Bad Elmer's Porter
Upland Brewing Company


- From:
- Upland Brewing Company
- Indiana, United States
- Style:
- English Porter
Ranked #205 - ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 82
Ranked #76,968 - Avg:
- 3.6 | pDev: 12.5%
- Reviews:
- 153
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 07, 2025
- Added:
- May 26, 2002
- Wants:
- 8
- Gots:
- 47
Even if you aren’t as tough as Bad Elmer, you can still drink with him. This porter is a medium-bodied beer, brewed with lots of roasted malt, giving it flavors of coffee, liquorice, and chocolate. It’s rich, creamy, and characteristically dark yet extremely smooth. The initial light sweetness is followed by a clean, dry, roasty finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by FretFingers from Illinois
4.34/5 rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.34/5 rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 12oz can into a "Von Trapp Brewery" beer glass. Big frothy light tan head that holds up for a while before dissipating into a thin cap. Nice lacing. Really great aroma - hints of booze, earthy hops, coffee and leather. Dense dark brown almost black color. Very nice flavor - slightly sweet with a background of roasted malts - not as harsh as most American Porters I have tried. Mouthfeel is lighter than I expected with a slightly dry finish with a background taste of honey on the tongue., making very easy drinking for this style. Overall a great American Porter that was a bargain at 7.95 for 6 Pack. I will definitely buy this again.
Feb 01, 2024Reviewed by SWOhio-aquifer from Ohio
3.93/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
3.93/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
The mouth fill the taste pretty incredible. But I thought it finished a little bit too dry and grassy tonight. I need to revisit this to see if it was my palate or the batch. All in all I will think the beer connoisseurs will really enjoy this. Great evening to be having a dark beer, And what better a porter one of my favorite styles.
Oct 07, 2023Reviewed by KomodoDragon from Virginia
4.22/5 rDev +17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.22/5 rDev +17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours deep dark brown with a frothy cream colored head that exited quickly.
Welcomed sweet chocolate, roastiness smells. Noticeable smokiness, toast, licorice.
Immediately obvious on the taste this is a porter, just the right balance of sweet and hefty roasted malts, creaminess till the long finish, and a hint of alcohol.
Wonderful to sip a no-nonsense, American porter that packs a punch.
Oct 06, 2023Welcomed sweet chocolate, roastiness smells. Noticeable smokiness, toast, licorice.
Immediately obvious on the taste this is a porter, just the right balance of sweet and hefty roasted malts, creaminess till the long finish, and a hint of alcohol.
Wonderful to sip a no-nonsense, American porter that packs a punch.
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania
3.97/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.97/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap at the source.
A - Dark brown pour with dense caramel lacing.
S - Toasted chocolate malt and coffee.
T - Strong chocolate roast along with coffee that lingers on the backside.
M - Light medium body and a little thin around the edges.
O - A nice, flavorful Porter.
Jul 02, 2023A - Dark brown pour with dense caramel lacing.
S - Toasted chocolate malt and coffee.
T - Strong chocolate roast along with coffee that lingers on the backside.
M - Light medium body and a little thin around the edges.
O - A nice, flavorful Porter.
Rated by mpk2020 from Illinois
3.75/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On draft in Columbus IN.
Mar 13, 2023Reviewed by BigGold from Mississippi
4.03/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had Bad Elmer’s Porter poured from 12-oz. can, bottom stamped (apparently) canned on "080621" and "BB:020622," into Willi Becher.
Pours apparently absolutely black, but actually a deep golden brown transmitting only a little golden light at the edges when backlit, with 1-finger, dimpled tan head, with good retention, leaving etched rings of lace down the glass. Aromas of chocolate and roast malts off the pour, roast malts dominating, and some grassy hops and a hint of dark berry fruits joining as warms. Begins with carbonation floating chocolate and roast malts over a smooth and creamy (chocolate) body, with a crisply hoppy, moderate roasted malt finish.
World-class looks, great aroma, and very tasty. I seem to like this porter better than do most--possibly because it's now a bigger, 6.00 ABV beer.
Nov 24, 2021Pours apparently absolutely black, but actually a deep golden brown transmitting only a little golden light at the edges when backlit, with 1-finger, dimpled tan head, with good retention, leaving etched rings of lace down the glass. Aromas of chocolate and roast malts off the pour, roast malts dominating, and some grassy hops and a hint of dark berry fruits joining as warms. Begins with carbonation floating chocolate and roast malts over a smooth and creamy (chocolate) body, with a crisply hoppy, moderate roasted malt finish.
World-class looks, great aroma, and very tasty. I seem to like this porter better than do most--possibly because it's now a bigger, 6.00 ABV beer.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4.09/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Canned 8/6/21; drank 9/25/21 @ the Yarchives.
Opaque dark brown appearance.
A violent pour yielded a HUGE tan head; thick, frothy lace.
Fresh earth, cocoa powder & faint brown sugar notes in the nose.
Creamy, medium mouthfeel.
Fresh earth, cocoa powder & mild fall leaf flavors.
This is a real nice fall sipper; I'd have another!!
Sep 26, 2021Opaque dark brown appearance.
A violent pour yielded a HUGE tan head; thick, frothy lace.
Fresh earth, cocoa powder & faint brown sugar notes in the nose.
Creamy, medium mouthfeel.
Fresh earth, cocoa powder & mild fall leaf flavors.
This is a real nice fall sipper; I'd have another!!
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