People's Porter - Foothills Brewing Company

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber to standard pint glass. Sampled 4/24/12. Thanks goes to rbradley for the wonderful extra.

A: Loud pop upon uncapping. Three fingers of medium-light brown head rises after a gentle pour down the center of the glass. Foamy and creamy with a dimpled texture on top. Excellent retention. The body is a very dark chestnut brown with the tiniest bit of transparency. Just above average lacing.

S: Malt forward with a pleasant hoppy accent. Chocolate, cookie and toffee - all toasted, plus a faint roasted coffee note in the background. The hop bill puts out some dried wood (pine perhaps) as well as grass. Fairly standard porter nose, if not a bit hoppy, but pretty enjoyable all around.

T: The malt character loses some ground to the hops on the palate. Bitter chocolate with a coffee backing is accentuated by the dry finish - which is a little drier than I prefer for the style. The toffee sweetness that came through on the nose would have been a great addition to the palate.

M: Medium-light body with a texture bordering on the thin side. The semi-coarse carbonation gentle prickles the tongue all over creating an expansive sensation. Dry and modestly bitter on the finish.

O: People's Porter is a quality example of an English Porter. It went down quick and was a pleasure to drink. Thanks again Ryan.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 23:13:26 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I purchased this from the brewery.

Poured into an Olde Hickory shaped glass.

A: Poured black as night with no light passing through. The head was quite small... but what was there stained the glass with web.

S: Very candy-like, with some charred grill-laden malt. Also, the sugar content gave way to sort of a divine caramel quality.

T: I got only a slight bit of bitterness, with the understated chocolate leading the way. This is porter 101.

M: Not sugary, roasty, or too malty in any way. This was nice, and the lacing was moderate... at best.

O: How does one mess up a porter? There's really no way to do it, and I'm proud to report that Foothills doesn't do it either.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 03:17:48 | More by Chaney

eclipse54

Idaho

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A 22 ounce bottle from inlimbo77; thanks! Poured into a tulip glass.

Body is deep brown to the point of appearing black (and entirely opaque) in the glass. An inch of foamy khaki head develops, but subsides relatively quickly. Scattered legs of sticky tan lacing are left on the glass.

Aroma is of lightly toasted malt, toasted marshmallow, caramel, milk chocolate, cacao, roasted grains, barley, a hint of rye, and maybe some vanilla bean towards the end. It smells rather sweet, and traces of coconut seem to come through on top of some cane sugar notes.

Flavors of cane sugar, marshmallow, cacao, and roasted grain come forth almost immediately. Some coconut, caramel, milk chocolate, earthen grains, and vanilla follow suit. Finishes with a sweet and almost tangy note reminiscent of a chocolate covered orange; strange, but not at all bad.

Mouthfeel begins crisply while the carbonation releases on the tongue, but the finish is much more velvety and very nice. Relatively clean finish and not overly dry. Very well done here.

Overall, this was quite good for a porter. I highly enjoyed it and would welcome more of it anytime.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 03:19:25 | More by eclipse54

Naugros

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received in a BIF trade from OSUBeerStudent. He also sent one of these bourbon barrel-aged. Can't wait!

Develops a really thick head with a lot of tightly-packed bubbles. As it falls it gets rocky and the structure thickens, allowing the mocha head to ascend beyond the lip of the glass. The head has amazing retention and leaves bhind bands of lace. Body is dark with a ruddy glow to it. Very nice-looking porter.

Nice smell too. The roast comes out strong with some coffee tones, a touch of cream and some nice vanilla. The hops are also mildly present here, which come off as floral.

Very interesting flavor. Not at all like it smells. The roasted grains are really forward. Hard to emphasize this enough...the initial flavor is of roasted grains...not roasted grains within a beer. almost as if you had taken some of them from the oven and popped them in your mouth. That prevalent. Around those grains is a bitterness that works around and concentrates on the tip of your tongue. There's a slight sense of metal in that portion of it. Not too distracting, but there nonetheless.

Thin side of medium in the body, but spot-on for the style. Very little presence of alcohol, if any. Easy-drinking and 22 ounces of 6.25% will get me there nicely.

If not for the slight tang in the taste, this would be the perfect porter. I CANNOT WAIT for the barrel-aged version, but I promised someone I would share.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 01:01:21 | More by Naugros

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good if a bit unremarkable take at an English Porter.

Presentation: 22 oz brown capped bottle. Label with the poppy/retro branded Foothills feel on this occasion with a retro branding illustration of a cliche revolutionary holding up a pint, trite design somewhere between a retro take and a Fairey reference, but it actually works… Side narrative offers a small description of style and taste. Notes SRM: 30.1, IBU: 43, and 6.25% Alc. by Vol. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Deep brown pour. Nice ecru creamy head with medium retention, fair surface retention and good lacing.

S - Roasted nose, notes of coffee, hint of chocolate, bitter insinuation…

T - Flavor follows similarly, roasted coffee, emerging bitter counter punch with touches of chocolate.

M - Medium to medium-ligh body, small if tingly carbonation… There is something a bit thin in the feel at points. Not bad but not as creamy, or rounded as one would prefer.

O - Quite a nice quaff, nothing for the memory but worth the local offer.

Notes: Bomber picked up the day it was bottled, and had shortly thereafter. Fair porter, good quality bracket, but in line with the overall benchmark impression I got from most Foothills brews. Now, I´d gladly have it again when passing through the town.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 12:54:02 | More by Daniellobo

HoposaurusRex

North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Serving type: bottle, poured into mug

A: Pours a hazy deep brown with ruby hues and a thick dark tan head with high retention and significant lacing.

S: Carmel aroma with faint notes of coffee.

T/M: Slight burnt bitter taste with sweet caramel notes as well. Some hints of bittersweet chocolate. Overall, more bitter than sweet. The carbonation is more pronounced than I had anticipated producing a mouthfeel that is less smooth and creamy than other porters I have had. However, its crisp sharp character is not unpleasant and contributes to a dry finish that invites another sip.

O: A very drinkable porter with a pleasant bitter taste. Would pair equally well with fish and chips or a juicy burger.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 08:29:28 | More by HoposaurusRex

metter98

New York

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is extremely dark brownish amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense tan head that died down rather quickly, leaving a thin head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light to moderately strong aromas of chocolate and toffee in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of bittersweet chocolate along with notes of roasted malts and toffee. A light to moderate amount of hop bitterness is present and hints of coffee beans are noticeable towards the finish.
M: It feels a bit shy of medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is an easy drinking yet quite tasty porter—the flavors never lost the interest of my taste buds through the duration of drinking a 25 ounce bomber.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 19:25:14 | More by metter98

mdaschaf

Washington

3.83/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to derandscott for this one!

A: Pours a dark brown, practically black color with an amazingly foamy head, great retention, leaving mounds of foam on top. Sticky lacing forms all around the glass.

S: Starts off sweet, with some chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt. There are some earthy hops that finish it off.

T: Rather roasty with some coffee and a little bit of sweet/bakers chocolate. The finish is slightly bitter and nutty.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Drinks rather smooth.

O: A solid English Porter, not outstanding, but solid.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 02:38:36 | More by mdaschaf

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for sharing, Rich.

A very dark brown colored beer with a khaki colored head. The aroma is quite roasty with a little bit of toffee and chocolate. There is a little bit of toasted malt and perhaps a hint of coffee. A little light in the flavor department; it’s sort of watery. There is a definite bitterness to it, however. Still, some roasted malt and a light toffee and chocolate sweetness to it. A bit of a let down.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 01:39:39 | More by womencantsail

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a very dark brown, just shy of black, with two finger tall tan head that is rather foamy like root beer. The head diminishes over time but there is a decent amount of head retention. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Aromas of burnt malts, sweet malts, caramel, chocolate, and slight hints of smoke.

T: Flavor is primary chocolate malts and burnt malts. The finish is quite bitter, like a cup of espresso.

M: Medium to full bodied with a significant amount of carbonation. Maybe just a hint shy of the amount of body I wanted and expected to match with the flavors. Slightly dry in the finish.

O: An enjoyable English porter but not an amazing one. Considering this used to be a pretty local place for me before I moved, I probably enjoyed it more times than I would if I had to work hard to locate it. Overall just a hint of too much bitterness to be an easy drinker.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 20:13:56 | More by dbrauneis

maximum12

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to beerness for this bottle in a recent trade. Dark Foothills brews have been kind to me, so this one is most welcome. 22 oz. bomber split in two.

Pours very dark & headily vigorous, light penetrating only the edges. Nose is strong & pretty: chocolate, roast, sweet malts. Acknowledge the porter love.

People's Porter soars on the nose & crashes back to reality TV in the mouth. Bitter roast races right up to the boundary of ashiness, then slips across. Lovely chocolate balance in the nose is MIA. Sweet malts, ditto.

Not a bad beer, but where's the depth? If the taste doubled-down on the nose, this coulda been a contendah. One-note, but still strangely appealing & slips away easily. Decent enough.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 03:23:04 | More by maximum12

Agold

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this beer from a recent trade with Lantern. Thanks a lot.

This beer is beautiful. Pours close to black with an off white head. There is great retention and beautiful lacing. Aroma is outstanding as well. Lots of roasty bitter coffee. A bit minerally which I am not the hugest fan of, but very nice nonetheless. The beer is crisp and roasty with some coffee, a mild earthy hop character, a little bit of smoke, and a bit of nuttiness. The roast is verging on being overdone, but I think it is not quite there yet. Mouthfeel is thin yet somehow has a fine, creamy carbonation. It does make it very drinkable, but I would like a bit more body.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 07:21:14 | More by Agold

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber courtesy of kubrick215. Thanks again man!

Pours a dark chestnut brown color with ruby red edges and a two finger beige head that very slowly settles into a lasting cap. The glass is left coated with streaks and chunks of lace.

Slightly smokey, roasted aroma that has a nice balance of subtle earthy hops and sweeter malt notes. Hints of chocolate, caramel, toffee and toast along with a touch of floral, piney hops.

Medium bodied but a bit thinner than expected with a good balance of roasted, sweet and bitter flavors. There's a decent amount of roasted malt that gives off a subtle smoke character but it never feels burnt or overpowering. Hints of bitter dark chocolate, toast, caramel and oatmeal dominate the flavor before finishing with a lingering hop bitterness. Surprisingly hoppy for the style with more dry bitterness than I prefer. This element takes away from the more pleasant malt flavors and unfortunately begins to dominate things as I work my way through the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 09:23:12 | More by corby112

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Rich aroma has burnt wood, unsweet chocolate and quality coffee notes with undertones of molasses and licorice. Got my mouth watering! It pours an opaque dark-chocolate brown with a thick, fluffy and rather persistent light tan head. Delicious flavor lives up to the aroma, having roast coffee, chocolate, molasses and licorice tones plus a hint of caramel and a bitter hoppy undertone that actually helps round out the flavor rather than detract from it. Texture is the beer's weakest point - body is on the thin side, it seems, for a porter, and there is just a little fizz.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 01:13:07 | More by Cyberkedi

cosmicevan

New York

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

picked up this bottle a few weeks ago when i was in NC. enjoyed out of my duck rabbit snifter.

a - poured a watery brown that settled as almost black with a thin mocha grey colored frothy milkshake like head. lacing was streaky, but what was there, clung.

s - roasted malts and barley with some cocoa powder. some char sting. very classic to style.

t - strong chocolate malts. lots of burnt roasted char. finishes dry and bitter. drying bitter coffee flavors.

m - mouth is charred and bubbly. medium bodied. burnt.

o - overall a nice porter, not my favorite. a bit too much burnt chocolate for me, but enjoyable. robust indeed.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 01:21:07 | More by cosmicevan

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Foothills
People's Porter
22oz bomber, no bottle date
Red wine glass

A: Pours a dark brown color with some reddish hues.  There is a faint tan head that dissipates quickly.  Tight bubbling on that head initially.  Good carbonation off the bottom of the glass.

S: I definitely get that roasted character.  Some mild coffee notes along with some chocolate, caramel, and toffee.  It's not really full on dark chocolate.

T: it's very thin on the flavor compared to other porters that I love (Butte and Cutthroat).  You get some of the roast coffee bitterness initially and some of the caramel.  The close does have some coffee bite like the label mentions.

M: medium bodied.  It's actually more watery than it appeared.

O: It's a B- beer for me.  Many others are above this for me. Not bad by any means, just not the best porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 14:57:54 | More by inlimbo77

wedge

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark, opaque, nearly black color with a solid head of tan foam that soon shrinks to a creamy cap. Somewhat sweet dark chocolate and slightly charred black malt aroma. Increased black malt in the flavor along with an added dark fruitiness. Roasted chocolate and coffee with some earthy bitterness. Medium, roasty, and drying. A little better on tap, but a worthy addition to the Foothills bottling line.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 23:30:28 | More by wedge

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally made my first trip over to Foothills for the rerelease of Jade and the release of People's Porter in bombers. I had one of these (and a Jade) on draft and also picked up several growlers of both, and dropped a couple (of the growlers) off at Big Dan's Brew Shed.

The review is from my growler tasteing, although it is identical to the draft I had at Foothills.

The brew pours (into a pint) a dark brown that no light enters or exits, with a gorgeous 2 finger frothy mocha colored head that hangs around for a good while. Lacing is heavy on the glass which is a plus for me.

The aroma is heavy roasted malts and coffee.

The flavor folows the nose with some roasted malt bitterness shining through. Debated the bitterness with several folks @ Big Dan's and the opinion was that this was roasted malt bitterness as opposed to bitterness from the hops.

The mouth feel is medium with a lower medium carbination.

This is a good local Porter, to me Green Man gets the nod here by just the slightest bit. I will have to give it a try in the bomber once they hit the shelfs. I rate this a B-, due in part to the bitterness and the lack of real complexity.

Serving type: growler

12-18-2011 11:22:49 | More by RedneckBeerz

Tilley4

Tennessee

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Growler fill at Midtown in Nash-vegas...

Very dark roasted malt aromas with the expected chocolate characteristics... Quite pleasant aromas... Rather rich and deep and very inviting... Slightest hint of hops...

Very tasty porter here... Dark, rich, smooth... Lots of bittersweet chocolate as well as some nicely roasted malts... Surprised at how quickly this growler is disappearing... Perhaps hints of vanilla here and there as I go from sipping to gulping this beer... Really digging it...

Only complaint is that I'd like a little more feel to it... Otherwise, this is awesome...

Good effort from Foothills here... Nice session porter here....

Serving type: growler

12-17-2011 15:41:54 | More by Tilley4

doopydoogle

Tennessee

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - espresso black with a good foamy tan head that lingers and leaves nice creamy lace down the side of the glass.

S - toffee, coffee, chocolate, raisins, subtle spice, dark fruits

T - big coffee and chocolate with a subtle cassis and some lingering caramel and earthiness. There's a slight tartness but the brew is pretty smooth. Hints of smoke and ash back it up and there's a pleasant roasted bitterness that rounds out the finish.

M - Good creamy carbonation and a solid mouth coating.

O - A very nice porter. Holds it own and is pleasant enough to be quite sessionable.

Serving type: growler

10-26-2011 01:38:31 | More by doopydoogle

ArrogantB

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler from Riverside beverage company in Chattanooga. Dark black, puffy tan head. Smells good, roasty malts and very inviting. Flavor was rich, hint of dark chocolate but none of the coffee that other reviewers have noted. Overall this was very tasty and I was not sad I chose this over the hoppyum this time. I think I may need some sexual chocolate at this point...

Serving type: growler

07-31-2011 02:43:31 | More by ArrogantB

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Randalled through vanilla and something else (smelling a lot like coffee)....

A - Deep brown body with deep red light throughout. Medium tan head with good retention.

S - really strong coffee. earthy, some hoppiness. some vanilla. pretty good.

T - Strong coffee, earthy. Dry, some wood and nutty sorts of flavors. A big taste.

M - a bit thin, dry. Not bad.

O (D) - This is nice. Good coffee flavors.

Serving type: growler

07-21-2011 00:37:40 | More by ColdPoncho

PDXHops

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler poured into a Duvel tulip. A finger's worth of crmy tan head atop the deep brown body, good retention and quite a bit of lacing.

Pleasant nose with a good balance of milk chocolate and burnt and roasted malts with what seems to be a hint of pine underneath. And indeed, a nice piney bite ensures that sweetness is kept in check. Exceedingly enjoyable flavor profile, not too dry, not too sweet. About as robust as a 'sessionable' beer can get. Plenty of lingering burnt malts and tangy chocolate chips in the finish.

Overall impression: Good stuff, worth seeking out.

Serving type: growler

12-15-2010 01:09:07 | More by PDXHops

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Super dark brown color shows beautiful shades of jeweled ruby red when held to light. The head is also a beaut, two fat fingers of light tan foam that holds and clings like Styrofoam. Gobs of lace once it starts minimizing.

Exceptionally roasty nose, hints of cocoa nib and a less subtle helping of green hop bitterness. It's really the roast that shines through the most though.

Great balance here...some porters tend to be overly roasty, getting into total char territory, but this one exhibits plenty of balance. Roasty toasty flavor is pleasing and somehow kind of warming, while the fresh hop grassiness comes in just enough to add depth and never gets too astringent. Lightly mineral-ish, with subtle flashes of the sweetness-vs.-bitterness found in dark chocolate and a nice milky latte.

Although the carbonation is very healthy, this goes down smooth as silk. Very soft, aided by the creaminess that the ever-present head provides.

Foothills have proven their worth with big beers and sessionable beers alike. People's Porter is just another impressive brew on their can't-lose roster.

Serving type: growler

12-12-2010 19:20:33 | More by Metalmonk

kels

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up this growler after an awesome lunch trip to Foothills with BA Metalmonk and friends. This review is from a pour into my pint glass.

Beer is super dark chocolate brown and more or less opaque. The initial 2 finger creamy mocha-colored head fades and retains at a solid 1/2 finger bubbly skim. Bits of lace string along the sides of the glass.

Not tons to report about the smell. With some effort, the deeply roasted malts become more and more evident.

This porter is very flavorful. The malts are deeply roasted, almost to the point of being burnt. There's a dryness to the taste that's really nice and balanced by a sweet stickiness in the aftertaste. Sweet notes of caramel and some chocolate malt add a nice creamy dimension. Feel is pretty well carbonated, keeping things light despite the richness of the flavors.

Drinkability is immense. This is a tasty, easy-drinking porter. A very nice dark beer for the summer.

Serving type: growler

07-13-2010 01:11:53 | More by kels