Great Lakes Big Black Smoke

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Aroma of roasted malts, and mild coffee. Black with an off white head. Slightly bitter, then taste of roasted malts, coffee and dark chocolate. Light alchohol finish. Similar to Edmund Fitzgerald.

Tap at the brewpub. Listed as Big Black Smoke, but it appears to be the same beer as Big Black. Aroma: some deep roasted malt with light coffee and roasted nuts. Smoke is there, but subtle. Definatly highly roasted malt smokiness rather than actual smoked malts. Some grassy and floral hop aromas. Appearance: Dark brown in color with small chestnut highlights. Light beige head was small and foamy. Decent lacing. Flavor: Again, highly roasted malts dominate. Coffee, nuts, light cocoa, and smoke. Some dark fruits as it warms. Very light herbal/floral hops in the finish. Palate: Medium-light bodied. Medium carbonation. Overall: A decent porter, but not as good as the Edmund Fitz. Even though I was expecting a more smokey aroma/flavor, I like the way it was handled here.

On tap at the brewery. It reminded me of a stepped up version of the edmund fitz that had used smoked malts. This was very enjoyable. A little thiner than I like a big porter or smoked beer, but it was really good. Highly enjoyable and recommended. A nice mellow or subtle smoke flavor mixed into a nice porter.

By far the best porter I’ve ever had and always that much better at the brewpub, pitch black, thick tan head that stayed till the last drop, great sweet but not too sweet chocolate flavor, really wasn’t smokey like I thought it would be, and its really 6.2%. Bottle this over the Edmund Fitzgerald and they’d sell like crazy.

Black pour with a tan head. Aromas weren’t as smokey as I hoped. Notes of chocolate, grassy hops, and a little yeast. Rich flavors and mouthfeel, with flavors of cocoa, and dark fruit. Dry finish, with more smokey notes here than anywhere else in this. Tasty, but could maybe use a little more smoke.

Tap. Black color. Sparse off-white head. Roasted malt, coffee and light smoke in aroma. Taste is of the same; coffee, roasted malt and smokiness. The smoke flavor and aroma is present but not overwhelming. Medium bodied. Nicely done.

Nice and sweet, slightly hoppy. Good smoke, not overpowering but complimentary. Dark fruits in the finish. Aroma is great. Slightly fishy. A nice beer!