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

IgnatiusReilly

New Jersey

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

Poured on-tap to pint glass at Eccentric Café, Bell's Brewery.

Color is pitch black with a thin tan head that dissipates quickly. Burnt aroma, bready, hint of fruit and raisin. Tastes dry, roasted coffee and some underlying fruity sweet tones, toffee. Not too hoppy, but there is definitely enough hops to provide decent balance. Finishes dry as well. Oily and slick going down, fair amount of carbonation. Very drinkable, I enjoyed this porter.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2008 01:18:23 | More by IgnatiusReilly

ElGrecoVerde

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown color and thicker looking than most porters.

Aromas were toasty and semi sweet, with a lot of caramel and roasted coffee. A bit mild, however.

The taste did not disappoint. Flavors of toast and coffee were rampant in this beer. Caramel and bitter dark chocolates round out the flavor list.

Felt smooth as silk, with just enough carbonation to help it down. Really incredible feeling. Creamy, with no bad oily feel at all.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2008 17:47:42 | More by ElGrecoVerde

SMark

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer was served in a pint glass with the head greatly subsided and a very clean black color.

The aroma was reminiscent of roasted barley. This was an indication of things to come.

Coffee, chocolate and roasted barley came across the palate as expected. Very nice smooth taste.

Did not overwhelm but left a nice tactile sensation and seemed slightly sweet at times. Maybe some brown sugar.

I would drink this again and may try in the bottle if I can find.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2007 03:57:43 | More by SMark

Tyrawlings

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap and poured into a pint glass.

A: Deep dark brown in color with ruby hues. Creamy tan head pours one finger thick. Decent retention. Thin lacing crawls on the sides of the glass.

S: Roasted coffee. Burnt husk. Raw hops. Chocolate. Caramel.

T: Flavors of deep roasted coffee bean and a burnt husk bitterness are followed by a sweet dark chocolate. A soft touch of raw wet hop leaf gives way to toasted caramel malts that lend balance to this offering. A touch of molasses and vanilla is followed by more roasted coffee.

M: Creamy and smooth. Medium carbonation. Slighy dry.

D: A bit thin in the mouthfeel but a nice flavored porter none the less. Easy and enjoyable to drink. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2007 00:34:33 | More by Tyrawlings

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

alysmith4

District of Columbia

2.6/5  rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Not terribly impressed with this beer. Found it on tap at a local restaurant. Thought the roasted malt tasted slightly burnt and somewhat dirty. There was a definite coffee and chocolate flavor coming through, and I could taste a little bit of cola as well. Not bad, but not exactly worth a try imo.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2007 18:57:16 | More by alysmith4

beveritt

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: Presented in a standard pint glass, logoed for the bar.

Appearance: About 1.2 inch of tan head. Settled slowly and stuck around as a thin layer/ring for most of the beer. A decent amount of lacing. The beer itself looks extremely dark brown or black, you can pick up hints of red at the edge if you hold it up tot the light.

Smell: Smells strongly of roasted barley with hints of chocolate.

Taste: Nice and bitter from roasted barley. Aftertaste is of baker's chocolate and toffee.

Mouthfeel: Less than average level of carbonation, as expected for a porter. Body is so-so.

Drinkability: Nice session beer. I really like that not all brewers have gone solely "extreme."

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2007 22:30:07 | More by beveritt

jmatthew

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served up in a pint glass as black as could be with barely a trace of a head remaining after only a brief 10 foot journey from the tap. Smell is decent although faint, and offers roasted malts with some coffee. Taste is very smoky upfront, which dissolves into espresso, chocolate and nutty flavors with an overall mustiness that carries through to the end. Somewhat thin, but oily with a lasting roasted malt flavor. Nice smooth session type porter.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2006 16:39:01 | More by jmatthew

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

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bell's- Porter

On tap at Isaac Newton's- Newtown, PA

Appearance- dark brown/ black with a 1 finger thick tan head.
Smell- roasted coffee beans and BBQ sauce?!
Taste- Smokey malt with a big BBQ sauce flavor. Sweet with hints of brown sugar and molasses.
Mouthfeel- Sweet at first but mellowing out and becoming a solid smokey slighty ashen flavored beer.

Overall- An OK porter that, for me, was all over the place. The look, taste, and feel were all inconsistant. Not bad though!! I'd definitely drink again!

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2006 21:01:05 | More by NJpadreFan

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draught at BW3 of all places. Deep opaque brown with a medium tan head that lasts nicely. Good lacing too. The aroma is chocolatey and bready. Smooth and rich on the palate, and consists of chocolate, coffee and malt flavors. Lightly bitter coffee and hops in the finish. 3 tall glasses of this went down easy during the 2nd half of a football game, what more can you ask of a beer?

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2005 16:27:40 | More by Dogbrick

truthbrew

Minnesota

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

Noticeably different than the bottled offering, the on-tap seems to have less of a sharpness and more smooth coffee-like, chocolate tones. It drinks like a robust porter, but just doesn't have the alcohol to back it up. A great, easy drinking porter.

Enjoyed on-tap at the Blue Nile.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2004 19:07:04 | More by truthbrew

CRJMellor

Arkansas

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown, midnight color with hints of tan in small, thin off -white head. Low carbontion just right for style.
Smell of chocolate, toffe, nuts and maybe caramel.
Taste - roasted malt prevalent, slight chocolate hints on front note, finishes with a pleasant bitte coffee taste.
Strong tasting porter, almost a stout profile to me.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2003 20:15:54 | More by CRJMellor

TheDM

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer has a very nice chocolate and coffee aroma. It poured a nice head that lasted a very long time and was filled with small to medium bubbles. It has a strong coffee taste with a mild after bite. It went down very smoothly. It has a dark black all but opaque at the bottom of the glass color.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2003 07:22:33 | More by TheDM

thedoubler55

New Jersey

3.89/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a very dark brown, almost black in color, with a nice finger of tan head at the top that goes away pretty quickly, a slight bit of lacing around the glass.

S: Slight hints of chocolate and coffee up front, with a hint of brown sugar as well, the malts are present.

T: Up front is a hint of espresso beans with a little bit of dark chocolate, some nice roasted malts throughout.

M: Medium bodied, a good amount of carbonation, a little sticky on the tail end.

O: I feel that this was a good porter, being from my favorite brewery Bell's I was expecting a lot more, but this wasnt bad at all. Bought this in a variety case from shangys in PA.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 18:23:50 | More by thedoubler55

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.89/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Pours dark brown with tall, short-lived, beige, creamy head. Aroma is of dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, toasted, nutty malt, bread crust, cacao. Body is full and smooth. Taste is herbal hops, roasted malt, coffee and cream, dark fruit and brown sugar. Finish is long and earthy. Wonderful Porter.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 18:40:41 | More by mikeg67

wac9

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

well i like this beer pours great in glass , a little swett tasting but the way it rolls around in your mouth is very pleasent so enjoy great color great taste doesnt blow you away but there a taste in there that make you come back for more enloy this beer the one guy compares this beer to the heavy hitter of edmund and and founder this is not them but a very enjoy triple a beerdrink and enjoy

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:42:12 | More by wac9

Roman5150

Michigan

3.23/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

bottle into tulip

appearance: dark black, not pitch black though, not much head retention

smell: subtle coffee, biscuity bready malt, not too much aroma

taste: follows the nose, not a whole lot of flavor. slight coffee and roasted malt flavors, very minor dark chocolate but not really a whole lot going on here, pretty watery for a porter.

mouthfeel: decent amount of carbonation, very thin feel

overall: did a blind test with Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald and Founders Porter, this was my least favorite and the lightest of the bunch. A decent porter, but just lacking the flavor and chocolately kick I expect from a porter. One of my least favorite beers from Bells.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 02:56:17 | More by Roman5150

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours out very dark brown with a half-inch tan cap. Lacing is weak. Looks like a porter.

Malty roast and grain with an obviously nutty coffee aroma. Hints of earthiness aided by light hopping.

Great porter flavor. Coffee, dustiness, wet earth, dark roast, pumpernickel, and some dried berry fruitiness. Has some char, has some malt sugar, has some bitterness. Low on hop flavor. Quiet alcohol. Sessionably greeting. A little singe from the carbonation perks up the feel. Good stuff.

Great tasting porter from a prestigious Michigan brewing company. Why have I never had this before?

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 13:32:57 | More by thecheapies

TheSixthRing

California

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on date of 01/04/13

Appearance - Pours a dark cola brown with a light tan finger width head. Good retention, leaving a nice of bubbles to coat the surface. Strong lacing around with glass with good stick.

Smell - Lots of cocoa and milk chocolate character. Faint roastiness.

Taste - Milk chocolate upfront. Touches on butter toffee. Faint roast on the finish.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body with low to moderate carbonation. A little thin for the style. Goes down easy.

Overall - A decent porter. Nothing that would make me seek it out again, especially given the difficulties at a lack of California distribution.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 04:56:08 | More by TheSixthRing

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.84/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Deep dark rubiness tends to a black appearance there was a thin wispy head with little retention.

The scent was dry cracker malty with touches of sweet chocolate and coffee. Very weak, the scent is nice but thin.

This porter does excel in taste with dry chocolate malt and roasted malt or toasted bread/cracker. Hints toward a red ale the dry chocolate lends back to a stout which makes this porter slightly schizophrenic. The feel is easy but substantial and holds this beer together.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:31:57 | More by KYGunner

mecummins

Illinois

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

A- poured a dark solid brown color. No hint if any other shades even when held to a light. 2 & 1/2 finger head with good retention and nice lacing

S- dark chocolate, coffee and some roasted grains. Maybe a hint of dark fruit there

T- tastes very much like it smells. Bitter dark chocolate, moderate coffee flavor and some slight toasty grains.

M- mouthfeel was medium. Finish was medium with good carbonation to give it done crispness

A soild porter from Bells. Not exciting but still rather nice

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 21:25:54 | More by mecummins

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.76/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

a nice brown almost black pour with 2 fingers of tan head, great retention and nice amount of lacing left behind. smells of chocolate, grapes, and toasted grains. a light refreshing chocolate and dark roasted grain flavor. not much there, but the toasted grains make their presence known, as does the sweet chocolateyness. medium body with high carbonation. crisp and refreshing for a porter, sweet yet still has the roasty bitterness. overall, a great porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 07:24:24 | More by facundoCNB

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.26/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- Pitch black body, very thin layer of tan bubbles that leave good lacing.

S- Lots of roasted malts, bitter coffee, bitter dark chocolate, smells great.

T- Really similar to the aroma. Lots of roasted malts with a hint of smoke. Coffee and chocolate come through a lot in the middle and towards the end.

M- Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Slight carbonation tingle towards the end, but overall pretty smooth.

O- Another strong offering from Bell's. Great aromas, great flavors, excellent porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:00:02 | More by stephenjmoore

AmitC

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bell's porter bottle dated 1/4/2013. 12oz.

Poured into snifter. A brown colored medium thin pour. Black color inside the glass. Solid one finger thick tan colored head that stays well. Excellent lacing on the sides. Opaque.

Typical porter like roasted malts. More roasted than burnt up. Strength is moderate yet persistent. Very one dimensional.

Taste is very similar to the nose. A good amount of roasted malts with slight amount of charred or burnt up flavor. Some hops may be but only lightly. Finish is dry and slightly full of burnt up taste.

Mouth feel is medium bodied. Low to moderate carbonation. No astringency. No booze throughout. A light easy drinking sessionable porter.

Style Rate: 4
Personal Rate: 3.75

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 15:53:20 | More by AmitC