I've waffled for a bit on whether or not to do this review. Why would that be? The bottle says Great Lakes Brewing Co.! Michigan is the Great Lake State! What could be more Michigandery than a brewing company named after the Great Lakes?
But the bottle is deceiving. The brewery is actually based out of Cleveland, Ohio! Now, this is all kinds of wrong. First off, Michigan borders FOUR OUT OF FIVE of the Great Lakes. Ohio borders ONE, Lake Erie, which is arguably the worst of the lot. It's the smallest by water volume, the shallowest, the warmest, and the most polluted. Secondly, Ohio and Michigan are archenemies. Thirdly, I have an irrational hatred for the state of Ohio - it's flat, it's boring, and it once tried to kill me with a near-miss car accident in Cincinnati. Take my word for it, Ohio is plain bad news.
But that doesn't mean good beer can't come out of it! And Cleveland is only about three hours or so from Ann Arbor, which meets my requirements for "local." So, begrudgingly, and just in time for Halloween, here are two seasonals from Lake Erie Brewing Co.!
Name: Nosferatu
Variety: American strong ale/Red ale
ABV: 8%
Price: ~$10 four pack
Ah, good ol' Nosferatu. The grand daddy of all vampire movies, this classic 1922 silent film remains one of the most faithful (unofficial) adaptations of Bram Stoker's horror classic. Nosferatu himself is also one of the classic movie monsters - his misshapen form, bulging eyes, and rodent-like fangs have ensured him an enduring legacy in popular culture long after silent films went the way of the Dodo.
Vampires are the hot thing right now. Sadly, they just don't make them like they used to. I mean, which do you think is more frightening and memorable?
That's what I thought. The film is public domain and is available for free on YouTube, so give it a watch if you're feeling retro/scholarly.
Oh, right! The beer.
It appropriately pours a dark brown-red, nearly the color of dried blood, with a foamy yellowish-white head. Spooky, no? Aroma is outdoorsy and hoppy with a pretty strong alcohol scent. Flavors include caramel, malts, but with a well-blended hoppiness that gives the finish a strong, pleasing bite.
This is a very unusual beer - you don't come across many ales quite this strong and strange. But it's also a superb offering from Great Lakes. It's smooth and pleasant to drink with a nice twist of supernatural weirdness.
Rating: 9/10 - Perfect for a party or night of spooky movies!
Name: Glockenspiel
Variety: Weizenbock
ABV: 8%
Price: ~$10 four pack
Hmmmm. Great Lakes' Web site says this beer is only available from May until June, but I recently found it on the shelf at Whole Foods and I am CERTAIN it had not been on the shelf the week before. Maybe it was a late arrival. Oh well! The name sounds German, so I'm going to call it Oktoberfest appropriate, s'allright?
Hey, this actually looks really similar to Nosferatu! I swear I didn't screw up and post the wrong pictures. Nosferatu is MUCH more red looking in person and Glockenspiel is much more yellow-orangish with significantly more haze. Aroma is yeasty with some slight fruity notes. Taste is.... well, it's supposed to be plums and bananas and raisins and other types of fruit, but it just tastes astringent and somewhat mediciney to me.
I should say I don't get on with German-style beers to well. If you do, then by all means!
Rating: 5/10 - Not a badly made beer beer, but certainly not for me.
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