Founders Porter - Founders Brewing Company

wac9

Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

what a beauiful looking beer in a glass great pour great looking beer but its just me that sharpe taste to it its not hoppy which i thought it would be everybody will love this beer and they should but for me it just falls short a good surprise but not enough to like go ahead and enjoy i know you will but i cant

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 01:41:57 | More by wac9

SeamusDoyle

Pennsylvania

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

Pours an opaque, brown-black beer with a brown sugar-colored froth that stays put. It has an aroma of roasty malts, caramel or brown sugar and zesty hops. It has a very American smell. It’s pretty full bodied and soft. It vanishes from the mouth quickly and leaves the tongue a bit scratchy. It has flavors of dark malt, roastiness and maybe chocolate. A sort of lemon peel bitterness and some sort of grass or hay and spice seem to come from the hops. It’s balanced perfectly. It’s bold and delicious. This shows everyone what a porter is all about

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 20:09:24 | More by SeamusDoyle

heydukd

New York

4.15/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle dated 5/9/2012, served at cellar temperature on 1/15/2013. An aggressive pour into a stemmed Stout glass yielded a light brown, 1.5-finger head. Nice lacing. Appearance is dark brown to black, with a few traces of light near the bottom of the glass. The nose is mainly chocolate and roasted malt notes; very inviting. At the front of the tongue, dark chocolate is dominant, but not in an overpowering way. Middle of the mouth is where the roasted malt flavor comes in, along with a hint of coffee. Very nicely balanced. A somewhat bitter chocolate finish, which sets you up for the next sip.

Mouthfeel is medium, with a silky smoothness. The mouth is coated with a thin, pleasant layer of chocolate to savor during the experience. Extremely drinkable, and at 6.5%, definitely sessionable.

This perfectly meets the definition of a go-to Porter. It is balanced in every way possible: sweetness, bitterness, carbonation, etc., all tied together with excellent craftsmanship. An indispensable part of Founders' year-round lineup.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 17:04:56 | More by heydukd

Weli

Wisconsin

4.73/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A- Dark brown to black color with thin tan head with nice lacing

S-Very clean and malty smelling almost like a lager, hints of dark roasted malts

T-Cacao, dark chocolate malt flavors up front balanced by a modest hop bitterness

M-Full bodied, medium carbontation, very satiating

O-Would be definitely one of my top picks for a beer to sustain oneself with over a long cold winter, rich and malty without being cloying.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2013 14:28:46 | More by Weli

microbrewlover

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This brew pours a beautiful black with a thin mocha colored head. Very little lacing.

The smell is chocolate like and earthy; coffee grinds and some fruit I cannot identify.

The taste is chocolate and milky. Thick with roasted malts and kind of ashy and grainy on the back end. There are lots of sweet malts as well with the roasted malt taste at the beginning, hops in the middle and sweet with an ashy, smoky taste on the backend.

The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, milky, goes down very smoothly.

Overall this a a smooth drinking porter. Everything is well balanced from the chocolate, to the sweet malts, roasted malts and coffee tastes. It goes down very smoothly and would make a great session beer on a cold winter night.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 01:53:29 | More by microbrewlover

Kendo

New York

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, fairly aggressively. Body is black with a small tan/light brown head. No real lace other than some "legs" now and again.

S: Not too strong in the nose - some roast, some coffee and some chocolate. Nice for a porter, but not in-your-face strong. Maybe as it warms the nose will get stonger. . . .

T: Real nice. Chocolate malt, some roastiness, a hint of charcoal and a good dry bitter finish that calls to mind char or charcoal again.

M: Medium in heft, carbonation is pretty active.

O: Good stuff. A real nice porter.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 03:29:29 | More by Kendo

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle. Sampled on January 11, 2013.

It has a beautiful extra dark brown to practically black pour with a delicate, tan head bobbing on top and slowly diminishing.

The aroma is dark, smoky, and full of chocolate and coffee esters. It smells like a Porter should and invites me in.

The body is creamy and bold.

The taste is very much reflective of the aroma with an array of dark malts, yeast, chocolate, coffee grinds, and smoke. Topnotch.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 22:09:52 | More by puboflyons

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.29/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A- Pitch black pour with a hint of brown at the top and bottom of the glass. Very thin head that quickly goes away and leaves a ring of tan bubbles around the edge of the glass.

S- Roasted malts, tons of coffee, slight note of cocoa powder. Really nice.

T- Huge roasted malt notes, still getting a lot of coffee, hint of chocolate, slight mild hop presence to balance.

M- Full bodied, rich and coating, leaves a nice aftertaste. Medium carbonation and very drinkable.

O- Great porter. Has full flavor and can compete with the good imperials.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 00:21:24 | More by stephenjmoore

Carrico

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

I found this to be a very respectable porter. The color was what you would expect from a porter and the taste was very smooth but still flavorful. If you like porters, you will certainly enjoy this one from Founders.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 21:07:19 | More by Carrico

Tomhet

Illinois

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

The look of this thing is almost like a really dark root beer; verging on complete and utter blackness yet with a hint of brown that anticipates some of the overt sweetness that comes in with the aroma. The slightly tan/mocha head augments this, though in my case the head dissipated almost immediately and left next to no lacing. The first thing that hits the nose is a very sweet sort of coffee and dark chocolate hybrid, which is then followed by a remarkably well mix of sweet caramel malts and definite earthy hops.

The taste is far more roasted coffee than I anticipated; and this dominates the front with an iron fist. However, near the middle of the tongue that sweet caramel/toffee hybrid sneaks its way in, and the end is a bit of that earthy hop with a slight boozy tinge that is just distant enough to be pleasant. In terms of carbonation, I would say this is middle-of-the-road; there's a bit of a bite on the front of the tongue but nothing too strong. As this warmed, the very smooth finish gained a bit of an elevated meaning as a nice way to counteract the fierce blast of roasted coffee-ish malts that hits you at first. Overall, this is yet another example of why Founders is such a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 06:51:31 | More by Tomhet

MickeyBeer

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours very dark with a minimal tan head. Almost entirely opaque when held up to the light.

S- Not as aromatic as I would have hoped. Mild coffee notes are present.

T- Coffee and chocolate flavors come forward. Alcohol at 6.5% is hardly noticeable. This is a great session porter in my opinion. Perfect for those cold winter months.

M- Very drinkable with coffee flavor and certainly no absence of hops. Carbonation is light.

O- One of the best porters that I have had in a while. Did not disappoint in any way and I will definitely be picking up another 6-pack of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 04:31:38 | More by MickeyBeer

mfnmbvp

Illinois

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

12 oz. bottle. Bottled on 02/21/2012, so this beer has been chillin in the bottle for about ten months now. Poured into a Boulevard tulip.

A - Pours black as the night with a thin wispy mocha colored foam which disappears within seconds.

S - Chocolate / coffee notes, but I am getting more whiskey booze smell coming out of this than anything else. Faint hint of smoke.

T - A nice robust smoked chocolate coffee taste. Almost reminds me of a very tame beef jerky flavor of some kind, which sounds bizarre, but it's definitely some kind of spice flavor. Very light body, and I'm glad to report that it goes down nice and smooth and doesn't sit heavy in the stomach. There is some kind of hop bitterness buried in there, but this beer is on the old side and it was probably faint to begin with.

M - Doesn't really linger around for too long. Nice palatable hydrated tastes don't dry you out, nor do they leave you drooling. Rather, they leave you wanting another sip of beer before it's all gone.

As the beer warms, it begins to emerge as a more smokey chocolately porter, with maybe even some dark cherry in there somewhere. Overall, I will definitely try this again, as it isn't overly harsh or heavy-hitting. This has been the ideal porter for me so far, so if you aren't big on porters or stouts to begin with, give this beer a shot.

Founders Porter ---4/5.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:05:42 | More by mfnmbvp

BeerJesus

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours nice and black with an half inch layer of tan head at the top which dissipates quickly leaving a thin film residue.

S: Coffee, cocoa, dark roasted malty aroma.

T: Lots of dark malts. Also has a nice dark chocolate coffee flavor to it, almost tastes like a Coffee Stout but not as heavy. I let it sit in my mouth for a minute to get the full experience of this beers aromatic flavor.

M: Not as heavy as one might imagine. Thin and very smooth in the mouth.

O: it's hard to give any Founders beer a bad overall review. If you're in the mood for a nice aromatic Porter with rich flavor on a cold winters night, I think its a great choice. Overall rating is a 4. But it is definitely something I will continue to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2012 00:00:20 | More by BeerJesus

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Founders Porter pours black into the glass with a small tan head on top. The foam disappears quickly leaving a few spots on the glass.

The aroma is earthy with notes of roast malt, chocolate, nuts and coffee. The aroma grows stronger as the beer warms.

Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is creamy on the palate with moderate carbonation. The flavor is much like the aroma. Chocolate seems to dominate, but also present are dark malts, ripe fruit, coffee and nuts. The dark malt isn't as roasty as it would be in a stout. It finishes with a mild grassy hop bitterness. Once gone the chocolate, nuts and grass lingers on the palate.

A great tasting beer that's easy to drink. However, you don't want to rush this one, The flavor gets better as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 20:39:41 | More by WanderingFool

kangarooAdam59

Maine

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

Bottled 09/17/2012:

Into a pint glass:

A: black colored body leaves a two finger tan/off white head that dies to a film within a minute.

S: coffee up front with strong side notes of chocolate and even as the beer warms up more some light vanilla comes out.

T: all of these previously mentioned flavors and becomes bitter and sweet in different ways.

M: light and smooth, really creamy. Since the ABV is moderate -I`d say this is sesessionable

O: I'm mostly impressed in this for its style and for me. I'd come back to this.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 00:02:59 | More by kangarooAdam59

King_KongDCO93

Minnesota

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

Appearance: Nice dark motor oil, small off white head quickly dissipates.

Smell: lots of coffee, dark cocoa and dark toasted malt aroma. I'm getting some vanilla as well.

Taste: taste has coffee, dark chocolate caramel, and bitterness of the malts used. taste a lot like a the breakfast stout with less coffee.

Mouthfeel: mouth feels a bit heavier, more full-bodied than other porters. Its creamy and has a little bit of tanginess to it. Not getting the bozziness as it a 6.5 abv but its well hidden.

Overall: Good porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 00:31:19 | More by King_KongDCO93

MaximalC

Illinois

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

*It should be noted that this bottle was 10 months old at the time of consumption.*

Pours nearly black with no noticeable highlights and a modest mocha head that settles rapidly. Smells of bittersweet chocolate and fresh ground coffee of the highest caliber--not overpowering, but delicious all the same. Simply sitting there and sniffing this brew is enjoyable in and of itself.

The taste is more muted than the nose would suggest, with the chocolate taking more of a back seat to the roasted tones of the malt. Letting it warm some is strongly advised to bring out the flavor. The hops assert themselves just enough to make their presence known while still blending seamlessly with the rest. The front end has a prickly acridity and slightly vegetal character that I don't recall in past experiences with this beer, so I suspect it may be a result of the excess age. The finish still has a pleasant, roasty musk to it.

Overall, not quite as good as I remember, but I fathom giving a fresh bottle a go may solve that. With that said, this was still a smooth, flavorful porter with a beautiful aroma and just the right amount of body.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 01:59:07 | More by MaximalC

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

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

3.95/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Black with a head that quickly removes itself after the initial pour.

Smell: Dark chocolate, roasted malts and hints of red wine.

Taste: Smoked malts and barley with some hints of dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel: There are many stouts/porters that don't have the luscious, creamy viscosity of this fine brew. Not surprising coming from Founders, this certainly makes this beer a pleasure to drink. There is not too much carbonation to speak of.

Overall: Even if you don't like porters in general, I challenge you to drink this and not like it. Founders is the company that got me to like dark beers more, with their KBS and Imperial Stout. This beer delivers yet again, and is delicious, even if you're not a porter guy.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 05:18:47 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours completely black with a thin mocha head. Small lacing is left.

S - Vanilla, medium coffee, light roasted malt, moderate dark chocolate.

T - Lot of coffee up front as is usual of a porter. Roasted malt in the middle along with sweet dark chocolate. Almost Stout-like in it's flavors. Finish is slightly bitter with a very small amount of vanilla coming through.

M - Medium bodied with light to medium carbonation.

O - Overall, I think a lot of porter taste the same, however this one had a bit more flavorwise than most and it didn't have heavy stinging carbonation. So in terms of a porter, this one is a winner.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:59:07 | More by SometimesIfart

hctap00

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

BrownNut

Florida

3.81/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - 4.5 - Black with a very nice, thick, textured, enduring tan head.

S - 3.75 - Light coffee + a little roasty malt.

T - 3.75 - It has a less robust taste and mouthfeel than the aroma suggests. Moderately roasty malt. Somewhat bitter coffee. Just barely metallic. The moderately bitter coffee note lingers afterwards, almost on the edge of chocolate.

M - 3.5 - Lighter bodied than expected. South of medium. This makes it pretty drinkable but also

O - 4.0 - It's a nice beer and well made. Porters have never quite popped for me, and it's hard to see how this one gets such acclaim. Quality and craftsmanship, I definitely see. Outstandingness, not so much. Maybe it's a limitation of the style from my perspective. It just comes across as something that wishes it were a stout.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2012 04:39:43 | More by BrownNut

MacQ32

South Carolina

4.23/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a deep dark brown, nearly black with a nice dark mahogany tint. A little less than a finger of caramel/tan head. Retention is not very strong nor is the lacing.

S - Lots of really ice sweet milk/roasty dark chocolate and coffee aromas. There's a mild yeasty sweet/dark fruit as well as hints of caramel and earthy hop bitterness.

T - lots and lots of roasty dark chocolate, coffee, hop bitterness and a milder alcohol flavor. Initially lots of varying roasty flavors which slowly mature into a richer and sweeter flavor. Rather grainy.

M - Not especially dense relative to the style and robust flavor but a solid medium bodied+. Very very smooth about 40 minutes after the pour and allowing it to warm up a bit

O - Delicious and roasty initially, the warmer it gets the sweeter and the body is drastically improved, much smoother

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 03:52:16 | More by MacQ32

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

TheSixthRing

California

3.93/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a near black, baker's chocolate brown with cola brown edging. Powdered cocoa colored head attains only a half finger of thickness with sub-par retention. Lacing is small and spotty.

Smell - A fair, sweet chocolate aroma with subtle bitterness sitting beneath.

Taste - Starts with sweet milk chocolate, backed by lesser notes of bitter dark chocolate nibs. Moderate earth and coffee character mid-taste, then finishes with more milk chocolate sweetness. Just a hair of bitterness lingers long into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with low carbonation. Somewhat silky with good smoothness on the finish.

Overall - Not the best or most complex porter I've had, but it's pretty damn good. An excellent dessert beer. I imagine it pairing well with strawberry cheesecake.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 04:56:52 | More by TheSixthRing