Bell's Porter - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vanilla and wine Aroma and taste like a bit of wine. Top porter. Tan foam on black. Malty with Coffee bean, buttery chocolate and hickory, and carbonation. Creamy with yeast and caramel, a winning pleasure. Spicy aftertaste. Markled it down a bit on tasting May 2005.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2004 05:08:08 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Close-to-opaque mahogany brown with lighter brown highlights at the bottom edge of the glass. It looks a good deal more substantial than most porters, a definite plus. The toasted tan head is fairly large, lasts a while and leaves broken sheets of lace on the glass. The nose is of roasted black malt with chocolate and hops. So far, so good.

This is a very good porter. The flavor, like the aroma, is considerably roasted malty with a lovely bittersweet chocolatiness. Coffee peeks through in the second half of the mouthful, but is still subservient to chocolate.

There's also a restrained hoppiness that isn't up-front enough to gum up the works for the malt lovers. The finish is long and increasingly bitter, especially as the beer warms. Firm, not quite full body with a slightly too lively carbonation. Good mouthfeel overall; I'll let the minor degree of fizziness slide since it doesn't last for the entire bottle.

Bell's Porter is a quality, quaffable version that lovers of the style should seek out. I acquired this bottle from deejaydan and wish now that it had been multiple bottles.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2004 16:56:06 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle served right out of the fridge and poured into a pint glass

A - Poured a very nice hazelnut brown color with a very nice and somewhat hazy consistency to it. Enough light was coming through though so as not to give it the impression of being too dark and you could definitely make out the carbonation chains reaching up toward the surface. A very nice tan colored head of approximately three fingers in height formed almost immediately across the top of it, and where it met the cloudy dark liquid below it, some nice cascading bubbles gave it a nice effect and let you know there was some thickness to it. Very nice retention as the head stuck around for a good few moments before resting and coming down to about an inch and staying that way throughout the session. There was very nice side glass lace as well, which contributed nicely to the overall appearance.

S - The aroma was very nice and more then adequately strong in that you could easily pick up the different aromas and make out some subtleties in the profile. There was a strong smoky aroma going on here, which I was not expecting, but blended in very nicely with the rich malty profile on this one. Very nice deep earthy smells, caramel, and sugar with some grain making it very nice. There was a slight grass like hoppiness to it as well, there gave it a little bright spot in an otherwise dark smell. There was the slightest bit of dark chocolate present towards the end of the session as well, once it had warmed, that seemed to be a little bitter.

T - The flavor was very nice, and followed along well with the aroma, making this one more of a smoked porter then a sweet one. There was definitely that smoked flavor that translated over to it and gave it a good little bit extra that made it a bit different then normal. The base was a rich mixture of earthy malts, lots of grains and chocolate like flavors mingling around and mixed in very well with a touch of caramel sugar that sweetened it up a little. Perhaps a touch of roasted coffee in there, more likely though this was more of the smoke coming through. The finish was typical for a good porter with a strong hoppy bitter finish that drew out the flavor and made it a little longer lasting then I thought it would have been.

M - Very nice medium bodied porter, to be honest at times it bordered on being a little bit more, but had a bit of a lightness to it, which was good, as you want a porter to be a porter. Very smooth and creamy with the finish giving it a bit of a crisp edge that served to have it be more refreshing than a thick filling porter would be. Very nice and quite classic for the style, nothing really bad you could say about this here.

D - Really a very nice and quite high quality session beer. This one worked quite well as a nightcap to, which was the way I actually enjoyed it. I wanted something a bit lighter as it was already late, so I decided to go with this one, and it was a good choice, as the flavors were rich enough to stand on their own, but also this was definitely sessionable in a different environment.

Overall this was am excellent porter, and something that is quite useful as a staple or standby beer for everyday use in the fridge. I could easily have had another and thought it came off quite fresh. Another quality offering from Bell's regular lineup. I would recommend giving this one a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2008 16:05:40 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Jason for this nice extra.

A: The pour is a very dark brown with a bit of reddish notes and a thin khaki head.

S: There's quite a bit of sweetness to the nose. I get caramel and sweet chocolate. The roasted malt and coffee notes are a bit more subdued.

T: As much as the roast is in the background on the nose, it's surprisingly strong and "featured" on the palate. Lots of roasted malt flavor with a nice bitter chocolate compliment. Some slight caramel sweetness and a bit of an earthy hop flavor.

M: The body is medium with a smooth and almost creamy feel on the tongue. The carbonation is moderate.

D: Not quite an amazing porter, but quite good. Solid in all aspects.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 05:56:15 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

G: Poured into a Bell's pint glass. Batch # 8941.

A: Pours a lightish cola color out of the glass with a single finger head that is a dark cream and fairly-highly carbonated. The beer is a very dark brown and pretty much opaque in the glass. Good lacing.

S: Malt and a hint of chocolate--nothing really overpowering.

T: Dark malts and a little bit of hops. Some dark chocolate flavors.

M: Medium body with carbonation that hits the tip of my tongue. Slightly creamy and goes down smooth.

D: Fairly drinkable. Sort of a heavy mouthfeel to drink a lot of, but not bad for a porter in that department.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2009 04:15:44 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark brown body with a small, creamy off-white head.

Smell: Roasty aroma with notes of oven-cooked fruits, coffee, chocolate, and yes, even cola.

Taste: Roasted malt flavor with plenty of coffee and bittersweet chocolate. Dash of cola. Light fruitiness, though not as much as the aroma led me to believe. Roasty, earthy bitterness holds on till the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: So yeah, good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2007 01:11:53 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a dark chocolate brown with a beige head that displays good retention and some shards of lace

Smell: Alternating wafts of dark bread, chocolate and roast

Taste: Starts out with a bread and chocolate flavor that grows increasingly chocolatey by mid-palate; after the swallow, the chocolate is joined by hints of coffee bitterness through to the finish; some vanilla sweetness in there, too, but the aftertaste is rather roasty

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A nice middle of the road porter, with good chocolate flavor and a commendable balance of sweet and roasty flavors

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2006 03:05:10 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of Hogtownharry: Poured a pitch black porter with a medium foamy head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of roasted malt with some very subtle coffee notes is interesting but a bit weak. Taste is a mix between bitter roasted malt with some subtle sweet chocolate note. Body is a bit thin IMHO. Definitely not the best offer from this otherwise fine brewer.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2006 17:20:17 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The 'tap' version of the beer offers a better experience than from the bottle. The beer is typically colored with a deep walnut hue and nearly opaque. Well headed and modestly carbonated gives visual weight and stability to the brew. Faint aromas of coffee, chocolate, toasted malts, and heavy cream. The flavors of malt sweetness pronounce early, but are quickly tempered by bold columbian coffee notes and acidity, fresh bitter hops, walnuts, cocoa, and milk sugars. Creamy textured and silky smooth, not relying on carbonation to lighten the feel. Finishes with a simple coffee and milk aftertaste that lingers into a slight bitterness. As nicely flavored as I had remembered, but better bodied from the tap.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2007 17:10:41 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a deep brown-ruby color with nice big creamy head,very appetizing smell of rich chocolate and deeply roasted malt.Taste was of dark roast coffee and bitter chocolate with some lingering earthiness.Very smooth and velvety and pretty easy to drink a real nice porter from my favorite brewer.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2003 07:59:39 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Hopefully this brew won't have too bitter a taste thanks to my Bears really getting their asses handed back to them against the Pats. It pours a deep ruby brown topped by a short finger of ecru foam. The nose comprises light roasted malts, a very light hickory smoke, brown sugar, light molasses, and a good helping of black pepper. The taste goes a bit heavier on the pepper and smoke (less of the latter) and adds some mild greens, but, beyond that, everything from the nose returns on the tongue. The body is a lithe medium, with a moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, a very nice porter, but a bit too dry and fizzy for me to really get into it. other than that, though, it's pretty solid.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 23:50:52 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nearly black in color, with a full, dark tan head. Aroma is rich and roasty, toasty, even slightly burnt. Dark chocolate comes out on top, with hints of nuts and spices. Full-bodied, good texture, with loads of tingly hops. A fine rendition of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2003 17:22:19 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a deep dark brown color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice roasted/toastey scent with chocolate hints and a sweet,yet dry finish. The taste is good. It has a crisp, dry, yet malty flavor that has a roasted quality and a slightly sweet finish. It has a chocolate aftertaste. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a fine porter. It has excellent aroma and flavor; a good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2004 22:31:16 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at Churchkey, served in a snifter. Beer is dark brown / black with a thin tan head of small bubbles, some lacing, low retention.

Aroma is mildly sweet with a little roast, smells good.

Beer is medium to light in body, a little sweet / chocolaty on the front with a mild maltness, thins out toward the back, mildly roasty / bitter. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 19:44:13 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to RBlaszak for sending this bottle as an extra.

The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. There are some red highlights at the bottom of the beer. The aroma is classic porter. I get a lot of roasted malt as well as some chocolate and coffee.

The flavor is great. I get roasted malt with a lot of milk and dark chocolate. There is also some coffee, but it is hidden behind the other flavors. There is some bitterness from the malt.

Medium to thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 05:02:24 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out an opaque, dark brown color with a small, foamy, caramel-colored head. It left small thin traces of lace.

S - It smelled of roasted malt, dark chocolate, dried fruit (cherry), and toffee. Also, some light floral notes.

T - This is a nicely balanced porter with a bittersweet blend of hops and caramel roasted maltiness. Some chocolate flavors add to the complexity of this beer.

M - It was soft and smooth. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a very nice porter. Yet another fine offering from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2008 01:42:57 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is close to near black in color. It poured with a half finger high beige head that has good retention properties and never completely faded away.
S: There are aromas of roasted malts in the nose along with some notes of coffee.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and is quite complex with flavors of roasted malts, notes of chocolate and hints of cocoa and coffee. The finish has some bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is very easy to drink and goes down smoothly.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 17:14:19 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled July 2006, Sampled November 2006
Definitely an opaque, black colored brew. It is topped by a frothy, almost creamy consistency, initially two-finger thick, brownish leaning tan colored head. The aroma is quite burnt and roasted. It even has a note like burnt grain husks, in fact it is quite husky in its grain aromatics. Notes of chocolate cover malt balls add a bit of roundness to the harsher burnt notes, which actually are not all that harsh in this beer. Towards the end it picks up a note that reminds me of the acidity in a sweetened espresso.

The mouthfeel on this is quite light up front, after the beer has left my mouth it takes on a touch of fullness. It actually leaves a chocolate like mouth coating that has a touch of malt sweetness to it. There is some burnt grain acidity to this beer, but it seems just enough for the sweet chocolaty malt and the body to balance out. This beer is defined by the dominant roasted grain flavors, they even add bitterness to this beer (though some of the bitterness in this brew is certainly hop derived).

This is really quite the quaffable brew, especially as it warms a bit. As it warms the roast character becomes a bit more balanced by the sweeter chocolate like maltiness and a mouthfeel that picks up a bit more heft to it. Quite the enjoyable brew, definitely a good beer for this "Arizona chilly" evening.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2006 02:54:16 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Acquired via trade from JAYW, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark brown color with a short foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a very thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is very creamy and full of roasted coffee along with nuts, a touch of dark fruit and some hops.

T: The taste is very well-balanced, with flavors of coffee, nuts, smoky malt, dark fruit and a good amount of hops for a beer of this style, all complimenting each other. The coffee flavor stands out but not too much. It’s also not overly sweet like some porters can be. The after-taste is bitter-sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, slightly sticky finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down very easily, not very filling, good representation of style and one of the best American Porters that I’ve had. If I’m in a porter kind of mood, I could see myself drinking quite a few of these, if only Bell’s were available here.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2007 03:52:16 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This porter pours out with a nice black color, the head was thin and a light shade of brown. The smell of the beer was of roasted malts and some old wood. The taste was interesting, had a flavor in the aftertaste that I can't really describe. Other than that it was chocolatey and earthy. The mouthfeel was smooth and had a lighter body to it. Overall it's a really nice simle porter.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 17:19:45 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers to BARLEYWINO for this delight

Pours chestnut with some mahogany & purple tints, plus 2+ fingers of tan colored head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Toasted malt & some coffee notes

T: A little bit of chocolate, dryness & hints of coffee grinds up front. Hints of iron & slight smokeyness as this warms. Finishes with some mocha & dryness

MF: Medium-bodied with low carbonation & oilyness

Drinks good, but given how stellar most of Bell's beers are, I'm a bit disappointed, a solid porter

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2007 02:16:48 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A timeless classic, and staple of any Midwest beer bar worth their salt.

Sooty black with mahogany edges. Several fingers width of tan foam with a vigorous pour, that slowly recede and coat the glass with intricate lacing. Retention is great, the foam remains unbroken the entire time.

Roasty black patent malt, coffee notes, and a mild bready malt sweetness.

Supple feel, signature roast with coffee and bakers chocolate notes. Little to no bitterness, creamy and smooth body with mellow carbonation. Lingering flavor of dry roast in the aftertaste. Extremely drinkable, flavorful and well-rounded. Many so-called extreme beers pale in comparison to this classic Porter.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 03:59:50 | More by emerge077

Gavage

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: arrived in a pint glass looking black as can be, with a 1" dark tan colored head. A spot or two of lace developed.

Smell: roasted tones and hints of chocolates.

Taste: roasted malts, dark chocolates, hint of espresso, and a mild bitterness. Solid and straight forward.

Mouthfeel: smooth with a hint of prickles at the start, very smooth at the finish. Medium bodied. Short aftertaste leaning towards the roasted tones.

Drinkability: this one goes down very easy for the style. Flavorful and this is considered a session porter in my book. Great on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2006 12:21:28 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a thick off-white head that descends to a thin, lasting cover. Rings of lacing stick to the glass.

The smell is of charcoal smokiness and dark fruits.

The taste is of dakr malt - chocolate and coffee. Dark fruits give it a nice balancing support. Smoky and earthy characteristics come into play. Candy-sweet finish.

The body is medium - on-target for style.

A truly "sessionable" porter. Nicely balanced - A good example of an American Porter!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2007 05:02:16 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a brown bottle. Batch 8318.

This is a classic American porter and darned tasty. It's on the dry and drinkable side of the spectrum, maybe a little more brown than robust, like a Sierra Nevada Porter instead of an Anchor Porter. The flavor has rich roasted malts that give off toffee, caramel, and semisweet chocolate flavors with a multigrain bread undertone. Definitely a beer for porter lovers.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2008 02:01:50 | More by tempest