Founders Porter

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

Pours a deep, opaque brown with swirls of black and a milk chocolate mocha head. Lots of small bubbles. Very nutty on the nose -- almonds, I think -- as well as toffee, darkish (but not too bitter) chocolate, and roasted malts. Carbonation is nice but a bit much on the back of the mouth -- one of my few complaints. More complex than most porters I’ve had -- develops a bitter dark chocolate/almond aftertaste due to the hops used. Really nice -- creamy in the mouth, except for the back of the throat carbonation, which interrupts the smooth experience like some sort of jealous bully. At this point, that’s my only complaint.

12 ounce bottle - $1.79 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia. Appearance: Dispenses an onyx black body sporting a tall, proud-looking, dark tan head with plenty of staying power and substantial lacing. Smell: Rich malty nose of bold, roasty coffee beans, melty bittersweet chocolate bars, licorice sticks, and moist dark fruits. A delightfully sultry scent, indeed. Taste: The firm roastiness leads in the taste, with a flavor of strong coffee unabashedly laced with chocolate sauce, licorice, and a hint of real vanilla bean. Amply sweet throughout. Dark fruitiness buried within the heady maltiness. Roasty, earthy bitterness. Shot of cream. Long, leisurely, roasty finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Smooth, succulent creaminess to the mouthfeel. Drinkability: It’s really pushing at the boundary line between porters and stouts. A sterling, tasty robust porter from ole Founders and one I freely, even cheerfully recommend to others.

Draft at Cascarellii’s in Homer, MI. Pours a opaque black. Tan head. Good lacing. Aroma of chocolate. Taste of chocolate and coffee malts. Nice balance between the sweet and bitter. Medium to full bodied. Very creamy and smooth. Another excellent beer from Founders.

Solid and full of character. Chocolate and creamy goodness. A little toasty marshmallow in the flavor as well and you are left with a great sweetness. A real treat. Perfect desert drink that would pair nicely with plenty of sweet treats. Aroma reminds me of currants and has a bit of burned sugar in there as well.

$1.80/12 oz. Archer Liquors. Chicago,IL. Pours black with a good 1 inch head that fades. What a nice aroma, very big coffee roast. It smells like there really is coffee in here even though there isn’t. The taste is nice good roast, more coffee, some chocolate and a creamy mouthfeel that can be almost gritty. I really like how this beer tastes like coffee. Does Founders make any bad beers?

Pours black with a thin brown head. Aroma is a deep mix of chocolate, roasted grain. Taste is impressive, light chocolate, malty, dark, with a perfect level of bitterness. Palate is rich and creamy. Overall this is an excellent porter, one of my favorites.

Bottle courtesy of Rando7. Black pour with a tan head. Nose is nutty chocolate. Taste is chocolate, malts, nuts and caramel.

Poured very dark brown, almost black with a hint of orange highlights as light passed through at the base of the glass. The head was tall and creamy and left a good amount of lacing throughout the glass. There was a good prominent aroma of dark chocolate and anise. The initial taste was slightly dry with a good amount of anise flavor and a bit of dark chocolate bitterness. The bitterness mellowed quite a bit leaving a nice slightly dry finish of anise and chocolate that faded away gradually. This is an excellent beer. Very easy drinking.