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10w Porter
Free Will Brewing Co.
- From:
- Free Will Brewing Co.
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Style:
- English Porter
- ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.83 | pDev: 10.44%
- Reviews:
- 12
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 03, 2023
- Added:
- Mar 13, 2013
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 7
This full bodied British porter is an aggressive take on the classic style. The nose is dominated by notes of dark chocolate and coffee, while the flavor profile is full of complex toasty, malty and burnt sugar flavors balanced by an approachable roasty note. Pair this beer with fatty cuts of steak, chili, and stilton cheese.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by wattoclone:
Reviewed by wattoclone from California
4.37/5 rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.37/5 rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Not sure what differentiates an English Porter from an American Porter, but my guess is that an English style achieves the taste characteristics with the malts whereas an American style achieves the flavor by adding ingredients like chocolate and coffee. From what I was told at the brewery this porter was brewed without cocoa or coffee beans and therefore is an English-style porter.
In any case, I truly enjoyed this rich, thick, roasty porter and plan to make several trips back to the brewery in Perkasie to get growler refills. Pours jet black with a tan head and has all of the desirable features of a classic session porter: roasted malt, smokiness, coffee and chocolate notes with a smooth easy drinkability. It is richer than Stegmaier porter my previous local favorite which is a very similar in style, but has a thicker mouthfeel due to the meticulous care taken by this craft brewery. It is certainly not as complex as Founder's, Deschutes or Bell's which I consider the best of the bottled American examples. Since I did not see bottles of this porter at the brewery it would not be fair to compare it directly with these iconic porters but for those lucky enough to live close enough to the brewery this would be my first choice since it is unpasteurized and very fresh.
Jun 19, 2014In any case, I truly enjoyed this rich, thick, roasty porter and plan to make several trips back to the brewery in Perkasie to get growler refills. Pours jet black with a tan head and has all of the desirable features of a classic session porter: roasted malt, smokiness, coffee and chocolate notes with a smooth easy drinkability. It is richer than Stegmaier porter my previous local favorite which is a very similar in style, but has a thicker mouthfeel due to the meticulous care taken by this craft brewery. It is certainly not as complex as Founder's, Deschutes or Bell's which I consider the best of the bottled American examples. Since I did not see bottles of this porter at the brewery it would not be fair to compare it directly with these iconic porters but for those lucky enough to live close enough to the brewery this would be my first choice since it is unpasteurized and very fresh.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.85/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dark and smooth, thick and creamy beige/head. Dark roast grains, nuts, peat, all come through.in taste, aroma is a little more subdued. All around it’s very smooth and mellow, easy to drink. A-
Dec 03, 2023Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont
3.96/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottle to nonic pint glass, the appearance was a semi-dark brown close to black color with a thin finger’s worth of white to off white foamy head that fell off at a decent pace. Not much lace. The aroma had some sweet milk chocolate, sly roastiness, light coffee bean, some caramel malts, light vanilla, and a touch of wood. The flavor was moderately sweet with the roast accompanying it somewhat nicely. Aftertaste was the same along with the finish. The palate was about medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt fine. Nice balance of smooth to roasty grip along my tongue. Overall, pretty good porter I could do again.
Jun 18, 2017Reviewed by soulcougher from Pennsylvania
4.62/5 rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.62/5 rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Nice black color with a spectacular coffee smell to it! Knowing that it is only 4.5% I wasn't expecting too much but such flavor is immediately welcoming. A nice bite to it keeps the feel very noticeable. I could drink this sessionable porter all day.
May 21, 2015Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
3.73/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.73/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle into a pint glass.
Pours dark and rich looking; opaque; decent head with ample sticky lacing.
Flavor: rich, bold, dark-roasted grains with an overall slightly bitter balance. Hints of dark chocolate and coffee. Some char in finish and aftertaste.
Medium yet watery body with low carbonation.
Mar 09, 2015Pours dark and rich looking; opaque; decent head with ample sticky lacing.
Flavor: rich, bold, dark-roasted grains with an overall slightly bitter balance. Hints of dark chocolate and coffee. Some char in finish and aftertaste.
Medium yet watery body with low carbonation.
Reviewed by Jgoth34 from Pennsylvania
4.27/5 rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Dark red appears black. Little to no head but very inviting. Laces the glass like a glove.
Smell: The aroma is intoxicating, hints of caramel or dark chocolate. Sweet but not overpowering.
Taste: Well balanced, not sweet as it smells but not very bitter either.
Feel: Very warm feel to this beer something I would enjoy on cold winter night. Would pair well with corn beef and cabbage. Such a nice balance in flavor. Not too heavy nor too light.
Overall: Excellent beer reminds me of Guinness but a kicked up version. Can't find many flaws personally
Feb 21, 2015Smell: The aroma is intoxicating, hints of caramel or dark chocolate. Sweet but not overpowering.
Taste: Well balanced, not sweet as it smells but not very bitter either.
Feel: Very warm feel to this beer something I would enjoy on cold winter night. Would pair well with corn beef and cabbage. Such a nice balance in flavor. Not too heavy nor too light.
Overall: Excellent beer reminds me of Guinness but a kicked up version. Can't find many flaws personally
Reviewed by JerzDevl2000 from New Jersey
3.77/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had this out of a bottle last night at the Cloverleaf Tavern, having never had this beer before. I like Porters since they tend to be more easygoing than Stouts and that was the case here. The flavor profile wasn't too deep do this beer but it was true to form and went down easily and sometimes, it's nice to have a beer that's nicely crafted without being overly complex!
This had a dark pour to it without a thick head or any lacing to be seen. The mouthfeel was thinner than I would have anticipated and there wasn't a lot of carbonation either. There wasn't a strong roasted feel to this and a bit of it emerged in the back but this reminded me more of a Coffee Porter more than anything else. Not smoked, not strong, this went down easily as the mouthfeel was somewhat weak and not that creamy or full.
Because the amount of booze in this was low, I could have had another in a sitting and not even noticed the alcohol. A hint of dark chocolate and cocoa saved this from being too dull but as it was, there wasn't much to discern after the initial taste settled in. A good example of the style, this Porter would probably not offend anyone and would be a great introduction to the style, while also serving as a session beer. Quite relaxing!
Jan 22, 2015This had a dark pour to it without a thick head or any lacing to be seen. The mouthfeel was thinner than I would have anticipated and there wasn't a lot of carbonation either. There wasn't a strong roasted feel to this and a bit of it emerged in the back but this reminded me more of a Coffee Porter more than anything else. Not smoked, not strong, this went down easily as the mouthfeel was somewhat weak and not that creamy or full.
Because the amount of booze in this was low, I could have had another in a sitting and not even noticed the alcohol. A hint of dark chocolate and cocoa saved this from being too dull but as it was, there wasn't much to discern after the initial taste settled in. A good example of the style, this Porter would probably not offend anyone and would be a great introduction to the style, while also serving as a session beer. Quite relaxing!
10w Porter from Free Will Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
50 ratings
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