Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

May 9, 2023

stoutmaker Porter , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Today we are going to be drinking an old favorite… Edmund Fitzgerald Porter by the Great lakes Brewing Company. 
A couple of quick stats here, 37 IBU and  6% abv.

Poured from a 12oz bottle, Fitz drops a big light tan head that lingers for quite a while. The body is very dark brown, but staying short of black. Ruby or reddish edges where light makes it through.

Even upon pouring the aromas of chocolate, light roast and grainyness hit you. There is something in there that’s giving the impression that it should be sweet along with a faint old school earthy/citrus hop aroma as well. Don’t see this much any more, but reminds me of cascade. There really is quite a bit happening already and we didn’t even taste it yet.

Oddly, with all of that stuff going on in the nose, the first taste I get is that grainy backbone. Then comes the roasted barley, dark chocolate with caramel on back end. Quite a bit of a smooth hop taste as well. All of these points are bold, but not overpowering. Noticably minerally. Could be the water?
Thankfully it is not as sweet as I thought it was going to be.

Somewhat dry and well received roasty finish, but a decent roasty beer should have this. Would’nt say this is a thin body, but it is thinner than your eyes think it should be. But could be some of that bitterness and carbonation tricking you as well.

There is good roast, and solid bittering, with thise hops really wanting to stand out. Everything about this screams old school. So it’s solid, balanced, big but subtle.  Most importantly, smoothly drinkable.

I am sure glad these older beers are making another run to show today’s drinkers and brewers what can be done when not over playing any part and just letting things play together.

Easily 4.5/5. I recommend this if you can get it.

Ohio City Oatmeal Stout

December 8, 2021

stoutmaker review , , , , , Leave a comment

Tonight we are having Great Lakes Brewing Ohio City Oatmeal Stout. I do love oatmeal stouts, but they sure have changed in the past few years. Great Lakes usually does good stuff So I am looking forward to this.

From the label, it looks like we are sitting at 5.4% and 25 IBU and it is in a 12oz bottle.

Lifting the cap we get very little hiss or Co2 release. Not that concerning in this style, but curious as to be almost nothing.
Pouring it into my usual garage tulip glass I get about ½ inch tan head. That’s about what you would expect from an oatmeal beer.
Very black. No highlights red or brown and no noticeable carbonation bubbles.

The first aroma I get, surprisingly, is oatmeal. I say surprisingly because it has been rare these days to find that. But here it is, Mmmm. Then comes sweetness and roast. Not a lactose sweet (I’m glad for that) but more of a low crystal malt note. The level of that roast is just noticeable, but that oatmeal is keeping it down. And Its not roast barley roast,, more of a black malt or chocolate malt kind of roast with almost burnt notes, like a good oatmeal stout should be. This smells fantastic!

Before I can get to the first taste, the head has completely disappeared. But thats usually is the case with Oatmeal stouts. That oatmeal has quite a bit of oil in it and generally destroys the head retention.

As I take the first sip, the first thing that I notice is not the taste, but the feel. Its thin and fairly high carbonation. It has like a foamy feel to it. My guess would be that they tried to up the carbonation, to give it at least a bit of that tan head.

The roast is the first taste I get, then chocolate then a bit of raisin and toasted malt.. In that order. These all really work in a stout, and particularly in an Oatmeal stout. No hop and no yeast contributions which is fine here, because the balance of those roasty/chocolate/raisin really really is spot on.

Other than the thin body, everything about this beer is what an Oatmeal stout should be. Its not as heavy a beer as you would think would be, and I can definitely drink a couple of these.

3.75/5 that body and foamy carbonated feel makes me think more of Porter, but either way I like this.