I’m going to start reviewing some of the interesting beers that we try. Or if it goes well and I enjoy writing them, I may review every new beer we try. Beer is fascinating because of the nuances that are developed by the brewmaster. Two breweries can brew the same type of beer but can have vastly different results. Breweries have varying inspirations that impact how they approach brewing beer. Take my favorite brewery, Dogfish Head, for example. Since their founding, they’ve been driven to brew culinary-inspired beers, and it often results in complex flavors that are common along the East Coast. Beers are fun to drink and fun to write about. This will be my way of remembering what a beer tastes like down the road.

First up on my series of beer reviews is one that I didn’t know existed until last weekend. It’s Great Lakes’ Cran Orange Wheat, the brewery’s September release, even though we didn’t find it until October. Before diving into the beer, a little bit about the brewery. Great Lakes is from Cleveland, Ohio, and was started by two brothers in 1988. Since then, they’ve expanded to sell beers in nearly one-third of the states. Their most famous beers are their Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Commodore Perry IPA, and Eliot Ness Amber Lager, which are their flagships and available year-round. They do an incredible job of taking inspiration from the region, with many of their beer names honoring Lake Erie and Northeast Ohio.

Cran Orange Wheat

And now we move to the beer itself. It’s a fruited wheat ale with a 5.5% ABV and 17 IBUs. We paid around $12 for a six pack of cans.

Visual

Cran Orange Wheat is a gorgeous reddish-orange color that reminds me of a Cara Cara orange. It has a medium head on it, which helps to release the aromatics, but more on that in a second.

I’m a sucker for beer can and bottle design/artwork. Regardless if it’s a well-designed graphic or just a striking color palette, the design is the first thing that draws you in when you’re exploring new beers. A well-designed product shows that the brewery dedicates time and attention to providing the consumer with an all-encompassing experience. Great Lakes really understands this, and their beers almost always include an eye-catching design, especially their flagship beers, which include some of the most recognizable labels you’ll find on a distributor’s shelf.

They continue this trend with Cran Orange Wheat. The artwork that gives me Christmas-themed wallpaper vibes. The base layer of the design is maroon with oranges and cranberries placed on top of it. The beer’s name is written in a lovely script that stands out from the can while staying within the overall design theme. The design works for me and does a great job of setting the consumer up for a delightful drinking experience.

Scent

A deep inhale of the beer after it’s poured immediately transports you to Christmas time. It could be a pot of water with cranberries, oranges, and spices on the stove or a Christmas-themed candle, but it’s invigorating and full of natural scent notes. The cranberries are the first to hit your nose, and they’re followed by a bright citrus note from the oranges. Specifically, it reminds me of the fresh cranberry relish we make at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Taste

The initial flavor hit you get when you first take a sip of Cran Orange Wheat is a punch of cranberry. With it comes a slight bitterness and astringency that the cranberries bring. Alone, it would leave your mouth feeling dry. But immediately after that are the warming citrus notes of the orange, and it’s not an artificial orange flavor, either. It tastes like someone squeezed an orange into your glass. It results in a well-balanced, easy-to-drink beer that is tart but stops short of being a sour. This works perfectly for me because I love sours and the “pucker” effect they deliver.

Overall Review

I would describe Orange Cran Wheat with a simple phrase: Thanksgiving in a glass. Of course, I don’t mean turkey and mashed potatoes, but more so the scent and vibe of the holiday. I think this is what Great Lakes was going for too. Their page for the beer mentions pairing it with turkey and pecan pie, both common elements of an excellent holiday meal. As soon as I took my first sip of this beer, I found myself wanting more of it. It’s incredibly easy to drink, and you’ll find yourself going back for more. Perhaps the worst part of it is that it’s only released for one month. I give this beer a score of 8/10 and recommend seeking it out if you can buy Great Lakes beer in your area.