Great Lakes Devil's Pale Ale - Great Lakes Brewery

jhall00

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- The beer pours a dark caramel colour with a medium sized head of foam that dissipated quickly

S- Malty and caramel

T- Nice malty caramel flavor with definite hops finish

M- beer with good carbonation and a medium mouthfeel

D- a very good drinkable beer

Serving type: can

01-18-2010 00:32:59 | More by jhall00

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

473ml can poured into pint glass jan7 2010

A clear reddish bronze with a thick thumbs worth of head that fell quickly leaving only a few patches of lace

S quite nutty with some mellow hops and a fair bit of toffee

T again very nutty but I get lots of bread to go along with the hops and sweet caramels

M quite creamy even with low carbonation, a very smooth beer indeed

D went down pretty quick so that has to say something, I would drink this again if I could find it

I love the can this comes in, I don't worship the devil or anything like that but I'd drink his beer if given the chance. I gotta thank adil for shipping this one my way

Serving type: can

01-08-2010 05:24:34 | More by wordemupg

OttoBomb

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

473 ml. can poured into a 14 oz. Coca-Cola (tulip) glass (December 23, 2009). Received this in a collection of cans from my bother as a Christmas gift.

Eyes: Pours a very dark copper color, with just under one finger of head. Moderate to low lacing.

Nose: A nice strong malty aroma up front (dried fruit, grain), some grassy hops on the tail.

Tongue: A very nice toasted malt (caramel, molasses), flavor is quickly followed by a stronger hoppy bitter finish. The sweet fruit presence is covered a bit too quickly and forcibly by the bitterness (slight metallic). Not as balanced as I might like, but all in all quite nice. The 6.6 ABV is completely undetectable.

Mouth: The sight carbonation is perfect for this brew. It has a smooth medium feel, with the aforementioned bitterness dominating the palate after each sip.

Libation: It's quite a good ale, and the bitterness while sharp, does not overpower and distract from the drinkability. The 666 angle is interesting, but I just want something tasty and balanced. While it is tasty, the balance falls a bit short, but that's apparently what the brewers were aiming for. Not a sessionable offering, but I would go back if given the opportunity.

Serving type: can

12-24-2009 04:20:22 | More by OttoBomb

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Received from Bobsy in a recent trade.

A: Dark caramel color, almost brown. Creamy heads.
S: Malts, Caramel. Malt could be slightly roasted.
T: Caramel with a dry, bitter finish.
M: Medium body. Warm in the mouth which suggest the presence of alcohol.
D: Awesome session beer, this is what we should all have in our fridge for day to day!

Serving type: can

11-24-2009 01:58:44 | More by ZorPrime

Seanstoppable

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I sampled this at a beer festival early this year and remember it standing out, mostly due to how strong it was. Recently, I received a can of it from some friends in Ontario and finally decided to pop it open.

There is nothing pale about this pale ale. Pours a dark mahogany with plenty of off-white head. Head is thick and very slow to evaporate. Tons of lacing left on the glass.

Muted malty scent.

Taste is strong, as I recall, and as labeled on the can itself. Sort of mellows out as you continue to drink. Some rawness is still there, but you also get your caramel malts, some earthiness, a lightly roasted feel, as well as a bit of bitterness at the end.

I don't know if it is because Devil's, but this hit me slightly faster than I expected it to. I could probably put back two or three of these, but after that I would definitely be done.

Serving type: can

11-21-2009 20:49:34 | More by Seanstoppable

tpd975

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one came from grub.

A: Pours a nice dark amber hue with a nice creamy white head. Good retention and lace.

S: Muted aromas of caramel malt, toasted malt, and grass.

T: Malty up front caramel and roast mostly. Sharp bitter hops pop up in the middle and carry through the finish. Very grassy very herbal, borderline astringent.

M: Medium in body, nice carbonation, bitter finish.

D: Not too bad, overall a pretty good beer.

Serving type: can

08-23-2009 16:33:52 | More by tpd975

SkinnyElvis

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

More Ontario goodness in a can. Cheers to biegaman. Pours with a nice head. Not much smell. Thick and creamy. Nice malt taste. Mouthfeel is smooth. A drinkable brew. Good "gimmick" with the 666. I am not too familiar with the English pale ale style but this is pretty good.
Cheers.

Serving type: can

07-31-2009 00:33:51 | More by SkinnyElvis

SingleCell

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a mug after warming out of the fridge for a few mins. 666 in all aspects of the brewing process described on the back of this 473ml can. BA has the ABV listed at 6.6% however Great Lakes lists it on the can as 6%.

A: Pours a dark clear amber with a full two inch off white head which slowly faded to a 1/2 inch and held its own for a while before disappearing to a thin wisp of head. Alright head retention.

S: Sweet caramel coming from the malts with some raw grassy hops. I'm going to be honest though, I had to really get my nose close to my mug and even the empty can to get any smell whatsoever. It's like the type of dulled down smell you get with some nitro beers... Anyways time to taste this beer!

T: Raw hops at the start middle and finish along with that sweet caramel from the malts. The hops provide that grassy earthy flavour. A bit of bready yeast in there as well which marrys well with a buscuit/grain flavour. Bitter hoppy finish.

M: Creamy yet sharp medium carbonation. Medium mouthfeel; its just slightly more viscous than normal for an English Pale Ale.

D: I get just a bit of alcohol in the finish yet for 6% ABV the alcohol is very well hidden. I'll say it's got just under good drinkability just because of the alcohol but other than that it's a pretty drinkable beer.

Good job on this devilish brew Great Lakes. I would buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2009 02:55:48 | More by SingleCell

seand

California

3.23/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a clear brown amber, with a few fingers of medium tan head. Retention is quite good, lacing is just decent.

S: Malty with some caramel, hops in the background.

T: Sweet up front, with a big hop bitterness following quickly. Quite bitter. Not my favorite hop flavor really, but done pretty well.

M: Pretty smooth, medium carbonation, a little bit of astringency and a lot of bitterness on the aftertaste.

D: Not too hard to drink, but the big bitterness gets in the way a little bit.

Serving type: can

07-03-2009 20:31:10 | More by seand

Deuane

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Slatetank for the hookup!

A-Deep copper with a medium light tan head that reduces to a thin cap and leaves spotty lace.

S-A boatload of caramel malt tinged with light fruit and a bit of spicy, piney hops.

T-Again a lot of caramel malt with a bit of toast malt in the back. Hops are firmly in the background element. Hops are a combination of spicy, piney and end with some cherry flavour.

M-Medium body and rather "full" feeling for a pale ale. Decent lingering bitterness. Certainly the best feature of this brew.

D-Not a bad beer but not my cup of beer. Too malty up front followed by a hop profile that I do not crave. Certainly not a dud....just not for me. I can drink the can but won't be seeking this out again. Glad to have the opportunity to try it!

Serving type: can

07-01-2009 00:42:00 | More by Deuane

brushtachio

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 473 ml can. Hold on! The can says pale ale but this stuff is a copper color. Perhaps everything is a little darker in hell. Head is nice (the devil in me says, "why yes, it is quite nice") and fluffy like a mousse and stays around sacrificing bits of itself along the sides on my glass as I drink, perhaps as a reminder that the Teller of Lies is always among us. Ok taking it a bit too far, I know.

Smell is floral hops, caramel. Subtle but appropriate and quite nice.

The taste doesn't build on the smell. Just repeats it with slightly different emphasis. What first promises to be a balancing maltiness is crushed by some brutal bitterness. As my palate adjusts to the bitterness, a distinct diacetyl butteriness emerges and asserts itself more and more. Second half was much less enjoyable than the first.

Medium bodied. Some slight hop oiliness.

Serving type: can

05-31-2009 20:41:08 | More by brushtachio

philipquarles

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml can. Pours a clear, darkly burnt copper with a creamy, light beige head Good retention and lacing. Smells of dark, toasty malt with just a hint of cocoa. Slight hop notes. The taste is rich and malty; dark and roasty and slightly bitter, without real notes of coffee or chocolate. Medium body with lowish carbonation. A pretty decent brown ale; certainly not a pale.

Serving type: can

05-29-2009 02:27:08 | More by philipquarles

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a surprisingly dark mahogany color with a great billowy head. The froth sticks around and clings for dear life to the inside of the glass. Did I mention how dark this is? Odd. This is about the 24th time I have had this beer and I never seem to be surprised by the darkness.

Smell is malty caramel with subtle fruity hops.

The taste follows with a nice rich caramel/toffee malt, followed by some chalkiness, and a nice amount of grassy hops in the finish for balance. The sweetness of the aroma follows in the taste and the more I drink it the more I get a nutty hazelnut taste from it. Hmm. I'm kind of at odds here, because it's a good beer. But I think it's too malty for a pale ale and is more of a sort of hoppy brown ale.

A medium body with minimal carbonation left after a hard pour.

Yeah, this is a good sessionable beer with decent flavor.

Serving type: can

05-13-2009 01:28:20 | More by MeisterBurger

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for the trade Grub - My 777th review. Shared w/ Tenderbranson69, poured into a willybecker chilled.

A - Deep copper w/ 2.5 finger rocky light tan head. The clarity is lightly hazed w/ spacious bubbles from a vigorous pour.

S - A pleasant aroma of fruit, english yeast and piny hops w/ a caramel malt note

M - A mild blend of light sweetness and hops which are more flavored w/ woody texture than bitter w/ a light sweet finish

T - Very good English pale flavor w/ fruity yeast and piney hops, the malt is slightly caramel w/ a nice toast element . the hops have mild herbal flavor.

D - A very good pale w/ malt slightly higher in the flavor appropriate to style, but the flavor are well balanced and the taste is very drinkable in the ale. Thanks for the trade Grub

Serving type: can

05-10-2009 19:58:06 | More by Slatetank

beachbum1975

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Shared this one with DrewOSU on the back porch. Thanks go out to mjohnston for this in-person EXTRA from DLD '09.

Pours a surprisingly dark mahogany with a nice, thick off white head. Maybe instead of mahogany, I should say blood red.

Smells of orange, maybe light butter and light sweet, caramel malts. The nose is pretty light overall.

Malts are prominent on this one. I get traces of floral hops... High, prickly carbonation and this one finishes lightly bitter.

Nice, sessionable pale ale with no frills , despite the name.

Serving type: can

05-03-2009 23:12:22 | More by beachbum1975

beerbuddah

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this brew from the liquor store, in a can, poured into a pint glass. Simple can, good design, liked the 666 devil stuff.

A - deep, dark brown, some hints of red. Looks delicious. Nice head that recedes to a respectable layer after a bit. After a few sips, I notice that the lacing is quite good.

S - hoppy. some caramel smells coming through.

T - malty at first.Sweet hints of the caramel, and a bit of molasses throughout. The finish is hoppy, but not overpowering. It's a well balanced ale. A full flavor, the bitterness stays on the back of the tongue for a bit.

M - The beer feels good. Good amount of carbonation. As I said, a good well balanced ale is going to feel good, and the taste stays on the tongue - but not forever.

D - good. It's sessionable, the alcohol isn't particularly present.

Recently had a can of Fuller's London Pride, and I think this beer is far and away more superior. Will be picking this beer up again, love that it's a Canadian brew. Give it a try if you can pick it up.

Serving type: can

03-31-2009 02:14:24 | More by beerbuddah

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Got this one courtesy of ludachris, thanks man. Came in a black can with three sixes on it and a whole bunch of 666 associations that have to do with the brewing of the beer. Anyways, the beer itself pours with a good thumb of head, and modesty retains and laces quite well. The beer itself is a dark brownish orange, that seems a bit cloudy to me.

Smell - This beer took a while to warm up for the smell to kick in, but when it did a lot of malt character with some fruity characteristics. I think I'm catching a bit of almond as well, but it did take some time to happen.

Taste - Definite mineral taste, throughout the experience which I'm not a fan of. Starts with a well balanced bitter and sweet malt taste, then shifts to a somewhat watered down fruit flavor and then ends with a solid kick of drier hops, which hits a bit too harshly and lingers a bit too long.

Mouthfeel - As I said, the bitterness at the end of the beer lingers for quite some time. The carbonation is exceptional, but the metallic and dry taste also leave something to be desired.

Drinkability - Well, this beer does refresh and doesn't cause any stomach issues. However, I wouldn't say it goes down that smoothly as that kick at the end really hamstrings it.

Final Thoughts - An interesting brew, although I don't think it's quite as good as it seems to have been made out to be. I suppose the brew is true to it's namesake. Like the devil, at first it starts tempting and pleasant, but once you sign on that dotted line and commit to a drink, you end up suffering at the very end. Good, not great, worth one try not much more.

Serving type: can

03-30-2009 04:39:43 | More by TheHammer

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I bought a couple of cans of this 1 month ago in Toronto, and now I'm drinking the first one. The beer is dark reddish-copper color, no haze but sort of translucent, with an off-white lacing foam. Tasty aroma, a little fruity but more from hops than esters I'd guess. Very nice malty base is evident in the aroma and taste, sweet and biscuity and a little bitter after-taste. Actually, after half the glass I'm starting to not like the slight chalkiness in the aftertaste, I'm knocking some points on drinkability for that. There should be a category for marketing creativity, as this would score perfect (666kg malt + 6.66kg hops, boiled for 66.6 minutes).

Serving type: can

03-17-2009 22:41:40 | More by TurdFurgison

Shadman

Alberta (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Interesting looking can...thanks to Bobsy for this baby.

Impressive look. Rich color, big off-white head. Good retention. Not sure I'd call the color blood crimson although that would have been cool. Kind of a cross between copper and reddish maghagony.

This beer I could smell from 2 feet away while it sat waiting for the head to settle a bit. Rich, sweet, fruity malt, slightly raosted with a floral hoppiness in the background.

Not lacking in flavor. Sweet roasted malt big up front followed by a strong wave of citrus hop. Lot's of metallic twang that is sort of unpleasant as it really wants to coat the tongue. Finished hoppy, slightly dry, and with a nice revisit of malt.

Smooth, carbonation seems to fit my idea of a sessionable EPA.

Interesting brew. Would love to try it on tap & fresh @ the brewery to see it that annoying metallic taste is from the can or not.

Serving type: can

03-04-2009 02:17:36 | More by Shadman

largadeer

Kentucky

3.08/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pint sized can received from dyan in our latest trade, just in time for review number 666. Fucking metal. Consumed while listening to the new Miley Cyrus album, the most unholy music I could find.

Appearance: Dirty crimson, like bloodied water. The head is enormous and long-lasting, leaving gobs of lace all over the glass.

Smell: Smells extremely metallic - appropriate enough I guess. There's fruity sweetness beneath the overbearing mineral-like quality.

Taste & mouthfeel: A bit watery up front. Light malty sweetness with fruity overtones. Chocolatey. Mineral/metallic flavors detract quite a bit, and the finish is overhopped. Not such a great beer, but the gimmick is pretty fun.

Serving type: can

01-30-2009 01:06:41 | More by largadeer

atomicbolt

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a tallboy can of this. Neat story on the side about how they use 666 kg of malt, 6.66 kg of hops, and 66.6 minutes of boiling to make a 6% beer that was conceived on 6/6/06. They're not kidding, this really is the Devil's beer.

Pours a dark amber body with a medium-sized tan head. Big, nutty, malty smell to it. A bit of a sour hoppy smell, but overall sweet and caramelly.

Big, malty, nutty taste hits right away. Recedes into some sharp roasted flavours, with a bit of fruity sweetness. The big malt character dies down into a dry, bitter hoppiness, not a huge hop character but still pleasant. Nice and complex taste. The mouthfeel's a bit thin but nicely carbonated, and goes down smooth. Definitely drinkable. The extra 1% of alcohol isn't even noticeable, which can sneak up on you.

Good ale from a good brewery, but I'm not sure what's "pale" about this pale ale, it's a pretty dark, malty experience, not to mention the aforementioned Satanic connections.

Serving type: can

01-29-2009 22:56:23 | More by atomicbolt

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

473ml can acquired in trade with Samm - thanks!

Poured a deep orangish color that had kind of a reddish tint and a larger sized off white head. Slightlly hazy too. Aromas of toasted malts with lighter caramel and citrus. Tastes of the same overall toastiness with lighter caramel. Some lacing left on the glass.

Serving type: can

01-19-2009 00:44:14 | More by hopdog

EatsTacos

Yukon (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish amber with a creamy soft head that reduces to a film on top of the beer. Not a lot of lacing.

Subtle aroma of malt, some nuttiness, and faint citrus hops.

The taste is mostly malt but is not overly sweet. The hops are mostly there for bitterness and not a lot else. I'm not sure I'd call this a typical pale ale because of the maltiness to it. Maybe this is closer to a brown or red ale. Not what I was expecting, but I'm not dissapointed.

Mouthfeel is good and creamy with a medium carbonation.

Serving type: can

01-15-2009 03:18:52 | More by EatsTacos

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Dark and clear, sort of a reddish copper colour with a solid cap of fine beige bubbles. Good head retention, some lacing. The aroma leaned heavily on malt, some caramel, bread, with some citrus hop character. Bitterness hovered between mild up front and being a little more forward towards the finish. Lots of sweet malts throughout, some fruitiness, plus a little alcohol at the end. Citrus hop flavour was fleeting. Texture was alright, light and getting close to watery, but the carbonation held things together. A little dry. Pretty tasty overall.

Serving type: can

01-10-2009 02:31:12 | More by DrJay

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.3/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16oz can received from Viggo in the Heavy Metal BIF. Thanks Eric! Into my Sam Smith nonic

A: Pours darker than any APA I've seen, a crystal clear crimson with a gorgeous, long lasting dirty white colored head with solid retention and a ton of lacework. Not much visible carbonation

S: On the nose lots of sweet malts with a citrus hop aroma that leans towards the sweeter side of things. Tons of malt in here, there's caramel, figs and a hint of wood. A little too syrupy for my liking. OTOH, as an amber, this is quite nice

T: On the palate, this beer starts off with a some citrus before a good bit of caramel malt, candied fruit and other malt flavors kicked in. Drying on the finish with a mildly bitter finish

M: Rather light and watery but solid carbonation and a nice finish

D: Paired with some Twilight-era Gorgoroth, this beer goes down perfectly. Now, if I only found a way to keep the burning witch in my closet quiet, I'd be able to enjoy this more

Serving type: can

12-15-2008 07:03:13 | More by DefenCorps