Founders Porter: Dark, Rich & Sexy

Yes, my fellow beer lovers, I'm reviewing another porter tonight.  Why?  Well, it's twofold.  One, I was in the mood to drink another porter.  Two, in my last post I had mentioned that I had only tasted a couple porters better than Firestone's porter.  Not to totally ruin the surprise, but this is one of them.

Founders Porter is, not surprisingly, brewed by Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids Michigan.  If you're not already familiar with them, I suggest you get acquainted.  My favorite brewer, Founders, doesn't make a bad beer, as far as I am aware.  They have a knack for taking a good beer and pushing it just a bit further.  As this blog goes along, you will no doubt see more reviews of their beers.  I picked up this little bottle of joy at Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA. As far as I know, it's not distributed currently in NH, where I live, so I have to travel a short distance to MA for their beers.  It's worth the gas money, trust me.

So, the beer itself.  Right on the bottle, it says Dark, Rich & Sexy.  There you have it, the review is done.

Oh, you want more information?  Fine.  Let's start with the visuals.  When they say dark, they really mean black.  Light seems unable to pass through this beer.  In my book, that's a good thing.  There is a towering dark tan head that slowly shrunk down to a manageable size and now seems content to just stick around through the whole drinking adventure.   

What does it smell like?  Well, in the previous review I said that porter smelled like a porter should.  This one...even more so.  You can smell a bit of chocolate, but the main smells are those wonderful roasted malts.  I would enjoy a candle that smelled like this...or maybe cologne.

The taste is downright incredible.  You taste the chocolate.  You get a mouthful of rich, roasted malt.  You get a healthy, balancing bite of hops.  Make no mistake, this is a "big" beer.  With the 6.5% a.b.v. and the huge flavor, you're not going to be downing bottle after bottle after bottle of this (OK, maybe a couple).  This is absolutely a beer to be enjoyed slowly while sitting around with friends, contemplating the troubles of the world...or perhaps discussing the best way for Wile E. Coyote to finally catch that pesky roadrunner.  If you can convince yourself to slowly savor this, pay attention to how it changes as it slowly warms up.  When it starts cold, it's a very crisp porter, but as it warms, it really smooths out and ups the flavors a notch.  This, kids, is why some beers are best served at cellar temperature (50-55ish) and not tooth shatteringly cold.  Don't be afraid of beer that is merely cool, not cold.

However you look at it, Founders Porter is possibly the best porter out there today.  At least it's the best I've had.  Don't worry though, I won't give up trying more in search of something even better.  Founders Porter gets a solid A in my book.  Find it, try it and enjoy it.  Cheers!