Founders Porter - Founders Brewing Company

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A lovely very balanced porter, dry and toasty and very balanced- doesn't try to be a stout. Smells dry, slightly toasty, and with quite a bit of unsweetened licorice. Th taste is similar. perfectly balanced roastiness, dry licorice, and a nice dose of spicy hops that complement rather than overwhelm the other flavors. The mouthfeel is substantial, a bit spicy, quite dry, and very satisfying. A very pleasant winter quaffer that doesn't overdo it either in alcohol or in your face flavors, but offers a still substantial flavor packed and satisfying brew. Just like a porter should be.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2010 03:29:40 | More by Georgiabeer

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours 1/2 finger of tan head. Fades down. Color is a deep brown, nearing black.

Aroma: A bit roasted malt profile. Coffee, chocolate, and cocoa. It also has a slight grassy bitterness.

Taste: Bitter coffee, chocolate, and cocoa. Grassy hops. Very roasted. Lots of malts.

Mouthfeel: Roasted and bitter. Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Ends dry and roasted (big surprise).

Overall, this was a solid porter, but a bit too roasty for me. Easy drinking however and a quality product.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 00:53:27 | More by mothman

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours beautifully, flat opaque black with a thick chocolate milk-colored head that dissipated but not too quickly. Nice thick lacing too. The aroma is strong coffee and roasted malt. Medium-bodied, and unfortunately the flavor is not as robust as the look and smell. Bitter coffee and burnt malt flavors dominate, but the balance is a little too much on the bitter side. The finish is fairly bitter with coffee and some chocolate. Overall a pretty good Porter, it just needs better balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2004 14:21:57 | More by Dogbrick

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thick and oily black, waffer thin cocoa brown foam that sits thickly but quite thin even after a strong pour. Lacing sticks in strings.

Aroma is nice and darkly roasted with black malts, coffeeish notes, tangy molasses, dark caramel, and bittersweet chocolate.

Great taster, rich, dark, deep, and inviting flavors of heavily roasted barley and malts, nice chocolate tones meld within keeping an ever present bitterness of roasty/burnt qualities. Touches of coffee/espresso roast intermingle with all the other roasty things in the finish where the bittering ensues and drys out with a nice play of everything chocolate and roasty. Some burnt tinges and charred wood notes make their way in as well. Wow! Fantastic porter character in its flavors. Oh my is it yummy!

Feel is well rounded and creamy full with a fantastic finish of drying roasty/burntish chocolate bittering. I'm reminded of burnt chocolate cake or cookies at every sip. Fantastically good stuff.

This could be one to top Descutes Black Butte and Summit Great Northern in my book, something I never thought could be possible, but this stuff is wonderful! Yum times two.
A wowzaa yippee goes to trbeer for throwing this one in the mix!

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2004 18:55:14 | More by tavernjef

Cyberkedi

Georgia

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

The sample I got fizzed like crazy, so have a towel handy if opening a bottle! It pours a beautiful midnight sable with a very thick, fluffy, persistent tan head. Smoky, oily aroma has tones of molasses, caramel and fine coffee. Rich flavor has firm smoky overtone and coffee, nutty, molasses and caramel components as well as a hint of hop bitterness. Texture is smooth with a subtle fizz and leaves a nice smoky and slightly sweet finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 02:04:49 | More by Cyberkedi

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

The beer is jet black, with a thick, beige head. A thick sheet of lacing coats the pint glass. No room for improvement here.

The aroma...ahh. Roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. What a welcoming scent.

The beer tastes fantastic as well. Teeming with flavor, this is one of the finest porters I have ever had. Chocolate and roast in beautiful harmony.

The feel is medium to full bodied, and silky smooth.

I highly recommend this beer. When it comes to stouts and porters, Founders Brewing Co. is simply world class.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 03:24:10 | More by Huhzubendah

ccrida

Oregon

4.88/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle poured into my Delirium snifter, Founders Porter is black with a massive foamy brown head. Between the pressure released when I cracked it, along with the overly foamy head, I feared infection, but none was found. The foamy leaves heavy chunks, rocky really, a bit Belgianesque.

Smell is caramel, almost nougat like. Really delicious.

Taste is very rich, this is a big ass porter, which I dig. Loads of cocoa, a little milk chocolate really, with a touch of caramel as well. Outstanding, wow.

Mouthfeel is nicely carbonation but not overly so, medium bodied.

Drinkability is great, this a fantastic porter. The only frustration is the large head slows down the drinking! This is the best porter I've ever had, period.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 03:40:57 | More by ccrida

largadeer

California

4.65/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottles from Tyson. Thanks again.

Pours black, completely opaque in the glass with a huge three finger dark brown head that retains remarkably well, leaving webs of lace clinging to the glass.

The aroma is of chocolate and roasted grain, coffee and carob.

Roasty on the palate, dry and robust with flavors of coffee, burnt toast and carob showing up mid-palate. Medium-full in body, rich in flavor but impressively drinkable. It finishes semi-sweet with a lingering baker's chocolate bitterness. Exceptional stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2009 01:32:33 | More by largadeer

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter from a 12 oz bottle. Pours a ruddy blackish brown with a light brown head that provides ample lacing.

In the nose is chocolate, moderate espresso.

The flavor follows the nose, a nice roasted malt character hints of smoke and coffee. Chocolate sweetness is just under the radar, and the earthy hop is there providing residual bitterness. Imagine waking up and eating oreos with your coffee and cigar, in liquid form.

Mouthfeel is superb. High carbonation with a smooth drying finish. Crisp on the palate, and is actually not as heavy as I would expect.

Drinkability is very good as well. A very tasty porter here that may be the benchmark for the style. I would reccommend buying a case of this lovely beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2009 14:51:31 | More by Stinkypuss

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a black color and a thick texture. There was a half inch of tan-colored head and some good lacing.

S: Smelled of coffee, chocolate and malt.

T: A nicely done flavor of coffee and chocolate up front and malt and hops going down. Balanced and tasty.

M: A well carbonated beer with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

D: Like most Founders beers, this is a drinkable, well-constructed beer with a lot of character.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2009 13:57:02 | More by avalon07

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours jet black with a tan head. In the aroma, a small roast and a nice sweetness. In the taste, roasty and rich, with a nice hop presence. A small bite and a medium to bigger bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry roasted malt in the aftertaste. What can I say, Founder's already said it...Dark - Rich - Sexy!!

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2012 17:42:49 | More by OWSLEY069

gford217

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle courtesy of FtownThrowDown poured into a tulip.

This one poured dark, dark brown out of the bottle and settles in black with hints of mahogany around the edges. An aggressive pour produces a smallish tan head that recedes to a ring quickly and leaves little lacing.

The aroma is stunning on this one with everything you could ever want in a porter. It's got dark sweet malts, with lots of chocolate and hints of roasted coffee. It's also got plenty of sweet dark fruits and hints of caramel, vanilla, and even a hint of hops. One of the best aromas I've had on a porter.

The taste is only a small step behind the aroma in my book. It's definitely sweet with lots of dark chocolate malts and molasses sweetness. Tastes like a dessert with a splash of coffee infusion.

The mouthfeel is full-bodied with low, soft carbonation and just completely coats the mouth with the dark sweet malts. Decadent mouthfeel overall, especially for the style.

Quite simply, one of the best porters I've ever tasted. The nose is world-class and the taste and mouthfeel are pretty damn close. I'm not sure if I've ever had a beer with more flavor at this ABV level. Wonderful stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2009 02:14:45 | More by gford217

ZAP

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I love a good porter but they are hard to find. This one is a great example of the style and what a good porter can taste like.

Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights.

Highly aromatic but complex...big strong notes of dark chocolate, espresso, and smoked woods.

Body is creamy and full....

Flavor is big on the espresso, dark cocoa, and char....finishes with a burnt matliness that is a little out of bounds for the style...

Excellent porter with some big characteristics...just a little too much char on the finish...

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2009 05:32:54 | More by ZAP

jrallen34

Illinois

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

On tap at Haymarket into a 4oz tasting glass, first beer of the night, a good one for sure...Dark pour for porter, a nice black color with a really nice dark tan head that has good retention and lacing...The aroma is unique, lots of coffee but with a bite of hops, nuts and chocolate come through as well, slightly acetone note. I like this...The taste matches the aroma a coffee porter with some hops, yummy and balanced, and drinkable. This is a winner.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2011 01:11:45 | More by jrallen34

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I picked this bottle up at Al's of Hampden -poured cool into a willybecker.

A deep brown bordering on black with a tobacco color at the base and rocky med brown cap w/ tight bead. Lace clings decently in a web-like pattern, clarity is opaque and the head has some uneven very large bubbles and compresses to a small bead. The smell is heavy in the cocoa realm with some toast + vanilla in the nose w/ coffee accents. The sweet and roasted malt odor w/ caramel presence are balanced in the nose. The feel is a great smooth body with malt texture and yet moderately full body w/ slightly mild carbonation and mid-range bitterness w/ a hint of dark grain astringency and only mild alcohol in the semi-dry finish.

The flavor of Founders porter is wonderful with slight burnt malt under a sweet toasted and caramel flavor w/ light coffee tinges and mild hop bitterness. The malt astringency is very light and gives the toasted taste and light pine hop notes a chance to mingle in the subtle biscuit and dark roasted flavors w/ some malted milkball sweetness. The taste has a decent amount of dark cocoa and the finish is semi-sweet. Overall a high quality porter in the American Tradition. I think Founders has executed very well with this fine example -so easy to quaff, yet packed with flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 14:06:59 | More by Slatetank

dirtylou

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single, $1.89 at Steve's - University. surprised i've never reviewed this one

appearance: poured into tyranena pint glass - very dark body with garnet hues, creamy chocolate cap but light retention

smell: very rich, heavy roast - french roast coffee, smoke/char, dark chocolate

taste: great porter - rich dark chocolate, strongly roasted coffee, char/smoke, vibrant dark fruits, espresso bean, earthy and woody. just an all around strong porter - one of the best

mouthfeel: rich, but could be creamier

drinkability: rich and heavy, but very tasty

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2009 02:23:12 | More by dirtylou

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.9/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Another bottle courtesy of russpowell. Thanks Russ!

Dark, Rich & Sexy. You have my attention.

That's a pitch black pour I'm seeing which looks great but the foam, what little there is of it to start with shrinks to a ring around the glass in an eye blink. Checking on the lacing..heck, there is some there so there's some redemption.

The smell is light but nice. Notes of roast, chocolate, sweet malt, and a strange but nice fruity nose.

The taste is much more assertive and is delicious. Light note of milk chocolate evolves in to some good dark chocolate bitterness with a hint of some dark fruits and now, the sweeter aspects of chocolate come back to the forefront.

Now I'm getting a sense of a coffee presence...very light but I doubt my palate is lying to me. A very tasty Porter and it will be a pleasure finishing the bottle.

Medium bodied, it has a light carbonation profile. A very nice mouthfeel is the result.

Drinkability? 6.5%abv isn't crazy strong..I guess that's why I'm looking at the last few ounces in my glass. A good drinker and I agree with the dark and rich but sexy? lol. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 18:47:25 | More by Bitterbill

Tone

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark black color with slight amber hues along the bottom of the glass. 5/4 inch head of a dark tan color. Good retention and lacing. Smells of sweet malt, roasted malt, coffee, hops, and a slight hint of spice. Fits the style of an American Porter. Mouth feel is smooth and bitter with an average carbonation. Tastes of roasted malt, strong hops, sweet malt, coffee, and slight hint of alcohol. Overall, a good looking, smelling, and great tasting brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 22:27:44 | More by Tone

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: Half finger milk chocolate head with some lacing. dark black without light passing through.

A: lots of chocolate with dark roast and coffee notes. The smell is very sweet.

T: mostly dark roasted malt and coffee with the choclate in the sweet finish and less doimianting than in the aroma. A decent hop bitterness intermixed.

M: thick and full bodied, light to moderate carbonation, very smooth.

Overall: A very drinkable porter. Porter is one of my least favorite genres however this is a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 02:56:21 | More by kylehay2004

TurdFurgison

Ohio

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

I found this available in 6-packs ($9.99) at Bello Vino in Ann Arbor last week. I chickened out and bought a single 12oz for $1.69. The beer looks spectacular, dark brown with a milk chocolate colored foam, tons of tan lacing on the glass. The smell is malty with lots of chocolate, really good. The taste is roasted malt, less chocolate than in the aroma but still there, hardly any bitterness in the aftertaste. Really thick body, more than I usually see in porters, this crosses the line to stout or double stout. Really good, Founders is just a solid choice for any style you care to get.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 18:00:29 | More by TurdFurgison

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Grabbed the last bottle of this at Capone's the other day. Into my snifter

A: Pours a VERY impressive jet black with a dark brown head that recedes to a wispy disk rather quickly.

S: Oh, the smell of uninfected beer is awesome! Solid, roasted malt aromas with a hint of chocolate and some cream. The balance is leaning towards the burnt/heavily roasted malt, the way I like it. Excellent

T: Solid. Biggish in body with plenty of heavily roasted/burnt malt present (almost a touch too much?) with an excellent dark chocolate bitterness. The big body does push things a bit into stout territory but the burnt malt character is definitely porter-like. Finishes sweet with a bit too much roastiness for my liking

M: Uncharacteristically big (enjoyable, though) with soft carbonation and a burnt-bitter finish

D: The biggish body and the bitterness on the finish don't make this a session porter but neither does the 6.5% I will definitely drink this again, though

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2009 05:05:59 | More by DefenCorps

nickfl

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - pours with two fingers of tan foam on top of an opaque, black body. The head settles slowly and leaves moderate lace.

S - a strongly roasty aroma with coffee and a bit of chocolate.

T - smoky coffee and some dark chocolate up front. A little bit of spice comes out in the middle with notes of chicory and licorice. Finishes with lots of coffee and moderate malt bitterness.

M - a fairly thick body, moderate carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - nicely done, this is a bit on the thick side for a porter, but very well balanced and flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 03:13:25 | More by nickfl

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

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

12 oz bottle poured into an imperial pint. 45 IBUs, 6.5% ABV, No bottle date (so it's probably old).

A - The clear pour to the bottom of the glass resulted in a monumental tan head with dribbles of beer slowly filtering through the foam creating a sexy cascading. Despite the large head it dropped to a clumpy pile rather quickly. Above the black beer, multiple rings of dense lace were left over.

S - You'd swear you walked into a coffee shop with a whiff of this beer. Ground roast coffee is huge here with an equally bold roasted malt backbone while dark chocolate adds a silky smoothness to the aroma. A prickle of hops follows though on the finish.

T - Dark roasted malts almost come across as burnt with a bold coffee flavor followed by a thick dark chocolate/mocha creaminess and a roasted bitter finish.

M - This thick porter is full-bodied and creamy to the point of being smooth as black velvet. The silky texture is almost chewy since there is no carbonation feel to it but it's not syrupy by any means. A lightly dry and roasted bitter finish provides the perfect balance to keep it from being too sweet or rich.

D - This goes down so well it's almost sinful. I've had thinner stouts than this porter too but it's damn good and definitely worth picking up more of!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 00:56:10 | More by BeerFMAndy

tpd975

Florida

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

A: Very dark black hue with a nice mocha colored head. Good retention and a nice smattering of lace.

S: Bold roasted malt with lots of chocolate and coffee character.

T: Bold roast up front the semi sweet chocolate and coffee power through as well. Subtle notes of licorice round things out.

M: Medium to full in body, rich, and smooth.

D: Good, but this one is as much a stout as it is a porter.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2009 22:21:50 | More by tpd975

FosterJM

California

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

1070th Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
12 oz

Not sure vintage

Thanks to MrHirschybars for the tasting and sharing this one.

App- Almost black but still one of the darkest porters I have seen. A very dense pour and looked a bit oily. A small tan head left very quickly and only left a couple dots of cling.

Smell- A very interesting porter. A lot more full on the nose than most I have smelled. It was rich with some chocolate and cocoa powder.

Taste- Much more like a small coffee or espresso stout. A bit bitter with some inviting chocolate notes and then a bit of roasted peanut note. Definitely balanced between the layers of the chocolate and the roast without being to far forward in either direction.

Mouth- Medium bodied with a good dose of medium amounts of carbonation. Leaves residual dryness with a bit of chocolate powder flavors.

Drink- A very good porter. Would like to grab another 4pk next time on vacation if I can find any. Would love to age a couple bottles.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 22:09:38 | More by FosterJM