Founders Porter - Founders Brewing Company

dar482

New York

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This porter comes in a pitch black color with a small brown head with slight lacing.

The aroma isn’t heavy with roasted malt, with a hint of chocolate and vanilla.

The flavor is of roasted malt, espresso, and bitter chocolate. The hops kick to is really makes this porter interesting.

The finish has a charred flavor along with a creamy medium mouthfeel. There is a hop touch finish. The hoppiness is what makes this porter interesting and the bitter finish. It’s extremely drinkable.

One of the most interesting and best porters I’ve had. I do prefer more coffee and bigger flavors, but this is so different that I do like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 06:07:24 | More by dar482

Dave_in_GR

Michigan

4.61/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance is a very dark brown with a tiny bit of tan colored head.

Smell is dominated by chocolate, maybe a bit of roasted coffee in there as well.

Taste is bold, some chocolate and coffee flavor but also more bitterness than I'm used to in a beer like this. It all works well together, really tasty.

Mouthfeel is very thick; this is a heavy bodied beer but with a bit of carbonation that lightens it up. Not an easy drinking beer or anything, but easier than you would expect.

This bottle has been in my fridge for over a month as I polished off my stash of breakfast stout, really wish I had gotten to this sooner!

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 23:30:41 | More by Dave_in_GR

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.39/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A- Dark chocolate brown color, nearly black. Dark and dense, with a malty-mocha head that leaves big brown lacing.

S- Chocolate, coffe, dark roasty malts, and some alcohol.

T- Good dark chocolate bitterness, coffee, roasted malts.

M-Rich feel, fuller than many porters. Very good carbonation and the alcohol takes a back seat after it passes the nose.

O- It's flavor forward and tuned-up just enough so it doesn't come on too strong. A good 'un.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 20:59:01 | More by NiceTaps

punky796

Michigan

5/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Bar Louie.

A - Pours dark-dark-brown, almost black, like Guinness. About a finger of thick cream-colored head, but dissipates after a short time. Moderate lacing.

S - Coffee, chocolate, caramel malts. A touch of alcohol, even. All very roasty/toasty.

T - All the same as the smells, and additionally a healthy amount of bitterness, in a good way. Excellent.

M - Smooth, creamy, medium-low carbonation. Almost warms you up as you drink it. Great body. Easy to take another healthy-sized slug right after.

O - You're not supposed to give many fives, but it's happening here...it almost feels like there should be more to say. This is as close to perfect as I can imagine. The best beer I've had to date.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2013 09:08:15 | More by punky796

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Single bottle from a Founders mix pack I made myself on a recent trip to Buffalo. Poured into a Founders glass.

Pours a near black hue, with a bit of chestnut. A half inch of large bubbled head dissolves speedily into a fine ring. Not the best looking brew I have to say, but fortunately that doesn't matter too much here.

Nose is nice roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, caramel, good bitterness.

A very nice porter, with loads of flavor. Coffee, chocolate and a firm, assertive bitterness - whether from the coffee or the hops, I can't tell, but there's a mild citric bite in there as well. Creamy, with a lingering bitter finish. Great stuff.

Mouthfeel is just on the edge, almost a bit too carbonated for my tastes, but it hangs in there. Decent thickness, but well within the porter range. Warming alcohol on the tongue.

A get up, stand up kind of porter. Highly drinkable for those days when a beastly imperial coffee stout is just too much to handle. This one is just the ticket.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 02:35:03 | More by JohnnyBarman

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

4.3/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Black, little to no head

S: Dark chocolate and coffee with a hint of booze

T: Bitter dark chocolate and dark roast coffee. Nice bitter finish evens every thing out. No alcohol

M: Smooth and light

Overall: A great Porter. Not as aggressive as Smutty's Robust but better than others I've had. A very enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 00:43:28 | More by JuliusCaesar

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Half Acre tulip.

A- pours black with a 2" dark tan heat. Big wall and trailing of lacing remains on the glass.

S- big roast, dark chocolate, and some coffee.

T- semi-sweet dark chocolate, roasted malts, and some bitter coffee.

M- medium body and carbonation. Nice creamy and smooth feel.

O- very good porter and I am not a big porter fan. Nice roast with just a touch of sweetness, and very creamy feel.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 05:21:31 | More by kawilliams81

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle -> pint glass

Nice dark black with subtle brown and ruby. Thin mocha colored head faded quickly for me.

Coffee, malt, and hint of vanilla on nose.

Lots of coffee and smoke up front. Soft notes of cedar and bourbon, but very subtle. Rich malty finish.

Medium to full body with rich mouthfeel. Leaves you wanting another sip.

Quite delicious overall. An excellent porter. Perfect for winter warming.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 00:20:29 | More by dheacck11

Mister_Falcon

Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev -18%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark chocolate color into a pint glass and formed a half inch cocoa-colored head that dissipated over a few seconds.

Smells artificially smokey with some malt hints.

Tastes kinda acrid in it's bitterness with the smokey flavor coming on a little too strong for my tastes.

Crisp yet heavy feeling as it swishes around the palate.

I don't care much for the taste of this one, really smokey and bitter but not in a subtle way.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 03:47:21 | More by Mister_Falcon

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Dark almost black with one-finger, tan, creamy head that lasted a few minutes and left a nice film. Pretty good lacing.

S: Coffee, bittersweet chocolate.

T: Moderate sweetness and moderate bitterness. Roasted malt, chocolate, and milk.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Smooth and slightly warm going down.

O: Nice drinkable porter for the cold months. Nose was weak, but other than that, pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:04:49 | More by SolipsismalCat

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.59/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Well, this is very, very good. I tried the Porter about 18 or so months ago, and literally just picked up two bottles the other day, reviewing my second now.

This was bottled on 12/24/12, and pours a delicious super dark brown/black coffee color.

Smell is more than appropriate; Roasty/toasty malt and barley. Tobacco, hint of leather and grass.

Taste is similar. Super balanced and nearly perfect taste for a porter. This is incredible creamy.

Feels almost like a milk stout. It's a tad bit sweet, balanced with hops and light carb on the end.

overall, this could be my favorite porter, very good. My impression is that it needs to be fresher but not necessarily within weeks -- I'm thinking within 6-8 months. This is very good. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 02:09:41 | More by rodlavers

vandemonian

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Founders Porter is a delicious American porter that is perfect for drinking on a cold winter's night. It's not tooo alcoholic, so have a couple. Lovely!

A: Black colour and a 3 mm head that fades pretty fast. 3.5

S: Dark, burnt malt and strong coffee aroma. 4.5

T: Dark, sweet malt with hints of chocolate and some bitterness in the finish. The finish tasted a tiny bit metallic to me, for some reason. Still delicious! 4

M: Small bubbles that stick to the edge of the tongue. 3.5

O: 4

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 04:52:06 | More by vandemonian

Huffs

New York

3.85/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured into a Sam Adams glass, developed a modest head, dark tan in color, which dissipated quickly and had minimal lacing. Appearance was dark brown to black. Aroma was a nice malt / chocolate. Taste was malty with notes of caramel, chocolate and a slight spicy hop on the back. Mouthfeel was full and lightly carbonated. Aftertaste was malty on the front and dry, slightly hoppy, on the back.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:10:38 | More by Huffs

AmitC

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into snifter. Bottled on 1/3/13

Very heavy looking pour. Extremely dark brown in color. Thicker and darker than many of the stouts. Pitch black in color. Just about one finger thick nice tan colored head with decent retention. Super awesome lacing. Opaque.

Charred malt or barley aroma upfront. Very burnt up nose. Slight amount of hops. Aroma is still very much like a porter without being too offensive. Very well balanced. Overall strength is mild to medium strong just like a good porter. No apparent alcohol.

Taste has burnt up malts shining through out. Slight amount of coffee flavor but only just. Good mix of hops that though not being bitter enough provide a good balance. Some cocoa taste. Dry finish with no sweetness whatsoever. No booze.

Mouth feel is on the thicker and more full bodied side. Low to moderate carbonation which is very likable. No astringency only the lingering taste of burnt up malts.

Style Rate: 4.5
Personal Rate: 4.25

This is how a porter should be.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 16:03:07 | More by AmitC

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.29/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a heavy black, with a half-inch thick mocha head on top. Nose is full with notes of vanilla, chocolate bark, roasted coffee beans, and a touch of alcohol. Absolutely full body coats the palate well. Really a smooth beer, that is rich and decadent in feel.

Huge amounts of roasted malt. Coffee, oak, vanilla beans, chocolate bread. Fantastic flavor balance. This is a truly fantastic beer and one of the standards for the style. I want some more.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 19:35:36 | More by Onenote81

MaineBrewing

Maine

4.21/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - opaque dark brown/black with a nice small tan creamy head

S - chocolate, deep roasted malt, smoke, coffee, grassy hops, smells very enticing. Mild fruitiness.

T - taste is a nice sweet malt, black malt, wet, smokey, and chocolate. Very prevalent but not overwhelming roasted malt character. A little maybe grassy piney hop flavoring however hops are mostly in the end providing ample bitterness, it does finish a little sweet, but lingering bitterness quells the sweetness. Very tasty.

M - very drinkable, on the heavier side of mouthfeel for a porter, velvety I would say.

O - very solid porter, a little on the sweeter heavier side, but well executed and in good balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 05:40:28 | More by MaineBrewing

socon67

New York

4.11/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Black pour with a brown foam that settles to a 1/4" and retains well. Decent lacing streaks the glass.

S - Robust smell of dark malts, roasted coffee beans, and semisweet chocolate. This rivals many of the big stouts in complextiy.

T - Rich taste with notes of chocolate to go with toasted coffee beans & caramel. Malt profile on this is big. Again, this could easily pass off as one of the big stouts. One of the beers that further blurs the lines between the two styles.

M - Awesome sessionability on this beer. Never tires out. The one thing that I'd prefer is for this porter to be a bit more mellow to allow for pairing with food. It tends to dominate the taste buds.

O - An iconic porter and benchmark for the American versions of the style. Hard to separate this from GL Edmund Fitzgerald. Another elite beer from Founders.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 00:23:06 | More by socon67

viverlee

Ohio

3.16/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Too often in a fit of “oh shit the baby’s going to wake up, poop everywhere and need to be changed, fed and played with” I don’t let the beer mellow, to come down a few degrees. I started this review in haste before deciding to take my own advice. Glad I did.

STYLE: American Porter

ABV: 6.5%

LOOK: Unremarkable, the midpoint between oily and soda. An appalling lack of lacing. What head?

NOSE: We’re off to a rather good start. Over a foot away, I can smell the chocolate and red fruits as it pours. Better as it warms. Smoother too. We’ve gone from metallic to mid-range coffee.

MOUTH: It settles into coffee and lightly burnt malts. Not the extraordinary failure I thought it was at first. Medium body, dirty, barn doors, green pear. It has to be sessionable, but not because the ABV is relatively low. It simply lacks something robust, be it flavor or texture.

Beeradvocate Rating: 95

ratebeer Rating: 100

Hayward Abbey Rating: 82

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 23:00:29 | More by viverlee

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of chocolate, roasted malts, a touch of coffee. Taste is a good balance of chocolate and coffee, some maltiness. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 01:18:23 | More by tone77

popery

California

4.18/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

From notes, 6/15/11. Pours black with some brown at the edges. Light brown head. Good retention. Creamy dark chocolate. There are roast and coffee flavors, particularly in the finish, but this is a chocolatey treat. One of my favorite porters and an all-round fantastic beer. It’s lush and thick on the plate for the abv. Smell isn’t terribly strong, but the taste comes through big. Perfect malt sweetness for the beer. This is a real treat and probably my favorite dark beer from Founders, so far.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 07:35:15 | More by popery

Steamer

Missouri

4.81/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

The pour produces a two fingered khaki colored head. This dissipates slowly taking on a pillowy appearance. The liquid is completely opaque. A strong expresso aroma. Tastes of burnt toast, sweet coffee, a little maltiness.... exceptionally well balanced. Silky smooth mouthfeel with just a little carbonation. One of the best porters I've had the pleasure of sampling. This will be a regular!

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 03:05:09 | More by Steamer

jacket_fan

Georgia

4.46/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

I did a taste comparison late last summer with different porters and this one came out on top. So I am biased towards this beer. Imagine doing a comparison in the summer by the pool with Porters. Crazy.

A
Nice head with small tight carbonation bubbles. Dark almost amber. Medium to heavy lacing that stands up well.

S
Heavy coffee to a non coffee drinker. Has the sTrong "Porter" smell. A little chocolate hint to me.

T
A nice complex mix with coffee and little sweet chocolate aftertaste.

M
A smooth mouthfeel, the best of the comparison I did. Very satisfying and smooth.

O
A recommended Porter. I did not realize this was so highly rated, but I would recommend this to anyone looking for a Porter. I buy this one when in the local store and look forward to getting it on draught or a growler. Cudos Founders.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 03:02:45 | More by jacket_fan

janglang34

North Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is my absolute favorite porter! Every time I'm at my local beer store, Peabody's, and I'm looking for a libation to warm me up on these cold mountain winters, the Founder's Porter is what I reach for. I love everything about this beer! The taste is awesome with dark, roasted malts and just enough hop flavor and aroma to compliment that dark, rich, and sexy mouth of real beer. The only thing I've had as good if not better is Caldera's "Mogli".

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 01:20:43 | More by janglang34

CurtFromHershey

Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - pours pitch black with a root beer float head which quickly dwindles to some thin lacing around the edges.
S - bitter chocolate with just a hint of coffee
T - similar to the nose but also with some caramel toffee notes.
M - thick, creamy, a bit wet. Would rather it a bit drier.
O - one of my favorite American porters. Hard to beat it for the price. If the finish was a bit drier, I'd have a hard time drinking anything else.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 23:56:19 | More by CurtFromHershey

fx20736

New York

4.53/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, served near room temp.

Black as night with a chocolate malted head, nice lacing.

aroma of dark chocolate, coffee, some smoke and an herbal hoppiness.

mouthfeel is soft and mousselike.

taste; riched roasted malt, chocolate syrup with a strong smokiness that lingers on the palate with a pleasing bitterness.

notes; kaboom!!! C'est arrive! THIS IS a porter!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 23:35:16 | More by fx20736