Great Lakes Nosferatu

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

12 oz bottle from Bello Vino in Ann Arbor, MI. Clear dark copper-bronze, moderate glossy off-white head, lasting...lots of woody/herbal character in the nose, caramel and vanilla...luscious fruits hit the tongue, strawberries and citrus, in the center it verges on I-swear-to-God my favorite pie raisin cream and then it descends into a rough earthy bitterness, dried grapefruit with the sugar removed...beautiful mouthfeel...nice, very very nice.

Bottle. Courtesy of JCW via trade. Ruddy amber with a medium off-white head. Nose is hoppy and citrusy (orange peel). Light earthiness and perhaps a hint of pine as well. Light caramel as well. Taste is very hoppy with lighter sweet malts. Light toastiness and more earthy notes. Body is medium with moderate carbonation. Lots of hop bitterness and oily in spots. Finishes with a bit more caramel and toasted malts coming through. Citrusy hops and more light earthiness. Perhaps a hint of pumpernickel bread as well. Very nice!

Poured with a gorgeous medium amber body. The head is lightly yellowish tan. The aroma is rich with caramel, grapefruit and some fresh sourdough bread. This makes me think of a hop monster. The taste is a little caramel and a little pine. There is also some light bread crust. Bitter finish that sticks around. The body is slick for such a big beer. This could use a little more malt to balance it out. Recieved this as a bonus in a trade with OhioDad.

Sparkling orange, thick light tan head (great lacing). Nose was a very nice blend of florals, caramel coated biscuits, roasted toffee brittle, and lighter citrus tones. Flavor was well hopped with florals and citrus up front, yet counter-balanced nicely with lightly toasted caramel and chocolate malt notes. Medium bodied, prickly carbonation, bittersweet finish. A nice sippin brew for a cool crisp Autumn night...

a copper reddish brown with a nice light beige head. I smell dark fruit like raisin and some citrus. Also has a sweet malty scent. Th first sip is like a strong prune-rasin taste that balances out with malt.. but finishes very hoppy and bitter. Lots of flavor in this brew. There is also a LOT of bitter grapefruit & burnt chocolate in the aftertaste. Maybe too much. This is very interesting. You have to take a small sip at a time. This is not light at all. You can only drink a couple at a time. But it certainly can’t be called boring ..

Pours a hazy light orange with lots of bubbles and scant amount of white head. Aroma is very citrusy, especially oranges and pineapples, even some grapefruit. Flavor is very very hoppy and bitter, as well as sour and grapefruitish. Flavor then mellows and has more balance and smooth sweetness as it finishes. Overall, a little too harsh for my palate.

On tap at Benno’s! Deep copper pour with a very short whitish head. Sweet berries, alcohol, and strong doses of Pac NW hops provided a very nice bouquet for the nose. Pears, grapefruit, and apples hit the tastebuds and were backed by some significant sweet caramellage. The hops had a very strong presence in this one. Very well-made brew that hid its alcohol well.

Tap at Nessun Dorma. Pours to a nice amber body with a thick creamy white head that’s merengue-like. Nice lacing. The aroma is nice and dry-hopped. Citrus, caramel, the flavor is really hoppy. Quite bitter. Must be 100 IBU? Can cut through any food. So much hop oils. Really friggen bitter.