People's Porter - Barrel-Aged
Foothills Brewing Company - Downtown Brewpub

Breviewer from North Carolina

3.89/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

1/1/21 - from brewery-filled growler 20-minutes earlier
A- Poured into a pint glass with virtually no head - 1/16" or less. Opaque dark brown with just a touch of ruby tint at the very bottom.
S- Moderately strong smell of bourbon with toffee or caramel and coffee that really made the mouth water.
T- Immediate rush of coffee with hints of chocolate. Overall the bourbon flavor is subtle - more noticeable in the smell and aftertaste than the taste - light compared to some other BBA's.
M- Relatively thin with medium carbonation that is more dry at first and develops a nice lingering aftertaste. Carbonation fades over time as it warms and becomes very smooth and more syrupy.

O- First time trying this seasonal offering from our dominant local brewer and I'd get it again - especially on occasion. At first seemed like a novelty, as the bourbon in the smell is more prevalent than the taste... made me think it would be great in certain situations such as a fire-side beer, or with a cigar, etc. but enjoyed it even more as it warms up and carbonation dulls - a slightly more 'drinkable' version with BBA tones than some of the other BBA's that have the dominant, overwhelming BBA taste and higher ABV effect.

Jan 17, 2021

Benish from Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

It poured a light translucent brown color with a full inch beige head. There were strong aromas of bananas with some vanilla. As it warmed up, the bourbon became more prominent with richer notes of bananas. The taste was pretty much spot on with what I smelled. It immediately tasted like bananas with notes of chocolate - kind of like a Monkey Tail dessert. As it warmed up, it seemed the bananas were actually a derivative of the bourbon itself. It has increased in complexity with a sweet and malty finish. Its pretty light bodied in the mouth which is expected for its low ABV. This is a great beer, I love the notes of bourbon in a low ABV porter.

Aug 29, 2018

mdfb79 from New York

3.79/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a nut brown, lots ofcoconut chocolate and some heat. Medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall a decent beer but hot and lots of barrel to it.

Dec 31, 2016

BeerSamurai34 from Texas

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a pretty good example of what a barrel aged porter should be. I didn't get much adjunct flavors like roasted malts that normally come with porters, but I got tons of barrel presence and the mouthfeel was actually pretty viscous.

Apr 18, 2016

ordybill from Georgia

4.41/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the tap into a pint glass. The appearance is a dark brown to near black color with a large tan colored head. The aroma is full of sweet malt, cocoa and a hint of whiskey. The taste is heavy on sweet malt and caramel. A very enjoyable porter.

Mar 26, 2016

Sabtos from Ohio

4.52/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

On the growler tag, this was listed as aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels. Since this version here is not specifically listing barrel type, I'll assume this is the correct one.

Disclaimer: I'm not huge on bourbon barrel aging. I even almost passed this one over, but by the time I finished my first beer, it became apparent this was going fast, so I decided to give it a whirl before it was gone.

Right up front were woody notes not as readily present in other barrel aged beers. This fine, thin liquid (thin in a good way, oddly enough), was exquisitely dry, like an excellent, tannin-rich wine. The booze is not overly present, and not hot at all. I also got some raisin characteristics.

To me, this is one of very few beers that is a total redeemer in the barrel aged camp. A+

Feb 06, 2016

willic from Virginia

4.59/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Dark and intense, brown almost black in color
Aroma: Roasting malts, smoky, sweet
Flavor: Oh, Mama! Sweet, smoky, rich, intense roast
Mouthfeel: Not what I expected from the smell and flavor, crisp, not overly creamy or sticky!
Overall: I want more! Thank you, Foothills!!!

Dec 29, 2015

Pourharddrinkslow from South Carolina

4.09/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Almost pitch black in color with a small brown head. Smells like bourbon, toffee, and caramel. Taste is very much bourbon upfront, followed by a little coffee, toffee, dark chocolate. Very little bitterness, nicely smooth. A unique BA porter that isn't too heavy on the bourbon.

Oct 29, 2015

justintcoons from Pennsylvania

2.03/5  rDev -47.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

22 oz bottle poured into a pub-style pint glass.

Appearance
Murky deep-brown (near black) with 3 fingers of creamy tan head. Excellent retention.

Nose
Bourbon, caramel, raisin, and slight vanilla. Very simple.

Taste
Ugh... Very astringent charcoal and black licorice flavor. Cloyingly sweet Cola aided by intense carbonation. Hints of harsh whiskey.

Mouthfeel
Medium-light bodied and over carbonated.

Overall
I was weary about buying a 6% barrel aged beer. I was right. Avoid this beer.

Sep 25, 2015

HopsForBrains from North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Extremely subtle nose, the head has a richer color than the body, taste is very smooth akin to the porter style, not overwhelming at all but inviting; overall, pretty good but I fear the slight malty nature may be hindered by the bourbon barrel aging process.

Jul 13, 2015

mst934 from North Carolina

4.16/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Such low reviews of this beer. Just ran a pint night at the bar I buy for and this was one I decided to pick up. Man oh man, I'm glad I did. The BA comes through just perfect on the nose, and the flavors of the porter mix perfectly with it. I actually prefer this over the BA Stout. The People's Porter by itself is a solid beer, but they have blended the Bourbon Barrel into this just perfectly. It's not the best BA Porter out there, but to me, it's a 4 for sure.

Jun 11, 2015

mzingie from Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

The most impressive and lasting head I have ever seen on a beer. Attractive dark brown almost black. Smell is great and full of bourbon but not very strong. Tastes of caramel, butterscotch, dark chocolate. Excellent of you like bourbon aged bears but think the bourbon aged imperial stouts are a little too strong and overpowering for your taste buds at the moment.

May 14, 2015

chinchill from South Carolina

3.84/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22oz bottle (2013 or 14) served in a Belgian snifter.

Pours dark brown and sits near black and opaque in the glass. Large frothy head is semi-durable and leaves a fairly full coat of lacing on the glass.

Appealing aroma features BBL, dark roasted grains, and dark fruits. Approaches 3.75

Flavor: BBL and fainter dark bread and a hint of vanilla. Too much bourbon flavor in the finish and aftertaste, but then others will find this attractive no doubt. Approaches 4

Drinks big despite the modest 5.8% ABV.

Oct 22, 2014

GreesyFizeek from New York

4.04/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle brought to share by Umberto yesterday.

Pours a fairly dark black, with a half inch head, and a little bit of lacing.

Smells like bourbon soaked chocolate bars, with a bit of oak, and nicely, no alcohol.

This one packs a good amount of flavor in for only 6% alcohol or so. As expected, there is no burn on this one, just some chocolate, a bit of roasted expresso beans and roasted malt, heavy cream, and some sweet bourbon. It doesn't slap you in the face like some bourbon barrel aged beers will do, but it doesn't need to. It's an easy drinking "session" bourbon barrel aged stout.

The beer has a body of medium thickness, it could of course be a little thicker, but it's only 6% ABV, after all. It has a creamy mouthfeel, with a lower amount of carbonation.

A really good example of how a bourbon barrel aged beer doesn't need to be an insane ABV to taste good.

Sep 18, 2014

Immortale25 from North Carolina

4.14/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a New Belgium goblet. No freshness date.

A- Pours a 99% opaque black color with a 1/2 inch dark tan head that retains well before settling at a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a bubbly side patch of surface foam. Semi-resilient lacing leaves a jagged ring behind.

S- Milk chocolaty nose with a nice dose of oaky astringency. Slightly boozy with vanilla undertones.

T- Flavor kicks in more of that chocolate and some light oak astringency. The chocolate gives way to vanilla which gives way to a slightly charry finish. Mild but noticeable bitterness as per the base beer's usual MO.

M- This is the only place where it's lacking which is what I was afraid of. I find the base beer to be thin even for a porter and this is just about the same. Medium carbonation (which doesn't help things) and a full body.

O- Definitely not one of the best BBA beers of its kind but, for the reasonable price, you get your bourbon barrel fix without breaking your wallet. That and it's an improvement on the regular People's Porter.

May 10, 2014

JandJMD from Maryland

3.79/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Bomber at a very reasonable $5.

Looks great - pitch black with pretty heavy head and it sticks to the side of the glass. Smell is pretty subdued but you can pick up the bourbon scent right when you open it and some vanilla. The taste is chocolate and a roasted flavor, a little woody, then the bourbon comes through and there is a bitterness on the end of it. It's very thin and more carbonated than expected. It doesn't seem to hold up to the bourbon flavor as well as some of the heavier stouts.
Enjoyed this, but I feel like some of the barrel aging might be lost on a thin beer like this compared to many stouts, barleywines, or DIPAs.

Mar 28, 2014

hops202 from District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz poured into Stone IRS snifter.

A solid dark velvet brown look. Aroma has plenty of roasty toffee and chocolate notes, vanilla present as well. Taste has bourbon unlike the smell but certainly not overpowering. Definitely chocolate, vanilla, roast, very very slight chocolate bitterness at the end. Certainly a good BBA Porter - but it leaves me longing for a good BBA Stout!

Mar 26, 2014

macrosmatic from Florida

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to dogdoc for sending this one! Reviewed from notes. 2012 bottling, poured from bomber into an Upland pint glass.

A: Pours a deep brown, barely translucent, with a thin tan head and low visible carbonation.

S: Bourbon, big oaky vanilla sweetness, cacao, and some dark fruit.

T: Follows the nose – big liquor flavors without seeming overly hot, with huge oak and vanilla flavors, dry woody tannins, chocolate (which increases as the beer warms), and deep roasted malts along with some raisins and sweet dark dried fruit. Sweet malts and dry wood tannins with the bourbon in the hang.

M: Body is fairly thin for a porter, a complaint magnified by the dichotomy of the big flavors and the mouthfeel. One of the least "hot" barrel-treatment beers I've had. Fairly low carbonation sensation, but not flat.

O: A beer that has a lot of really nice things - aroma and flavor are complex but approachable. At a listed ABV of only 6%, you could enjoy a few of these in a night. But I suspect the light ABV contributes to the thin mouthfeel of this beer, which was by far my biggest complaint. Still, a very good beer overall.

Mar 16, 2014

tigerbeer90 from South Carolina

4.39/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Goose Island tulip glass

A: jet black with a 3 finger off-white head. lots more carbonation than most bourbon barrel ales I'm used too, but lower ABV

S: Mostly roasty and coffee notes but definitely some vanilla/oak bourbon notes at the end

T: I get a lot of vanilla and toasted coconut with some chocolate ending in a roastiness. Nothing extraordinary, but very balanced and extremely enjoyable

M: Yes, a little thinner than most barrel aged beers, however, its a 6% porter, so I think its about right

O: I really enjoyed this beer and bought a few more bottles, especially at a $5 price! I think it is well balanced and how often do you get a reasonably priced, nearly sessionable Bourbon-aged beer?!?!

Mar 16, 2014

tmm313 from Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A- Super dark brown with red tint around the edges. Tan, semi creamy, bubbly head. Pretty good lacing.
S- Dark chocolate, caramel, plums, and black cherry.
T- T is surprisingly light: over-ripened dark fruits over charred wood up front, followed by bready, cracker-like malts, cocoa and a hint of coffee. Dry, smokey, slightly sweet aftertaste. You would never guess it ever touched a bourbon barrel.
M- Medium light body. Good carbonation. Drying.
O- This was alright. I would take it if offered, but I doubt i would buy again. Bourbon was completely absent to me.

Mar 04, 2014

rudzud from Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Received as an extra in a trade and poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a nice dark brown almost black hue with a big, rich two finger mocha head that fades to leave nice light side lacing and a dense creamy blanket.

S - Aromas of sweet malts, caramel, sweet whiskey, dark chocolate, coconut, and barrel.

T - Taste is similar to the nose, lots of sweet malts, caramel, darker chocolate, oak, coconut, whiskey. Then some other stuff come to play, charred barrel, chicory, darker fruits/leather. I really enjoyed it, and the char, just don't care for the darker fruit/chicory thing going on.

M - Mouthfeel doesnt do it for me. Awfully thin and watery which makes the booze stand out way more than it should.

O - Overall I really enjoyed how this beer looked and smelled but the spice and darker fruits really ruined this one for me. Too bad.

Feb 27, 2014

StaveHooks from Oklahoma

3.81/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Hopswagger for this one!
22oz bottle served in a Prairie Teku

A - Dark and cloudy, mahogany brown, 1 finger of tan bubbles sink into a thin collar.

S - Sweet whiskey malts, caramel, cocoa nibs, chocolate wafers, cherries, dates, molasses, grape candy,

T - Roasted chocolate malts, vanilla, a good dose of bitterness, charred caramel, chicory, whiskey blends in nicely and is lighter in the middle before really showing up on the finish. The finish is dry with notes of tobacco, roasted malts, and whiskey.

M - Aggressive carbonation bites the tongue, medium weight, dry finish.

Whiskey, chocolate, and caramel with aggressive carbonation and some bite from the hops make a nice robust porter. The roast character is strong especially combined with the carbonation. This would go good with cigar.

Feb 22, 2014

GarthDanielson from Virginia

4.04/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a shaker pint, the beer is a very dark, ruby-highlighted brown-to-black coloring with a tall, light, fluffy, bubbly, light tan head that sits a solid inch and a half on the surface and slowly settles as you drink. Aromas of rich vanilla and booze on first sniff, with an underlying rich blend of chocolate and caramel. Very layered nose. Flavors are roast forward, quickly followed by a blast of bourbon character, imparting vanilla and woody notes. The backbone is a bitter roast blend of coffee and chocolate, providing a good balance point for the beer. Wow, this is full of flavor. Smooth bodied and light, the feel of the beer keeps clear of all of the robust flavors it is carrying. Rich, deeply sweet caramel, toffee, and bitter chocolate in the aftertaste, with some hints of the boozy characteristics still lingering on. The finish is dry, slightly warming, with a bitter linger. This is a great beer. Damn tasty, and drinkable.

Feb 11, 2014

BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.71/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Boilermakers aren't just for slammin' anymore- this one is packed in a handsome twenty-two ounce bottle and made for sippin'. It's crawin' out of the dive bars and onto a craft beer shelf near you... for the people, of course!

The heavily bourbonized ale pours with the disguise of Porter with its dark coffee-stained hue.
As a creamy and lightly fluffy head rises from the beer, it dissolves a bit too soon underneath the force of bourbon that drags it back down. Nearly half way through the glass, the ale falls still and only slightly generates with a swift swirl of the glass. With no trail of lace, the barrels obviously have gotten the best of the beer's appearance.

Bold aroma start out sweetly of caramel, chocolate and vanilla. Its toastier malt backbone of coffee, charred toast and dark chocolate prop up the sweetness but hardly balance its sweeter scent. Then comes the drunken oak character of bourbon- its own wood sweetness, char, vanillan and spice play heavily on the base porter and drastically change its aromatic profile.

Similar to taste, the beer's original Porter-like character is greatly compromised as the dry maltiness of fresh ground coffee, charred toast and bittersweet chocolate are dwarfed with the sweetness of caramel, heavy cream and sweet, sweet booze. The middle palate is as much bourbon flavored as it is of ale, as the moderately intense ale is no match for the barrel. Those toasty coconut, vanilla, and woody maple flavors overtake the flavor spread and offer a spicy and oaky finish.

Medium-full in body, the beer's early carbonation lifts from the malt quite quickly and allows the residual sweetness of the beer to sit and saturate the taste buds with its thin bourbony sweetness. Finishing without much transition, the aftertaste is of the same caramel sweet texture as the beer started.

Thought the barrels have drastically changed to the beer, perhaps for the better (depending on how much influence you want bourbon to have over the beer). Its easy to see that the mere six-percent ale doesn't just show bourbon nuances but has changed into a bourbon flavored beer with porter-like tendencies.

Jan 29, 2014

KajII from North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

[Suggested Glassware: Nonic pint]

The pour was a very dark thick brown, almost black in color with a huge (3-4 finger) light brown fluffy head that lasted throughout with awesome thick pillowy sheets of lacing.

The aroma was bold and enticing of a dark roasted bread malt and a moderate dose of a leathery yeast with notes of molasses, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, oak cask, a mild hint of dark fruit and a light bourbon scent.

The taste was bitter sweet and a tad malty with a touch of chocolate, molasses and a light fruitiness early on, becoming slightly bitterer and very smooth with a large dose of coffee creeping in with a mild cask presence and a slight alcohol presence towards the finish.
The flavor lasted a nice long time after the swallow with a Chocó-coffee maltiness giving way to a soothing bourbon alcohol warming sensation.

Mouthfeel was well past medium in body with a dry, creamy texture and a medium carbonation.

Overall this is one fine tasting brew. It has everything working in unison together allowing for an incredible drinking experience...

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Jan 15, 2014