Founders Porter - Founders Brewing Company

dogma46an2

Alabama

3.13/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

The beer was well received however a few people thought it to be too hoppy for a porter, almost like a mix between an IPA and a porter. This can be great, but when someone expects a porter they do not expect a heave hop taste. It was great, but a little bitter for someone trying to order a porter.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 02:37:51 | More by dogma46an2

ncredible1

Arizona

4.08/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had to purchase online at www.france44.com. Not available in AZ

Quite simply this beer is doppel bock meets american porter.

a - Pours a blsck coffee color with an inch of tan head with light carbonation.

s - Smells of strong roasted malts, smokey, chocolate, and vanilla. The aroma is breath takingly good.

t - When i started drinking this the taste mimicks a doppel bock. Tastes of light chocolate, vanilla, roasted malts, coffee.

m - Medium to full body and light to medium carbonation. Great balance in the mouth.

d - This is definitely a autumn to winter beer for me. Highly recommend!

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2010 17:10:35 | More by ncredible1

StoutKing0104

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A dark, black body that allows no hint of light to pass through, with a very thin, brown/mocha head that films on the glass when sipped.

A simple sniff offers a smokey aroma mixed with chocolate and coffee.

A rich, bitter taste of dark chocolate and coffee that leaves a tingling sensation on the tongue and entices the pallet awaits each sip.

This beer flows smoothly from the bottle and even more smoothly past the lips and down the throat, making it very easy and fun to drink.

I love dark beers and to me this one was very satisfying!

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 01:49:31 | More by StoutKing0104

MikieV

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From bottle, poured into my beer bug very dark, almost black. Very thin tan head. Pronounced coffee scent. Not at all unpleasant. Mine left no lacing.

Taste is similar to scent. Roasted coffee and roasted malts dominate the flavor. If that's what you are looking for, you'll find it here in abundance. Very smooth mouth feel. Actually felt thinner than it looked like it would be. Bitter aftertaste makes you thirsty for another drink.

This was not a bad porter by any means, but it wasn't necessarily what I was expecting .

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 04:22:23 | More by MikieV

Optifron

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed 11/24/2012 from the bottle

Appearance: Dark, dark brown. Creamy brown head.
Aroma: Dark chocolate, smooth roastiness

Taste: Lots of dark chocolate, roasted bitterness. Very creamy.

Mouthfeel: Very silky, creamy feel. Really nice. Not overly thick (as in, not imperial stout kind of thick).

Overall: Mouthfeel is great. Nice head retention and lacing too, but too much roasted bitterness for me. Would like it a touch more balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 21:24:46 | More by Optifron

hctap00

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First ever review on BA.

Poured from 12 oz bottle into wine glass. No bottling date. This one has several months on it.

A weak pour resulted in almost no head. Thin tan lacing that lingers. Near pitch black, a hint of translucent brown at the edges.

Dark chocolate on the nose first. Roasted malt bitterness. Maybe a hint of coffee. Smell approaches Breakfast Stout but with less coffee and oatmeal. Now that it warms, some dark fruit aromas breaking through.

Dark, rich, and sexy indeed. A great balance of flavors. Blend of chocolate and roasted barley throughout. Hops hit early and again at the end, but always secondary. Coffee towards the end. Lingering bitterness from the malt. Every time I drink this beer, I expect a sweeter finish. Then I remember it is a porter, not an imperial stout.

Creamy and smooth. For me, this is what separates Founders Porter from many others.

Overall, a delight. Never overpowering and does not try to do too much. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 05:03:07 | More by hctap00

scout

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Publican in Chicago.

A very stout-like porter. Pours almost black, opaque with just a hint of brown. Nice thick head and the sticky lacing you expect from a fresh draft. Smell is toasted malts and faint hops.

Taste is toasted (almost burnt) malts, coffee and nuts up front then mellow hops. Very silky mouth-feel, almost creamy -- a lot like the Breakfast Stout actually, but just a bit lighter.

Overall, a great, balanced beer. Very similar to their Breakfast Stout, with a less sweet more hoppy taste (which interesting because it has fewer IBUs than the stout). Very drinkable, but just doesn't have the wow factor that the stout does.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2011 00:39:04 | More by scout

jduffy21

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was poured from a 12oz bottle to a Sam Adams glass.
This beer was pitch black with not a shimmer of light breaking through. A nice dark tan head that sticks around all the way to the bottom.
I could smell the combination of coffee and chocolate as soon as I started to pour.
The strong flavor of coffee and chocolate come through in this robust porter, with a some coffee bitterness towards the end. Founders has one of the most flavorful Porters around.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 00:35:18 | More by jduffy21

Labonix

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle.
Apperance is dark black with a fingers worth of tan head.
Smell is of sweet chocolate and malt and a bit of coffee
Taste is nice. Its mostly roasted malts and coffee followed by a hint of chocolate.
mouthfeel is pretty thick and heavy with a nice amount of carbonation to it.
Overall this is a solid porter and its well worth it to pick up a 6 pack if avaliale.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 15:28:25 | More by Labonix

Betmore

Ohio

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

This brew poured the darkest shade of brown possible and formed a beautiful mocha head that slowly faded into a resilient foam cap. Lacing was heavy.

The initial bouquet is heavy with rich, almost burnt, roasted malts. Secondary aromas include coffee, liquorice, vanilla, and sweet candied fruits. Theres a lot going on here so I'm pretty excited about tasting this badboy.

Oh, man, this stuff is good. Dark malts, coffee, slightly burnt toast, and chocolate are the predominant flavors here and they're balanced quite nicely as well.

Mouthfeel is fine. No suprises here. Its of medium to thin body with soft carbonation. Its a pleasure to have in my mouth. (Thats what she said!)

I'm pleasantly suprised at how drinkable this brew is. It would go with just about any meal and is amazingly refreshing. While it has a boatload of flavors, they're not overbearing. I don't feel like my face is being ripped off by huge malts or massive hops. This beer just "works". I'll definitley buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 04:55:45 | More by Betmore

Bowers-Brew

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A - Darker than many stouts, nice chocolate brown color. Would like a little more foamy head.

S - Smells lovely. Smoky, earthy, chocolate with a faint hop aroma.

T - Not quite as good as Founders Breakfast Stout, but very very tasty.

M - Clean and smooth. Wanted a little thicker/creamier texture. Might just be my expectation/perception based on the really dark color...

O - Stouts and porters seem to be dominated by Founders. Great beer for a cold rainy day, or anytime you want to enjoy a good porter.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 22:18:28 | More by Bowers-Brew

antzman

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle. Pours a deep brown with a thin medium brown head. The aroma is full of coffee, chocolate and malts. A very roasted malt flavor comes through with a hint of chocolate, coffee, and even some nuttiness. The hops are very muted, but come through at the very end of the sip. This drank almost like a stout, but had a tremendous flavor and body. A huge porter.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2009 19:54:24 | More by antzman

antique

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Dark brown color, slightly opaque, a 2/3-finger head that hangs around for a decent while before disappearing; the drink doesn't leave too much lacing behind.

Smells of nuts, firewood, some chocolates and caramels, a bit of zest or maybe dried fruits, and a rich syrupy smell that permeates now and again.

Decent carbonation. The initial taste is bitter like coffee or even grapefruit juice, but it immediately yields to an array of nice, very rich and warming dark chocolates and even a faint smokiness, coupled with hints of molasses and earthy tones. The medium-heavy feel of the drink begs to be swirled around in the mouth to absorb all of the flavors, and upon swallowing it simply explodes pleasantly. Aftertaste of something like a nutty bread with a continuation of the mild, smokey/firewood-esque flavors.

A relatively complex porter that falls apart elegantly on the tongue, managing to offer a lot without assaulting the palette. Balanced and nuanced. Deceptively sweet at first, but that overarching coffee bitterness steals the show in a very nice, warming way.

This is what I come for in a porter. Complex but not overpowering; it's not much to look at, but the taste and feel alone clearly earn this brew top marks. Certainly one of the best porters I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 05:33:43 | More by antique

taulpepper

New York

4.15/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into tulip glass. Nice looking head, about a finger, small bubbles, fades quickly but leaves sticky lacing. Dark, black, opaque. Aroma - sweet, roasted, with a bit of alcohol and sourness, a little bit of fruit, like prunes or like the sourness you get from very dark chocolate. Taste - classic big American porter - strong, deep, dark, burnt, carmelized flavors up front, with a slight sweetness in the finish. Roasty and a little smoky aftertaste. The bitterness of the hops is mostly overwhelmed by the flavor of the roasted malt, but at 45 IBUs it's present and it's there from start to finish. Overall a great example of an American porter, but not mindblowing or terribly original. Would be happy to drink again on a cold night.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 02:23:25 | More by taulpepper

rufusb

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Thick, creamy, nice foamy head
S - strong coffee and chocolate overtones. Very nice.
T - again the coffee and chocolate flavors come to the forefront. Nice finish, w/o an alcohol aftertaste
M - thick, lush and creamy, very smooth going down
O - the strong coffee overtones was just slightly more than I'd prefer, but, this is an outstanding Porter. I highly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 07:17:05 | More by rufusb

RThomas436

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Black as night, however it looked to almost have a slight purple tint in the head.

Smell: Chocolate / coffee / peat earthy - it's rich and deep

Taste: Complex yet simple. Lets see..chocolate / coffee with a creaminess that intermingles the two

Mouthfeel: Creamy and heavy with a clean finish

Drinkability: Fantabulous - great flavor not overally difficult to drink great beer for a brisk spring day

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2009 02:46:56 | More by RThomas436

throwthechaff

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Finally had the opportunity to get myself a six pack of this year round beer by founders. I can finally say that i have had all the year round beers and totally a place that knows how to make beer. Was not disappointed with the porter at all. Very dark brown color that is very smooth and easy to drink... tastes almost like chocolate milk. Its not that thick of a porter which i really do like, but still find myself having a hard time to drink more than 3 of them because they are so filling. Totally a good one.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2009 04:01:43 | More by throwthechaff

ash111

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've been hitting porters now that the weather's turned a little chilly. Founder's was a new one for me, so I thought I would give it a try. Nice dark color with no light coming through. Not much head on the beer and disappeared quickly. Smells of malts, coffee, with a noticeable whiff of alcohol. Taste followed the smell, including the alcohol which was a little potent early in the beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 19:10:47 | More by ash111

jables7

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- this beer could blot out the sun. very dark with a little bit of tan head. decent lacing.

S- roasted malt in the forefront lets you know it's there. not as strong of a smell as I have come to expect from a Founders beer but still solid for the style.

T- follows closely along with the smell. the roasted malt is by far the most prominent feature with some caramel notes to follow.

M- a very thick beer for the style that coats the mouth completely. one of the better versions of this style that I've had in this category.

O- a quality representation of the style from one of the best breweries around.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 22:49:34 | More by jables7

brewcifix

Connecticut

4.19/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: I poured this from a bottle into a proper Porter tulip glass. It pours black, with a beautiful tan head. There's decent lacing.

Smell: The nose boasts caramel, sweet bread, and cereal, roasted coffee and malts. It’s a very pleasant aroma that, unfortunately, fades soon after the pour.

Taste: I taste roasted coffee, bitter chocolate, and a little smoke. This porter finshes nicely with grassy espresso hops and the faint memory of bakers cocoa (and maybe a little raisin?).

Mouthfeel: I don’t get the Brewer’s claim of a "silky" mouth feel. This beer is somewhat watery (medium to light tongue weight), with moderate carbonation affecting the back of my tongue.

Overall: This is a very nice porter with very drinkable appeal. I just wish the bouquet held out a litttle longer. Other than that, it's very tasty with rich flavor. I'd love to find this stuff on tap somewhere to REALLY get the full experience! This certainly is a "dark, rich, & sexy" porter that I wouldn't kick out of bed! Founders does it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 21:51:53 | More by brewcifix

MidnightWatch

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark cola overall with hints of mahogany on the top edges, off white head.

S - Burnt malts with an overlap of chocolate creaminess.

T - Taste lives up to the aroma. Silky dark chocolate, less robust than other Founders "dark beers", yet on par for the porter style.

M - Medium bodied with very clean finish.

O - A quality year round porter, reminiscent of other beers in Founders lineup. This one will be perpetually stocked in my home.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 21:00:40 | More by MidnightWatch

klink40

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- black chocolate color with minimal head

S-Smokey, coffee, cocoa, somewhat nutty

T- Taste explosion of smokey chocolate balance with a smooth

M-lighter than you'd expect from a Founder's Porter (but this is what I like)

D-extremely drinkable due to the smooth character and 6.5% ?? Very smooth for this and therefore a perfect choice for any Porter lover like me.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 01:13:25 | More by klink40

Marq18

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poured into pint glass. Dark as night with a hint of dark brown. Not much head, maybe half fingers worth.

S- Smell of coffee and dark roasted malts

T- Roasty flavor with hints of coffee and slight chocolate.

M- Partially creamy mouthfeel with medium body.

O- Nice overall porter. I would recommend to others

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 12:46:28 | More by Marq18

aleric

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark, dark brown and completely opaque. 1-finger tan head. Decent lacing.

S - Roasted malt, chocolate and a hint of hops.

T - Before I had time to think, "Oh wow" had escaped from my mouth. Coffee is added into the flavors that were present in the nose. Hops round out the finish for good balance when the drink is cold. The hops were stronger than I expected once it warmed up, but I never mind a little extra bitterness.

M - Rich and creamy, bold, and lightly carbonated.

O - This is a bold porter, but Founders made it bold in all the right ways. None of the flavors are too strong or overwhelm the rest of the beer. They toed the line with hops without losing the spirit or richness of a porter. Excellent beer... I can't pick anything I didn't enjoy about it.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 00:56:43 | More by aleric

IsaacmanTX

3.65/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This a fairley pretty black (not quite a dark black), with good lacing for a 4oz taster. I very much enjoyed the chocolate foresmell/foretaste with a light vanilla/coffee bean taste. The hops are a little overpowering though. I would have expected a more balanced flavor, even with the prominent hop smells. Not a beer I would order after tasting, but decent none the less.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 01:55:15 | More by IsaacmanTX