Great Lakes Brewing Orange Peel Ale

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing (Ontario)
Style: Fruit Beer
Etobicoke, Canada

Serve in Flute

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650 ml bottle: Looked like a golden ale with just a touch of orange food colouring. Given the name, I expected it to reek of oranges, however, the smell was of hops and sweet malts. Flavourful on the palate, some unidentified spiciness. The finish finally reveals a little hint of orange zest. There is quite a buzz around this beer in the Ontario Craft Community and I must admit, I was dissapointed.

650 ml bomber. Pale amber/golden beer with a thick white head. Rich sweet malty aroma, a bit of orange marmalade character as well, but doesn’t really come across as a flavoured ale. Good fresh flavour, lightly nutty toasted malts followed by a solid dose of earthy/spicy UK hops. Moderate bitterenss. As it warms more orange and spice come to the front of the palate. The orange flavour isn’t sweet, but rather bitter and fairly complex. Good balance and a beer that I enjoyed much more than I thought I would from the name.

Bottle. Deep orange appearance. Orange is vaguely present in both the aroma and flavour, but works in a subtle way to offer lively refreshment without bogging down the palate in cloying sweetness. Beyond orange, you get notes of malt, nutmeg/spice, a slight floral quality, and a good wooden bitterness on the finish. A restrained, artful fruit beer that utilizes the fruit to accent rather than overwhelm. However, still a little overpriced ($4.95 CDN/650 mL) considering the final product.

Bottle (650ml). Clear gold with an amber tinge, large lasting white foamy-creamy lasting head (3+). Pretty standard generic grain malt aroma, some clover and citrus peel sharpness - clean (no corn) but nothing special. Mild grainy aroma, again I get heather, and maybe some orange pekoe herbal bitterness, but nothing out of the ordinary here, maybe a slight hint of citrus/orange in the linger. Average to watery body, nicely carbonated, good soft almost ESB astringency, no aftertaste. Went down nicely after a long skate, but I see no reason to drink it again.

Ugh, glack! I can’t believe I drank this thing... Hints of orange peel on the nose and tongue. But that’s it, a very slight bit. The rest of it is your generic lager. It tastes just like a macro, but with a bitter front which makes this even worse to drink.

Tap a C’est What
Gold amber, medium creamy head, some carbonation noticed.
Medium sweet, fruity, light hints of citrus fruit with hops placed at the back.
Clean, medium bodied citric-hop in character. This ale left neat soft smooth finish. Gentle, clean ale with sparkle in curiosity. Different but in good way. Good brew.

650ml bottle. Amber color with an off white head. Sweet malt aroma with notes of orange and caramel . Subtle orange flavor is overtaken by sweet maltiness and spicy hops, decent bitter finish. Medium bodied, fairly smooth and well carbonated. Definitely expected more orange, but overall a decent beer, although its kind of overpriced.

UPDATED: MAY 15, 2007 A silk screened bottle wrapped in an orange foil cap. This beer pours deep amber, leading to a decelt frothy white cap, The lacing is steady, and nice looking. The aroma is subtle orange peel, caramel, lemon zest, wheat, some burnt malts. Pretty sweet, yet enjoyable while sitting on my patio in summer heat. Very citric and acidic, some wheat, bread crust, rye bread, suragy koolaid. Pretty refreshing. The hops are here and so are the malts. Finishes bitterly with hops, citrus, and semi sweet from sugary malts.Very good. This is a good effort from this brewer, but from thier scores, it seems Ontario raters are not behind. Shame on you.

Bomber from the LCBO, shared with Phil, served cold in a tulip glass. MA11/07.

App.: Deep golden, clear, medium-full, off-white head, some lacing. Aroma: Sweet caramel/toffee malts, some citrus notes – like C-hops minus the bite; light peach/apricot fruitiness, light butterscotch. Palate: Medium body, somewhat silky smooth, medium carbonation. Flav.: An assault of orange hard candy with other citrus notes – maybe some lime and grapefruit; malt is slightly biscuity but very much in the background; dry, mild bitterness; finishes with cereal and the nasty orange flavour hangs around.

No way. If I want orange flavour, I’ll add a slice to my wheat beer.

Not a bad beer at all. Was expecting something fruity but this one is not too pronounce.