Great Lakes Imperial Dortmunder - 20th Anniversary Beer

Formerly brewed at Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Serve in Lager glass

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Quite a massive pils malt aroma for a lager with explosive bread in the nose, stuffy dough. Frankly, it does not promise to be too complex from the nose, but the aromas which are there are well presented, including a gentle grassiness from beautiful noble hops. In mouth though, you must be into sugariness to enjoy this as honeyed bread syrup dominates the portrait. It is very sweet, but thankfully fresh enough to remain drinkable. On the other hand, the fair alcohol presence detracts and you quickly wonder what’s the purpose for that beer which is more or less like drinking 3 diet cokes because they contain 1/3 the calories.

Pours golden with a fizzy white head. Heavy carbonation. Aroma is of cheap malt, spice, grain, and grass. Taste is really weak malt, spice, citrus, grain, and slight hops. Tastes earthy in a very bad way. Alcohol presence is not noticable. Not a good beer by any means.

12 oz draft courtesy of Cardinal Liquors Singles Cooler (Frankfort, IL). Pours a really lightly hazed golden hue with a touch of orange and a moderate whit bubbly head that dissipates down to a small layer. Aromas are largely pilsner malt, a touch of funk and stink mixed with light European bittering hops and a nice graininess. Mediocre. Lacking hoppy presence. Initial is a touch strong on the alcohol, bitter up front with some pilsner malt action and alcohol. Finishes grainy and malty, with a subtle sweetness that smooths out the initial bitter that wasn’t very pleasant. Ehhh. Not a good tribute to 20 years.

Clear golden pour with a creamy white head. Malt, some floral/citrus hop, bready aroma. Flavor is similar, dominated by a bready malt. The hops really seem to have a tough time coming through. A fair amount of carbonation bordering on creamy. Finish pretty clean/dry. This is drinkable, but I think the regular dortmunder is better.

<b>Bottle 12fl.oz.</b>
Clear medium orange color with a average to large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, bread, toasted, light to moderate hoppy, orange, citrus. Flavor is moderate to light heavy sweet and bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20081004]

<i>12oz bottle:</i> Solid gold pour with a solid cap of white foam. Strong aroma of dough, caramel corn and ether. More defined malts in the body - almost rye like with notes of baked bread, toffee. Hoppiness comes forth to balance the sweetness. Finishes surprisingly dry for such a malty beer.

Way too lagery. Flavor of the lager yeast was too prevalent. Hop flavor was underplayed, malt sweetness overwhelmed the beer.Not too impressed overall.

UPDATED: JAN 29, 2009 Way too lagery. Flavor of the lager yeast was too prevalent. Hop flavor was underplayed, malt sweetness overwhelmed the beer.Not too impressed overall.

Bottle at home thanks to jsquire for this one ... crisp bright amber ... sweet grassy floral hop nose ... again sweet little caramel ... some candy suger ....fruity ... almost syrupy mouthfeel ... medium body medium carbonation.

Bottle courtesy of my brother. Clear, deep amber/gold body under a smallish off white head. Spicy and floral character over a honey like base aroma. Smooth and creamy, a little thick feeling, but medium body. Fairly sweet caramel flavors take charge and do not let go, even as a spicy bitterness attempts to come through. I liked it, although it suffers the fate of many quality lagers that attempt to go to the level of "Imperial" status. They become to malt heavy and sweet. GL Dortmunder is a classic, this one more commonplace.