Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Cleveland, OH

Named for the great ship that tragically sank in Lake Superior in 1975 with many Ohioans on board, this porter is brewed with Harrington two-row, Crystal 77 and Chocolate malts and roasted barley. It’s hopped with Northern Brewer, Willamette and Cascade hops.

ABV: 5.8

ABW: 4.7

COLOR: 62

BITTERNESS: 37

ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1060

AVAILABLE: DC, IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WI, WV

Pouring as murky black as the Lake Superior waters were the day this beer’s namesake ship was lost in a storm, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter wears a small, dark tan head that slowly shrinks to a rich, foamy ring that leaves just a bit of lace on the sides of the glass as you drink it. The aroma is rich, with hints of dark-toasted bread and chocolate along with notes of licorice and coffee. Flavors are well-rounded and complex with chocolate, licorice, nearly burned bread, a spicy peppery bitterness and an underlying slight roasty sweetness. Complex and full-bodied, this is a world-class porter.
- Lisa Morrison

This is a beer that’s been on my radar for many years. I’ve seen it win countless medals, and I’ve always been intrigued by the tragic story behind its name. At last, a chance to taste this dark ruby porter. Powdery chocolate, spiked with a little roasted coffee in the nose; a mostly sweet, velvety taste with bitter burnt grains offering more coffee notes over fudgy, chocolatelike malt; a full, bitter, dry finish dominated by roasted grains. Big flavors throughout but all too quaffable. Worth the wait? Oh, yes!
- Jeff Evans

Lisa Morrison
Lisa Morrison, aka the Beer Goddess, talks beer every day at her beer store and taproom, Belmont Station, and on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.

Jeff Evans
Jeff Evans is author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide, The Book of Beer Knowledge and Beer Lover’s Britain. More of his writing can be found at www.insidebeer.com.