Weekly Beer Reviews

Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale

In my opinion, Great Lakes is a very underrated brewery. Their everyday stuff is solid with the likes of Eward Fitzgerald Porter and Burning River APA, their seasonal 4 packs are stellar, and their seasonal 6 packs are heavily underrated. This is one of the latter. The C.I.A. starts with a very light nose. Hints of peas, cashews, and hay mingle to form a very subdued nose. The flavor proves to be far deeper. A sharp and crisp bitterness greets your tastebuds first with flavors of light coffee and earth notes on display. The finish long and deep with flavors of almonds, walnuts, and pecans. Honeycomb finishes off the end of this fantastic Irish Red Ale.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.5/10


Southern Tier 2xOne American Strong Ale

This is a new seasonal release from Southern Tier that uses only a single malt and a single hop. The winners for this first release ended up being Mosaic hops and Special Pale malt. Going into this, I wasn't expecting it to be deep and flavorful. I feared it might end up one dimensional. I have never been more glad to be wrong. The nose has a savory blend of aromas such as lemonade, citrus, jerk seasoning, basil, and lime zest. The flavor is bitter with strong hints of lemon, pine, and mint. The finish is interesting with flavors of onion, grapefruit, and savory (the herb). All of these flavors blend well and form a beer that is far more diverse than you would think.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 9/10


Great Lakes Chillwave Double IPA

Many of you all might not recognize the name on this beer. Last year it was called Alchemy Hour. Due to a lawsuit filed by Widmer, this beers name had to be changed this year. Great Lakes has assured us that while the name has changed, it has the same great flavor. Tyler and I disagree. The nose has none of the trademark tropical fruit. Instead it is full of aromas of pine, onion, armpit and oranges. Lighter hints of lemon zest, garlic, and bubblegum arise as the nose lingers. The taste is astringent with flavors of lemon zest, mango, pine, and onions. The onions come alive as the finish hits with further flavors of chives and toast. This definitely doesn't resemble the tropical fruit bomb from last year.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.75/10


Breckenridge 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout

We are trying to keep the stouts on tap as the intense cold lingers. This is another stout that is sure to keep you warm and go with the thick soups, stews, and dark meats of the season. The nose has an intense bouquet of dark chocolate, hot fudge, and cream. Lighter hints of coffee, maple syrup, and cocoa powder mingle with the others to form quite the nose. The taste is heavily roasted with flavors of oak, pomegranate juice, and dark chocolate. The finish has just a hint of smoke with flavors of chocolate covered coffee beans, fudge brownies, and cream. This is definitely a fantastic dessert beer that isn't too sweet.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.75/10