

O: A nice IPA that leans on the hoppier side of the spectrum, but it never quite goes full on hops. A very enjoyable beer that I would be glad to drink anytime. Very easy drinking and enjoyable.

This beer is a nice IPA, but not an award winner. Still, really glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 15:23:48 | More by Kadonny

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nearly an inch of slowly settling, off white head on a cloudy, bright apricot colored beer. Nice but slippery lace. Very good aroma is juicy and fruity, full of citrus, with pine and herbal undercurrents. Smells like a big juicy west coast style IPA.

Flavor is superb; very bright hops full of nuance; citrus leads the way with grapefruit, pineapple, lemon. Touches of pine and floral notes. Very restrained malt character. Good bitterness that still allows you to taste each hop nuance.

Excellent mouthfeel, slightly creamy, medium carbonation, just a hint of stickiness. Kind of a Sculpin-esque vibe. Excellent and underhyped west coast style IPA.

Top notch. Maybe the only knock for me would be the mouthfeel could be a touch cleaner and crisper, but that's nitpicking. Very impressive. Delicious!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 18:14:10 | More by tobelerone

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.35/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Wiseman Justin Reporting:

Appearance - Cloudy, dark burnt orange. Pours a thick frothy head that takes about 2 minutes to dissipate. Some lacing.

Smell - Nice strong smell that I noticed from about a foot away. Heavy hops on the nose. Some faint citrus (mainly oranges). It's nice from afar but up close it's not that good.

Taste - Light burnt hops. It's an adequate IPA but I've had much, much better. Still, the beer has no flaws, just no real strengths either. Woody, hoppy and some orange.

Mouthfeel - The carbonation is a bit high; other than that it seems pretty average.

Overall - This is a pretty average IPA. I don't feel like I wasted my money on it at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 16:56:42 | More by ThreeWiseMen

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

It takes a minute or so for the hops and the other flavours to get aligned but once it does Bam it is on like Donkey Kong. Big juicy hop nose and a hop centric taste to match but the malt is there to balance it all out. My sample came from an 8 mix pack and it tasted pretty fresh. I dig this IPA and wish it would show up for less than $18 a sixpack

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 02:41:47 | More by canucklehead

Keeton

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This IPA stacks up against some of the best IPA's I've had yet. It had all the moth feel and taste of an exceptional IPA. This was a new one I bought blindly off the shelf and even though I have had better ones, this one is in the mix! If you see it on the shelf, defiantly pick one up!

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 04:51:44 | More by Keeton

amidabha

Kentucky

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

generous pour produced a huge carbonation head with heavy lacing and a hazy amber hue. it has a great piney hoppy smell that isn't too heavy on the nose.

this is slightly bitter but balanced out by the malts to give a great drink and a carbonated to smooth finish.

a darn good ipa that doesn't really compare to a two hearted.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 02:07:12 | More by amidabha

cjacobsen

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(A) Pours a just slight of clear golden orange. Looks like honey with a quarter inch of head that sits atop it. The head has good retention and resides to large piles of foam around the edge of the beer.

(S) Smell of grapefruit and orange. Hop bitters. Some floral notes and a touch of pine. The malts are definitely well put into this beer as there is a sweet biscuit/cereal aroma mixed in with the citric and hops.

(T) The taste has a really good malt foundation to it. The sweet subtleties of sugars and the toasted malts lay the ground floor for the citric rind, grapefruit, and hops.

(M) Light body but with a fullness on the palate. Oily and well balanced. Perfectly carbonated.

(O) I think this is a really solid IPA done by a really solid brewery. Lakefront isn't huge in the craft beer world, but they really kill it in midwest and Wisconsin. Their IPA is one to stand up with the best.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 16:46:45 | More by cjacobsen

Halcyondays

California

3.53/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle, about 3 weeks old,

A: Pours orange with a medium white head. Solid retention, leaves lots of spotty lace.

S: Dominated by grapefruit and citrus, pithy.

T: Very grassy and herbal with a mint component midway through. Light on the malt for the Midwest. In the finish it gets bitter with a lot of white grapefruit.

M: Medium-bodied, average body weight in the style. Frothy, full carbonation, creamy with a medium long aftertaste.

O: Not the most striking IPA, but a solid effort at a good price.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 02:34:08 | More by Halcyondays

BYOFB

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From bottle to tulip (mid June date of bottling)

A nice amber color with an off-white head that fades to a ring. Smells of pineapple and fresh cut grass in the back ground.

Taste is fairly balanced and a bit earthy. Medium mouthfeel with a fairly soft finish. Alcohol comes through on the finish along with a slight malty caramel and a smooth bitterness.

Everything about this one was good. No more, no less...

I've has this one numerous times and like almost all IPAs, fresh is best. The aroma and taste will drop off quite a bit with time

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 03:01:37 | More by BYOFB

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

Their flagship IPA, on tap at the brewery.Very good c-hop aroma. Very hoppy, a good IPA. A little sprucey certainly helps, so drinkable but not complex. Lacey beer, though golden body lacking much of a head. A must have if you are trying their beers.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2011 01:56:40 | More by northyorksammy

JackieTH

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Part of an eight beer variety sampler pack from Lakefront. The best of the bunch in my opinion.

Poured a hazy copper with a half finger of light tan head, leaving some lacing.

Orange and mixed citrus on the nose which was pleasant but unfortunately rather weak.

The taste kicked it up a notch. The overall character is hoppy without being overly bitter. Quite nice. I'm getting citrus, pine, and a bit of spearmint.

Medium feel holds together nicely over the palate.

Overall +0.5 for being pleasantly hoppy without numbingly bitter. Highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 06:46:14 | More by JackieTH

stephens101

Oklahoma

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

One finger of rolling tan head stands unwavering atop a reddish-orange brew. A good mix of oily and citrusy hops float quickly to the nose with a following sweetness and spiciness. Near silky smoothness up front is soon penetrated by a a quick hop bite, some caramel, and finally some orange and grapefruit notes. Alcohol heat exists in the background. Mouth-feel is medium. Good example of a straightforward IPA that doesn't have a lot of flair, but earns extra credit in the balance department, and pretty much takes care of business across the board.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 23:40:28 | More by stephens101

minterro

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Ross’s Deli Lakewood MI

A & S: pretty basic scent: citrus hoppy aroma. A bit of earthy tones to the scent. The beer is a cloudy (unfiltered) yellow/orange color. Big ol’ off-white fizzy head when poured. Pretty decent lacing cling. Heads stays with the beer for the whole glass.

T & M: Pretty basic American IPA taste: citrus and hoppy. It has some neat floral elements but nothing out of the ordinary. Fairly well balanced [nice malty background (defiantly not a hop bomb if that’s what your looking for)]. fizzy carbonation [a bit over carbonated (possibly a tad bit frozen at one point)] . Finish is semi bitter and semi dry. Medium to low bodied. Not smooth a bit on the crisp side.

O: overall is a solid IPA nothing I would buy/try again but not disappointed about buying it.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 21:34:14 | More by minterro

brew3crew

Ohio

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottle dated first week of June

A-hazy orange color with white head that quickly disapates

S-lots of fruitness and citrus

T-taste follows the smell. nice mix of fruitness and sweetness

M-Medium body and smooth

0-Very solid beer. I like what I see from this brewery and can't wait for more!

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2011 21:26:48 | More by brew3crew

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks again, Bobby.

A: The pour is a slightly hazed orange color with a rocky off-white head and some sticky lacing.

S: A light fruitiness to the nose, but definitely a decent amount of citrus. There is certainly some grapefruit and lemon peel along with grass and a touch of pine. Bready malt with a slight toastiness.

T: Tastes pretty decent. Nice citrus hop bite of grapefruit and orange with a nice pine note and some moderate bitterness. A slight sweetness of bread and toffee with a hint of grass.

M: The body is medium with a moderate level of carbonation.

O: This was significantly better than I anticipated it being. Nice flavor to it.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 19:54:12 | More by womencantsail

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from jayli, so a big “Thank you” goes out to her. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a murky gold color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains grassy hops, fruity citrus and caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out sweet flavors of citrus and caramel. Then a decent burst of hops bitterness comes in but overall the hops presence is a bit weak for the style. The malt character is hearty and creates a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, not quite the best IPA out there but it’s solid enough to drink for a while.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 04:28:59 | More by TheManiacalOne

daledeee

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a medium cloudy orange. It has a good white frothy head.

Nose is strong pine needles, floral and a little spice.

Taste is a pleasure with really nice hop character with hints of sweetness and malt. Really nice and easy to drink.

Mouth feel is also quite frothy and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 00:47:22 | More by daledeee

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Notes from 7/27/11. On tap at the brewery.

A - Amber/orange colour with a small amount of white head.

S - Bitter pine and citrus hop flavours complimented by some sweet caramel in the background.

T - Pine, citrus and a sharp bitterness. Some caramel sweetness in the background.

M - Light to medium body. Light to moderate carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2011 13:56:45 | More by TheSevenDuffs