Founders Porter - Founders Brewing Company

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

sethcroisant

Nebraska

3.86/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 1.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A- very dark brown, looks more like a stout. literally no head at all and barely any lacing. very strange, could have been an off batch.

S- loads of chocolate and coffee. roasted malts and hops are secondary, but still linger. some sugary sweetness and alcohol are also present. complex and multi-layered.

T- roasted malts and hops are up front. some chocolate and coffee flavors balance the flavor a little. black patent malt is dominant in the after taste.

O- a weird beer. i say that, because the appearance and consistency were strange, but it's still a joy to drink. a nice, assertive porter.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 01:55:28 | More by sethcroisant

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

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