Review: Great Lakes Brewing Co.'s Commodore Perry IPA

After trying Great Lakes' Edmund Fitzgerald porter months ago, and loving it I might add, I decided it was time to try a few of their other offerings. So I went down to the beverage center and picked up their Commodore Perry IPA. I had it recommended by a friend or two, so I assumed it'd be a good choice.

Just judging from the bottle I can tell it's a simple, yet somewhat strong (at 7.5% ABV) IPA. The description says it's a simple, bare-bones kind of beer. Without further ado, let's break this Commodore down!

Appearance: 2/5
Commodore Perry is a rather plain-looking IPA with a pale golden color and a small head that disappears in no time flat. It's not exactly impressive-looking, but then again not a lot of basic IPAs are.

Nose: 2.5/5
There's a very faint aroma of citrusy hops. Nothing too complex about the nose to this beer.

Taste: 3.5/5
Commodore Perry is heavy on the citrus notes, but not overbearing. It's a rather unobtrusive taste that, while hoppy, doesn't leave you pucker-lipped and is just mild and enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: 2.5/5
While this IPA is mildly enjoyable, it's just too simple. It has a body as light as the color with not much else to note.

Finish: 3/5
This IPA goes down smooth, leaving you with a faint citrusy floral aftertaste.

Total Score: 60.5/100

I wasn't as impressed with this IPA as I thought I was going to be. It's a simple, enjoyable IPA, but nothing out of the ordinary. I'd say it's worth a shot, but don't run down to the beverage center frothing at the mouth waiting to try it.

Until next time, cheers!

-Blake

Review: Three Heads Brewing Loopy Oatmeal Red Ale

Hey, all! I just splurged a bit at the beverage store, so I'm bringing you a new review. First up this weekend is Three Heads' Loopy Oatmeal Red Ale. Me and this creamy, hoppy bugger have met before when I visited a Scottish pub in the city, so I was overjoyed when I saw it at the beverage store.

Loopy is a very well-balanced ale that maintains its complexity while being absolutely delicious and drinkable. So let's get right into the review!

Appearance: 4/5
Loopy is dark red in color and really cloudy. It's pretty much opaque. I like the way it looks, though, because you know it's going to be a darker beer, but not too dark. It could be that I did a bad pour, but there wasn't a ton of head.

Nose: 3/5
The aroma of Loopy isn't overbearing. It's faintly hoppy, and that's about it. I get a sense of the darker malts in the beer when I nose it, as well.

Taste: 5/5
Loopy comes on with a nice hoppy backbone from the Humulus Lupulus hops used in the ale. The malts come in much stronger, making the ale creamy and dark. There are hints of chocolate in it as well. It's very tasty.

Mouthfeel: 5/5
Loopy is creamy. It has a medium-to-full body that comes off as rather dark for a red ale. This is probably because of the rich oatmeal malt.

Finish: 4/5
Loopy finishes quite smooth, with no lingering aftertaste save for a faint chocolatey taste. It just wraps up so well.

Total Score: 87/100

Loopy is an absolute must, taste-wise. If you can get it on tap, all the better. I highly recommend this delicious beer, as the memory of it will probably stay with you as it has with me.

-Blake