Great Lakes ... something changed?

i hate all these threads stating beer "x" doesn't taste as good as it used to.....it must be the brewery right....couldnt be you

 

I didn't have last year's, but this year's was a wall of cinnamon and nutmeg hiding all other flavors. If that was a watered-down version, I'd hate to have tasted the original.

Lake Erie Monster from a few months ago was my second-favorite IPA after 90 Minute, it was so sweet and juicy. (But maybe that's why people don't like it, if they're looking for bitter hops...)

Oktoberfest was far from my favorite OF, but it wasn't my least-favorite either.

The real stinker for me was Dortmunder Gold, I was expecting to be blown away but it just tasted stale. It was past its best-by date however -- shame on me for buying it, but it was in a cooler in the store instead of on the open shelves, so I figured it would be OK. Eventually I'll try it again if I can find a really fresh one.

 

Elliot Ness seemed more watered down to me recently actually.

Nosferatu was pretty damn good.

Fitz is still a damn solid beer.

Dortmunder Gold has always been a favorite of mine. can't wait for more Chillwave.

Commodore Perry, i had 2-3 months ago was better than when i had it in January of 2015.

Oktoberfest had a sweeter side to it this season, at least to me, but i still love that beer.

 

Wonder if anyone who thinks Great Lakes has changed their beers bothered to contact the brewery and ask them?

Last year there was a thread about how Nosferatu had changed. So I e-mailed the brewery and asked them if the recipe was different. They replied that the only thing that had changed was renaming it from "Strong Ale" to "Imperial Red Ale."

And, as I recall, when this thread has erupted about other beers tasting different, the answer from the brewers has always been---wait for it---no. Specifically there was a thread about one of Sierra Nevada's seasonals and one of the owners who posts here replied and said nope, same recipe, same beer.

 

I dont thinks its our imagination, i recently had a sixer of elliot ness that was..awful, wet cardboard flavors, and i like that beer, it was only a month old. I also felt the oktoberfest was not up to last year's standards, now i did like this year's nosferatu, though not as hoppy as years past, still was well balanced and good.

 

Just had my first GL Christmas Ale of the year...and it was infected. It will be my last for the year (I far prefer 12 Dogs anyway). They pulled BA Christmas Ale for the same reason. So, no, things aren't going well at GLBC.

 

I agree with the seasonal issues. While I still enjoyed Chillwave, from there things have gone downhill. Nosferatu and Monster both tasted off this year (bottles) to me, and Oktoberfest bottles were undrinkable from multiple locations. This was discussed on the Ohio forum and several (8-12 if I recall) other people had the same experience with Oktober. I did have it on tap twice in 2 different cities and it was excellent. Now with the recent self admitted infection issues with the barrel aged Christmas Ale, I feel like it validates the concerns many people have been addressing. I know tastes fluctuate, but it seems to include too many people and too many of their beers. Where there is smoke there is fire.

I have not noticed any issues with Eddy though.

 

I've always thought Eddy Fitz tasted watered down, and never understood the hype.
Elliot Ness, Blackout Stout, and Christmas ale are all phenomenal though.

 

They slightly change from year to year....some years the Christmas for example has more cinnamon, and other years it is more honey and caramel.

 

A LOT of people are having issues with Christmas Ale this year stating it has sour tones. I had this same issue last year. I do know they had to dump the BA version due to it being sour.

 

This is ironic, I posted about 9 months ago the same thing about there eddy Fitz. It just tasted different & bad to me, & this was my all time favorite porter....fast forward a couple weeks ago I tried EF again and....as good as ever! This has led me to the conclusion that I just got a bad/off batch when it didn't taste right. Judging from this thread, it seems like this is a fairly common & reoccurring issue with GL. Perhaps Great Lakes should review there quality control standards.....

 

Agreed. I thought it was average, but certainly no benchmark for the Porter style.

 

I thought chillwave this year was disappointing. It was super malty and sweet compared to the previous year. Maybe it was just my palate.

 

Recently, Nosfertau, Ohio Stout and Dortmunder were great for me, same as ever. (re: old Dort - I have had stale Dort too, always only buy now if less than 3 months ... they date for 6 mos. i believe)
LEM and Chillwave I have not enjoyed the recipe since they came out and don't buy.
I used to be a huge fan of Okto and Christmas, but recently have shied away from these "heavier" examples of their styles due to a changing palate and better experiences with "lighter" versions of those styles. I don't believe Okto or Christmas are different than in the past ...... it's not them, it's me.
It's been awhile since I had Eddy or Eliot, but I hope to have more soon and expect them to be very good.
The recipe for Nosfertau and Chillwave definitely changed with newer hop strains being used. At least they are not standing still, and I appreciate a "regional" size brewery that puts out solid traditional beers at a good price, and will continue to support them unless they truly screw things up.

 

I have found their stuff to be fairly steady but I have been drinking a lot of bigger stuff lately and that changes the perception somewhat. Tha age of the bottle can also have an impact.

 

Yeah that beer was a disappointment.

I had a Blackout a couple nights ago, and it was fine, as it always is.

 

Every Great Lakes beer I've had this year has tasted the same as it always has.

 

i like that it's a LOT hoppier. Never thought of it as being sweeter but possible to balance the hops. Either way I don't think the germans have ever come close.

 

I didn't get any Christmas this year, so I can't comment on that. Nosferatu did taste a bit off, but not bad. Eliot from earlier this year was off the charts good. Oktoberfest was one of the best I had this year and as good as I remember. Hopefully GL will get a handle on things since they do seem to have a problem across some styles or at least specific batches. They are a favorite of mine.

 

SweetWater Festive Ale >>>> Great Lakes Christmas Ale