ABV: 5.8%

So, here I am, at the gas station, trying to pick out a new kind of beer that I haven’t previously sampled. It’s slim pickins at the local UDF tonight and now I’m kicking myself for procrastinating on this beer review (something that I put myself through daily, obviously). I’m realllly wishing I would have made it to the liquor store so I could have found something exotic, but right before I gave up, a stormy blue six-pack catches my eye. Edmund Fitzgerald? What a lovely, handsome name for a beer! Sold.

Despite my lost want for something utterly different, I was pleasantly surprised to find that an undiscovered beer from Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland was right in front of me. I became even happier when I tasted it. Edmund Fitzgerald is a hit! It’s named after a ship that frequently docked in Cleveland, OH but then sunk in Lake Erie.  I was really hoping that the beer got its name from some badass sailor man because of the ship featured on the label, but I was wrong about that. I have very much enjoyed Great Lakes’ other varieties so I knew I’d like this one, too. It’s a porter with a full, smoky smooth flavor and an aftertaste reminiscent of coffee and chocolate, right up my alley. To make it even better, I turned the bottle to read the label and the first words I see are: WORLD CHAMPION GOLD MEDAL WINNER. What? Yes! Edmund Fitzgerald won at gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival. It looks like postponement paid off this time. Have you ever accidentally made a great decision after a bout of procrastination that you thought would lead to failure? It’s kind of a good feeling.