Lube Job
Great Lakes Brewery

 

It seems that Lube Job is dark brown but I'm going to go ahead and say black anyways. Honestly, it might as well be; there's no chance of seeing through it anyhow. Its head (definitely brown) has a longevity that marketers could claim is the result of an ancient far-eastern secret. I'd buy into that.

The aromas are as deep as the colour is dark; Lube Job brims with rich malty roast as well as piny and leafy hops. All factors are prominently on display here. The deep toast makes for nutty, coffee and cocoa-like flavours while a plum-like note lends a slight port-like quality.

This baltic porter comes at the palate with tastes of coffee and espresso upfront, followed by lots of dark chocolate and, maybe I'm crazy, but a dash of cinnamon as well. The hops are generous and provide a noticeably grassy, herbaceous dimension. For a beer with such roast and bitterness it's quite inviting; there's also a lovely little hint of cherry jam.

The feeling of crisp graham cracker toast on the palate provides superb structure all the while bitter espresso notes and leafy, piny hops replay long into the aftertaste. It has the nutty brown toast reminiscent of an English brown porter but also the espresso and dry licorice notes of an imperial stout. Each sip is like crunching into the burnt crust of a crème brûlée.

My only knock on Great Lakes Lube Job is that it makes many of the classic, European examples of the style seem small by comparison. Whether all the 'Wham Bam Thank You Maam' indulgence is adverse or advantageous is entirely subjective; I, personally, feel like they hit the mark for a porter, but not a baltic porter. Labels aside, this is good beer.

Bottle pours black with lots of caramal head foaming with each glass. Tastes slightly bitter with chocolate and roasted notes coming through in the finish. No burn from the high alcohol, but you can tell its there with each sip. Its not thin, which is nice. A decent porter overall. Its not as sessionable as the Harry Porter series though.

Project X bottle from the brewery. Poured in to GLB tulip.

A - Poured black with one finger of light brown head with good retention.

S - Bitter piney hop aroma up front with lighter roast and light chocolate aromas in the background.

T - Bitter up front with a massive pine flavour. Roast, sweet chocolate and molasses are present in the background and a sweetness to provide some balance. As I continue to drink this one the pine becomes more and more prominent and the beer becomes one dimensional with the roast almost disappearing completely in the the background.

M - Light to medium body. Creamy. Light carbonation.