On Episode 332 of Better on Draft (one episode before I joined), Wendy, Dan, and Ken interviewed Michael Williams of Great Lakes Brewing Co (GLBC). One thing I took away from that episode is that Michael is serious about making great beer. Recently I was the lucky recipient of a variety pack of beers from GLBC!
Return of the Lake Erie Monster, Midwest IPA, Juicy Vibacious, and Strawberry Pineapple Wheat
Serendipitously, I had just bought the “Gimme Five!” variety pack for a golf outing a couple days before these arrived. I’ll briefly review those as being exactly perfect for what I wanted on a golf course!
The next weekend was showtime – episode 345 (So What Did I Miss? Ken’s return!). I cracked open a Strawberry Pineapple Wheat and gave a brief review early in the episode. This beer has so much strawberry to it! That’s usually a subtle flavor element but it really stands out and I think the sweetness of the pineapple enhances it. I’d liken it to a shandy but the overall effect is not as sweet as the shandies I’m thinking of.
After the show I had Return of the Lake Erie Monster while we did post-show wrap ups and assigned tasks. This beer took me back to the IBU wars but when the beers were still balanced. It was sweet with tropical/fruity hops and goes down a lot smoother than you might want for a high ABV beer. So with half the pack down, I set the other half aside for a refreshed palette.
My fallen soldiers from episode 346
Two weeks later (life happened – the good kind of busy!) it’s episode 346 – Metal & Medals and I started the show with a Midwest IPA. I did a lot of talking and not so much drinking at the start of this episode but that was not the beer’s fault! This is another balanced IPA. It tasted fruity towards the citrus side of things, a little sweet, and very refreshing. Once I got going it sure went fast!
And because one good beer deserves another, it was quickly followed by Juicy Vibacious which I had sitting in a semi-convenient cooler next to my laptop. This was a pretty natural follow for the Midwest IPA, a lot of similar flavors but stronger. And higher ABV, a good one to finish the night on!
Disclaimer: Thank you to Great Lakes Brewing Company for sending Rob these beers to review.
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