Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Pours deep black and brown with a thick and creamy tan head at about one inch. Slight translucent qualities displaying some shades of red near the bottom of the glass. Excellent head retention. A rush of deep roasted barley hits the nose. Surprisingly sweet and malty. Great charcoal, peat and oak tones. Additional black molasses sweetness with some malty qualities. A chocolate and vanilla finish on the nose with a constant reminder of the powerful, dark-roasted barley. Like the aromas, a huge rush of deeply roasted to almost burned barley flavors lead this porter. Dark chocolates and strong charcoal with tobacco flavor really power this out. Notes of roasted walnuts, vanilla and faint black licorice. A subtle hint of dry hops before a long, deep finish similar to a French or Italian roast coffee. Mouthfeel is creamy but not quite as viscous as typical porters. It is still thick enough to leave a nice coating on the tongue after each sip. Drinkability is probably the best of any porter I've tried. Typically this is not one of my choice styles but I would love to have Edmund Fitzgerald constantly in my refrigerator.