I’m back. While I’ve had several beers in the last three weeks since the birth of my beautiful baby girl, I haven’t had a spare minute to sit in front of the blank canvas of my computer screen and thoughtfully jot my impressions of a fine brewery creation. Coincidentally, between that last sentence and this, she has been placed in my arms for a moment and I’ve been assigned the task of rocking her back to slumber.

But it’s been too long, so a little 6 pounds, 5 ounces of crying, gurgling, milk-drinking fun isn’t going to stop my fingers from striking these keys and my mouth from tasting the hops, malt, yeast and bounty of Great Lakes newest brew.

First off, Great Lakes has been, well, great. My exposure began with their sampler pack and I was more than pleased. Each brew seemed well crafted and tasty and this big IPA followed suit. It poured a rich golden, reminding me more of a nice Belgian, with a rich, solid head of ivory bobbing at the top. The hops scent was rich with a great blend of earthiness and citrus. Again, I can only describe it as rich, a dense, textured aroma both pleasing and aggressive. The citrus hits in the front of the taste, but a stinging hoppy burst follows closely behind. The earthiness continues and lingers for a long time after I’ve swallowed.

A solid beer and a great first step back into reviewing, I’ll definitely look forward to the three brews left in the fridge.

ABV: 9.1%

Grade: B+