Great Lakes Anniversary Ale
Pours out to a sparkling clear golden with peach tones, forming a large white head (with a brisk pour) with meringue-like consistency. Various bottles and methods of decantation sometimes produce a uniformly dense suspension of yeast particles akin to Excellent retention and solid sheets of lacing. Carbonation is mild to moderate. Smells as it should for a Belgian Triple...Unibroue'ish clarity with wheat, cloves, bananas, phenolic yeast, candi sugar, peaches, pears, apples, and peppery alcohol. Mouthfeel is soft and smooth at first, then has a pleasant syrupy grainy astringency in the finish. Medium-dense body. This stuff tastes really good....The tastes of above, with a touch of rotting apples, smoked Gouda, Munich graininess, and smouldering rubber. There is some orange rind somewhere in the mix, with a nice warming alcohol content which is felt but not tasted. Metals lightly towards the middle. Drinkability is excellent...up to par with Unibroues of the same ABV. The bitterness is floral and spicy and lends a warm appeal to repeat purchases A solid Triple that has a unique appeal with it's floral hop bitterness, strength, and interesting finish. For North American choices in the style, Avery Salvation and New Belgium Trippel would be right up there with this Great Lakes offering. Recommended!