I have less than 20 minutes to write this review and get back to work (no pressure). One of best craft breweries that I stumbled upon two years ago was Great Lakes Brewing Co. Based out of Cleveland Ohio, they make an assortment of distributed beers which are, in my opinion, high caliber. Last Spring I picked up a sixer of they seasonal brew and loved it. Giving me something to look forward to this year, I bounded for the store to procure myself a pack. It is an Irish-Style Ale making it perfect for the month of March and its St. Patty’s festivities.

The color is a clean copper producing a tan head that welcomes slow sipping. I’m a fan of big malty beers and Conway fits the bill. Burying my nose in the frothy goodness, I was met with an abundance of rich grains and malt aromas. Let’s see…I picked up some sweet toffee, caramel, biscuit, toasty highlights, and great bready qualities. I imagine this is what a fresh bag of grain would smell like if you scooped up a handful. There were also fruity ale characteristics that accentuated the malt profile. The hops are pretty hidden, but I did note an earthy spice (similar to English pales).

The taste…scrumtrulescant! Each sip was like taking a bite of a moderately toasted piece of bread. One thing that I noticed was that the biscuit flavors come out more and there were additional general nutty notes (hazelnut). The mouthfeel was full, but not heavy on the tongue. It was rather jammy and complimented my PB&J (side of bland almonds) well.

Overall, I’d say this is an excellent beer that deserves a try. For those of you who are hop lovers, this might be a great malty beer to experiment on. Unfortunately, it only comes out in the Spring or I’d have my fridge stocked year round.

Sláinte!