Posted on

Great Lakes Brewing Company: Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Great Lakes Brewing Company: Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

ABV: 6.0%

IBU: 37

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.8/5

Today we honor the fallen crew of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on the Windowsill.

Did you know there have been over 6,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes? A lot of them happen because of the turbulent weather in the region, which is what caused the most famous shipwreck in the area in November of 1975. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was carrying 26,116 long tons of taconite pellets made of processed iron ore when it sank in Lake Superior, killing 29 men on board. It remains the largest ship to go down in the Great Lakes.

Cleveland, Ohio’s Great Lakes Brewing Company chose to honor the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald with their award-winning porter. It’s complex and roasty with a bittersweet, chocolaty coffee flavor and a “bold hop presence.” The Edmund Fitzgerald Porter has won 12 medals at the World Beer Championships, and is a great way to pay tribute to the freighter’s fallen crew.

Check this one out on Instagram now. Make sure to like and follow!

Posted on

Atwater Brewery: Vanilla Java Porter

Atwater Brewery: Vanilla Java Porter

ABV: 5.0%

IBU: 13

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.83/5

We’ve had a few stouts on the window sill, but not yet their great granddaddy, the porter. It’s time to remedy that.

The porter is among the oldest styles of beer in the world, having been invented somewhere in the 1700s. It became very popular with the transportation workers of Central London during the industrial revolution, which is where it got its catchy name. The original recipe called for three different styles: an aged or sour old ale, a brown or pale new ale and a milder ale. As I alluded to earlier, the porter is the direct ancestor to the stout, which was typically made by making porters that were stronger and more robust than the typical recipe called for. In fact, the original heavier porters were often called “Stout Porters.”

For me, the Vanilla Java Porter from Atwater Brewery was a bit of a miss. The vanilla and coffee aromas really came through when I poured it into the glass, but the flavor didn’t really back that up enough for me. I’m used to the more intense flavor of a stout, so this was a bit watered down for me.

Check out more craft beer—both winners and non-winners—on our Instagram now!