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| IAN'S GREAT LAKES BREWING COMPANY REVIEW |
If you read Tim's editorial, it shows how our method of thinking at Dunkles & Jaffa Cakes has changed over just a few weeks. It began with three
blokes who all enjoyed writing about things we felt passionate about, and with the three of us having distinct differences in our beer preferences,
we saw a way of communicating with the outside world in a (hopefully) entertaining style which reflected those differences.
Some may say we're just bullshitting, but when I observed the three of us busily scribbling down notes in our Daytimers at the Great Lakes
Brewing Co. brewpub, I realised that we'd become serious in our passion. I mean, this wasn't a trio of academic wallies wearing berets at a cafe
on the left-bank of Paris; it was just three blokes who underwent a revelation in Cleveland, Ohio. Tim, in particular, was deep in thought for long
periods, which exemplified the philosophical approach we were now taking, while Pat, in a spiritual moment at the brewpub, came up with the
brilliant A Quest for Taste.
Furthermore, a line from a Unibroue (classic Quebec brewery) advertisment became our mantra -- Drink less, Drink better.
We are not Ohio's answer to Michael Jackson -- we don't have "Professional Drinker" written in our passports (I wouldn't say no to it though !),
but with all the humour, we treat our roadtrips and "Committee Meetings" with the upmost seriousness. The difference between us and Michael
Jackson being, if we think a beer is great, we'll say it's GREAT; if we think it's shite, we'll say it's SHITE !
And all this from a trip to Cleveland ! If we ever make a Dunkles & Jaffa Cakes trip to California or New York, we'll be asking for bloody
Knighthoods !
But, the trip -- Tim's superb, highly descriptive review of our weekend in Cleveland doesn't require me to reinvent the wheel, so I'm going to cut
straight to the ales instead.
If you're sitting comfortably, I'll begin.
1) Moondog Ale 5% -- At the very outset, this is the creme de la creme of Great Lakes brews; the Royal Doulton of ales; the Rolex of
English-style Bitters. If a Geiko caveman tasted it, he'd be saying "I am, I think I am..." At 5% ABV, Moondog Ale is more like what British brewers
call an Extra Bitter. Nevertheless, for our tasting pleasure, what we have here is a deep bronze ale, with a spicy, peppery character and grassy,
fruity, rich hop flavours. Quite simply, an American meritorious classic; possibly the finest American ale I've ever tasted. Why the GLBC have
relegated this peach of an ale to merely an on tap seasonal, completely baffles me. And before anyone asks, Yes -- I have the t-shirt ! A
no-brainer 11/10.
2) Independence Ale 6% -- Named after yet another example of a "strategic British withdrawal", the Independence Ale is a red ale with a crisp,
powerful hop character. It features minimal sweetness, with a noticeable bitter finish. We all thought this was an extremely "moorish" ale. Not
hoppy enough to wear an IPA label; rather a big brother to the Burning River Pale Ale. A huge seller at the brewpub, we were just lucky enough
to arrive on the weekend this ale was on tap. An independent 9/10.
3) The Lorelei 5.1% -- Based on the German Dunkelweizen, this ghastly dark offering was wheaty, tangy and malty. Dark amber/brown in
colour, it left the tastebuds with a sickly sweet sensation that the darker Belgian Trappist ales are renowned for. Good job it's a seasonal on tap
only. Liquid Plumber for the masses. 0/10.
4) Dortmunder Gold 5.8% -- A gold-medal winner at 11 of the last 14 World Beer Championships (with a silver medal thrown in as well), this
golden Dortmunder-style beer starts off with a gorgeous fruity, flowery aroma. The flavour gives a perfect balance between the sweet malts and
the dry hops, with a mild hoppy finish and a clean refreshing aftertaste. Clearly a superb flagship American pilsner -- Budvar and Pilsner Urquell
would be proud ! 11/10.
By the way, did you know that the Dortmunder style takes its name from 19th century Dortmund, when seven breweries within the city were
brewing the same style of ale ? As Michael Caine would say "Not a lot of people know that !".
5) Oktoberfest 6.5% -- A silver-medal winner at the 2007 World Beer Championships, the Oktoberfest is a big brother to the Eliot Ness Amber
Lager, where a mild hop character plays second fiddle to a rich, malt dominence. Not too disimilar to Anchor Bock, this style of lager -- first
created in 19th century Vienna -- became ever increasingly malty as it warmed up, and the longer it continued, the more it reminded me that the
bog needs cleaning. Nice Belgian lace though. A rather generous 2/10.
6) Nosferatu 8% -- This absolutely hideous "thing" is described as a "strong red ale". It is indeed strong, and is packed full of hops and packed
full of malts: the end result being an overpowering, confusing mish-mash of an ale, with no distinguishing character whatsoever. Pat wrote a
particularly exquisite, almost poetic review of this ale, which WB Yeats would have been proud of. I certainly can't add anything to Pat's review,
except perhaps a couple of humble words to further describe this excuse of an ale: COMPLETE BOLLOCKS ! 0/10.
7) Commodore Perry IPA 7.5% -- Oliver Hazard Perry is the bloke who supposedly lead the American navy to a jammy victory over His
Majesty's Royal Navy at the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. We here at Roberts Manor have it on reliable authority that this event was yet another
"strategic withdrawal" by our gallant lads -- especially as the command came from King George III... "Don't give up the Jaffa Cakes". Anyway, the
Commodore Perry IPA is a delightful example of a true, full-strength IPA -- rich, syrupy, with (as it warms up) a cascading symphony of hop
flavours: a distinguished hoppy Prelude; a princely hoppy Adagio; a supremely hoppy Scherzo; a toweringly hoppy Allegro; a sumptuously hoppy
Nocturne; and a magnificently hoppy Finale. Yep, not too hoppily shab, but not for the faint hearted, nor those of a weak disposition. 10/10.
8) Edmund Fitzgerald Porter 5.8% -- This thoroughly horrendous monstrosity actually gave me heart palpitations, and that was from just the
aroma ! Regarded as a classic of its type and one of the most highly decorated of the Great Lakes brews, the Edmund Fitzgerald is a rich,
somewhat thick porter which offers a roasted barley aroma before descending to a hop lovers nightmare of dark, burnt, chocolatey malt flavours,
with some molasses thrown in for extra torture. There's an excruciating bittersweet aftertaste, thanks to the ale being underscored by some hefty
hops. Thoroughly vile on all accounts. -1/10.
It can be suggested that I may be somewhat impervious where Porters and its malty cousins are concerned, but on the other hand, this shite is
bread and butter for Tim and Pat, and if you read Tim's eulogy of the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, then you'll understand what Dunkles and Jaffa
Cakes is all about. It's a beautiful thing !
9) Holy Moses White Ale 5.4% -- Described as "A Belgian Wit Ale spiced with orange peel, chamomile and coriander", the Holy Moses is a well
crafted wheat ale -- a perfect summer refresher in the hot, sticky Ohio Valley. Sadly, like the Burning River Pale Ale, this ale does not travel well
outside of Cleveland (see Pat's review of the Burning River Pale Ale), and versions on tap in Columbus have been flat, tasteless and rancid,
rather like tasting orange flavoured dishwater. Thus, I've avoided this ale like the plague in our area of the state. However, the Dunkles and
Jaffa Cakes team noted the freshness of the ales on tap at the Great Lakes brewpub (the ales being delivered straight to the taps via lines from
the holding tanks), so throwing caution to the wind, I decided to give the Holy Moses a second chance.
The aroma had a faint smell of cloves -- a promising start, and the initial tastes were certainly citrusy, reminding me of a tin of Del Monte Orange
Segments. Mid-tastes gave delicious hints of citrusy lime -- dare I say, a ripper of a wheat ale; a beautiful finale and certainly the surprise of the
evening. The moral of the story ? Drink the Holy Moses in Cleveland; anywhere else, it's like drinking cats piss. A well deserved 8/10.
10) St.Bernardus Abt 12 10.5% -- The following morning, while perusing the West Side Market, I noticed a Belgian bar, called Bier Markt ,
which had been recommended some time back by our old mate and tour guide Terry. What better way to finish the trip than by tasting on tap a
Belgian ale ? I have three bottles of the Abt 12 in The Roberts Manor celler, including the 60th Anniversary edition, but to taste it on tap is a
very rare treat. It's regarded as the flagship ale of the St.Bernardus brewery and is described as a "Quadruple Ale". Dark brown in colour, with
an appealing creamy frothy head, this highly fermented ale is fruity without being hoppy, with just a little bit of malt, and as smooth as a baby's
bum. The finish is as equally smooth with no nasty aftertaste. You'd never know you were drinking a 10.5% ale. An absolute classic. The
St.Bernardus Tripel is another classic of its type -- much favoured by Lady Roberts for that matter. 9/10.
And that, comrades, endith the lesson and royal review from a particularly fine evening in Cleveland. Thanks to Lord Pat for the loan of his
AleFest cap !
Cheers ! (for now)
blokes who all enjoyed writing about things we felt passionate about, and with the three of us having distinct differences in our beer preferences,
we saw a way of communicating with the outside world in a (hopefully) entertaining style which reflected those differences.
Some may say we're just bullshitting, but when I observed the three of us busily scribbling down notes in our Daytimers at the Great Lakes
Brewing Co. brewpub, I realised that we'd become serious in our passion. I mean, this wasn't a trio of academic wallies wearing berets at a cafe
on the left-bank of Paris; it was just three blokes who underwent a revelation in Cleveland, Ohio. Tim, in particular, was deep in thought for long
periods, which exemplified the philosophical approach we were now taking, while Pat, in a spiritual moment at the brewpub, came up with the
brilliant A Quest for Taste.
Furthermore, a line from a Unibroue (classic Quebec brewery) advertisment became our mantra -- Drink less, Drink better.
We are not Ohio's answer to Michael Jackson -- we don't have "Professional Drinker" written in our passports (I wouldn't say no to it though !),
but with all the humour, we treat our roadtrips and "Committee Meetings" with the upmost seriousness. The difference between us and Michael
Jackson being, if we think a beer is great, we'll say it's GREAT; if we think it's shite, we'll say it's SHITE !
And all this from a trip to Cleveland ! If we ever make a Dunkles & Jaffa Cakes trip to California or New York, we'll be asking for bloody
Knighthoods !
But, the trip -- Tim's superb, highly descriptive review of our weekend in Cleveland doesn't require me to reinvent the wheel, so I'm going to cut
straight to the ales instead.
If you're sitting comfortably, I'll begin.
1) Moondog Ale 5% -- At the very outset, this is the creme de la creme of Great Lakes brews; the Royal Doulton of ales; the Rolex of
English-style Bitters. If a Geiko caveman tasted it, he'd be saying "I am, I think I am..." At 5% ABV, Moondog Ale is more like what British brewers
call an Extra Bitter. Nevertheless, for our tasting pleasure, what we have here is a deep bronze ale, with a spicy, peppery character and grassy,
fruity, rich hop flavours. Quite simply, an American meritorious classic; possibly the finest American ale I've ever tasted. Why the GLBC have
relegated this peach of an ale to merely an on tap seasonal, completely baffles me. And before anyone asks, Yes -- I have the t-shirt ! A
no-brainer 11/10.
2) Independence Ale 6% -- Named after yet another example of a "strategic British withdrawal", the Independence Ale is a red ale with a crisp,
powerful hop character. It features minimal sweetness, with a noticeable bitter finish. We all thought this was an extremely "moorish" ale. Not
hoppy enough to wear an IPA label; rather a big brother to the Burning River Pale Ale. A huge seller at the brewpub, we were just lucky enough
to arrive on the weekend this ale was on tap. An independent 9/10.
3) The Lorelei 5.1% -- Based on the German Dunkelweizen, this ghastly dark offering was wheaty, tangy and malty. Dark amber/brown in
colour, it left the tastebuds with a sickly sweet sensation that the darker Belgian Trappist ales are renowned for. Good job it's a seasonal on tap
only. Liquid Plumber for the masses. 0/10.
4) Dortmunder Gold 5.8% -- A gold-medal winner at 11 of the last 14 World Beer Championships (with a silver medal thrown in as well), this
golden Dortmunder-style beer starts off with a gorgeous fruity, flowery aroma. The flavour gives a perfect balance between the sweet malts and
the dry hops, with a mild hoppy finish and a clean refreshing aftertaste. Clearly a superb flagship American pilsner -- Budvar and Pilsner Urquell
would be proud ! 11/10.
By the way, did you know that the Dortmunder style takes its name from 19th century Dortmund, when seven breweries within the city were
brewing the same style of ale ? As Michael Caine would say "Not a lot of people know that !".
5) Oktoberfest 6.5% -- A silver-medal winner at the 2007 World Beer Championships, the Oktoberfest is a big brother to the Eliot Ness Amber
Lager, where a mild hop character plays second fiddle to a rich, malt dominence. Not too disimilar to Anchor Bock, this style of lager -- first
created in 19th century Vienna -- became ever increasingly malty as it warmed up, and the longer it continued, the more it reminded me that the
bog needs cleaning. Nice Belgian lace though. A rather generous 2/10.
6) Nosferatu 8% -- This absolutely hideous "thing" is described as a "strong red ale". It is indeed strong, and is packed full of hops and packed
full of malts: the end result being an overpowering, confusing mish-mash of an ale, with no distinguishing character whatsoever. Pat wrote a
particularly exquisite, almost poetic review of this ale, which WB Yeats would have been proud of. I certainly can't add anything to Pat's review,
except perhaps a couple of humble words to further describe this excuse of an ale: COMPLETE BOLLOCKS ! 0/10.
7) Commodore Perry IPA 7.5% -- Oliver Hazard Perry is the bloke who supposedly lead the American navy to a jammy victory over His
Majesty's Royal Navy at the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. We here at Roberts Manor have it on reliable authority that this event was yet another
"strategic withdrawal" by our gallant lads -- especially as the command came from King George III... "Don't give up the Jaffa Cakes". Anyway, the
Commodore Perry IPA is a delightful example of a true, full-strength IPA -- rich, syrupy, with (as it warms up) a cascading symphony of hop
flavours: a distinguished hoppy Prelude; a princely hoppy Adagio; a supremely hoppy Scherzo; a toweringly hoppy Allegro; a sumptuously hoppy
Nocturne; and a magnificently hoppy Finale. Yep, not too hoppily shab, but not for the faint hearted, nor those of a weak disposition. 10/10.
8) Edmund Fitzgerald Porter 5.8% -- This thoroughly horrendous monstrosity actually gave me heart palpitations, and that was from just the
aroma ! Regarded as a classic of its type and one of the most highly decorated of the Great Lakes brews, the Edmund Fitzgerald is a rich,
somewhat thick porter which offers a roasted barley aroma before descending to a hop lovers nightmare of dark, burnt, chocolatey malt flavours,
with some molasses thrown in for extra torture. There's an excruciating bittersweet aftertaste, thanks to the ale being underscored by some hefty
hops. Thoroughly vile on all accounts. -1/10.
It can be suggested that I may be somewhat impervious where Porters and its malty cousins are concerned, but on the other hand, this shite is
bread and butter for Tim and Pat, and if you read Tim's eulogy of the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, then you'll understand what Dunkles and Jaffa
Cakes is all about. It's a beautiful thing !
9) Holy Moses White Ale 5.4% -- Described as "A Belgian Wit Ale spiced with orange peel, chamomile and coriander", the Holy Moses is a well
crafted wheat ale -- a perfect summer refresher in the hot, sticky Ohio Valley. Sadly, like the Burning River Pale Ale, this ale does not travel well
outside of Cleveland (see Pat's review of the Burning River Pale Ale), and versions on tap in Columbus have been flat, tasteless and rancid,
rather like tasting orange flavoured dishwater. Thus, I've avoided this ale like the plague in our area of the state. However, the Dunkles and
Jaffa Cakes team noted the freshness of the ales on tap at the Great Lakes brewpub (the ales being delivered straight to the taps via lines from
the holding tanks), so throwing caution to the wind, I decided to give the Holy Moses a second chance.
The aroma had a faint smell of cloves -- a promising start, and the initial tastes were certainly citrusy, reminding me of a tin of Del Monte Orange
Segments. Mid-tastes gave delicious hints of citrusy lime -- dare I say, a ripper of a wheat ale; a beautiful finale and certainly the surprise of the
evening. The moral of the story ? Drink the Holy Moses in Cleveland; anywhere else, it's like drinking cats piss. A well deserved 8/10.
10) St.Bernardus Abt 12 10.5% -- The following morning, while perusing the West Side Market, I noticed a Belgian bar, called Bier Markt ,
which had been recommended some time back by our old mate and tour guide Terry. What better way to finish the trip than by tasting on tap a
Belgian ale ? I have three bottles of the Abt 12 in The Roberts Manor celler, including the 60th Anniversary edition, but to taste it on tap is a
very rare treat. It's regarded as the flagship ale of the St.Bernardus brewery and is described as a "Quadruple Ale". Dark brown in colour, with
an appealing creamy frothy head, this highly fermented ale is fruity without being hoppy, with just a little bit of malt, and as smooth as a baby's
bum. The finish is as equally smooth with no nasty aftertaste. You'd never know you were drinking a 10.5% ale. An absolute classic. The
St.Bernardus Tripel is another classic of its type -- much favoured by Lady Roberts for that matter. 9/10.
And that, comrades, endith the lesson and royal review from a particularly fine evening in Cleveland. Thanks to Lord Pat for the loan of his
AleFest cap !
Cheers ! (for now)
| His Highness of Hops hard at work |
| You may click on each individual beer's picture to see a larger image |