Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Double IPA

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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This Imperial IPA, is the emperor of IPAs if you ask me. The color is a cloudy golden yellow, with a long lasting head. The body is thick and covers the palate very well. The aroma and flavor is very very strong and very full of hops, fruit, and some citrus. And the alcohol really hits you, but you can’t tell from the amazing flavor. WOW!

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass. The bottle has a freshness date of 7/18/10. It also lists the abv at 9.1% and it has a very brief description of the beer. Appearance: The body has a very cloudy cooper colored body with a more orange like hue when head up to the light. It is also full of fine yeast sediment hanging in suspension. On top sits a light off white head that starts off a tall 3 and a half fingers and then slowly settles to a small cap of creamy foam. This cap lasted all the way down the glass and left lots of spotty lace and lace fingers which slowly slid down the glass. Smell: Its nose is full of sweet orange marmalade like notes, citrus (orange/grapefruit) hops, a light hint of musty hops as well as some light cereal and bready malt notes underneath. Taste/Palate: There is a big hit of citrusy orange zest and marmalade like sweetness with hints of grapefruit pith upfront. This sits on a sturdy backbone of bready malt and yeasty notes which rounds out the front and middle. On the back end the hop bitterness bits into the tongue in a good way. The citrus notes get more concentrated like orange oil and now there are some mild, spruce like piney hop notes mingling with mellow warmth from the 9.1% abv. It’s full bodied, well carbonated and still nice and smooth. Notes: The flavor is outstanding and nicely balanced with may disappoint hard core hop heads. For me there is just enough hop bitterness to make me happy. This is also one of the easiest to drink beers around the 9% range. Overall I feel this is an exceptional IIPA!!!

Bottle pours orange/copper with a small head. The beer is cloudy with visible particles. The aroma is of strong hops with a hint of malt sweetness. The taste is smooth and very hoppy with citrus notes and a touch of sweetness at the start. The finish is dry and beautifully long, hop bitterness lingering. Perhaps the finest beer I have had. Too bad it has sold out! Please make this a regular GLBC!

I had this at the Great Lakes Tasting in Fairfield, OH at Jungle Jims International Market. I want to compare this to the Burning River, but its double that. Piney, and citrusy, with a candi like sweetness. Amazing hoppy aroma, just screaming at you to tell you what the flavor coming up will be like. No failing, it is very hoppy, lingering long after you’ve swallowed. Strong malts, and almost silky smooth.I Would love to have this again, unfortunately, it is not bottled, and only available at the brewery. Highly recommended.

Bonus bottle thanks to Punkrkr27...Pours orange with a fluffy white head...Aroma is sweet citrus hops, almost like fresh oranges...Flavor is oranges and grapefruits with a slighty sweet but very long lingering bitterness...Great IPA.

12 ounce bottle into tulip, best by 08/08/11. Pours slightly hazy amber color with a huge 3 finger off white head with fantastic retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Some decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of tons of mango and pineapple; with a bit of grapefruit and caramel. Love the aromas, probably the most mango I have ever smelled in a beer yet. Taste of a lot of pineapple, grapefruit, pine, and a bit of caramel. Fairly strong bitterness on the finish that lingers with pineapple and citrus flavors. Incredibly smooth drinkability for over 9% ABV, and great balance of bitterness and sweetness. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Overall an incredible Double IPA, this is the best beer I have ever had from Great Lakes so far.

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood.

Bought from the GLBC gift shop... by the end of this review, I’ll see if I should be cursing their 6 per person per day limit. Starts with an aroma of pine and grapefruit, with a little tannin note to it. Pours a slightly hazy reddish amber, with almost no head, leaving decent lacing down the side of the glass. It has the lovely oily palate of hops, with a flavor that begins on sweet notes, that quickly turn to citrus and bitterness, with a nice long finish. The alcohol is a bit noticeable in the back of the throat, but overall a great DIPA, and one that I’m glad I bought. And as for the 6 per person per day rule, if it let me get this, it’s good... if it kept some of my coworkers from getting it, I can still live with it.

#100! On tap at the brewery pours a hazy orange color. Smells like a subtle pine tree blowing in the wind in spring time releasing its oils. Has a nice white head that pillows away like clouds. Has some lacing on the glass. Tastes like grapefruit, pine, caramel, and some other sublte complex citrus flavors. Has no alcohol smell or taste and can sneak up on you at 9%. Has a very sweet caramel malt taste as you drink it. I’m pleased to make this #100.

Awesome double IPA on draft at Union Jack’s. This had a beautiful and delicious citrus flavor. The body was really bitter and spicy, just the way a great IPA should be. The off-white head left some nice lacing around the edges of the glass. I got a little bit of fruitiness toward the finish.