Great Lakes Crazy Canuck Pale Ale - Great Lakes Brewery

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The brew has really evolved over the years. Now it's finished with Amarillo & Simcoe hops, which really shine!

Gold with a white head, good retention, bit of lace.

Huge American hop aroma to entice any hop head.

Plenty of citrus hop flavour, with a little piny resin and 'weed'. It's not bong water, but it's pretty bold. Bitterness is somewhat restrained, allowing a little biscuity malt sweetness to poke through. The malt does a nice backup here... but it's really all about the hops!

Well-attenuated, light hop acidity, nice crisp finish.

A very sessionable hop fix.

Serving type: cask

01-14-2012 02:03:09 | More by Derek

jaz58

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A great aroma when poured. Lemon / grapefruit nose with a great hint of hops.
Slightly cloudy in the glass with a warm orange marmalade colour.
Thick head, with a tinge of carmel colour.
Round mouth feel featuring a tea lemon beginning and finishing with a refreshing bitter.
A very fresh tasting beer. I always go out of my way to try IPA's and PA's and this is a great effort by Great Lakes Brewing Company.

Serving type: can

11-09-2012 02:53:38 | More by jaz58

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Received 2 cans from a trade with liamt07. Thanks mate.

The beer color is copper and appears to be slightly hazed. Nice white foamy head on top of it. Tenacious head too that sticks well to the glass. Perfect looking beer if you ask me. Aroma is all hops. It hits you right in the face. I like it. Citrusy with some pine notes. I notice also some grapefruits. Very inviting! Taste wise it is extremely good. This is very good for hot summer days and session beer. Bitter. Dry. Fruity. Refreshing. I like it. Citrus with some pine notes in the taste. It linger too in the mouth.

Overall, this beer drinks pretty easy. A very good beer and something I would buy quite often during summer days.

Thanks liamt07 for this... and I'm glad I have another one in the fridge.

Serving type: can

06-18-2011 13:40:46 | More by ZorPrime

Caudalie

Quebec (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a riedel magnum red wine glass, courtesy of wfeddern from CANbif

I'm pretty impressed overall, as this is neat, aromatic, highly drinkable and smooth, while I had no expectations at all. A really great hoppy Pale Ale, I'd drink this often if it was available nearby.

A: Nice copper color, with some lacing on tops.

S: Nice hops, but not ultra powerful neither. Nice.

T: this is really great, with an intense and really precise pink grapefruit flavor, but not a fake, artificial one. Tastes more like the real deal. The bitterness is present, balanced, and reminiscent once again of grapefruit. Nice lenght too...

O: A pretty smoth, soft pale ale. The kind of beer I'd drink everyday. Thank you!

Serving type: can

05-30-2012 22:32:08 | More by Caudalie

LadyOfMuchBeer

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appears a light copper, clear, approx. 1/2" of creamy white head. Very appetizing. Slow and steady carbonation.

Smells of grapefruit peel, hops, and a slight(very faint) ester-y/medicinal quality.

Tastes nice and hoppy on the front, strong acrid grapefruit, fruit esters are a tad present. Overall a nicely balanced tongue, with a not so harsh bitter on the back. Hops may have faded with time, have no clue how fresh this one is. It came in a trade from CANADA.

Mouth feel- Super creamy, delightfully so. It drinks like a hoppy cream ale. No stick to it at all, just cream.

Overall, a very session-able, delightful pale ale. They aren't way up in the air, but both thumbs are up on this one.

Serving type: can

02-10-2012 01:44:30 | More by LadyOfMuchBeer

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at Gigs in London. Pours a golden orange. Tastes of grapefruit with a very nice hop bite and good bitterness overall. A very nice surprise and its quite easy to drink. Loved the hop burps I got from this. This brewery is really making great strides for craft beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2012 00:45:16 | More by WeedKing4

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

473ml Can

Appearance - Mostly clear copper colour with a large size frothy and fizzy off white coloured head. There is an above average amount of carbonation showing and there is some really good lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, oranges/lemons

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste lots of malts and caramel. As well, there is a quite a bit of orange/lemon flavour and some piney hops. The beer finishes a malty and citrus aftertaste and some lingering hop bitterness.

Overall - It's not very often that I open a IPA/PA brewed in Ontario and am greeted by a wonderful hoppy/ciytus aroma. This has to be one of the best local beers I've had so far. It may be a touch too sweet but it's still very tasty and highly drinkable. I'll be buying a bunch of these to keep me going between beer runs to the states. Great effort Great Lakes!

Serving type: can

05-26-2011 17:57:11 | More by spinrsx

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

650mL bottle freshly imported from the MLCC. Poured well chilled (40F) into a fluted glass. No BB date.

A: When opened, the bottle starts foaming out the top before I can get a glass, so I taste it before I smell it... A touch paler than the amber I was expecting, but beautiful retention and lacing from a 1 cm tall fluffy white head.

S: Citrusy hops and a bit of pine are all over the nose. A little bit of earthiness plays through later. A wonderful nose that makes you want to drink more.

T/M: The body of the beer is thin and doesn't exhibit any substantial malt chararacter. Maybe a it of sweetness in there, but it gets hammered down by the strong bitterness that exudes in this beer. Quite bitter, and more so over time... Nice citrus / grapefruit hop aromas. I found the bitterness quite strong over time, much to my surprise.

D: For a beer I wasn't expecting much from (except perhaps a laugh at their version of "West Coast") this beer was excellent... The only things holding it back were a thin body and mouthfeel and a slightly too powerful and unbalanced bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 23:57:56 | More by kjyost

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

4.06/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a 1 1/2 inch thick head that is frothy and white. After 60-90 seconds it falls to a white film with climbing edges. Lacing is low. Beer colour is straw with hues of orange in it. Beer as a very low haze due to dry hopping.

S: Freshly cut wet grass, floral with hints of grapefruit. Some base malt aromas present.

T: hints of buttery bread, lots of wet grass with some grapefruit. Bitterness is right up there.

M: Silky smooth on the tongue, good carbonation, has a dry finish. low-medium body

O: This is a great Pale Ale. On style very much so.The smell and taste are very well within style and I believe this Pale Ale showcases well and is a standard to look to.

Serving type: can

01-16-2013 20:57:09 | More by Kremlock

paxkey

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

against my better judgement picked up the summer 2011 discovery pack at the lcbo.

this is my first sample. has a toque hanging off the 'k' in the beer name.

pours yellow and fizzy.

great hop aroma. piney zesty. smells very nice.
good head retention. aromas of kiwi passion fruit.

chewy mouthfeel with a little oiliness. lots of nice hop bitterness lingers on and on. makes the mouth pucker slightly. love it.

definitely going back for more of this tasty brew.

Serving type: can

08-19-2011 23:11:21 | More by paxkey

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Beautiful clear copper hue with a tall and puffy marshmallow-like foam head. Very good retention and lacing.

S: Wow- wasn't expecting this. Very fresh and buttery. Healthy amounts of pine, buttered bread, earthy fungus-like aroma, grapefruit, and nutty elements. Reminds me a lot of Heady Topper aroma-wise. Fantastic.

T: Similar to aromas, but taken down a notch. Piney hops, biscuit bread-like malt, probing citrus, and an element of musky earthy goodness. Quite tasty and certainly fresh tasting.

M: Medium body with a moderate carbonation. A commendable amount of oily character considering the ABV. Overall pleasingly bitter with a certain dryness.

D: Quite an impressive pale ale for Ontario that I could easily include in my go-to sessionable rotation. Fresh, buttery, and smooth. But seriously, this can is hideous.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 01:11:58 | More by Digimaika2

mrnobody

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

473 ml can poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a cloudy orange with 3 fingers of off-white head; good retention, leaves some nice lacing.

S: Big juicy hop smell: citrus, pine. Beautiful!

T: A little caramel malt upfront is pushed aside by pine and grapefruit. Has a nice lingering bitter finish.

M: Light-medium body with a suitable amount of fine carbonation.

D: Drinkability is very high; a fine APA.

First they fixed Devil's PA and now GLB has redone the mediocre Canuck PA. Two very fine beers from one of Ontario's most improved breweries!

Serving type: can

06-28-2011 02:04:30 | More by mrnobody

heebes

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

473 ml can. Freshness dating unreadable, but this is the redesign/re-release new fresh batch.

Pours a clear bright golden with a massive bone white head, lots of lacing on the glass. Nose is full of hoppy goodness, strong malt component with a touch of grain/grass. Taste is decent, bitter throughout and lots of bready malt to contend with. Still plenty of grassy flavour. Medium bodied mouthfeel, dry sensation. Overall an easy drinking pale from Ontario that boasts hop auromas with a clean crisp finish.

Serving type: can

05-25-2011 23:20:50 | More by heebes

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A new recipe and format requires an updated review. 473ml can from the Clarke & Dundas LCBO in London, ON. Thanks for the hook-up, Len!

Pours a clear golden amber hue with some chill haze, lots of bubbles in the body, one finger of frothy white head, and strands of lacing on the pint glass.

Smell is red and white grapefruit, pine sap, resinous hops, mild earthy-mineral character, balancing burnt caramel, bread dough, and toffee notes, faint citrusy orange peel, a little floral.

Taste is spicy-citric hops and orange peel upfront, malts counteract with bread and caramel flavours mid-palate, big piney, resinous, and bitter grapefruit pith to end.

Mouthfeel is lighter than medium bodied, spicy carbonation, juicy, resiny and acidic hop bite gives way to a slightly drying finish with a lasting bitterness on the palate.

Overall, this re-vamped Canuck is a simple, satisfying, and hop-forward APA that will undoubtedly find its way into my fridge throughout the summer. Great improvement over the previous, diacetyl-laden version. GLB continues to impress and it's quickly becoming one of the more notable and adventurous brewers in this province. Awesome work.

Serving type: can

05-26-2011 04:34:21 | More by cratez

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this in bottled form when it was last in the LCBO, and didn't love it. I have had it a few times on tap since then and found it much improved, so I have high hopes for the canned version.

Pours a clear amber-tinged yellow topped by a frothy head.

The aroma is very west coast pale ale, nice and citrusy and bright with piney resins, caramel and bread.

The taste is bready malts and mild bitterness, lightly citric, more orange pith than grapefruit, but the bitterness builds up and sticks around in the finish. If I had one complaint it might be that it's a titch too sweet and a tad not bitter enough, but considering the market it's in that will probably please more people than not. It's certainly pleasing enough for me to make this my go-to canned hop option this summer.

It's surprisingly full bodied with low carbonation.

As I understand it the bottled version couldn't be called Crazy Canuck because of some possible implied sports endorsement (google "the crazy canucks" if you have no idea what I am talking about) so the artwork had to be changed to Canuck Pale Ale. And now it shows up in cans as Crazy Canuck. Not too sure what that's all about.

Serving type: can

05-27-2011 02:14:31 | More by MeisterBurger

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep golden, light amber colour, 1.5 fingers of sticky head, nice lace. Smell is of citrus, grapefruit and orange, malt is there, nice hoppy aroma. Taste is dry and hoppy, citrus, pine and grapefruit, resiny hop but malt keeps this in check. Slick oily presence, medium weight, dry with medium to high carbonation. Really solid stuff, hoppy and refreshing. Good work.

Serving type: can

06-08-2011 02:11:20 | More by peensteen

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasting notes from 6/26/11. Poured in to pint glass.

A - Light to medium orange/amber colour with 2 fingers of thick, foamy white head that left good lacing.

S - Citrus and pine are abundant right away with a god overall bitterness. There is a slight sweetness in the background but the hops definitely dominate.

T - Bitterness with pine and citrus dominate the palate with a very slight caramel sweetness.

M - Light body with a bit of chew. Light to moderate carbonation.

Serving type: can

06-30-2011 02:27:56 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Yoonisaykul

Quebec (Canada)

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

Heard some people say this can made the beer look cheap. Looks awesome to me.

A little excited to try this. Hoping I won'tbe too disappointed.

A- Beautiful deep, dark gold. Yellow tint in the good amount of foam.

S- I think thissmells a little like McCoy, which I also had in the fridge and hesitated to drink instead. Lemony, grassy hops and a little bit of caramel.

T- Bitterness hits you from the start. Resiny, floral hops. You canreally taste the cone.Tiny bit of honey sweetness from the malt.

M- High carbonation. Quite crisp but can't say it's dry. Some hop oil slickness as well as astrigency I think. Good full body.

O- A solid beer. Nothing amazing but very hoppy and pretty well crafted. Don't go out of your way to find it but it is definitely worth buying. I can't get it here in Quebec but I think it would be a good choice if I ever had the chance to chill in Toronto. Canucks can be proud of this one.

Serving type: can

07-29-2011 16:46:29 | More by Yoonisaykul

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Much, much improved over the initial release!

Beautiful amber colour, invitingly hoppy aroma and decent level of carbonation. The flavour profile is incredibly extensive for 5.2%. A delightful and well balanced blend of sweet and bitter, with a multitude of hop flavours followed by a pleasantly lingering finish.

I'm impressed. Had trialed this beer during the Vancouver Olympics and it was not nearly as flavourful. Well done, Great Lakes!

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 23:35:31 | More by hopsolutely

Swedes21

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - beer pours a nice light coper colour, lots of carbonation and very lively head. the head is a nice white, about 2 fingers and some real good lacing occuring.

Smell - beer has a nice smell, light but hits the good areas. some pine with lemon, slight hint of citrus and very faint caramel.

Taste - found this to be surprising on its content. was a very good tasting beer, some good pine and sweetness, the lasting flavour is in the malts.

Mouthfeel - I found this beer didnt change much, there was a good level of carbonation added, but overall the same as taste.

Overall - I am not a big CAN beer fan, but this beer is so good. was one of the best ontario beers out there. really enjoyed it would make a tremendous session beer.

Serving type: can

06-01-2011 14:20:11 | More by Swedes21

Roke87

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 mL can, chilled and poured into a pilsner glass

Appearance- Pours a nice clear golden amber colour with two fingers of soapy white head, that dissipates to a nice tick ring with an equally nice bubbly top, leaving lots of beautiful spider web lacing throughout the glass till finish.

Smell- Right from when I started pouring it I got a nice smell of grapefruit, great citrusy hop aromas coming through, mixed with a bit of that resiny pine smell and a slight touch of malt as well, nice to see this typically American IPA aromas in a Canadian APA.

Taste- Just like the smell would indicate this beer comes through with a nice grapefruit taste right off the bat, with those great citrusy hops, a mild touch of that resiny pine taste, balanced nicely by a nice malt flavour in there as well. Not overly bitter as most American IPA’s can be, but well balanced and just right, although I do get a weird metallic taste in there every now and again?

Mouthfeel- Light to medium bodied with good carbonation that forms a nice bubbly top to this beer right till finish. Very smooth, crisp and easy drinking APA, a little lower ABV than I am used to but none the less it is quality on the mouth feel.

Overall- I was impressed right from the second I opened the can, it was a nice surprise to smell something so typical of a great American IPA from an Ontario craft brewer, you really don’t get this everyday here. The taste followed up very nicely compared to the great smells, although like I said I did get a slight hint of metallic metals in there; But other than that it was a very solid and good offering from a pretty solid brewery. Didn’t get a chance to try the previous version but I would pick this one up again.

Serving type: can

06-11-2011 04:37:27 | More by Roke87

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tallboy can from the OCB summer mix pack. Pours a pale, cloudy amber colour, atop which sits a finger of foamy, loose, off-white head. Decent retention - it lasts a few minutes before dissipating into a cap and some sticky lacing on the sides. Certainly looks tasty. I don't normally rant about beer odours (largely because I smoke a lot and don't trust my nose's opinions all that much), but this stuff smells fantastic. Hops are front and center and pretty intense, with a piney grapefruit citrus character. Some floral perfume notes; underlying this there is some malty brown sugar sweetness. Alright, I'm eager to try this stuff.

Much of the same strong notes found in the nose are also present on the tongue. Caramel malts and bready grains provide a foundation, but as with the smell the hoppy bitterness is what makes this beer interesting. Fresh, piney earthy hops with a strong astringent grapefruit quality. This astringency lingers for a few seconds after swallowing. Light to medium-light bodied, with moderate carbonation. Although the hops are the more dominant flavour, they're not overpowering so there's no reason this wouldn't make a great session ale.

So far this is the best brew in this year's mixer pack, with only two others left to go. I haven't seen this in my LCBO outside of this pack, but if I ever see singles or sixers this could easily become my go-to APA. Great stuff.

Serving type: can

08-11-2011 03:20:59 | More by thehyperduck

MattyV

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pleasant surprise seeing this on the shelves at my local LCBO. No freshness info on the can, but I don't think it's been sitting around very long at all.

Pours a crystal clear golden amber colour with a thin frothy white head. The aroma's dominated by dank, fruity, citrusy west coast hops with a hint of caramel. Right away I'm hit with a big dose of resiny piney bitterness that lingers throughout and combines perfectly with the hop flavours evident in the nose. There's also a slightly sweet bready malt presence in the background. Moderate to low carbonation, coming across a tiny bit watery.

I had pretty high expectations for this brew that were easily surpassed. I am definitely going to stock up on this while it's available. Provides a hop kick reminiscent of a west-coast IPA at a more sessionable ABV.

Serving type: can

05-25-2011 03:16:09 | More by MattyV

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes.

A - Poured a light gold with slight haze and heavy carbonation. Creamy white head, great lacing, one finger of retention.

S - Really citrussy. Some pine. Good. Not complex but I like it.

T - Piney. Fair amount of citrus. Candy. Some toasted malt. More pine than citrus.

M - Lot's of carbonation, medium body. Good bitterness. Not too strong for the bitterness but good.

O/D - A solid offering. I almost feel like I have to drink this on Canada Day. Tasty.

Serving type: can

05-31-2011 14:03:00 | More by tbeckett

sliverX

New York

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 16oz can to pint glass. Hazy light gold, tight short white cap that faded rocky down to a nice wispy topper.
Smell is a nice light citrusy hop punch.
Taste starts out with that citrus punch, backed with a caramel sweetness that ends bitter citrus/pine cross.
Mouthfeel light crisp, a bit too much carbonation but that can be fixed with a swirl.
Overall this is a fine APA/IPA fully enjoyed.
Thanks to Matt (korguy123) for the awesome CAN from CANada

Serving type: can

10-16-2011 07:18:35 | More by sliverX