Yuengling Porter (Dark Brewed) - Yuengling Brewery

hdf561

Virginia

3.64/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Got this in a make your own 6 pack at the local grocery store.

Smelled some wintery carmel notes, and hops, maybe a little chocolate

Taste actually surprised me, it is surprsingly a mooth initial taste but then the after taste was a little bitter. Was expecting a completely bitter beer. The mouth feel was a little bitter but balanced. Very complex need to have another in order to get a better feel for the brand and style but this beer made me want to have another.

Another solid brew from a solid brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 00:40:01 | More by hdf561

merc7186

New York

3.18/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

On tap at Chiles in Clifton Park NY, poured into a 16oz mug glass.

A: Dark Brown Hue, Passes Almost No Light, Thin Off White Head Ring, Mild Lacing

S: Dark Malts, Very Mildly Roast, Mild Chocolate

T: Dark Mildly Roasted Malts, Mild Chocolate

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Malty

Overall, very pedestrian but then again, I am at a Chili's and not a craft beer bar.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2013 21:46:50 | More by merc7186

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle, one of my friends gave me a bottle to try. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head that didn't stay around for too long. There isn't much lacing, either. The brew smells like roasted malt, caramel, bittersweet chocolate and some grain. It tastes like roasted and grainy malt, and some light coffee, chocolate, and dark fruit. Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it's a little bit slick with good carbonation. It's not exactly a robust porter, but it is smooth and easy to drink. For the price, it's a decent, drinkable brew. If you're looking for a porter that's very easy to drink, this is a good pick.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 00:31:29 | More by bluejacket74

AnotherImperial

Arizona

3/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Yuengling Porter gets a bit of a "bump" in my rating because it is the brew that got me into craft beer way back in 1999. For that, I'm forever thankful. I make it back to PA a few times each year, and I always have a YP as a tribute to the beer that started everything for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 04:21:42 | More by AnotherImperial

Daktyls

Massachusetts

3.44/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a dark brown in color with an aggressive head that noisily dissipates to a mere patch of tine bubbles on the surface.

S: Aroma is primarily breadiness, with slight hints of sweetness and dark fruits, and almost a molasses type of smell with little else going on that I can pick up.

T: Ah, slight hints of dark fruits, a little bit of yeast, slight notes of burnt caramel and little else.

M: A little watery, it is very clean with an amount of carbonation that seems just a bit much for the flavors going on here.

O: Overall, not too impressive, this isn't like most other porters I have had, it's a little easier going and could potentially make a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 00:39:18 | More by Daktyls

dougbassett

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

One of the "1001 Beers You Must Try Before You Die" -- #12 of the ones I've reviewed here.

A disappointment -- it's been awhile since I had this and I remembered this being tastier than it in fact is. It pours very nice indeed, a very dark brown with a fluffly brown-tinged head that nonetheless is quite resilient. It looks as though it's going to be something special. Unfortunately the nose is light -- malt syrup over cooked grain -- and the taste is even lighter, maybe very light sweet malt but even that's stretching it a little, maybe it's closer to a light sweet "beer" taste. Body is quite watery and the finish is non-existant, so what little it manages to cook up in your mouth disappears quick.

A prime example of how a beer can look "strong-tasting" but not in fact taste like much of anything. The fact that a very popular beer here in Philadelphia is Yuengling's Black and Tan, which cuts this with their (IMHO overpraised) Lager, is endlessly amusing to me.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 01:09:21 | More by dougbassett

GregBlatz

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A - extremely dark and clear. I had to put a flashlight behind the glass to see how clear it is. Head is tan and settles quickly.

S - Metallic and dark fruit. Burnt caramel. No noticeable esters or diacytl.

T - Thin. Light chocolate notes. Very clean.

M - Thin and overly carbonated.

A nice casual porter. No bold flavors are present. No real English character. A porter for those who want something simple rather than complex.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 01:55:46 | More by GregBlatz

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Yuengling Porter

LOOK: Clear dark brown colored brew with a light tan topping that retains well.

SMELL: Faint cocoa like malty ness and a bit of grain.

TASTE: Grains, roasted malts, vague herbal hopping and a bit watery. Mild cocoa and coffee. Also has a little twang to it from the house Yuengling yeast.

FEEL: Light to medium bodied, well carbonated , but thin and kind of watery.

OVERALL: Not a bad brew from Yuengling, a bit roasty but also lacking a solid body. About average porter.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 03:43:13 | More by Stinkypuss

UCLABrewN84

California

3.18/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, and some dark fruit aromas. There is also a vanilla and molasses aroma that comes out as the beer warms. Taste is much the same with a slight tartness and a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty average beer that smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 05:52:30 | More by UCLABrewN84

superspak

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours crystal clear very dark brown color with a nice 1-2 finger dense tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of raisin, roasted grain, chocolate, light coffee, and light herbal. Ok aromas with decent balance and weak strength. Taste of chocolate, roasted grain, toast, biscuit, caramel, light coffee, light fruits, and light herbal spiciness. No bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, roasted malt, toast, caramel, and light herbal on the finish for a short bit. Solid flavor balance, but does not feel very robust as a porter should be; no cloying flavors at all after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy mouthfeel that is ok. This was quite thin feeling. Alcohol is well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a decent porter. This was not as robust as I would expect from the style; but the flavor profile is good, though a bit weak; and is still quite enjoyable and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 04:35:31 | More by superspak

tiltedglass

New York

1.98/5  rDev -41.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

There's nothing wrong with a common darker brew, but I think this barely counts as a porter. It has no depth of character and no sour mash hangover, which are the two main qualities of a true porter to me. No sense even talking hops or body here. Why not pan this completely? Because if you think of it as a dark beer, a dark lager that is, you have a quite solid, drinkable brew. And affordable.

But stack this against a good mass market porter like the superb Smuttynose Porter or even the widely available very good Sierra Nevada Porter and this tastes wimpy and dull. The overtones are pleasant but really subtle. The body is (for a supposed "porter") watery and the bubble spikey, smelling of forced carbonation. Even the standard and fairly cheap darkish beer in Upstate New York, Saranac Black and Tan, is superior for taste and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 15:47:25 | More by tiltedglass

Markscape

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Nice dark color with a lager like texture. Gives a decent head at first pour that quickly disappears.

S - Pleasant coffee and chocolate aroma, but hard to find. Not very noticeable nor long lived.

T - Crisp, clean, a lot lighter than one would expect. Decent malt flavors with hint of coffee and chocolate.

M - Again, rather light for a dark brewed beer, was expecting a thicker feel.

O - A good dark beer for the price, but was expecting something more.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 02:38:32 | More by Markscape

davecavemaster

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The Porter pours with a nice creamy beige head, but it goes away fairly rapidly. As the foam dissipates, there is moderate lacing on the sides of the glass. The color is a dark chocolate brown, the brew is opaque.

For aroma, there is not much there. You get the roasted malt that you would expect from a Porter, but it is very soft.

As for taste, this beer gives the bare essentials of a Porter. There are roasted malt flavors, and a slight hint of hops. Not really a complex brew at all. The biggest disappointment was that it felt watery, where I would have expected it to be more full bodied.

Overall, let's put this in perspective...We're talking about a beer that sells for $6.99 a six pack. This Porter is certainly head and shoulders above a Bud or Miller Lite, it's just not a great Porter. Whereas I found the Lager to be almost undrinkable, this one I can handle. I could see myself picking this one up again, if I was on a strict budget.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 21:30:26 | More by davecavemaster

chicagoanbeerone

Illinois

2.23/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

not to much aroma . good beer but could be better needs more character. It is smooth but more of a lager dark beer. The apparence was dark but very close to a lager. overall worth trying but not somethnig really that special. could not taste the alcohol but i have had way better porters. It had taste of alot of water and vey little coffe beans typical dark beer more of a weak porter
would not buy again

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 17:56:27 | More by chicagoanbeerone

Dshaw

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- The appearance is a little more darker than the Black and Tan with more of a dark brown look to it.

S- The smell is that of an average Porter brewed beer close to the smell of Guinness actually.

T- The taste isn't as thick as I actually hoped it would be it's more watery than anything but thats what makes it smooth to drink. It has hints of coffee beans and either roasted almonds or nuts of somekind.

M- The mouthfeel is one of the better things about this beer even though most Porter's are thick this one really isn't so it makes it more easier to drink and you can drink more without feeling bloated or full.

O- Overall its just you're average American Porter brewed beer and its easy to drink. Enjoy..

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 17:27:34 | More by Dshaw

BanjinTsuki

3.35/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Yuengling Porter is a solid good quality grocery store beer. It has definite porter qualities and I was surprised at the malty flavor and was pleased with the level hops (I was expecting less malt and more hops given the price). As Trombone69 well reminds us, putting this in the context of cheap beer, it is certainly one of the better ones.

Appearance: No lace or head to speak of. It has a good dark chocolate porter color.

Smell: Soft. But take a good deep inhale right at the mouth of the bottle and you'll take in a sweet malty aroma.

Taste: Interesting balance. Certainly the roasted malt flavor is prominent but there is a strong hop punch as well. The hops aftertaste lasted long (more than a minute) after the sip went down the gullet. This malty fade to hops gives the beer an interesting complex flavor.

Mouthfeel: As evidenced by the lack of lace, the brew felt a bit light, watery, and over-carbonated (probably due to the high malt content). The aftertaste also felt a little tinny.

Both taste and mouthfeel were consistent through the entire bottle (which I nursed while typing this over 30 minutes or so while watching some TV).

A friend of mine loves Yuengling and freely shares at picnics and cookouts. I will certainly not snub my at a Yuengling Porter any time it is offered for free, and it will occasionally find its way from the grocery store to my fridge too.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 02:29:54 | More by BanjinTsuki

Trombone69

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I started buying this beer around 1986, when I went to the Univerisity of Delaware. We used to drive over the Maryland state line and get it at State Line Liquors for $1.90 for a six pack of bottles. It was about the cheapest beer in the store. At that time, the only other "dark" beer you could get was Michelob dark, and Lowenbrau dark. We thought this porter was the greatest, far better than those "high priced" beers.

Since then there's been a microbrew revolution, and traditionally brewed European beers have become widely available. It's a brave new world.

Anyway, the (probably biased) review...

It pours dark, of course, since it's "dark brewed", without much head. It's slighty darker than maple syrup, but about the same color. Very little lacing. The big online encyclopedia says it's a bottom fermented porter, which apparently is unusual.

It's not a strong scented beer, though inviting enough.

The taste, which to me is what really matters in a beer, has burnt notes, chocolate and some mild coffee flavors. Alot more flavor than your average big brewery beer. (And Yuengling is one of the biggest US owned brewers out there.)

I find it to be well balanced, and highly drinkable. I could pound these babies all night when I was in college.

Mouthfeel is good, not too heavy, not too thin. Like baby bear's porridge.... it's just right.

I think when you drink this, you need to understand the context: It's a cheap beer with flavor. It's not trying to emulate Belgium's best or Britain's finest. It's not out to win "hoppiest beer of the week" awards. It isn't a classic example of the the porter style. (Although I do love a good strong stout or porter.)

It is however, a good solid, drinkable beer, with a strong dose of good flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 03:23:37 | More by Trombone69

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Now this looks like a porter, except the head is a bit lacking. Light mahogany hues under very little head.

hm the smell. Very odd. Theres a bit of dark fruit going on, but its mostly an acetic alcohol (nail polish remover).

The taste is very sweet, but theres not much going on. I get the sweet Yuengling Base, and exactly where it gits in the Black & Tan they make. Sweet toasted and roasted corn with a hint, just a tiny hint of roasted malt and dark chocolate.

I mean it finishes clean and smooth, and feels almost creamy.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 01:51:31 | More by VncentLIFE

charlzm

California

2.25/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Consumed March 5th, 2012. Poured into a pint glass.

Beer is a clear dark brown, a few shades lighter than any other porter I've seen, and sports a one finger tan head. Minimal sheeting/lacing.

Aroma is restrained. It's actually a lot like a Newcastle: slightly nutty with a vague caramel maltiness.

Flavor is weak, sporting only a vague porter character. More a brown ale due to the malt character (which can be charitably described as caramel and toffee). Sort of adjuncty aftertatse as well, like rice or corn. Weird and totally lacking in smoke, chocolate or coffee flavors. No bitterness.

Slightly thick in the mouth and slightly dry on the finish.

As a porter, this is uninspiring at best.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 22:25:41 | More by charlzm

PBRstreetgang

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nearly opaque very dark brown to black with a one and a half finger head of fizzy foam that quickly subsides to a thin sand colored cap. Light aroma, but not nominal, mostly light caramel notes with a background of pale two-row and roast with a hint of cereal adjunct. Roasted notes and deep caramel on the tongue, with a background pale malt backbone and mild roasty bitterness. Aftertaste has a lingering roast note that is quite nice, and a moderate caramel flavor than hangs on through a mildly drying finish. Very mild earthy hops, maybe English or just light on the late additions and heavy on a solid balancing bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium with mild carbonation that leaves the palate slightly dry but allows a good malt presence to be established. High drinkability due to lighter body and a mouthfeel with a cleansing aftertaste that is not overly dry or devoid of residual sweetness from the malt. Great Porter for the price; and best interpreted a mixture of the English and American styles.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 05:06:53 | More by PBRstreetgang

freystout17

Ohio

2.48/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I bought a six of this at Walmart, out of curiosity (in Ohio). I was very disappointed, having adopted Great Lakes Edmund Fitz as my "go to" porter. This porter had very little complexity, and tasted simply very watered down. I find it difficult to believe that it can be justified as a true "porter", in the traditional sense. I suppose that many Bud Light drinkers would find it a challenge to drink it, but those used to top rated porters will likely be disappointed. It appears that the motivation for the brewer to place this brew along side their lager is more for marketing (in the larger retail sense) and less a decision based up the promotion of real quality. Perhaps it will fill a need for the masses who are just starting to experiment with..."dark". I will not buy it again, in spite of its relatively inexpensive price (about 7 dollars per six). I will spend the extra 2 bucks and get much better quality. I was able to down 3 of 6, and discarded the rest down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 00:13:02 | More by freystout17

kojevergas

California

2.28/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

"Dark Brewed", eh? What does that even mean? 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with twist-off cap acquired at Wally's Wine in Westwood, California, and served into a conical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. I don't recall the cost. I believe this is me first beer from Yuengling.

A: Pours a two finger head of slight tan colour, slight cream, okay thickness, and bad (~40 second) retention. Colour is a solid black littered with an abundance of carbonation bubbles. No yeast particles are visible, though it's nontransparent. No bubble show.

Sm: Dark malts, caramel, chocolate malt, and a light hint of roasted barley. A mild strength aroma. Rather predictable for a porter.

T: Light roast and caramelized malts comprise the weak foundation, which feels empty rather than full-bodied. Dark malts fill it out somewhat, but not much. Sparse chocolate malt is there when I really search for it. Otherwise, there's no complexity or subtlety. One of the most simple flavor profiles I've experienced in a porter. That said, it's not a bad taste. Boring and bland, certainly. No yeast or alcohol comes through.

Mf: A touch dry and coarse for the style actually, a feature I quite fancy. No cream. Slight overcarbonation. A touch too thick and heavy on the palate for its lack of flavour.

Dr: A generic porter from Yuengling with little to offer craft beer fans. Almost tastes like more of a schwarzbier to be fair. I certainly wouldn't get this again, but I support Yuengling as a better brewery than Budweiser or Millercoors. This is better than most American macrolagers. It's drinkable but low quality.

D+

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 06:48:59 | More by kojevergas

JJKBeerLvr

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +33.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled April 2012 from bottles in pint glass.

Appearance: Dark brown color, with light-tan head that lasted for a minute.

Smell: Some coffee aromas, with hints of toasted/burnt aromas. Smell is not over-powering.

Taste: Medium-bodied porter with great balance of malt and hops. Dominated by toasted coffee, but with some chocolate flavors as well.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied for a porter, but very smooth.

Overall: Very good porter, especially for the price. Probably my favorite porter for drinking everyday. This is the only American porter that reminds me of my favorite porter: Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter, and that is a huge compliment.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 19:34:07 | More by JJKBeerLvr

Veillantif

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle, ~10 degrees C, poured into chilled stange glass.

A: very pretty, with a brown head; bears a likeness to a lot of really good (I'll go ahead and say it: better) porters.

S: rich and earthy, but still fairly mild for a porter.

T: pleasant enough; there's a faint stale aftertaste that's a bit off -putting, but let's face it: I'm not drinking La Vieille Bon Secours.

M: thin as a much lighter brew would be; carbonation just right.

D: I think it's silly to rate this beer average, when a 50th-percentile beer at most drinking establishments or markets is far worse. in fact, I dare say this is the best beer you can get in my town at this price point. that's not saying much—but it's saying something.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 23:52:41 | More by Veillantif

Rantingfury

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I poured from a bottle into my favorite beer glass and got about a finger thick tan head of foam. This faded somewhat quick to nice lacing on the sides. The color was black in the glass, but when held up to the light showed a dark ruby red hue. The aroma was light on the nose, starting off with sweet caramel and fading to roasted malt. The taste was a paradox to the smell... It started off with roasted malt then faded to a light sweetness with noticeable hop flavor . The mouthfeel was medium with light carbonation and a medium bready quality. I like this beer overall. It is a solid, but not outstanding drinkable porter with it's nitch being a good after dinner brew. I'll definitely buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 01:39:49 | More by Rantingfury