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Great Northern Original

Great Northern Brewing Co.
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🌍 Australia · Australian Lager · One of 22 Australian Lagers in hopIQ

The full-strength lager the brand launched with in 2010, brewed from Australian pale malt, lager yeast and a single light-stable hop chosen to keep sunlight from marking the beer. It pours light golden and opens with a soft fruity aroma of apple and pear that comes from the yeast rather than the hops. The malt stays lean and grainy behind it, with a faint cracker sweetness, while the bitterness sits low and grassy. Brisk carbonation, a thin body and a clean dry finish.

ABV
4.2%
Bitterness
Mild11 IBU
SRM
pale gold4

AWARDS

Bronze · 2018
Australian International Beer Awards
Australian Style Lager
★Bronze — Australian International Beer Awards (Australian Style Lager)
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Taste structure· The backbone of the beer, regardless of style.
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
hopIQ take

Mildly bitter and crisp.

Trim and gentle — the beer moves through with an unforced, easy rhythm.

Wider bands mean we're less certain about the exact position.
Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Australian Lager.
Hop character
grassy
Malt character
malty
Fermentation & yeast
clean
fruity
yeasty
Compare with another beer →

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Great Northern Original

◎ Appearance

Great Northern Original pours a pale golden color with excellent clarity and bright transparency. A fine, white head forms and recedes steadily, leaving delicate lacing on the glass. Vigorous carbonation is evident throughout, creating a lively visual presence.

pale goldencrystal clearfine headbrisk carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with soft, fruity esters—distinct notes of green apple and pear that derive from the yeast rather than hop character. Behind these sits a lean, grainy malt presence with subtle cracker sweetness. The aromatic profile remains restrained and inviting, free from aggressive hop bite.

apple and pearyeasty estersgrainy maltsoft fruit

◐ Taste

The palate entry is clean and crisp, with light malt character providing a dry framework. Mid-palate reveals the grainy, slightly biscuity malt backbone with minimal sweetness, followed by low, grassy bitterness that finishes without harshness. The body remains thin and quenching throughout.

dry and cleangrainy maltgrassy bitternesslight-bodied

◑ Finish

The finish is short and exceptionally dry, with no residual sweetness. A subtle grassy note persists briefly before a complete, refreshing fade.

dry finishrefreshing fade
74
hopIQ score
Aroma
75
Taste
74
Appearance
76
Finish
72
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Great Northern Original

Serve at 4–7°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Stein
Recommended for this style

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Great Northern Original

About Australian Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Australian Lager?

Australian Lager is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Australian Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same clean, dry, fruity character as Great Northern Original will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Australian Lagers in hopIQ