Why we picked it: Rated a 94 at Total Wine. It's brewed in Cleveland and I'm from Cleveland.
Name Origin: Sure, Gordon Lightfoot hasn’t penned an ode to it (yet), but this porter is song-worthy—much like its legendary namesake ship that frequently docked in Cleveland and tragically sunk in Lake Superior in 1975 with many Northeast Ohioans on board.
Style Origin: Originated in Great Britain and named after the porters who hauled goods from wagons to the stands at the open air markets common to England at that time.
Flavor: Bittersweet chocolate-coffee taste and bold hop presence
Ingredients:
Malts:
Harrington 2-Row Base Malt: Allows color and flavor from other specialty malts to come through; makes for very clean beer
Crystal 77: Contributes to color and adds sweeter aroma and flavor
Chocolate: Provides deep, rich color and coffee-like flavor and aroma
Roasted Barley: Adds color and roasted flavor
Hops:
Northern Brewer: Traditional bittering hop for English-style ales; provides strong bitterness to complement strong/assertive flavors of this porter
Fuggle: Traditional English hop for flavor in English ales; contributes milder earthy and woody aromas and flavors; adds complexity
Cascade: U.S. hop with citrus characteristics for aroma to balance roasted malts and add American element to this English style
Pairs With: Barbecued ribs, steaks, oysters
ABV: 5.8%
IBU: 37
Gravity: 15°P
Case cost: $35
*website: http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/beer/an-exceptional-family-of-beers/year-round/edmund-fitzgerald-porter
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay, if they'd put fifteen more miles behind her......
ReplyDeleteDoes everyone know that Joe is vegetarian? Its been almost 2 days since his last reminder. Want to make sure everyone's aware.
ReplyDeleteDelicious. Perfect winter beer, in my book.
ReplyDeleteTony, I need the blog posted earlier so that I know what to pair things with. Had I known that this beer goes well with barbecued ribs, steaks, and oysters, I would have prepared all three tonight.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good porter. Imagine if they added vanilla beans!
For pairings, I recommend a Woodford Reserve on the rocks, a PapaJohn pepperoni pizza with garlic bread sticks, followed by an Allagash Black. Perhaps some Knicks v. Lakers action and maybe even Bengals v. Eagles on the boob tube.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, despite it's dark color it was very light. If last night was Guiness Lite, this was Guiness Lite Squared. The first sip I took, I was expecting to taste a bunch of carbonation. Overall it wasn't bad but I would appreciate a little heavier beer for winter, this would be a perfect summer stout. 6 out of 10.
ReplyDeleteAnother winner, and for a change I'm not enjoying this one after a marathon conference call. Yay! I really like this one. So much so, that in honor of Three Chord Gord, the rest of this review will be in the style of his famous ballad.
ReplyDeleteA porter was drunk, didn't taste like a skunk,
I hope all bloggers drank fifty.
My next beer was fine, then I shifted to wine,
And soon I was feelin' quite nifty!
Then whiskey came in, and I started to grin,
Oh what a wonderful feeling!
When morning arrived, and I felt like I'd died,
All I could do was stare at the ceiling.
Eddie Fitz and I have met before and we shall meet again. This a quality porter that can be drunk in multiples without overwhelming the taste buds or the senses. I wish the ABV was a little stronger, but this is still a high quality brew. I think the secret is the fuggle hops. Fuggle! Grade: 8/10
ReplyDeleteI think Goose Island should have a Patty Fitz in honor of the greatest coach in college football history.
DeleteAfter listening to all you whiny asses complain about porters, this was a nice change, even though it is in fact a "porter." It seems as though we have several beer aficionados in this blog. I mean, I think I've heard the word Guinness and "porter" at least 300 times each and we are only halfway through the month. Seriously? There are at least 2-3 other types of beer out there. Lets use a few actual examples or at least a wider variety of comparisons other than what you people see at your local grocery store. Before you know it, someone in this blog will say that they actually sailed on the Edmund Fitzgerald when this beer was made. Here's a comparison for you; I'd say this one is close to an actual Chocolate stout like Youngs or Brooklyn Black or Earth Chocolate Milk Stout. You won't find those at your yuppie grocers. As far as pairing goes… this beer is pretty dark! The last time anything this dark was in a white guy… Danny Boaduce was involved! Lets digress…… I would like to see this beer paired with Pamela Anderson or a good skin flick! Who's with me? For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure this beer would go great with something on HGTV. As far as pairing this beer with food? Who cares! Lets pair it with eggs or ice cream. None of that matters. After all, they used to say you couldn't drink beer for breakfast, to that I say… Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fine porter (is it okay to use that term since it is the type of beer?). On tap at the Red Room so been here before. I like Great Lakes beer. Best thing to come out of Cleveland. Except the people. Everyone loves people from Cleveland. I will say that after the ol' work holiday party, this being my 9th beer of the evening, it could have been anything but Anchor Steam Christmas and I probably would have loved it.
ReplyDeleteok, so I don't like Porters and figured this one would suck. I tasted it and it sucked. I can't tell you why it sucked b/c I dislike porters although this one did taste different than most porters. You could really taste the roasted Barley and chocolate. Not a big fan of chocolate flavor in my beer.
ReplyDeletefull disclosure: Unfortunately my review is biased and wanted to make sure no one basis their opinion on this beer solely based on this review.
Rating: 5
For next year, we should go with the Christmas Ale. Very tasty.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/beer/an-exceptional-family-of-beers/seasonal/christmas-ale
Loved this one. Very nice and complex. Justin keeps humming the song, which is annoying, but otherwise I would definitely search this one out in the future.
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ReplyDeleteSooner or later I'm going to figure out how to not post under my wife's google account. Perhaps by the 2017 24 days of beer.
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I should have reviewed this last night b/c I've totally forgotten what it tasted like. I think my reaction was, "Did Ivan pick this beer list? Because I'm kinda sick of dark beers. Was there any method to the schedule at all? I recall it being okay for a Porter since I'm not exactly a huge fan. I'm not sure what has Frank all riled up about the reviews, but I'm not going to argue with him. I paired this beer with a replay of Modern Family.
Geez, another one that I can't even finish. "Bittersweet chocolate-coffee taste and bold hop presence" - pretty much everything that I dislike in a beer.
ReplyDeleteHo! Yes! Nice porter with plenty of rich flavors. That one is not for the Corona boy's by the pool. This beer is rich, nice bittersweet chocolate notes with full hops and a clean finish, I like it! Rated 6.9/10
ReplyDeleteP.S: Maybe too much for vegetarian!! So, Joe do be careful with that one, lay down before you drink it.
A couple days behind here...I didn't thing I was going to like this beer at all. But I tried it with an open mind and it surprised me. I didn't love it, but I thought it was good. I would have to be in the right mood and setting to drink this beer, but isn't that true for every beer? I think I liked it because it was flavorful, light and did not have too much coffee taste. I'll give it a 7 out of 10, B-
ReplyDeleteNot a bad porter. Nice roastinesss. A little rough around the edges on the finish. Wouldn't mind having another. B+.
ReplyDeleteAn outstanding beer. Great balance between all the different flavors -- the expected chocolate/coffee of a porter and some hops for IPA dorks like myself. If this weren't my third beer of the night, I'd consider hopping in the car to go out and pick up a six-pack.
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