Barrel Aged People's Porter - Foothills Brewing Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

New barrels, new lines, new glass. Was very pleased to see the new version on tap for the release today and a glass with lunch while I waited was certainly in order. Consumed on 08/13/2010.

The pour was inky black with no light coming through this one at all, nothing. Small cap of tan edges up the sides of the glass and leaves a small amount of side lacing.

Aroma is very much transformed. Much different then the regular version, or even the previous. Rich notes of vanilla and wood combine with nice roasted malts, leather, and hints of dark fruits that give it a certain twang. This follows perfectly on the flavor as each sip reveals yet another layer to this superb brew. Rich dark cocoa and licroice, vanilla, boubon, and an almost wine barrel like finish combine to give a wonderfully well balanced and smooth beer.

Overall really an outstanding beer, had I not followed it with the baltic it would havebeen the highlight of the day for me.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2010 03:46:41 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler shared by bmanning. Poured into a Bruery tulip.

Pours with a half-finger of a tan head atop a black body. There is some spotty lacing all over the glass, though one side of my tulip looks like it was hit with a tidal wave of lacing. There is a persistent low head throughout. The nose brings some light bourbon plus some slight chocolate notes. A bit of oak as well. Overall, quite nice nose but it's a bit subdued.

The taste has a bit more pop to it with a great bourbon character as well as oak and some dry roast. The feel is a bit thin with low carbonation but a great bourbon feel. Very light creaminess and no booze. This is quite drinkable and another solid barrel-aged brew from Foothills.

Serving type: growler

11-16-2010 11:56:39 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Duck-Rabbit's Milk Stout was recently given a nice, long rest in a barrel of Pappy Van Winkle's 23-Year Old Family Reserve.

Appearance: Dark brown, near black body with a few tired-looking, beige bubbles resting on top.

Smell: Porter-minded notes of chocolate and roasty coffee with the strong scent of quality bourbon whiskey leading the charge.

Taste: Dark maltiness displayed as a taste of bittersweet chocolate with a minor toffee-like sweetness and a swig of morningtime coffee. The bourbon definitely dominates the flavor, but, thankfully, doesn't really detract from it as it delivers an abundance of charred oak barrel flavor with a light bitterness trailing close behind. Lesser tastes of coconut and brown sugar. Richly bourbony finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-low carbonation.

Drinkability: Kudos to the folks at Foothills for producing a fine, tasty bourbon barrel-aged porter.

Serving type: cask

02-04-2009 19:38:44 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Arrives with hardly any foam atop the chocolate brown liquid; no lace, but a skinny ringlet

Smell; Woody, barrel-influenced chocolate notes; hint of vanilla

Taste: Opens with a burst of chocolate that adds oaky complexity by mid-palate; finishes with a bourbon and vanilla flourish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Another fine addition to the Foothills stable of barrel-aged beers

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2010 17:47:32 | More by brentk56

oberon

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Great to see this on tap at the Greensboro Mellow Mushroom.Poured into a room temp pint glass a deep dark brown,nearly black except for just a light tinge of ruby,a thinner soapy-like mocha colored head atop.Mild oaky bourbon in the nose along with some burnt toast and dark fruit.Full mellow feel in the mouth,almost cask-like,very nice.Flavors are not over done by the barrel,oak and vanilla flavors at the onset with some dried dark fruit,a light char holds thru until the finish.A great barrel aged beer,not overdone and it fits nicely into the flavor profile,great job here.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2010 12:47:01 | More by oberon

MasterSki

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Sean I think? Served in a Captain Lawrence tulip.

A - Lightly tanned foam settles to a cap and thicker collar, leaving a few splotches of lace. Transparent dark brown body with ruby glints.

S - The initial whiff has a slight acetone note, but it dissipates fairly quickly and is replaced by oak, cola nut, sarsaparilla, whiskey and a touch of chocolate.

T - The taste has more roasted malts, with some dry roast nuts, cola, oak, and mild charry bitterness in the finish. Whiskey is still present, but I don't get the overwhelming sensation that other reviewers reported - I heard these were second use barrels too.

M - A tad fizzy, with a medium-light body. Not great, but not offensive for a 6% porter, even one that's barrel-aged. Lightly chewy, with a dry and tannin-heavy finish.

D - A decent beer, especially at the $7 price point - you can't get (m)any bombers of PVW barrel-aged porter! Easy to drink, but not overly memorable.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 14:43:30 | More by MasterSki

glid02

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Growler shared by kp - thanks!

Pours one shade from black with a one-finger light brown head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of smooth roasted malts with equal amounts of dark chocolate and vanilla aromas.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Robust roasted malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by moderate amounts of dark chocolate flavors. Midway through the sip solid amounts of vanilla and lighter amounts of dry oak flavors make an appearance, carrying through to a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is OK The thickness is slightly on the thin side with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I didn't have a problem finishing my glass and could have another.

Overall I wasn't terribly impressed with this beer as it was slightly on the thin side and the flavors weren't terribly complex. Still, it's a tasty beer that's above average and worth a shot.

Serving type: growler

10-07-2010 01:42:59 | More by glid02

HopHead84

California

3.2/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

9/3/2011

Growler shared by Stawn, thanks!

A: Black with a big creamy light brown head. Pretty good retention and a little lacing.

S: Perfumy barrel phenols with pronounced vanilla and oak. There's a little brown sugar with a dash of green apple. Bourbon is really strong, accompanied by caramel and a touch of chocolate. Smells quite nice. 

T: Caramel and a little chocolate with oak. For the strength of the bourbon in the nose, it's really light in the flavor. I get oak, tannins, and astringency, but little bourbon.

M: Medium body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is thin and watery.

Overall: Just okay. The nose the highlight. The flavor was lacking.

Serving type: growler

09-04-2011 15:18:46 | More by HopHead84

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from tap at the brewpub into a Foothills shaker. This was the first glass poured off a freshly tapped keg with freshly cleaned lines. Pours dark dark brown almost black with a two finger tan head that subsides to one finger slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of malt, spices, and chocolate. The flavor was of cream, spices, malt, and a subtle red wine spice. It had a medium feel on the palate with low carbonation. Overall this was much nicer on tap than out of the growler I had consumed the night prior to having this one. As said in my review from the growler below, it is a must try if you get the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2010 17:30:00 | More by thagr81us

avalon07

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark brown color and a thick consistency. There was a big, tan-colored, foamy, long-lasting head. Excellent lacing.

S: A strong aroma of malt, bourbon, and chocolate.

T: Tasted of bourbon (strong, but not overly so), malt, a slight hoppy quality, and some chocolate in the finish. A milder flavor than I expected, but complex and pretty tasty.

M: A fair amount of carbonation with a somewhat slick finish. Light- to medium-bodied.

O: If you enjoy barrel-aged beers this would be a beer to try. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 00:56:11 | More by avalon07

gford217

Georgia

4.65/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler provided by, I believe, cardsfan1 at the HMoG at the Brick Store. He mentioned this was aged in Pappy Van Winkle 23yr barrels.

Pours almost completely black with only hints of mahogany coming through at the edges. The head was short-lived, tan and left decent lacing.

The aroma is very well-balanced for a barrel-aged beer with the bourbon present initially in the nose. Pretty quickly the chocolate sweetness and dark malts come through and hints of vanilla as well.

Sweet mercy, this stuff tastes good. It's just as balanced as the aroma with the bourbon blending perfectly with the chocolate. The malt backbone is definitely noticeable and doesn't let the bourbon dominate completely. Perfectly balanced, which I can't often say about bourbon barrel beers.

The mouthfeel is surprisingly light for a bourbon beer and with decent carbonation - very smooth overall.

Well, this one just blew me away. Having never had the normal Peoples Porter, I don't exactly know what to compare it to. What I do know is that this is a fantastic beer and one of the top 2 beers I tried at the HMoG. Outstanding.

Serving type: growler

01-19-2009 00:36:23 | More by gford217

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap in Charlotte, served in a small (8.5oz) glass. Very nice appearance, dark brown and opaque with a creamy looking tan poof of foam that looked like it came from a nitro tap. Delicious looking foam.

Continuing with the aroma I'm still impressed, this has a solid barrel character. Cocoa and roasted malt mix it up with light (none-too-boozy) bourbon and maybe just a little vanilla. It tastes nearly as good as it smells too, with flavors of rum rather than bourbon giving accompaniment to the chocolately base beer. Extremely drinkable, this has a lot of barrel flavor with very little burn. Actually, this is my favorite BA treatment from Foothills, much better than Olde Rabbit's Foot or BA Sexual Chocolate.

If you see this I recommend it, very tasty and satisfying.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2012 01:09:06 | More by TurdFurgison

blackie

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: standard pint glass, deep brown in color - turning black towards the center, creamy mocha carbonation layer with great retention and lace

s: nose full of bourbon and malt-soaked oak powering over the roasty porter base, some darker chocolates, vanilla, almost a sour edge possibly picked up from a lengthy stint in a barrel

m: medium-full body, smooth carbonation

t: big punch of woody bourbon - the booze here is quite powerful and makes the porter base seem relatively timid, and would easily overwhelm someone without a taste for the stuff, gotta be a fresh barrel, oaky with a subtle tart/sour flavor - might even say there's a touch of bacteria creeping in, dark chocolate and roasted body underneath, the base porter is rich to start - but the bourbon barrel adds a lot and really has its way here

d: really enjoy the bourbon but it's not exactly complimentary, completely taking over, but making for an interesting experience - this one did me in for the night

full pint at Barley's, Asheville

bottle 12.18.12 - purchased a couple months back at Appalachian Vintner, gonna leave the scores the same though appearance on the bottle is 4.0, bears the quality of a nice porter with an addition of nice bourbon barrel, fairly strong but not as overwhelming as my first review indicates, perhaps due to having a little age on it, particularly clear on the nose but manifesting well in the second half of the sip, nice one here

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2010 22:16:11 | More by blackie

tdm168

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - dark brownish black pour with a mountain of dense, thick, foamy, brownish head that has great retention.

S - bourbon, chocolate, alcohol, roasted malt, wood, faint butterscotch

T - bourbon, oak, alcohol, chocolate, roasted malt, earthy hop finish

M - smooth, lightly carbonated, rather thin

Great flavor. BBL adds some good notes and doesn't take any of the original flavors away. I think had this had a little more body it would have been excellent. It's a great porter though and definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 00:58:41 | More by tdm168

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear very dark brown in color with some dark amber highlights and minimal amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall tan head that slowly reduces to a wide thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of roasted chocolatey malts with moderate to strong aromas of Pappy bourbon, vanilla, and oak.

T: Upfront there is a light flavor of roasted and chocolate malts that is then overtaken by the stronger flavors of bourbon, vanilla, and oak.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: The fact that this beer is aged in Pappy barrels really improved the offering - I found this to be a very enjoyable beer and I'm very thankful my wife's family picked this one up and saved it to share with me. Love the bourbon and barrel flavors which make this beer very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 23:57:34 | More by dbrauneis

maximum12

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to mjmadden for a big honkin' growler of this beer, which I couldn't have been more jazzed to pop open. Plus, I get a cool new growler to add to our collection.

Pours Jet-Black, with a nice dizzle of foam around the edges to let us know it's survived the journey from the Carolinas with carbonation intact. Bourbon erupts from the growler once we finally pry it from its cocoon of electrical tape, but seems to exhaust itself quickly, lying back into a subdued aura of boozy, malty bourbon.

People's Porter is one of those brews that I would have liked to taste the base beer alongside the barreled-up version, because I suspect the barrel might not have added a lot to the experience. The bourbon is upfront, but quiet, subtle, more of a lick of vanilla than anything else. The porter is nicely roasted with a surprisingly bitter ending kick, which I'd like to attribute to the hops, or perhaps the roast, honestly, I couldn't tell, just a tail of bitterness. Only had one glass from the growler, but would have liked another to do a more thorough analsysi (yes, that's my story & I'm sticking to it).

Good brew. Not up to the gold standard to barrel aged porters (Williamsberg) but I'd be happy to find myself staring into the dark of a People's Porter any day.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 02:18:20 | More by maximum12

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle thanks to Netdigger2. I've had a fresh growler of People's Porter before and I liked it so I was interested to see how this turned out. Obviously it was very black and had a so-so head. The smell was boozy barrels. The the taste was completely dominated by the bourbon barrel to the point of hiding the porter completely. It did not taste like alcohol but I much preferred the regular people's porter.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 17:23:02 | More by ArrogantB

ehammond1

California

2.3/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Bottle

Acquired via trade
Thanks, Beerness!

Very, very dark brown, nearly black, with a large, quickly forming, and very persistent brown head. This leaves thick chunks and ribbons of lace down the glass.

The aroma is probably the most redeeming aspect of this beer, as there isn't much here to write home about. There's mild roast and a little bit of chocolate, There's also quite a bit of mineral, even metallic character.

The flavor is below average. There is very little barrel character. If given this blind, I'd never guess this was a barrel-aged porter. There's very mild chocolate and roast, though there's also quite a bit of metal and minerals. Moderate bitterness, and not particularly drinkable.

Medium bodied with very high carbonation, which isn't appropriate for a beer of this style. Prickly, and about as bad of a mouthfeel as I can imagine for a barrel-aged porter. Infected?

Not a lot of redeeming qualities.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 03:06:17 | More by ehammond1

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

lantern corps beer summit 2010 - day 1, oct 8/2010. Jw347 contributed this one. thanks john!

64oz growler.

pours clear dark brown with a bit of red highlighting showing through at the edges. a small fine dark tan head forms, dropping quickly and leaving spotty lace.

aroma is good. bourbon and raw oak. dark and milk chocolate. light alcohol. whole wheat bread and biscuit. coffee.

taste is good. bourbon and raw oak again. dark and milk chocolate. more coffee in the aroma, but still not overpowering. light alcohol. medium-low bitterness level. whole wheat bread and biscuit. earthy.

mouthfeel is good. just over medium body. slightly under medium carbonation level.

drinkability is good. good balance. the barrel has slightly overpowered the base beer, or perhaps the base has mellowed somewhat with time. either way, i'd have liked the porter in this to stand up a little more.

Serving type: growler

02-04-2011 05:38:48 | More by grub

nickd717

California

2.45/5  rDev -36.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bourbon barrel aged People’s Porter? More like Bourbon...um...uh...yeah, just bourbon. This tastes like bourbon. If I wanted bourbon, I’d just drink bourbon. Well I do like some bourbon, but not all bourbon if you want to call yourself a beer.

Anyway, the "beer" in question here is dark brown with caramel bourbon-like tones and a very minimal tan head.

The aroma is bourbon, bourbon, bourbon, oakiness, and roast. Not too bad actually.

The flavor is BOURBON, bourbon, bourbon, bourbon, roast, chocolate, oak, and more bourbon.

Medium-bodied and boozy with lower carbonation.

This has potential, but hey guys, ease off on that bourbon next time.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 23:40:55 | More by nickd717

prototypic

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Many, many thanks to kkipple for this one!

Bourbon Barrel-aged People’s Porter pours a dark chocolate fudge color. It’s nearly opaque. Backlighting reveals some burgundy highlights at the outer edges. Looks good. A soft, tan collection of bubbles gathers on the surface. It doesn’t rise far above that though, and it dissipates quickly. Lacing was light and spotty as it trailed down the glass.

The nose is pretty good. It’s a little weak and would benefit from a bump in strength. It starts out with a nice dose of chocolate and cocoa. Roasted malts are also noted. Coffee is in the mix and smells nice. Bourbon has a moderate presence. It’s not overwhelming by any stretch. I like that. It complements the other elements nicely. Alcohol is a little noticeable, but doesn’t seem all that strong. Given its lighter abv, that’s not a big shock.

The flavor is good. I like it. The mix of chocolate and roasted malts makes for a nice base. The chocolate flavors are bittersweet and cocoa-esque. Coffee seems a little more pronounced in flavor. I can handle that. Bourbon has a moderate presence, but adds a lot in terms of depth and character. It blends extremely well with the other flavors. Oak and vanilla are noted, but are secondary. Alcohol is there, but doesn’t come through that strong. At 6%, it’s not scary. Finishes chocolaty with a touch of coffee and bourbon. Good stuff!

The body is on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation seems light and soft, but it feels too thin. Needs more body to attain a smooth feel. Having said that, it is one tasty, easy drinking barrel-aged porter. Its size goes a long way in that department.

Foothills has another winner with Bourbon Barrel-aged People’s Porter. It could use a little more body, but that’s about it. Very solid all-around otherwise. I’m really impressed that Foothills pulled off such a tasty barrel-aged beer at 6% abv. Don’t run across that very often. Worth seeking out. Thanks, Dan!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 04:32:38 | More by prototypic

argock

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz brown bomber into a Duvel tulip. No freshness date. Purchased at Peabody's Wine and Beer Merchants (Boone, NC) for $6.99.

A: Very dark brown with 1-finger beige head with decent retention and a few scattered lace spots.

S: Nice bourbon aroma with vanilla and oak with some coconut too. The base porter provides some musty dark malt aromas and not much else.

T: The flavor falls far short of the aroma with the bourbon character providing only a light kiss of flavor at the start with the rest of the beer tasting like a muddy dark beer. There is no roundness, only muddled flavor.

M: THe mouthfeel comes through with medium body and low carbonation.

O: A very disappointing beer. THe barrel ageing seems to muddle the flavor rather than add to it.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 04:10:26 | More by argock

atsprings

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got to try this one on Nitro the other day at The Wooden Nickel. Served in a slim glass a deep opaque black with a nice frothy light tan head that slowly diminished to a thin layer and left slight lacing on the glass. The aroma was a nice amount of dark malts with subtle vanilla and oak. The taste was a decent amount of oak, vanilla, and Bourbon alongside dark malts and cocoa. The beer was quite light, crisp and very smooth from the nitro carbonation. This was certainly an interesting presentation of an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-05-2010 01:14:26 | More by atsprings

harrymel

Washington

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

People's BBL Aged Porter,

From label: "People's Porter aged in 20 year old bourbon barrels."

Bottled: unk (presumably latest vintage/edition)

Pours black with a solid sheet of tan foam. Nose bursts out the gate sweet, vanilla, butterscotch, bourbon, more butterscotch and praline - really exquisite nose here for my impressions. Flavor carries some cocoa, graham, bits of coffee, oak and raisin. A well balanced and integrated brew. I'm happy with this for certain. Medium on thin bodied with a reserved carbonation - a little let down with the viscosity. Overall, a great brew. I'm consistently impressed with Foothill's ability to barrel age their brews. I do not believe their are too many breweries above their capacity to barrel age a beer, and I think it has to do with their choice in barrels, honestly. The barrels are always highlighted to complement the beer, not overwhelm or whisper into the beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 16:38:53 | More by harrymel

Sean9689

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Patrick (kingkong) for this one!

A - Pours a dark brown color, mocha head, thin collar.

S - Overpowering bourbon and oak are right up front and dominate the rest of the beer. There's also some chocolate, light roast, and caramel in there as well. That said, it's just a bourbon bomb.

T - Similar to the nose, bourbon and wood. They let this beer sit in the barrels for too long, I'm assuming. Light chocolate, roast, and burnt sugars. Really though, a lot of bourbon and oak that kill it for the rest of the beer. Finishes the same...bourbon and wood.

M - Thin light body, light carbonation, creamy finish.

O - This beer was "meh" for me. The PVW barrels only made this beer one-dimensional...too much bourbon and wood, too thin body and just an average porter. Give me HF Everett or CL Smoked Porter any day of the week and twice on Sunday's over this beer. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 14:49:21 | More by Sean9689