Guest Video Review by Dave Coulter
Hey there, Great Lakes Brewing Company of Cleveland, Ohio! We need to have a talk. Now, I’ve been a fan of your beers for years, over a decade actually. And I have to say, I was so happy to get a bottle of Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster, which is the first Imperial IPA I’ve had from you guys. Thanks to our own Dave Coulter of Beer Sampling with Dave fame for that (see guest video review above)!
Now, you guys know your hoppy beers, as anybody that has enjoyed a Burning River Pale Ale or Commodore Perry IPA can attest. I have to say, though, that when I got my bottle of Lake Erie Monster, I was surprised to see the words “Please Enjoy By 8/20/14” on my bottle. After all, this beer was only brewed in May, and that’s a mere 90 days after bottling.
Folks, break out the pitchforks, because I’m drinking this beer on the 4th of November. Hey, I did my civic duty and voted today, and I deserve a treat. I safely ensconced my bottle away a few months ago in my beer fridge, where it’s been waiting for me ever since. And you know what? It’s just fine. Imperial aka double IPAs are stronger and hoppier than straight IPAs, and those beers were designed to survive the long ocean voyage from Burton to Bombay, unrefrigerated no less. Certainly a beer like Great Lakes lake Erie Monster can last longer than 90 days. I know mine did.
Great Lakes says this about the beer:
Name Origin: Lake Erie Monster stories are like fish stories. Drink a few of these handcrafted Imperial IPAs and you’re bound to start boasting and weaving wild tales of mythic proportions. Drink more and you might even have visions of South Bay Bessie, the freshwater cryptid for which our Lake Erie Monster is named, lifting her scaly head above the surface of Lake Erie. Or the Cuyahoga River. Or a kiddie pool. Actually, if you see Bessie in a kiddie pool, take it easy. You’ve probably had too many.
Ingredients from the website:
MALT Harrington 2-Row Base Malt, Caramel 30
HOPS Simcoe, Willamette
Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA has a formidable alcohol content of 9.1% by volume and 80 IBUs. It’s a seasonal offering sold in 4-packs.
Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA pours to a brilliant orange amber color with a fair sized head of tightly packed bubbles and a head more reminiscent of pineapple fruit than resin or citrus. Taking a sip, I get chewy caramel malt up front followed by pineapple fruit from the Simcoes, a distinct peppery quality and a long dry herbal grassy bitter finish (grassy from the Willamettes).
I found this beer to be very tasty and a little different from your average Imperial IPA. I am loving these long dry lingering herbal bitter hops not unlike Unterberg bitters. I heartily recommend this beer, and hey, don’t be afraid to hang onto some. It won’t turn into a pumpkin beer on midnight of the 90th day.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler