Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold

Well, after having suffering through that pack of pisswater, I needed to have a good lager. I'm not talking about the typical "great" american lager here, I'm talking about the Dortmunder/Helles style of lager. For those of you who want something with some backbone, give this style a try, it'll be a nice step up from anything that is massively commercially available.

For those who are unfamiliar with the style, A dortmunder/helles is a pale lager with a bready maltiness to it, with an ABV around 5-6%. They are known for a super clean flavor and easy to pound down.

Brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company
Beer: Dortmunder Gold
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
ABV: 5.8%
IBU: 30
Price: $9 / 6pk 12oz bottles, $16 12pk 12oz bottles

This beer pours a deep gold with a nice white head. Aroma is slightly malty, very sweet, and has a hint of hops. The first sip is heavenly, revealing a very sweet, smooth malt backbone with just a hint of bitterness. The malt flavor is more grainy than caramel. The carbonation is lively, keeping the mouthfeel on the lighter side. What gets me every time I drink this, is that it still tastes great as it warms up. I haven't had too many lagers that do well past 55F. The other thing that makes this beer stand out is how balanced it is. 30IBU's is bitter enough to turn someone away from a beer. The extra malt in this brew keep it very balanced.

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 9/10
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 16/20

Final Score: 39/50

When I was younger, this was the first beer to introduce me to something other than cheapass pisswater. Even today, there's something about this style that never lets me down. Sure, it may not seem as magical as the first sip, but it is without a doubt one hell of a fine beer.