Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale - The Great Lakes Brewing Company - Cleveland, OH

When I first moved back to the Northeast, I knew that I was going to have an opportunity to try several beers that just weren't available on the West Coast. I was also prepared to have to spend days trying to hunt down these incredibly tasty libations. You see, contrary to popular belief, the Left Coast isn't the only shoreline that can produce top shelf brews. What I wasn't prepared for, is the fact that one of these outstanding brews would be available in my local "Nice "n Easy" corner store for me to pick up on my way home from my kids Hockey practice.

The Great Lakes Brewing Company was one of the best surprises when I back here. They seem to bottle nothing but quality, and although I had yet to sample their Burning Pale Ale, I was pretty sure that it was going to be something that I would be willing to serve both family and friends. Here's what the website had to say:



THE BEER:

Name Origin: This American pale ale garners its fair share of attention around the world—just as the Cuyahoga River did when it suddenly caught fire in 1969 and spurred the introduction of the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Style Origin: Pale ales gradually evolved from an English town called Burton-upon-Trent that was known for its distinctive hard water supply and propensity to brew a lighter-colored beer than was common at the time.

Flavor: Assertively hopped with citrusy and piney Cascade hops

Ingredients:

MALT

Harrington 2-Row Base Malt: Allows color and flavor from other specialty malts to come through; makes for very clean beer

Crystal 45: Contributes to color and adds sweet caramel aroma and flavor

Crystal 77: Contributes to color and adds slight aroma and flavor

Biscuit: Adds toasty aroma and flavor

HOPS

Northern Brewer: Traditional bittering hop for English-style ales; provides strong bitterness to complement full flavored pale ales

Cascade: Popular in American pale ales; provides citrusy/grapefruit aroma and flavor

Pairs With: Smoky red meats and aromatic cheeses like Stilton and blue

Shelf Life: 90 days

An assertively hopped American pale ale with citrusy and piney Cascade hops.

Availability:

6 packs, 12 packs and draft

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2011 World Beer Championships

Gold Medal, 2008 World Beer Championships

Gold Medal, 2007 World Beer Championships

Gold Medal, 2006 World Beer Championships

Gold Medal, 2005 World Beer Championships

Silver Medal, 2002 World Beer Championships

Silver Medal, 2001 World Beer Championships

Gold Medal, 1996 World Beer Championships

Gold Medal, 1995 World Beer Championships

World Champion, Gold Medal, 1994 World Beer Championships

Silver Medal, 1993 Great American Beer Festival

THE BEWERY:

Brewhouse: The Brewhouse is a two-story facility that features full glass walls to give visitors a view of the stainless steel brewing vessels responsible for the four stages of the brewing process: mashing, lautering, boiling and whirlpooling.

Tank Farm: The Tank Farm warehouses the 300 barrel stainless steel fermentation tanks where beers undergo fermentation, aging and filtration before reaching the bottling line.

Bottling & Packaging Line: The Bottling & Packaging Line is where fresh beer is bottled in brown bottles and packaged in high walled carriers to protect the beer from damaging light. In addition, each bottle is labeled with a consumer friendly freshness date and packaged in eco-friendly carriers and cartons, as well as kegged in half barrels and 1/6 barrels.

Beer Cooler: The Beer Cooler refrigerates the beer immediately after bottling to prevent oxidation from prolonged warm storage. Freshness dates are regularly checked to ensure proper rotation and freshness.

Quality Assurance Labs: We maintain two onsite laboratories for quality assurance - one for physical and chemical tests and one for microbiological work. These labs are capable of performing a broad range of tests and data analyses to help guarantee the quality of the beer being delivered to customers.

Physical/Chemical Lab

In this laboratory, all of the physical and chemical analyses of raw materials and beer in process are performed. These tests include but are not limited to: beer color, beer bitterness, alcohol content, haze stability, hop aromatic oils and malt modification. Data from the lab is used to adjust the process to guarantee a consistent, high quality beer.

Microbiological Lab

The production of beer is a microbiological process. Microscopic single-celled organisms (yeast) metabolize sugar and produce ethanol (alcohol), carbon dioxide and other chemicals recognized as "beer" flavor. In this lab, the technicians monitor the fermentation process and combine this data with physical and chemical tests to ensure proper flavor is achieved in the beers. Lab technicians also check for the presence of other organisms such as bacteria (non-harmful to humans) that may cause the beer to develop a sour or "off" flavor.

A Discerning Difference

Recognized as one of the finest regional craft breweries in the country, we continue to make a name for ourselves by ensuring that an uncompromising pursuit of superior taste differentiates our products from the rest of the market. To make sure that products are stored correctly on retailer shelves, we maintain a team of area managers and field sales representatives who regularly monitor product storage and freshness in the field. "Imports run the risk of growing stale by the time they reach the United States, and preservative-laden, highly pasteurized beers tend to offer less than full-bodied taste," Patrick Conway notes. "Our fresh product positions us as a very strong player among discerning craft brew consumers."

Exceptional Measures Ensure Top-of-Line Quality

We continuously look for opportunities to provide customers with the highest quality, freshest beer possible. Every aspect of the process from raw materials to packaging undergoes stringent quality checks and must be approved by both quality and production teams before use.

Brewery Office Hours

Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Brewery Contact Information

Great Lakes Brewing Company

1947 West 28th Street

Cleveland, Ohio 44113

216.771.4404

216.771.2799 (fax)

glbcinfo@greatlakesbrewing.com

WEBSITE:

http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/uploads/Beer/WEB%20Profile%20Burning%20River%202012.pdf

REVIEW:

Well, once again, The Great Lakes Brewing Company impresses me. Just when I thought that I had found my favorite, they roll out another for me to sample and it equals or surpasses the last. In The Burning River Pale Ale, the citrus is very apparent, as is the pine-like overtone. The pour was smooth as silk, producing a nice strong head. This locked in that burst of flavor. I could definitely detect the pine and grapefruit, and it was not overdone, which is nice to see for a change. This brewery just seems to get it right all of the time. Burning River is no exception. Seek it out!

RATING:

8/10 - Seek it out!