Founders Barrel Aged Porter

On tap at the Great Taste of the Midwest (8/9/08): Pours an oily opaque with a dark beige and thin-lacing head. Smooth dark chocolate nose has a great balance of bourbon and mild roastiness. Body starts with good fullness and sweet dark caramel and bourbon flavor toward a smooth finish. Nicely aged and balanced.

Snifter on nitro from the new brewery. Dark brown with thick, creamy tan head and some lacing. Aroma is big bourbon and sweet roasted malt. Flavor is very much the same as the aroma with more vanilla but weak all around. Body is thin and creamy with that everpresent nitro body. My main question is why this is on nitro.

Sample at Great Taste. Dark color. Smell of chocolate, bourbon, oak, vanilla and licorice. Tastes the same. It was very good but nothing like the Dark Night Returns!

(Draught) Pours a dark brown body with a small beige head. Aroma of strong vanilla extract, bourbon, toffee, nuts, and caramel. Flavor of bourbon, toffee, vanilla, and chocolate with subtle bitterness in the finish.

Name: Bourbon Porter
Date: 08/09/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Great Taste

Appearance: black, creamy tan head,
Aroma: sweet chocolate and bourbon aroma with extra vanilla sweetness to make a bourbon candy,
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, great bourbon character, touch of heat, light balancing bitterness,

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.3/5.0
Drinkability: 9/10
Score: ***4

on tap at GTMW ’08. pours black with tan head. oaky and bourbon, chocolate aroma. much of the same in the flavor, rough around the edges. i prefer the non-barrel aged one cuz the hop character in that is lost here.

first tasting of the day at GTMW and i hope to get a full pour of this tomorrow at the brewpub if it’s still on.... extremely close to black pour with darker brown edges and a thin tan head.... aroma of lightly fluffed creamy bourbon and chocolate notes....sweet bourbon flavors alongside roasted malt and chocolate and creamy vanilla. very nice mouthfeel as well.

Draft sample at MBGF Summer08. Poured a black color with a moderate frothy brown head that mostly lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate to heavy roasted, coffee, nutty and woody bourbon aroma. Medium to full body with a creamy texture. Medium to heavy bittersweet flavor with a medium bittersweet tingly finish of moderate duration. Solid standout brew.