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Well, folks, it’s been a while since I’ve graced the pages of BeerDorks. I apologize if you’ve missed me, but I have to say there’s been a little trouble around the offices.

By the time Eddie got back from his “trip,” Nigel had pretty much taken over the shop and proclaimed himself “King of the Office,” which in Nigel’s brain means he dressed up in a kilt, painted his face a la William Wallace in “Braveheart,” and made a daily proclamation about what the Dorks would accomplish that day. I mean, if you think you have nuts in your office, you’ve got nothing compared to Nigel. He just gets away with his shit because he knows his beer.

Anyway, Nigel’s daily proclamations could last upwards of two hours, meaning we didn’t get all that much work done. When Eddie got back, I went to him to complain, but he was having none of it. He growled at me to mind my own business and kicked me out of the office.

Needless to say, he didn’t do anything about Nigel’s antics. (He claimed jet lag. For three weeks) So finally, I’d had enough and knew that if anything was going to change, I’d have to be the catalyst.

One day, Nigel got up on his desk to give the daily drone, and I decided to dekilt him. Yep, you guessed it, nothing happening under that skirt of his. Nigel screamed like a girl, jumped off the desk, and hopped to the bathroom, his kilt stuck at his ankles, screaming, “Nobody does that to Bravedrinker!”

Of course, who has to take the rap? Me. I got slapped with a sexual harrassment in the workplace notice and was suspended for a while.

Now that I’m back, it’s time for a little passive-aggressive behavior in the form of raiding Eddie’s Beer Fridge and reviewing a beer he just reviewed: Great Lakes Grassroots Ale.

Unfortunately for me, in my, “I’ll show you, Eddie Glick!” mindset, I have to admit that Eddie’s earlier review is dead on. Saisons really seem to be the new summer trend, and although I like that factor, this offering from Great Lakes just didn’t thrill me (in fact, I considered giving it two mugs, but it gets one for style).

This ale pours a deep golden amber and has a pretty decent head. The beer itself is thick without being cloudy, and you can really smell that malty, yeasty thickness on the nose.

Taste-wise, I was really hoping for something a little zesty because of the herbs, but I think the chamomile might be to blame here. Chamomile is usually a pretty calming, soothing herb, and I think it soothed away a lot of the potential in this beer and gave it kind of a blah flavor that really weighed it down. In fact, the beer is so thick and heavy in your mouth, that it’s not really all that refreshing. Although seasonal, it doesn’t remind me of summer, and it’s not a beer I’d drink more than one of at a time.

Reviewed by Jill Jaracz on July 9, 2009.

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