GLB Dortmunder lager

I did think about it but the fact this beer was bottled last August and I have no way of knowing how it was handled in transport/distribution (e.g., was it exposed to high temperatures in some warehouse(s) along the supply chain?) made me wonder whether these beers were in good shape. Plus as I already mentioned I prefer to purchase German brewed beers with less than 6 months of age on them.

As regards the economical price I did speculate: "A 'benefit' of the importer being co-located with retailer?".

Maybe next time I am at another beer retailer (e.g., my local Wegman's supermarket) I will see how they price this product.

Cheers!

 

I used to frequently buy Great Lakes Dortmunder around 3-4 years ago when it was readily available in northeastern PA.

To me it was similar in taste to Stoudt's Gold and Victory Helles, both of which are now defunct. Von Trapp and Industrial Arts get the majority of lager money nowadays with the occasional local release from Grimm, Three's and Separatist.

 

I can't say if it's a very similar beer (I probably haven't had GL Dortmunder in a decade), but give Weihenstephaner Festbier a shot when it gets released towards the end of the summer. Those two beers are the same ABV, so it's not the worst comparison. Even if it doesn't scratch the exact same itch, I've never heard anybody complain about being stuck with a sixer of Weihenstephaner Festbier.

 

I remember when Great Lakes first came to MN (10 years ago maybe?), their variety pack said "our flagship is a fleet" or something like that and it had Dortmunder, Eliot Ness, Edmund Fitzgerald, and Burning River. So I have simply thought of that as their core and that they didn't have a single flagship. And all of these beers are still being made and, at least in MN, still available. So I disagree with whoever said that they have abandoned what they are good at. Sure, they have more IPAs today, but they still have this core, plus things like Conway's Irish, their Oktoberfest and their Christmas Ale. They have stayed more true to their roots than almost any other national brand over the last decade.

Cheers to Great Lakes!

 

So, I had an idea... I looked up GABF medal winners ( https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/winners/ ) and sorted by "All Years" then "Dortmunder and German style Oktoberfest" and I got a big long list of award winning options. Most are smaller brewers with limited distribution. You might get lucky and find one near you. But there is an exception... Kona Brewing Longboard Lager shows up over and over again in the GABF medal lists and it's well distributed across the US. I also think it's comparable in taste to Great Lakes Dortmunder, but I just didn't think of it earlier.

 

You might get lucky finding the original Dortmunder Bier, DAB, but I find that it is quite rare in the US.

 

You just live in the wrong parts of the US

It's pretty easy to find here in MN and WI. I believe I've seen quite a few different BA's post that they drink it as well. Isn't it available in DC?

 

DAB is imported by:
Binding Brauerei USA, Inc. d/b/a Radeberger Gruppe USA
383 Main Ave, Suite 440
Norwalk, CT, 06851 USA
Phone: +1 203 229 0106

[email protected]

They also import Radeberger Pilsner (as one would expect ), Schofferhofer, Clausthaler N/A and a few other German brands. In theory, if those brands are on the local shelves, the same distributor could also carry DAB (now whether they do or not....).

 

We have it here in the Chicago area too, and priced pretty affordably. It just doesn't seem as good as I remember in my early beer drinking days.

Or am I thinking of St. Pauli Girl?

 

To me, DAB was always too bitter. I definitely remember St. Pauli Girl! Very close to Beck's in flavor, but not quite as tasty. Then again, I drank it in my early 20's - when a pretty blond Hofbrau waitress in a low-cut top would make almost any beer tasty.

 

I don't recall it being terribly bitter when I first enjoyed it in the summer of 1978 -- it was different from other beer I'd had, but I was interested in German beer because of my heritage.

That said, it was fun to find it on draft at a little tavern in Kenosha, WI -- owned by a friend's HS coach. Drank a lotta DAB there.

 

I gave it a 3.33 13.5 years ago, I wonder if I would give it that again. I know that I had it in California back in the 70s. I remember liking it more than what my BA rating suggests.

 

They should make a museum about this beer. I might be biased.

Many may imitate, but none will replicate.

Similar beers: Surly's Oktoberfest, Castle Danger's Castle Cream Ale, Bent Paddle's Classic, Surly's First Ave1+

See my rating here: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/73/228/

 

DAB 500ml cans are cheaper by the case than the 12 oz. bottles at my usual beer store. It is in my rotation of low priced beers with Genny Cream, Yuengling Pilsner, and domestic Japanese beers.

 

Maybe a small bump.
I rated DAB Export 3.78 several years ago. I had it again three weeks ago. I didn’t adjust up my rating

 

A museum is the only place I might find GLB DG around here. Several other GL brews are sold, I bought a six of Eliot Ness today.