Beer Review – Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold

photo courtey of theperfectlyhappyman.com

As a part of a mixed six, I picked up a bottle of the Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold. We have reviewed a lot of the Great Lakes line-up (Christmas Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Commodore Perry IPA, The Doppelrock Doppelbock Lager, Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA, Eliot Ness Amber Lager and the Oktoberfest) and are huge fans. Their quality, variety, and commitment to craft brewing are exceptional,  so I wasn’t really taking a risk when I picked up the Dortmunder Gold.

Here is what Great Lakes has to say about their Dortmunder Gold:

Beer Review – Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

The Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Edmund Fitzgerald Porter was named after the freighter that sank in Lake Superior in 1975. The label states that this beer complies with the Bavarian Purity Laws, and is brewed using only barley, hops, yeast, and water. The Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is one of Great Lakes Brewing Company’s year round beers and it has an ABV of 5.8%.

• Appearance: Talk about a beautiful pour! Pitch black with a thick creamy head that dissipates very slowly. Lots of lacing left on the glass as you drink it down.
• Aroma: Burnt sugar. Coffee. Bittersweet chocolate.
• Taste: Good carbonation. Creamy texture. Reminds me of a double macchiato with a teaspoon of sugar, i.e. mildly bitter but with a touch of sweetness to keep things in check.

Today was an especially cold day in South Jersey and this beer has proved to be the perfect antidote for the mid-winter blues! The Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is a ridiculously easy drinking dark beer. It has the same qualities that I have long admired in Guinness Stout, but with a bit more alcohol content to give you that warm, toasty feeling. I really enjoyed this beer, and I highly recommend that you give it a try.

And for you music fans out there, below is a 1979 performance of Gordon Lightfoot singing The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Enjoy!