Great Northern Brewery and Restaurant Reviews

ClarkVV	2.4 Great Northern Saison GABF ’05. Really was hoping to get to this brewpub, but it dosent look like that’s going to happen now, so here goes… Initially somewhat hazy, the brass-lemon yellow beer settles out to a higher clarity, with a slight glassiness to it. Head is white, foamy and small, leaving pinches of lace here and there, but not showing the best of retention. Simple nose, that has been done before and will be done again. Mainly a combination of banana esters and dry wheat giving a lightly sweet, somewhat creamy smoothness to the aroma. Herbs/spices dance in the background somewhat aggressively (coriander, white pepper, ginger) and sandwiched in the middle is some fluffy pils malt doughiness. Wheat builds up on the nose, drying/dulling things and there must be some dullness from the herbs and yeast. Lots of mineral-like paperiness and a fair astringency on the end as well. No alcohol noted, not overly clean, though with the herbs and spices muddling the beer, you can’t be too sure what all is going on. Vanilla-dipped bananas open up the hefeweizen-like flavor, as a rather bland, minimal, under-extracted malt adds some watery grain notes. Sweet ginger and spicy coriander attack the palate on the finish and then the beer is done before you even knew what hit you. Slight wheat sourness and herb/spice astringency linger on. Carbonation is moderate, but rather loose, while the beer has a watery texture. They certainly didnt care to highlight the malts in this beer, which is a shame. And the yeast is outdone, vastly, by the spicing. Tuesday, September 26, 2006
DJMonarch	3.4 Great Northern Red Ale Barrel Draught from the jug at the GABF, Colorado Convention Center 29/09/2005 Golden coloured and hoppy. Crisp on the palate. Some dryness and bitterness in a lasting finish. Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Rastacouere	2.8 Great Northern Saison Fading white cover mounts a clear gold hue. Fairly subtle aromas focus on added spices and esters, though taking little turnabouts to hints at ryeish malt and floral hallertauer. Quickly, banana and mango become the center of attention, an ephemeral situation once the ginger and coriander kick in and dominate until the finish. Not the most originally spiced saison obviously, intimately American, though with detours (like a solvent note I don’t know what to think about and an out of place woodiness). Vague effervescence, unfocused and leaving a stale airy palate. Anyway, a saison from North Dakota, you couldn’t expect a new Dupont, eh? beat that! Tuesday, October 25, 2005
KAggie97	3.7 Great Northern California Pale Ale GABF 05. Pours a solid yellow with a nice head. Aroma is hoppy with notes of grapefruit. Flavor is a great balance of floral tones and sourness. Palate is slick. Good beer. Sunday, October 23, 2005
KAggie97	3.5 Great Northern Hefeweizen GABF 05. Pours a beautiful cloudy orange with a strong aroma of bubblegum, clove, and banana. Flavor is more of the same. Great hefe. Sunday, October 23, 2005
KAggie97	3.1 Great Northern Saison GABF 05. Pours a solid gold with an earthy aroma. Flavor is too apprehensive, with faint earth tones and subdued sweetness. Palate is a bit on the watery side. This could be a great saison with some tweaking (read: increasing) of the ingredients. Sunday, October 23, 2005
Oakes	3 Great Northern California Pale Ale Light amber colour. The aroma is mainly hop - floral with tropical fruit overtones. Fairly deep bitterness with refreshing citrus and passion fruit hop elements. There is a slight woody astringency and possible oxidation to mess things up a bit, but otherwise a solid apa. Tuesday, October 11, 2005
BBB63	2.6 Great Northern Rye Beer GABF 2005: Not too many notes about this one...hazed golden hue and very good lacing...fruity and a bit hoppy on the nose with some rye character...taste was very average at best, hoppy and bready, no depth...okay, drinkable. (Holy cow, willblake’s numbers are the same as mine, guess I was spot on about the brew) Sunday, October 9, 2005
BBB63	3.2 Great Northern Saison GABF 2005: Golden hue with a small head. The nose displays a floral and heathery character with some cardamom, sage and clove. Banana and earthy esters as well. The taste starts twangy (perhaps some brett?) and lemony with flowery and bready undertones. A bit spicy, peppery, and touch bitter on the finish. Lively and crisp on the palate, refreshing as per the style. I liked it, not too bad for my first North Dakota offering. Sunday, October 9, 2005
willblake	2.6 Great Northern Rye Beer 09.29.05 GABF Coudy golden, big sticky head. Odd aromas of bananas, hefe, and grass. There must be a bunch of wheat in this rye brew. Yeasty and doughy. I’d like it to be much drier and have a stronger rye presence. Friday, October 7, 2005
Ernest	2.8 Great Northern Saison GABF 2005. Body is hazy medium yellow. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain), with notes of banana and clove. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. Well, it’s an ok Belgian blonde ale...saison?...um... Thursday, October 6, 2005
Aubrey	2.9 Great Northern Saison Slight haze with a yellow-orange hue. Moderate carbonation with a soft base. Sweet malts, perhaps too sweet. A little funk, but not enough. Nice addition of coriander. OK level of bitterness. Odd, unfitting pine note. Nice citrus -- orange and lemon. Bit of pepper, too. OK, but definitely restrained. Wednesday, October 5, 2005
Aubrey	3 Great Northern California Pale Ale Clear and light golden. Smooth texture; lightish and clean. Nice aromas of pine, flowers and citrus. Mild but balancing bitterness. Very drinkable, but not too exciting. Wednesday, October 5, 2005
Crash	3.2 Great Northern Hefeweizen GABF 2005: The aroma was stronger than any other Hefeweizen I have had. The taste was a bit sweeter than most Hefeweizens that I have had. Wednesday, October 5, 2005
whaleman	3.1 Great Northern Rye Beer GABF 2005. Cloudy, toasted straw color with a fading, slightly oily, sudsy off-white head. Good spicy rye and hop notes and an odd phenolic clove and electrical fire quality in the aroma and flavor. Medium tart acidity and medium bitterness. So-so as far as rye beers go. Tuesday, October 4, 2005
3fourths	3 Great Northern Saison Clear rich yellow colored body with a white head. Spicy bananas and marachino cherries mixed with a pleasent farmhouse spicy wheat scent. Burlap and hay... mmmm. Very nice, sweet I would say. A bit mild in the flavor, wet and sloppy palate that is a letdown compared to the aroma. Watery thin texture, bland and mildly fruity, candy-like even. Tuesday, October 4, 2005
Murphy	3.2 Great Northern Saison GABF 2005. Thin head, clear golden with slow bubbles. Aroma is corriander, bubblegum and candy. Mossy, earthy taste. Minerals. Light hopping with some lemon. Smooth, clean, but underwhelming. Monday, October 3, 2005
argo0	2.6 Great Northern California Pale Ale (GABF05) Crystal clear straw body with white head. Aroma is medium sweet, floral, light grapefruit. Taste is medium sweet, some grapefruit, light caramel. Light body with some crispness. Monday, October 3, 2005
MIBRomeo	3.4 Great Northern California Pale Ale Golden color w/ a nice white head well laced. Amarillow hop smell w/ a nice carmel offset and hitns of orange peel. Palate is thin but ok coating. Flavor is a grassy piney lingering bitterness w/ some carmel. a nice APA. Monday, October 3, 2005
mta701	2.6 Great Northern Festival Vienna Reminds me of something by Heineken, with a more pungent aroma. Don’t let that fool you though, this beer is good for the price, and well worth it. Tuesday, July 5, 2005
mta701	3.4 Great Northern California Pale Ale Very solid pale ale. Good flavor, aroma. Excellent to use with cooking, and drinking. Tuesday, July 5, 2005
mta701	3.6 Great Northern Red Ale Great red, in the vein of Killian’s, but with much more flavor/palate. Excellent with a good steak. Tuesday, July 5, 2005
Pigfoot	3.5 Great Northern Red Ale Clear and amber-colored, with full froth atop, very presentable. Nose is soft and yeasty, lightly hoppy, some citrus, lemon and orange, apples, bright and inviting. Taste: coppery feel at first, light, and easily consumed. High, high drinkability, if light in texture and feel. Light, but appreciable hops, crisp taste, drinks down like a dream. Very close to an ESB, less like an amber, though they call it a "red" so I’ll leave it at that. In their words,"a red ale in the style of British "Nothern Style Brown Ale"...I’m confused..."although," says the brewer, "I toned down the bitterness some and added a little East Kent Goling aroma hop." Hmmm....malt is big and in charge, but the hops are no slackers, either. Very nice session ale, this one works, yes, it does. Sunday, January 2, 2005
Pigfoot	3.4 Great Northern Festival Vienna Clear, amber-hued appearance, fine, fizzling froth. Nose is herbal/vegetal, malty-sweet, light caramel tones. Mmmm, sweetness in the taste, big malt, big caramel/toffee notes, big flavor, very tasty, and it dries rather neatly on the palate before departing. An Oktoberfest, with a slightly different name to cover up for it not being anywhere near October anymore. Very easy and smooth, with the malty-sweet flavor never ending, and never getting too large either...you can toss these down with affable aplomb, to be sure. I must be careful not to empty the whole growler at once, which is surely a challenge. Thursday, December 30, 2004
Pigfoot	3.6 Great Northern California Pale Ale Appearance: lightly hazy, peachy golden hue, capped with a nice layer of creamy foam. Aroma: oily and citric, on the quiet side, but still hoppy and fruity, getting better and bigger with time, actually, showing more of the grapefruit esters, some orange and lemon, a touch of pine...I like it! Taste: zippy and tangy, fresh and fruity, with a thinnish body, and bashful finish. Hops lay on the palate for a decent length, and tingle the tongue with each new sip. A bit mild, but it has it’s merits. Were I a Fargo-ite, this would do very nicely. According to the brewer, this is made with American two row and crystal malts, and hopped with Cluster, Amarillo, Centennial, and Cascade. Very clean and smooth-drinking, and not lacking in taste. Not full enough in flavor to really please a hop-head like me, but this ale fails in that in order to favor appeasability, and I can’t quarrel with that. Thursday, December 30, 2004