Life Sentence
Great Lakes Brewery
- From:
- Great Lakes Brewery
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 92
- Avg:
- 4.29 | pDev: 6.53%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 9
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Aug 16, 2017
- Added:
- Dec 18, 2015
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
92
Outstanding
92
Outstanding
Collaboration with Amsterdam Brewing Company
This beer was brewed in collaboration with Amsterdam at Great Lakes on October 30th and features 100kg of late harvest Chinook hops, which was added in its entirety to the whirlpool of this 3000 litre batch. The Chinook hops come from Yakima, Washington, an area known for their world class hops.
During the trip to Yakima, Amsterdam Brewery was fortunate enough to be offered hop selection and got to experience all different varieties found in different lots across the Yakima Valley. “I was blown away by the late harvest Chinook hops than any other hops on the trip. The dense, dank and almost Mosaic aroma had a piney backdrop that I’ve never seen in Chinook before,” noted Iain McOustra, Brewmaster at Amsterdam Brewery.
Iain also points out that the aromatics that can sometimes be lost with processing are still very prevalent with a bail this fresh. The fresh natural flavour of the late harvest Chinook hops really stand out.
“Iain is normally such a calm, cool, collected and impressive brewmaster (and man) – so when he called from Yakima Valley with an tinge of excitement in his voice saying he had dibs on a bail of late harvest Chinook for this year’s Life Sentence, it piqued my interest to say the least,” said Mike Lackey, Head Brewer at Great Lakes Brewery.
100 IBU
This beer was brewed in collaboration with Amsterdam at Great Lakes on October 30th and features 100kg of late harvest Chinook hops, which was added in its entirety to the whirlpool of this 3000 litre batch. The Chinook hops come from Yakima, Washington, an area known for their world class hops.
During the trip to Yakima, Amsterdam Brewery was fortunate enough to be offered hop selection and got to experience all different varieties found in different lots across the Yakima Valley. “I was blown away by the late harvest Chinook hops than any other hops on the trip. The dense, dank and almost Mosaic aroma had a piney backdrop that I’ve never seen in Chinook before,” noted Iain McOustra, Brewmaster at Amsterdam Brewery.
Iain also points out that the aromatics that can sometimes be lost with processing are still very prevalent with a bail this fresh. The fresh natural flavour of the late harvest Chinook hops really stand out.
“Iain is normally such a calm, cool, collected and impressive brewmaster (and man) – so when he called from Yakima Valley with an tinge of excitement in his voice saying he had dibs on a bail of late harvest Chinook for this year’s Life Sentence, it piqued my interest to say the least,” said Mike Lackey, Head Brewer at Great Lakes Brewery.
100 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)
3.65/5 rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.65/5 rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Looks like apple cider off the farm, nice on going spotty lace. Attractive. Nice hoppy, earthy nose, like a good saison. After that, just too blunt and hard edged, no subtlety. Booziness overwhelms an underlying fruitiness. Sippin' beer maybe.
Aug 16, 2017
Rated by Maverick25 from Canada (ON)
4.77/5 rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.77/5 rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Love this beer, Takes two of the best beers and smashes them together. MUST TRY FOR TORONTONIANS!
Apr 05, 2016
Reviewed by DaveBar from Canada (ON)
4.18/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.18/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Purchased at the brewery $5.00 for a 473ml can. Served at 4deg C in a draught glass.
A- Opens well and pours a 1" high white head that lasts for a couple of minute before film out. Leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. Medium to darker gold colour and unfiltered.
S- Very hoppy. Like this one.
T- Hops abound with a lot of malt. Pretty heavy brew so be warned! Says it's 100+ IBU but seems more near the 80 mark which is very good. Rather bitter though from those "C" hops.
M- Crisp and clean
O- Very good brew. Price brought this one down on an overall from 4.25 to 4.00. Nice brew and will buy again for sure.
Food Pairing
This nice heavy brew went well with....... Spicey Pad Thai. This one just cuts right through the spice and accentuates it rather well.
Enjoy
Feb 14, 2016A- Opens well and pours a 1" high white head that lasts for a couple of minute before film out. Leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. Medium to darker gold colour and unfiltered.
S- Very hoppy. Like this one.
T- Hops abound with a lot of malt. Pretty heavy brew so be warned! Says it's 100+ IBU but seems more near the 80 mark which is very good. Rather bitter though from those "C" hops.
M- Crisp and clean
O- Very good brew. Price brought this one down on an overall from 4.25 to 4.00. Nice brew and will buy again for sure.
Food Pairing
This nice heavy brew went well with....... Spicey Pad Thai. This one just cuts right through the spice and accentuates it rather well.
Enjoy
Reviewed by kevinlater from Canada (ON)
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
473ml can into glencairn-esque glass. looks like it was canned dec 12 2015, but part of the code is smudged out. consumed jan 19 2016
a: golden yellow, light orange with a little bit of haze. frothy off-white head
s: tangerine, bread, caramel, grapefruit, and strong pine resin, with some underlying tropical passionfruit, pineapple, and mango aromas. the alcohol is masked well which is impressive at this brew strength. nicely balanced between hop and malt, so this isn't quite a hop assault on the nose, but it smells very appetizing
t: full of citrusy, tropical fruity hops and pine resin, but with a nice malty balance (bread and caramel flavours) to keep everything on a leash. a pinch of alcohol on the finish, as well as a bit of burnt onion that detracts from the overall flavour
m: medium to medium-plus feel, nice and chewy. resinous, sticky, and oily. medium-plus bitterness on the finish
o: a great strong ipa that is truly loaded with hops. if you were to chain a hop that smelled like this beer to my leg for the rest of my life, i'd die a happy death!
Jan 20, 2016a: golden yellow, light orange with a little bit of haze. frothy off-white head
s: tangerine, bread, caramel, grapefruit, and strong pine resin, with some underlying tropical passionfruit, pineapple, and mango aromas. the alcohol is masked well which is impressive at this brew strength. nicely balanced between hop and malt, so this isn't quite a hop assault on the nose, but it smells very appetizing
t: full of citrusy, tropical fruity hops and pine resin, but with a nice malty balance (bread and caramel flavours) to keep everything on a leash. a pinch of alcohol on the finish, as well as a bit of burnt onion that detracts from the overall flavour
m: medium to medium-plus feel, nice and chewy. resinous, sticky, and oily. medium-plus bitterness on the finish
o: a great strong ipa that is truly loaded with hops. if you were to chain a hop that smelled like this beer to my leg for the rest of my life, i'd die a happy death!
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Review from notes. Half a can served into a pint glass, split with a friend at Rib Eye Jack's in Burlington.
Appearance - Hazy golden beer with orange hues and a nice finger of fluffy white head and solid lacing.
Smell - The nose is very tropical with pineapple and grapefruit being the initial stars before a weedy dankness kicks in.
Taste - Almost identical to the nose, starting with big citrus flavors and then a weedy and earthy dankness creeps in adding layers of complexity. Really good.
Mouthfeel - Good feel and carbonation, booziness kicks in here and there but that's to be expected from a 10.0% beer. Feels like a slightly lower ABV.
Overall - As expected from a GLB collaboration, if it's an IPA and GLB had a part of it, it's going to be among the best local options. A very good DIPA that holds up well with many of it's equally tropical American neighbours. Give it a try while it's around.
Jan 17, 2016Appearance - Hazy golden beer with orange hues and a nice finger of fluffy white head and solid lacing.
Smell - The nose is very tropical with pineapple and grapefruit being the initial stars before a weedy dankness kicks in.
Taste - Almost identical to the nose, starting with big citrus flavors and then a weedy and earthy dankness creeps in adding layers of complexity. Really good.
Mouthfeel - Good feel and carbonation, booziness kicks in here and there but that's to be expected from a 10.0% beer. Feels like a slightly lower ABV.
Overall - As expected from a GLB collaboration, if it's an IPA and GLB had a part of it, it's going to be among the best local options. A very good DIPA that holds up well with many of it's equally tropical American neighbours. Give it a try while it's around.
Reviewed by leaddog from Canada (AB)
4.24/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance - Pours a golden amber with three fingers of bubbly white head.
Smell - Predominantly citrus hops, orange and grapefruit peel, bready malts, caramel, tropical citrus fruit.
Taste - Starts with sweetness of the malts, followed up with a one-two punch of bitterness from the hops. Great citrus flavour throughout.
Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes with a pleasant lingering hop bitterness.
Overall - A great citrus hop profile that is true to the classic style. Nice to sample this rare collab from Great Lakes and Amsterdam. One for the hop heads out there.
Jan 10, 2016Smell - Predominantly citrus hops, orange and grapefruit peel, bready malts, caramel, tropical citrus fruit.
Taste - Starts with sweetness of the malts, followed up with a one-two punch of bitterness from the hops. Great citrus flavour throughout.
Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes with a pleasant lingering hop bitterness.
Overall - A great citrus hop profile that is true to the classic style. Nice to sample this rare collab from Great Lakes and Amsterdam. One for the hop heads out there.
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)
4.35/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Can from the brewery. Was a bit nervous to see this was all Chinook hops rather than the Nelson/Amarillo bill from last year. Served in my Bellwoods teku.
A - Voluminous off-white foam settles to a thick cap and sheets of lacing. Transparent golden-bronze body.
S - Huge citrus and pine, with notes of mango and pineapple. There's a light cattiness to it as well. As it warms there's a touch of alcohol, but it's not excessive for the ABV. Sugary malt backdrop that supports the hops and lends a caramel and slight brown sugar note.
T - The taste is a similarly enjoyable mix of fruity hops, sugary malts, and dank, piney bitterness. There's a bit of fusel alcohol late on the palate, but the balance of flavors is spot on. Not quite as killer as last year, but still quite excellent.
M - Chewy, full body, with pleasant carbonation, and a surprisingly dry finish. Lots of lingering hop oils on the palate. Not overly hot at all. Drinks easier than some cans of much lower ABV beers.
D - Maybe not quite on par with last year's batch, but pretty darn close. It's the Canadian Pliny the Younger; if you like hops, get this.
Jan 08, 2016A - Voluminous off-white foam settles to a thick cap and sheets of lacing. Transparent golden-bronze body.
S - Huge citrus and pine, with notes of mango and pineapple. There's a light cattiness to it as well. As it warms there's a touch of alcohol, but it's not excessive for the ABV. Sugary malt backdrop that supports the hops and lends a caramel and slight brown sugar note.
T - The taste is a similarly enjoyable mix of fruity hops, sugary malts, and dank, piney bitterness. There's a bit of fusel alcohol late on the palate, but the balance of flavors is spot on. Not quite as killer as last year, but still quite excellent.
M - Chewy, full body, with pleasant carbonation, and a surprisingly dry finish. Lots of lingering hop oils on the palate. Not overly hot at all. Drinks easier than some cans of much lower ABV beers.
D - Maybe not quite on par with last year's batch, but pretty darn close. It's the Canadian Pliny the Younger; if you like hops, get this.
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)
4.17/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a can bought directly at the brewery.
Pours a hazy orange with thick head and long lacing. Aroma of sweet peaches, candied hops and pungent. Flavor also sweet with some oranges and peaches but smooth and deceptively drinkable. Veers into barleywine territory a bit but retains enough hop bite to satisfy.
Jan 03, 2016Pours a hazy orange with thick head and long lacing. Aroma of sweet peaches, candied hops and pungent. Flavor also sweet with some oranges and peaches but smooth and deceptively drinkable. Veers into barleywine territory a bit but retains enough hop bite to satisfy.
Reviewed by Coronaeus from Canada (ON)
4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
473ml can from brewery.
Bronze with a thick slowly dissipating head and moderate lacing. Huge pine aroma, bitter orange, grapefruit. Pine and grapefruit intermingle. Big bitter punch. Medium body with moderate carbonation. A great big IPA in the tradition of Great Lakes. Recommended!
Dec 20, 2015Bronze with a thick slowly dissipating head and moderate lacing. Huge pine aroma, bitter orange, grapefruit. Pine and grapefruit intermingle. Big bitter punch. Medium body with moderate carbonation. A great big IPA in the tradition of Great Lakes. Recommended!
Reviewed by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)
4.19/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A - Poured a medium hazy orange colour; very pale. A think eggshell coloured head formed on the pour and quickly receded to a thin layer.
S - Pungent citrus and pine aromas up front ~ grapefruit, peach and a hint of mango. A fairly prominent honey malt sweetness is evident as well.
T - A sharp bitterness up front is accompanied by grapefruit, pine, pineapple and mango notes. A noticeable honey malt sweetness provides some balance, but this is definitely a hop-bomb.
M - Medium body, creamy. Light carbonation. Full of stick hop resin.
Dec 19, 2015S - Pungent citrus and pine aromas up front ~ grapefruit, peach and a hint of mango. A fairly prominent honey malt sweetness is evident as well.
T - A sharp bitterness up front is accompanied by grapefruit, pine, pineapple and mango notes. A noticeable honey malt sweetness provides some balance, but this is definitely a hop-bomb.
M - Medium body, creamy. Light carbonation. Full of stick hop resin.
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