IPA - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

ALESwhatCURESya

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Deep burnt orange color with sticky, airy, white layer of foam. Moderate to heavy lacing. Clearly unfiltered as there is a heavy does of yeast sediment.

S-Super fresh citrus and piney hops abound. Orange peels and resin are abundant. I have had this on tap many times and the difference between fresh and semi-old is incredible. The freshness of the hops is imperative in this beer.

T-Big, gritty, hops balanced wonderfully with the malt backbone. Hops add as much flavor as they do bitterness. Sweetness is almost candy-like.

M-As hoppy as it is, there is very little rough dryness in the finish. The body is extremely balanced and the flavors of citrus and maltiness meld very well together.

D-Granted, I am privy to some very fresh lakefront IPA, but this one upped my respect for the brewery. For a while, I was putting little faith in Lakefront, but this one turned it around. One of the best all-around IPAs I have had in a while. I would easily put this above Stone and many of the other West Coast IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 00:42:36 | More by ALESwhatCURESya

Chugmonkey

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Medium brown in color, quite dark for an IPA. The head is a giant crazy high pillowy pile of foam - couldn't even pour the 12oz bottle into a pint at once. Head is stunningly beautiful. Quite hazy with tiny hop floaties. Must have dryhopped the crap out of this thing.

Hoppiness is solid, but not over the top - this is borderline PA/IPA. Lacks bitterness to really be an IPA. Wonderful citrusy aroma and taste, nice biscuit note & complex hoppy taste. Great balance here.

A solid creamy feel is an unexpected bonus. Finishes very smooth & lacks any bitter bite you'd expect in an IPA.

PA or IPA who cares? This is a tasty bugger. I could kill a whole pile of these.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2009 18:24:35 | More by Chugmonkey

SaCkErZ9

Florida

2.93/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dispensed from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Emerges hazy and a dark grapefruit color with a nice looking, one finger sized head. Pretty rocky and dense and plenty of lacing.

Aroma is very lackluster. Mostly caramel malt with very little hops. Sweet.

Very little hop flavor or bitterness. This doesnt really taste like an IPA to me. Very disappointed in this one. Maybe it is old or something but this was like a weak pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2009 00:00:53 | More by SaCkErZ9

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Lakefront- IPA

A- Clear golden copper brown with no head or lacing.
S- Light caramel malt with a touch of pine hops.
T- Smooth creamy caramelized malt with an equal balance of pine hops.
M- Creamy/ buttery up front with a nice slight hoppy dry bitter finish.

Overall- sweet smooth flavors make this easily sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2009 22:00:45 | More by NJpadreFan

jackorain

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An semi-aggressive pour into my Stone Levitation glass resulted in a 3/4 inch tall, tight bone colored head that fell rather slowly and left a sheet like lace as tall as the former head. The liquid is a coppery-amber color with quite a bit of chill haze. A really nice color and look.

The aroma is of caramel and biscuit malts, followed by grapefruit and citrus hops.

The first sip brings grapefruit and orange flavor with a firm bitterness. The middle brings a slightly sweet, caramel malt and biscuity malt flavor. The finish is rounded out with an additional wave of bitterness and citrus. The bitterness lingers for quite a while.

The body is medium and right in the wheelhouse of the style. There is a creamy quality that is cut by the lively effervescence. There is a bit of oiliness on the swallow.

This is one beer I could drink several of. This is a fine IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 23:13:17 | More by jackorain

Risser09

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured into a snifter - Fridge temp - 2008

Appearance: Pours as a hazy orange beer with a small white head. Not much retention, swirling makes some lace, but not much.

Smell: Full, ripe, lemony hop aroma. A slight mineral smell along with a floral note. Very crisp smell. I like it alot.

Taste: More crispness in the form of flavor. Clean, citrushop flavors include lemon, grapefruit, orange. Just enough bitterness to make it comfortable. Very nice, IMHO.

Mouthfeel: Great, lively carbonation lasts and lasts. Bitterness is everywhere, but subdued enough to make this beer drinkable. Medium body.

Drinkability: I love this beer. It is tame, subtle, subdued and highly drinkable. The taste isn't incredibly complex but every other facet makes this beer drinkable, enjoyable and approachable for everyone. Many of these can, and will be, consumed.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 12:59:45 | More by Risser09

Amalak

New York

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I got this as part of an assorted eight pack. It had a dull gold, opaque color, solid foamy head and lace. It had a strong, sour scent.

This was, in my opinion, the best offering that Lakefront had to offer. It has a great bitter taste, smooth yet slightly sour. Exactly the way that I like an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 20:21:12 | More by Amalak

trbergman

Illinois

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

12oz bottle poured into a shaker pint.

A - Cloudy, amber-orange beer topped with two fingers of puffy orange-white head. Perfect head retention.

S - Grapefruit, lemon zest, biscuity malt.

T - Very focused on the hops, yet not all that bitter. Some toasty malts, mostly overshadowed by spicy, citrus hop flavor. Finishes clean, with only a bit of lingering bitterness.

M - Light body, with fine carbonation.

D - More quenching than most IPAs I've had. This drinks more like an APA and could be sessionable. Not a bad beer, but something of a letdown for a beer claiming to be an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 00:50:16 | More by trbergman

Billolick

New York

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

on tap at the Gate in Brooklyn NY, pours lighter honey amber, typical tan head shows decent retention and then leaves scattered lacing on the glass. Grainy hop nose gleefully portends what is to come. Hops come through loud and clear, grainy and also somewhat floral. Nice enough stuff that seems to have made the trip from good ole Wisconsin in fine form. Nice serviceable and quite enjoyable IPA

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2008 04:27:20 | More by Billolick

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Clear sunset orange-amber with a nice thick three finger head. This head looks solid, thick, and dense and leaves tons of really pretty arcs of lace on the glass. Big sheets of foam wash down the glass after a swirl, leaving crusty sea foam webwork behind. Nice!

S - Mandarin orange, tangerine, tangelo, and apricot notes play on top of a fruit-cookie or home made fruit-bar base. The mandarin orange hop notes are pleasantly mellow, but don't strip the lining from inside your nose like an IPA really should. Nice, but a little underpowered.

T - Floral, perfume-y, and soapy hops taste British in origin. That nice mandarin note from the nose is replaced by a more flowery note that I don't like as much. Dry crumbly hard bread makes up the malt component, and balances the hops nicely. Lots of mineral flavors here too.

M - Medium bodied, oily, highly carbonated, and finishing extremely dry and sandy.

D - Not one of my favorites. This looks great, smells weak, and tastes off. I can see why a lot of reviewers liked this one, but the flowery and perfume-y notes, combined with a very mineral-laded flavor turned me off.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2008 16:06:26 | More by pmcadamis

Dukeofearl

California

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

6 Pack of 12 ounce bottles, part of a recent rush of Lakefront beers to the Inland Empire of California- I think $8.99.

Pours a moderately hazy golden hue with a huge frothy rocky head- lots of carbonation in this one.

Aroma of bright clean fruity hops- not overly sweet, not overly sharp- well done.

Flavor is overall pretty good- a nice sharp hop bite after the initial semi-sweet bready malts. Nice balance. Only flaw I felt was a bit of a metallic aftertaste.

Nicely bodied, very drinkable, well made and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2008 01:50:08 | More by Dukeofearl

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled May Wk4; Sampled November 2008
A vigorous pour produces an almost four-finger thick, light tan colored head in my 25cl tulip glass. The beer is a nice copper color that shows a lightly hazed, bright copper hue when held up to the light. The aroma smells of sticky hops, pine, grapefruit and sweetened lemon zest as well as lots of biscuit like malt, some crystal malt sweetness and some cracker notes in the finish. After a bit I start to notice more of the herbal / pine, though there is still a soft citrus character in the nose.

Lots of herbal hop character is noticeable as the beer first hits my mouth, a substantial pine needle backbone runs throughout as well. The beer finishes fairly smooth, with very little bitterness noticeable after the first sip. My second sip has me noticing a solid bitterness that is noticeable as the beer rolls across the tongue; strangely though (or perhaps more aptly said, atypically) the bitterness quickly disappears and does not linger on in the finish at all. The finish is fairly smooth with a light menthol hop notes and some sweet, pale crystal malt sweetness. Some citrus hop flavors are noticeable as well. The malt plays a secondary role here, but does provide a fair amount of sweet, pale crystal malt notes and some lightly toasty grain notes that reminds me of saltine crackers. This has a nice, light, quaffable body to it that is just about perfect for an IPA.

Not a bad beer, the fact that this beer has no real lingering presence on the tongue is definitely interesting and I definitely feel like I miss the lingering hop presence that is in a typical IPA, but this is still fairly enjoyable. Not as bracingly hoppy as many of the newer aggressive IPAs, which is sort of a nice change of pace (you might even confuse this from a hoppy pale ale).

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2008 15:50:02 | More by Gueuzedude

BeerTruth

Connecticut

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

Was pleasantly surprised to see this at Finger Lakes Beverage in Ithaca.

12 oz. bottle poured into a nonic. Bottled in Sept notched on the side.

Pours a hazy golden yellow hue with a fluffy two finger off-white head that slowly dies down to a foamy layer of bubbles. Lots of clingy lacing left behind on the sides of the glass. Sweet citrus hops in the nose with bitter earthy notes as well. A faint pale malt aroma with some grass and hay underneath. Pretty fresh smelling beer overall. Taste begins with pink grapefruit, mandarine oranges, and sweet floral hops. Bitter hops and fresh cut grass midway with a slight malty undertone. Aftertaste is semi-dry with a touch of lemon and pine. Light to medium body with a crisp feel and a lively carbonation. This is a very solid and drinkable IPA, one I could easily see myself returning to down the road.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2008 00:19:20 | More by BeerTruth

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful thick and creamy three finger head with lots of structure. As I sometimes write, this is the one where you can get the head to rise well above the top of the glass. Clear golden amber color. Great retention on the head. Great lacing.

Very light citrus aroma. A bit of lemon and a bit of grapefruit. Very fresh and nice.

Hop Character was a bit of a disappointment after the nice visual and appealing aroma. Don't get me wrong, this is a nice IPA. But I thought we were about to find a Midwest....West coast IPA. The hop bitterness was a touch more muted than I had expected. Flavor is well balanced and smooth. Pretty complex and you can sense a lot of things going on here. Some interesting fruity notes and some nice malt tones.
I think I may want to try a "fresher" bottle of this. This is very good, but I get the sense the hops have faded a bit.

Mouthfeel is wonderful The beer is medium/light in body and very fresh and cleansing...

Wonderfully drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2008 23:37:22 | More by Reagan1984

Blakaeris

Iowa

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy golden-copper with a massive white head that hangs around awhile and leaves sheets of sticky lacing.

Aroma is generous citrus hop over a subdued caramel malt base. Fruity with plenty of tropical fruit notes.

Taste is bready, and sweet caramel malt. Then the juicy citrus hop takes over with pleasant bitterness. Finish is crisp with lingering tropical fruit notes.

Mouthfeel is medium-full. Chewy with resinous hop oil.

Overall a pretty decent IPA. Fruity and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2008 22:12:02 | More by Blakaeris

NoLiberty

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours from the bottle into a half-pint glass slightly cloudy and light peach colored with a solid half finger white foamy head that settles into a nice cap with moderate lacing. Nice color overall and lacing sticks nicely to the sides of the glass. The color almost reminds me of a DIPA with an expectedly high hop profile.

The initial nose is strong of citrusy hops, lemon, peach, and moss but as the beer warms the alcohol profile becomes much more dominant. Subtle tree fruit aromas - apple, pear, peach - all nice and inviting. The hops are blended well into a mild but flavorful malt backbone, with a nice alcohol transition.

The flavor is just great. Super soft and well balanced all around. Hop profile bounces between tropical fruit with strong notes of pineapple to more subtle orange citrus to pronounced piney resins. And all around is a nice alcohol presence - not sure the ABV but it's enough to make it feel warm. But no doubt this is a refreshing beer too. Some candy flavors finish off with a beautiful aftertaste of ripe pineapple.

The beer is soft and fluid, not thick but definitely viscous. Carbonation is present but never dominates. Like a good IPA the flavors are more pronounced when the softness of the water allows the aromas and resins from the hops to come out. Very nice.

Drinkability is also good and I could definitely put a few of these down. In fact, I'll probably buy a case soon.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2008 00:20:09 | More by NoLiberty

glid02

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up as a single at Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

Pours a very cloudy light copper color with a one-finger white head. The head dissipates into a scaly layer of bubbles on top and a medium-sized ring around the glass. Lacing is decent.

Smells of citrus with a good malt backbone. Floral aromas sneak out every now and then.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Lots of citrus up front soon overtaken by robust malt flavors. There's a mild bitterness at the end. It's good, but none of the flavors really jump out.

Mouthfeel is good. It's a bit thin but the carbonation is good and it goes down pretty smoothly.

Drinkability is good. As I said before none of the flavors have a ton of presence, but it's definitely drinkable. I could have another, but I'm not terribly excited about the prospect.

Overall this is a good IPA - I picked this up, along with the Fuel Cafe because I'd heard less than stellar things and figured those two styles were pretty hard to mess up. I wasn't disappointed. This isn't a must-try, but it's worth a shot if you're looking to try a new brewery.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 02:12:16 | More by glid02

bashiba

Iowa

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

Poured a cloudy copper color with a thick creamy and sticky head.

The smell was strong with a big fresh wet hop odor with citrus and pine and a touch of fresh bread malt sneaking in.

The flavor is suprisingly mild and balanced after the big bold smell, but in a good way. Nice solid toasted malt body with a nice bready quality to it with some slightly bitter lemony and floral hops with a touch of mint, giving this beer a very long and even finish.

The mouthfeel is thick and sticky with a bit of dryness.

A very solid IPA, shockingly good when compared to the poor quality of the other 6 lakefront brews I have had.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2008 22:03:30 | More by bashiba

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Explosive opening, lost about a tenth of the bottle. Very cloudy (almost like a wheat beer). Light amber with a touch of orange. Surprisingly moderate head. It lasts, though, and leaves rocky lace.

Nicely balanced aroma, perhaps more malty than a typical IPA, but still quite attractive.

Creamy and malty in the initial sip. Great hop presence without overwhelming. A very easy-to-drink beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2008 21:53:55 | More by smcolw

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle from Abe's in Bethlehem. Pours a hazy amber with a white head and lacing. Hmm, this one could be old. Thanks Abe.

Still a good beer, regardless of age. The hops have a great sticky citrus and floral perfume flavor underpinned with a biscuit malt backbone. This is a very nice, juicy and bitter IPA with a bit of malt balance. The body is a quite drinkable, and fairly sessionable. I'll have to try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2008 00:23:01 | More by tempest

WesWes

New York

4.33/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a dark golden color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a bitter hop bite laid over a nicely balanced pale and Munich malt aroma. It's citrusy and light with a refreshing feel. The taste is great. It's incredibly smooth and not overly bitter. It's well balanced and highly drinkable. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a easy drinking IPA. It's well brewed and doesn't overpower you. It's got a nice hop character, but isn't a hop bomb. Recommmended.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2008 21:34:54 | More by WesWes

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clouded peach-toned hue, under a gorgeous milky white head.

Pine fresh aroma, with tropical and citrus fruit esters, pineapple meets orange and lemon peel. Vibrant, and inviting.

Sharp bitterness up front, goes soft and fades back on the palate. Same flavors as in aroma visit the tongue. Great brisk hop smack that continues to ride along. Nice, medium body, long bitter finish, but very easy-[drinking. Hoppy, but not too bitter.

This really reminds me of Bell's Two Hearted Ale. Not that that's a bad model, at all. It's quite capable of being a sessioner, for the true hop lover, that is. I can see drinking a few without getting tired.
Good job on this!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2008 06:44:41 | More by feloniousmonk

iceball585

New York

4.72/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Light golden color, semi-clear, one finger thick fluffy white head that lasted the entire time, lots of tiny bubbles rising throughout

S- Citrus, grassy, earthy, light flowery hops

T- Pine, citrus, honey, grassy, pale malts, flowery hops

M- Medium body, low/medium carbonation, very smooth, clean, light bitter bite

D- Definitely worth buying again

Not too many different flavors in this one... but wow. The brew has the perfect balance of hops (not too much and not too little). I really wish I had bought more of these when I was in Milwaukee.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2008 00:30:16 | More by iceball585

joe1510

Illinois

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

12oz Bottle
$7.99 6-Pack
Steve's Liquor, Madison

Bottled: August 3rd Week

Lakefront's IPA pours tarnished copper with a hazy body and tiny particulate suspended throughout. A one finger plus clean white head formed on the pour and fell rather quickly to a thin skimming and slightly bigger collar. Spotty and patchy lace was left behind after each drink. I love the look of an unfiltered IPA although the head on this one is a bit of a let down.

Floral hoppiness jumps out at me quickly but is soon overtaken by a slight booziness and pine needles. A hint of candied citrus soon follows along with a faint blast of apple pie filling. The malts are slightly sweet and honey like with the faintest hint of caramel. This smells like a nice hop driven IPA and that makes me want to dive right in.

The flavor follows the aroma in stride. The floral hoppiness jumps out right away followed closely by bitter pine needles and resin mid palate while the caramel and honey-like maltiness stays in the back where it should. The pine is more pronounced in the flavor then smell and works to take over until the swallow leaving a solid lingering bitterness in its wake. This is a good IPA.

The carbonation helps make the medium body soft on the tongue while the bitterness grows with each sip. By the time the glass is finished my lips are starting to feel the numbness. Finishes slightly dry which accentuates the hop profile.

I can and have drunk quite a few of these in a sitting. They go down easily and have a solid hop kick that's kept in check just enough to keep the beer flowing.

Lakefront's IPA is the best of their beers that I've sampled to date and I don't hesitate to pick it up when I see it. The price point is easy to swallow as well compared to others of the same style.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2008 03:34:55 | More by joe1510

dirtylou

Washington

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

12oz single, not one of my favorite breweries in the state but it earned a high ranking so i'll give it a shot

appearance: cool label. poured into an imperial pint glass, dull straw-copper color, fluffy white cap and decent retention

smell: citrusy hops - heavier on the orange/apricot/tangerine, kind of a touch of funk as well and noticeable earthy malts

taste: pretty tasty IPA and a bit off the beaten path of the style...citrusy and full of white pepper spice and corriander, fresh lemon zest and bready yeast...grassy and earthy with caramel malt notes

mouthfeel: medium body, lively

drinkability: pretty good

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2008 01:26:03 | More by dirtylou