Founders - Porter

Dark, rich resplendent, able bodied. Founders porter is as well crafted as any of their other beers., but there porter holds a special place in my heart. I call it the Porter corner. This portion of my heart is occupied by delicious dark beers, and tiny little squares of Dark chocolate.  Can I share a bit of this part of my heart, dear reader?

For those of you who are not familiar with Founders, they are one of the premier breweries in the country. Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders was started by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers in 1997. Since then, they’ve gone on to make some of the best rated beers in the Nation; Founders motto is “Brewed for us”, and they mean it.

All porters are dark, but this one is exceedingly so. Mysterious and dangerous, the beer pours a beautiful inky color out of the bottle and into the glass, with a little bit of tan head that’s gone before you even notice it.  But that’s not what we’re here for. What we’re here for is that delicious dark richness, waiting inside the glass.

The smell is seductive and secret. A standard nice little thing, layered with fruit followed by chocolate, coffee, and other dark things. It’s got a nice bit of sweetness to it, but it’s not cloying like a Saison is. It’s subtle, balanced, and very smooth, which can be rare in a porter-- a style like IPA’s that are known for their excesses in style.

But the taste, the taste is exquisite. Smoky dark flavors, wafting with chocolate, and

coffee. Almost slightly burnt with a hint of red wine to it. But it’s not a tannic drink at all, actually it drinks quite clean and light. My only regret is not having a thick, grilled blackened cheeseburger sitting in front of me. Maybe I’ll have to pick some ground beef up on the way home from work. Until then, I think I’ll just sit in this high back chair, eating chocolates and drinking this delicious porter like an New England aristocrat.