Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Great Lakes - Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

I was back at my college this weekend and at dinner after our football game I had the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. It is brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company out of Cleveland, Ohio. I am a sucker for smooth, malty beers, and porters generally fit the bill. I was very glad that I ordered this one.


My overall thoughts about this beer keep coming back to the fact that it was extremely smooth. I always expect a porter to be heavy but fairly smooth, making it a beer that you can enjoy in gulps, but definitely not one that you would do a case race with. But this one seemed especially creamy and very easy to drink, with a nice malty chocolate taste to it as well. I don't remember it being overly bitter even though Great Lakes' website says that this is a higher hopped porter than average. It is 5.8% Alcohol By Volume (ABV) and 37 IBUs, which is the measure of how bitter a beer is (the International Bitterness Unit). Since it is from Cleveland, it is widely available in the Midwest, but I have seen Great Lakes cases in several beer distributors around the Philly area. I would highly recommend that you give the Edmund Fitzgerald a try now that fall is right around the corner. 

Just in case anyone is interested, the Edmund Fitzgerald was a freight ship that operated on the Great Lakes. In 1975 it was caught in a winter storm and sank with all 29 crew members on board. Apparently it never sent out any distress signals and was split in two when it was eventually discovered at the bottom of Lake Superior. Gordon Lightfoot made a song about it. I've never heard it, but I'm sure it's terrible. If you are ever in Cleveland for work, or because you were kidnapped by Clevelanders, stop by the Great Lakes Brewery. They have tours and tastings to make your unintentional trip to Cleveland more bearable. 


And since today is Ohio themed, check out the Black Keys. They are from Akron and they are a great band with bluesy rock. I've been listening to their newest album Brothers on almost constant repeat lately, but Magic Potion from 2006 is also a great album. 

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