Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA
A - Despite some other reviews I've read, I didn't get much of a head at all on this beer. Just a very thin layer at the top, and that's it. The color is a light orange and matches some amber almost perfectly. Contained a nice, constant stream of carbonation rising in the glass. The appearance is just alright, but wins points with the pleasant color. It is very reminiscent of autumn. S - Pleasant smell, although I found myself not being able to pull out MUCH aroma for some reason. The aroma is dominated by hops; primarily citrus notes that scream of grapefruit, but also a pine backing to it. A heavy dose of a pineapple-like aroma shined through once in awhile and was very nice. Smells as though it would be a little on the sweet side but nicely bitter. Swirling the beer gave off a nice malty aroma, but nothing I could pin down specifically. I enjoy the mixture of aromas, but none of them are particularly powerful, especially when I compare them to beers of the same style. T - This beer definitely runs through a few stages of taste while in the mouth. At the onset, the sweet citrus qualities that were present in the aroma come out, but it is unfortunately a little brief. This paves the way for the flavor of the pine hops to shine through in the middle. After that, the flavor gives way to some decent bitterness that stays with you long after a sip. It occasionally came through a little astringent, and once in awhile I could taste some of the alcohol, but the bitterness was never too powerful. Contrary to some other reviews, I personally couldn't pull out much maltiness. The bitterness seemed a little overdone to me. It seems as though it could have been balanced out nicely with the citrusness at the beginning. I'm sure there are people who enjoy this flavor profile in an IPA, but it's just not for me I think. It's worth noting that as the beer warmed the bitterness sort of subsided, so I tried to take that into account with my rating also. M - The mouthfeel is rather nice. It's rather smooth with just a hint of carbonation. Nothing amazingly exceptional, but nothing wrong with it either. It's rather enjoyable. D - I would consider it a rather drinkable beer. If you enjoy this flavor profile in an IPA there's nothing stopping you from throwing a few back easily. I'm put off slightly but the unbalanced bitterness, but that is just my personal interpretation. Overall, it is a rather enjoyable IPA. It is not my favorite beer from Great Lakes, but it is one that I would have again.