ABV: 4.5%

If you are itching for a tour of Davey Jones’ locker, the Shipwrecked Peninsula Porter can take you there. Wait, does ‘Davey Jones’ locker’ apply to Lake Michigan or only the ocean? Whatever, I’m going with it. Also, for your reading and beer tasting musical accompaniment, you are going to need this song* about a famous shipwreck in the Great Lakes.

The Shipwrecked Peninsula Porter’s appearance is reminiscent of a calm night at sea, dark black with minimal frothing, so very little lacing and almost no head. The taste is simple but hints at a storm that might be brewing. It is not as thick as you would expect from a porter, which makes it surprisingly easy to drink. That, combined with my suspicion that it would be just as good warm as it is cold, may be why it was favored by the sailors who originally brewed it (as the brewery’s website claims). There’s very little carbonation going on here, which really tunes the mouthfeel down to the weight of an amber. Both the predominant scent and flavor is that of coffee, but there is definitely some chocolaty sweetness going on here too. It finishes with a gale that will knock your mast down, by which I mean it has a really fantastic, full finish that pulls you back for more. Just like the sea. Or a drunken sailor? I don’t know; this analogy has gotten confusing. Anyhow, carry on, Skipper.

This porter is deep and intriguing like an expert-level scuba dive. Though it might not be quite as deep as say, the remains of the Titanic, because that would make it inaccessible. No, this wreck sits somewhere in the Mesopelagic Zone somewhere between the deepest free dive (702 ft) and the deepest scuba dive (1,044 ft). Check out this awesome chart for reference. The Shipwrecked Peninsula Porter is a really well done, quality brew. This is one ship you’ll be happy to go down with, Captain. (Yes, you have been promoted since the previous paragraph.)

For further reading:

Famous shipwrecks of the Great Lakes and everywhere.

Practice your Sailor Slang!

*Thanks Dad. (It’s total dad music.)