Great Lakes Nosferatu

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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A handsome looking beer with a brilliant copper color and a tall foamy cap. The head is dense and lingers a long while leaving spotty lacing in it’s wake. On the nose I get a hoppy upfont bouquet with piney and earth tones followed by a malt nose of sweet caramel malts, a little fruity too. Palette is as the nose: a good dose of hops upfont similar to the nose and equal amounts of maltiness with a hint of fruits in the finish. A well balanced ale. The feel is medium with a dry bitter finish. A good beer be it a red or old, one that I’m sure I’ll be drinking again.

Clear golden color with not much of a head or lacing. Aroma is of yeast, pine, grass and alcohol heat. Taste is of biscuit, resin pine, and floral hops. Unfortunately you get a strong alcohol burn on the palate that lingers. Overall this is a descent DIIPA, but there are much better.

Serving: 12 oz. bottle via trade. It pours a deep copper color with a large, dense head of off white foam. The nose is a mix of dark caramel and deep piney hops. Nice! The flavor has a pretty aggressive pine hop bitterness, but there is some malt balance. Solid bread and light caramel notes help even things out. Medium to full body with softer than average carbonation leading to a medium to long, bitter yet bready finish. Nice brew!

Pours a dark amber color, with a small off white head. Smell of big caramel malt, juicy citrus hops, and hints of sweet Ripe fruits. The flavor is fairly sweet as well, caramel malt, and wood notes, as well as some piney hops in the finish. The hop bitterness really shows up in the aftertaste, and stays awhile in the mouth. Good beer that I don’t buy often enough.

Bottle. 12 oz. Pours a slightly blood amber color. Minimal tan head. Aroma of almonds, dry hops, grapefruit, and honey. Medium bodied with a slightly bitter palate. Finishes with a smooth, dry, and sweet flavor. Little better then Average.

Originally reviewed: 12/11/08. I tell you what, this right here is my favorite offering from Great Lakes. Wonderful brew. Pours a deep amber color with a large frothy tan head. This disappears for the most part but leaves plenty of sticky lacing/webbing. Beautiful. Smells of citrusy hops, some slight alcohol and fruit. Great tasting beer! I’m getting some apple, pear, alcohol, all sweetened just right and then capped off with a huge hop backing! Freaking great. Nice crisp mouthfeel that doesn’t bite back, mellowed alcohol presence that is barely detectable, makes this plenty drinkable.

From notes. First reviewed 9/13/2011. Served from a 12 oz. bottle into a tasting glass. 2010 and 2011 tasted side by side. Review is from 2011 version. Thanks to readbaron for bringing the 2010 and bauermj for the 2011. Nosferatu pours a translucent copper color with a light cherry tint. A very creamy cap rests gently on top with enough stubbornness to stick around for the whole glass. Lots of sweet caramel malt in the forefront, with a light spiciness and a generous dose of hops. Grapefruit, orange, and a bit of pine are noticeable. The flavor starts with a full caramel malt sweetness that persists throughout each sip. The flavor turns to grapefruit, orange, and apricot hops, with some spicy fine bitterness to close out the sip. As they normally do, Great Lakes produces a beer with a great mouthfeel. It never feels overly light or heavy, and the creamy carbonation matches very well with the flavor. The beginning of the sip is sweet and sticky, and the end leaves a resiny prickle on the tongue. This is a beer that I had been anticipating for a while, and now I feel a little bit let down. Compared to the bottle from 2011, the 2010 bottle is significantly different. Nearly no hop presence, with a cloudy color and an increased sweetness. This bottle did not blow me away either, however.

Clear amber red. Like diluted blood with a thin film of head atop. Nose is sweet, fruity red wine with a ton of american hops. Lots of grapefruity citric aroma. The taste is very similar. Lots of fruits, such as grapes, cherries, rasberries, and of course the whole host of citric fruits associated with the hops. Huge spicy herbal bitterness in finish, along with a strong mineral flavor.

a: very dark amber color with very little head and no carbonation s: pine and grapfruit, malt, caramel t: sweet malts followed by a strong punch of hops and citrus m&d: full body, the hops do come through strongly on this brew

Dark lightly hazy ruby pour, beige head. Very earthy aroma, earthy hops, caramel malts, light nuts, and some roast. Good body, a little low on the carb. The finish is quite hoppy, even a little piney, and a touch soapy. Medium bitterness, and light alcohol.