For today’s craft beer review I thought I would sample the Founders Porter from the Founders Brewing Company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I have always been a fan of Porters and a fan of Founders Brewing Company, so I don’t think I can go wrong with this choice.  I actually tried this a couple of times last Winter, but I never got a chance to review it.

Let’s see what the commercial description (foundersbrewing.com) has to say about this beer. 

Pours silky black with a creamy tan head.  The nose is sweet with strong chocolate and caramel malt presence.  No absence of hops gives Founders’ robust porter the full flavor you deserve and expect.  Cozy like velvet.  It’s a lover, not a fighter.

Sounds delicious.

This beer has an ABV of 6.2% and it comes in a 12 oz. bottle.

The Founders Porter poured a very deep brown to black color.  It had a nice, full, thick, creamy and smooth tan head (Unfortunately, the picture doesn’t do it justice.  I had to wait a few moments before I could take the picture, so the head had subsided a bit).  Very nicely sized with good retention and some very, very nice lacing left behind after each sip. 

The aroma had a wonderful bittersweet chocolate coming through from the get go.  Tones of roasted malt and barley.  Touches of espresso and toasted grains.  A slight detection of hops.  Deeper into the fragrance I noticed a whisper of smoke.  This beer smelled great.  Full, balanced, rich and robust.  Just how a good Porter should smell.

With the first sip I received more chocolate along with roasted malts and grains.  A very nice and plentiful amount of bitterness was left on the sides of the tongue from the chocolate and hops.  The coffee/espresso flavors were not too robust nor too meager.  Instead, they sat right in the middle.  I found the taste to be rather sweet, however it was blended very well with some burnt toast, smoke and some “chalky” aspects.  The taste was very flavorful and appealing.  Quite good and “round” I must say.

The mouthfeel was medium to full bodied.  Thick, smooth, slick, creamy and dry.  A very nice dose of flavor was left behind after each gulp (yes… I was taking huge gulps of this brew).  Only the most faint warmth was felt at the back end, yet I never tasted or smelled any alcohol.

Overall, this is easily one of the best Porters on the market today.  It’s full of aroma and flavor; the appearance was great and the mouthfeel was more than satisfactory.  Not to mention that it was very easy to drink.  The Founders Porter is perfect for cooler weather and if you like this style of beer, you cannot pass this one up if you see it.  I’m sure it will be a beer that I will revert back to from time to time.  Plus, being that it’s a year round brew, it shouldn’t be that hard to find if you can obtain Founders products.  Be sure to let me know your opinion if/when you try it.

Which Porter produced today is the best in your opinion?

Leave a comment if you like.

Thanks for reading guys.  Until next time.

Cheers.

Score:  4.25 out of 5
Grade:  A-