365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
This beer blog thing is so much easier when I only write every other day. I'm stockpiling beers like mad! The only problem is that some of the reviews aren't as timely as I would have intended. Take for example the Christmas ale from Great Lakes Brewing Company. Christmas is so over despite my decorations still hanging around the house. I'm over the clutter and can't wait to pack them all up next weekend and continue purging all the extraneous junk from my kingdom.
I guess the purging begins with this dusty review for a beer I drank back in December. The Christmas Ale is handcrafted with honey and spices per the label.
It poured a bright crystalline copper color with a loose ecru head. It smells lightly of honey and mostly of general beer. The taste has a much stronger honey profile with a good amount of malt. There's also just enough of a hint of hop at the finish to keep it well balanced. I can definitely taste the spices, but I can't quite name them. Overall this is a good beer.
Links to prior reviews for Great Lakes Brewing Company
Gary's thoughts on this winter warmer are here
My review of Dortmunder Goldand then there's Gary's thoughtson Dortmunder
Day #373 Christmas Ale / Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, OH
Previously from this brewery: Dortmunder Gold
I think (I think) that we're finally done with Christmas shopping for another year. Now, to wrap them.... or just hand them out without wrapping. Either way, right? Thought that counts, right?
Before we get to the beer of the day, I want to get back into the awards tour and hand out a prize for Best Brewery Visit. I've been on many brewery tours in my time, and in thinking about this category, I realized I didn't do a single brewery tour this year. I know how beer is made in theory, and if you've seen one you've sort of seen them all. However, I'm always partial to businesses I can visit in person and see first hand. I feel more of a connection when I get a chance to meet the people directly associated with my beers, really. While I didn't take any brewery tours this year, I did visit a number of breweries in person - and greatly enjoyed their tasting rooms. The best of the best? Sure....
And your winner? A round of applause, please, for Green Flash Brewing Company! Located in what appears to be more of a corporate office than a brewery, Green Flash has a great new tasting room, all of their beers on tap, an outdoor seating area (huge plus when you have San Diego weather), and food trucks that pull up to cater to the crowd drinking and socializing. Congrats, Green Flash - I wish I could visit you in person tomorrow. And every other day, too Every single day.
To get in the holiday spirit to celebrate being done buying gifts, tonight's beer is the Christmas Ale from Great Lakes Brewing. In the glass, this beer is a bright amber color, and the aroma has notes of spice and malt. The flavor is mellow, with nutmeg, malt, cinnamon, caramel, and some bitterness on the finish. Very well done, and would go well at any holiday celebration.
Hey, Great.
Great Lakes has been brewing since 1988 in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. In 1998, they moved into a larger brewing facility formerly occupied by the Schlather Brewery. Now you know.
Thing to Think About Today:
Christmas beer? That calls for a Christmas song. And what says holiday spirit like Twisted Sister signing O Come All Ye Faithful? Nothing really. Enjoy, dear friends. Enjoy.
Tonight we're drinking a Great Lakes Brewing Company Dortmunder Gold on draught. It was procured at TJ's in Paoli. I love that place! It is a German style lager. As the name promises, it poured a beautiful golden color. It had a light white head and lots of carbonation. It smelled of sweet malt and had a general beer aroma. The flavor was malty sweet with a strong hop finish. There were also hints of biscuits and some honey/fruit notes. Dortmunder Gold drinks with lots of body and I think it would be a great tailgate beer.
Evidently TJ's is a very dark bar...
Is anyone else curious about the origins of the beer's name? I learned from Beer Advocate that Dortmunder style lager was made popular in the 19th century in Dortmund, Germany. It is a pale golden lager that exhibits a clean character with notes of biscuity malts. (Score one for me!) Its bitterness is akin to a German pilsner with an aromatic aroma and overall dry tone.
If you're curious what Gary thought about this one, you're in luck. He reviewed it late last year. And seriously what else could I possibly say after that Cleveland tourism video?
Beer #6: Dortmunder Gold/ Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland OH
Spent too much time today following the progress of the perjury trial related to the PSU scandal. I can't even begin to write about my thoughts on that - I'm furious about every single aspect of this mess. FURIOUS.
You know who else is furious? People doing their Christmas shopping at the King of Prussia Mall. Stopped in over lunch today, and I swear people in the parking lot were on the verge of a knife fight over an empty space. Trying to get out of there alive and back to work was like a scene from Escape from New York, except Snake Plissken at least got an awesome eye-patch and automatic weapons for his suicide mission. People! Relax and be nice to each other. Two cranky old man posts in a row.... might be time for the weekend.
Kicked off Friday night by sampling Dortmunder Gold from Great Lakes, a nice golden lager. Winner of a gold medal at the World Beer Championships, so they have that going for them, which is nice. Good flavor, easy drinking. Nice way to ease into a Friday night. Other solid choices from Great Lakes include the Burning River IPA and the Edmund Fitzgerald porter. I defy you to drink the porter and not sing the song by Gordon Lightfoot in your head. The lake it is said never gives up her dead....
Thing to Think About Today:
Was thinking of some good restaurant recommendations to share, but there's NO way I can talk about Cleveland without also promoting their sensationally awesome tourism videos. Fun Times in Cleveland Todayand Fun Times In Cleveland Again. If you haven't seen these, now's your time to shine. Side Cleveland note: there used to be a tiny "brewpub" in Terminal A of the Cleveland Airport that sold nothing but hot dogs and Great Lakes beer. What else do you need, right? However, I heard rumors that it's closed... can I get a verification here?
