Try?
The legend
lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they call Gitchey Goomey.
The lake it is said never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy.
With a load of iron ore 26,000 tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Comin' back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
when they left fully loaded for Cleveland
With the above, Canadian folksinger Gordon Lightfoot immortalized the tragic sinking of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. The ship went down in the middle of a storm on November 10, 1975. All hands were lost. Lightfoot’s haunting strains truly honor the memory of the ship’s crew, but more recently the Great Lakes Brewing Company of Cleveland, Ohio further commemorated the Edmund Fitzgerald by naming a beer after her and placing her picture in the label.
As the song’s lyrics indicate, the ship was headed for Cleveland when she capsized and sank. Many of her crewmembers were Clevelanders, thus the sinking became a traumatic local event for many, and is still a topic evoking painful recollections from many a Clevelander.
From the sad story the beer derives its name from comes a brew of equally legendary proportions, albeit for a much more happy reason. Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is a fantastic example of a robust porter, the bolder of the two sub styles (the other being brown porter) of this type of dark ale. At one time, one could say with fair argument that this was the definitive example of the style being produced in the United States, though the beer seems to have mellowed slightly since Great Lakes undertook a large expansion of its facilities and distribution.
A few years ago I wrote the following about Edmund Fitzgerald Porter:
This beer is the epitome of robust porter. I recall enjoying it for the first time a few years ago, and being amazed at just how flavorful the stuff is. Since then, I've visited Great Lakes in Cleveland, and sampled quite a few more of their great beers. The Edmund Fitzgerald, however, will always have a special place in my heart.
As I pour the beer, a good sized head forms, and retention is good. The nose is smooth and quite malty. I get a lot of coffeeish roastiness in the palate, almost stout-like in intensity, then a good dose of hop bitterness in the finish. This is certainly an assertive porter, and a truly exceptional beer. Where ever you live, a trip to Great Lakes is well worth your while.
Of course, a trip to Great Lakes still comes highly recommended, and you could do worse than to sip a pint of the delightful porter I described above. Brewed with chocolate malt, roasted barley, pale and crystal malts, then hopped to 60 IBUs with Cascades, Kent Goldings, and Northern Brewer varieties, Edmund Fitzgerald is a delightful marriage of old world and new. It is also slightly more potent than your average porter at 5.8% by volume.
Edmund Fitzgerald is the recipient of the following awards:
1994 World Beer Championships Gold Medal
1996 World Beer Championships Gold Medal
2000 World Beer Championships Gold Medal
1997 World Beer Cup Bronze Medal
1998 World Beer Cup Silver Medal
1991 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal
1993 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter pours to a deep black color with a
thick foamy head formation and a roasty bitter nose. The palate is rich and
full-bodied with plenty of chocolate, espresso, and bitter roasted barley
notes. There’s more roasted bitterness in the finish along with some
bitterness from the English hops and a touch of piney Cascade notes. Yowza
this is one awesome beer! Still seems a bit milder than the first few
bottles of this beer that I enjoyed, but this batch seems better than the
last one I tried.
The lake it is said never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy.
With a load of iron ore 26,000 tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Comin' back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
when they left fully loaded for Cleveland
With the above, Canadian folksinger Gordon Lightfoot immortalized the tragic sinking of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. The ship went down in the middle of a storm on November 10, 1975. All hands were lost. Lightfoot’s haunting strains truly honor the memory of the ship’s crew, but more recently the Great Lakes Brewing Company of Cleveland, Ohio further commemorated the Edmund Fitzgerald by naming a beer after her and placing her picture in the label.
As the song’s lyrics indicate, the ship was headed for Cleveland when she capsized and sank. Many of her crewmembers were Clevelanders, thus the sinking became a traumatic local event for many, and is still a topic evoking painful recollections from many a Clevelander.
From the sad story the beer derives its name from comes a brew of equally legendary proportions, albeit for a much more happy reason. Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is a fantastic example of a robust porter, the bolder of the two sub styles (the other being brown porter) of this type of dark ale. At one time, one could say with fair argument that this was the definitive example of the style being produced in the United States, though the beer seems to have mellowed slightly since Great Lakes undertook a large expansion of its facilities and distribution.
A few years ago I wrote the following about Edmund Fitzgerald Porter:
This beer is the epitome of robust porter. I recall enjoying it for the first time a few years ago, and being amazed at just how flavorful the stuff is. Since then, I've visited Great Lakes in Cleveland, and sampled quite a few more of their great beers. The Edmund Fitzgerald, however, will always have a special place in my heart.
As I pour the beer, a good sized head forms, and retention is good. The nose is smooth and quite malty. I get a lot of coffeeish roastiness in the palate, almost stout-like in intensity, then a good dose of hop bitterness in the finish. This is certainly an assertive porter, and a truly exceptional beer. Where ever you live, a trip to Great Lakes is well worth your while.
Of course, a trip to Great Lakes still comes highly recommended, and you could do worse than to sip a pint of the delightful porter I described above. Brewed with chocolate malt, roasted barley, pale and crystal malts, then hopped to 60 IBUs with Cascades, Kent Goldings, and Northern Brewer varieties, Edmund Fitzgerald is a delightful marriage of old world and new. It is also slightly more potent than your average porter at 5.8% by volume.
Edmund Fitzgerald is the recipient of the following awards:
1994 World Beer Championships Gold Medal
1996 World Beer Championships Gold Medal
2000 World Beer Championships Gold Medal
1997 World Beer Cup Bronze Medal
1998 World Beer Cup Silver Medal
1991 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal
1993 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter pours to a deep black color with a
thick foamy head formation and a roasty bitter nose. The palate is rich and
full-bodied with plenty of chocolate, espresso, and bitter roasted barley
notes. There’s more roasted bitterness in the finish along with some
bitterness from the English hops and a touch of piney Cascade notes. Yowza
this is one awesome beer! Still seems a bit milder than the first few
bottles of this beer that I enjoyed, but this batch seems better than the
last one I tried. And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler
