Beer: Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale
Brewery Location: Cleveland, OH
Beer Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6%
Great Lakes is another one of my top breweries out there, but unfortunately we can't get any here in Indiana unless you live in South Bend. I've heard some stories on why we don't get Great Lakes beers in Indianapolis anymore, but I don't put much stock in them. Great Lakes brewing was the first micro-brewery in Ohio back in 1988. I've been drinking Great Lakes since my very first trip to Jungle Jim's down in Cincinnati several years back. This beer I am reviewing along with their Dortmunder Gold would have permanent places in my fridge if I could buy them locally. This beer is available in every state that touches us and as far north as Wisconsin and as far east at West Virginia. With gas prices at four dollars a gallon though, it is much easier and cheaper for me to trade for them with people from Ohio. I received this beer along with several other Great Lakes offerings in a recent trade.
This beer is named after the 1969 burning of the Cuyahoga River that helped to spark environmental change.
This beer pours a slightly hazed orange color with a decent cap of bright white head on it. The scent is really nice for an APA. Loads of fresh citrus, floral notes, and sweet malt in the nose. It is assertive, but it also doesn't cross the lines into other bigger beers like an IPA, and I think it is really nice and refreshing. The flavor profile is a good balance of bitter hops and sweet malt. I get more citrus than pine in the flavor profile that is balanced quite well with the almost bready malt. The mouthfeel is very smooth with maybe slightly above medium carbonation. The drinkability is really nice, and as I said before I would give this beer a permanent home in my fridge if it were available locally.
Obviously you can tell this is one of my favorite APA's. Alpha King is my favorite APA, but Alpha King is classified as an APA, but to me it is more like an IPA. It isn't going to blow your socks off compared to bigger beers, but in terms of style guidelines and how refreshing this beer is makes it a keeper to me. This is one of my go-to beers during the summer months, and when I think of a "lawnmower beer" this beer is my favorite. If it were possible I would really love to see Great Lakes come back Indianapolis.
Cheers!
Matt
5 comments:
I second your request for Great Lakes to come back here. Distributors, are you listening?
I agree with you about Alpha King being more of an IPA.
Tasty, tasty beer though!
One of my high school buddies was a brewer at Great Lakes when they pulled out of Indiana. As I recall, at that time they were just planning to focus a little closer to home and then expand back out. Now I kind of feel like central Indiana is getting torched here for some reason as it is all over except here..
Anyway, I totally agree that this beer (and brewer) is phenomenal. I just had some of the Dortmunder Gold last week for the first time in Cincy and was blown away. I had always kind of shied away from it thinking it would be a waste of time and was unprepared ofr how disappointed it left me that I couldn't easily stock my fridge with it. Anyway, back on point.. yes the Burning River is also really good!
I hope they will come back to town. Just a really good value on their beer as well. Good beer at a good value makes a winner in my book.
Good Job! :)
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