Donner Party Porter
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
- From:
- FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Porter
Ranked #144 - ABV:
- 6.7%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #16,544 - Avg:
- 3.97 | pDev: 8.56%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 18
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 30, 2025
- Added:
- Feb 28, 2007
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 8
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Donner Party Porter is one tasty porter that will get you through the harshest winter. This complex pint's flavor profile includes hints of oat cakes, molasses, smooth rich dark chocolate, mocha, and espresso. That, my friends, is what we call a robust, almost historical porter, and why we can say "your friends never tasted so good!"
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by RaulMondesi from California
4/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Well, hell… And the Donner Party definitely is like that. I’ll keep things short though. This beer is like surviving said predicament. Like, you had to eat your way to life - Cousin Luke’s intestines and all. Like, you’re still alive. But are you really?
Oct 01, 2025
Rated by ttoadee from Texas
3.98/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
RB transfer
Jul 16, 2025
Reviewed by RyanK252 from California
3.94/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.94/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Can poured into a Mountain Rambler Brewery pint glass
A: Pours nearly black dark brown with a frothy khaki head that settles to a light layer and leaves a little nice lacing.
S: Roasty, earthy, dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, faint smoke, molasses, burnt sugar, and slight herbal notes.
T: Roasty, big earthy char, a touch of smoke, bittersweet chocolate, and espresso, underlying dark and dried fruit, plum and date, slight herbal notes, faint vanilla, rounded out with molasses and burnt sugar sweetness.
M: Medium body, moderately lively carbonation.
O: Had to try it because of the name. Earthy char is a bit more assertive than I typically prefer. When combined with the slightly elevated carbonation it makes this one not the easiest drinking at times, though it became a bit more balanced as it warmed. Would make a nice fireside beer after a day in the snow.
Nov 26, 2022A: Pours nearly black dark brown with a frothy khaki head that settles to a light layer and leaves a little nice lacing.
S: Roasty, earthy, dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, faint smoke, molasses, burnt sugar, and slight herbal notes.
T: Roasty, big earthy char, a touch of smoke, bittersweet chocolate, and espresso, underlying dark and dried fruit, plum and date, slight herbal notes, faint vanilla, rounded out with molasses and burnt sugar sweetness.
M: Medium body, moderately lively carbonation.
O: Had to try it because of the name. Earthy char is a bit more assertive than I typically prefer. When combined with the slightly elevated carbonation it makes this one not the easiest drinking at times, though it became a bit more balanced as it warmed. Would make a nice fireside beer after a day in the snow.
Rated by oldmankoch from Utah
4.04/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Solid classic porter. Very earthy with some cocoa, vanilla, char, tobacco and maybe a touch of honey.
Feb 02, 2021
Reviewed by mntlover from Tennessee
4/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours black at least in the wee hours of the morning it does. Small one finger tan head falls slow with good lace.
Aroma is chocolate malts, lightly roasted notes, lighter coffee hints of molasses.
Taste is spot on to the nose good roasted notes, chocolate more espresso then in the nose hints of molasses. Finish is nice linger roasted notes with some light herbal earthy hops.
Mouthfeel is solid medium with very lightly peppy carbonation, could be turned down 1 fro me anyway.
Overall a solid and tasty porter.
Jan 12, 2021Aroma is chocolate malts, lightly roasted notes, lighter coffee hints of molasses.
Taste is spot on to the nose good roasted notes, chocolate more espresso then in the nose hints of molasses. Finish is nice linger roasted notes with some light herbal earthy hops.
Mouthfeel is solid medium with very lightly peppy carbonation, could be turned down 1 fro me anyway.
Overall a solid and tasty porter.
Reviewed by HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey
4.09/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Light carbonation with a just above average body with a bit of a creamy oily feel
Aroma is a really pleasant mix of dark roasted espresso beans,roasted malt, some milk chocolate and mocha candy. Aroma is very well balanced with even more there than I'm explaining
Taste is mildly sweet yet has a slight dry component. Not as complex as the aroma but theres roasted malt,dark chocolate, espresso beans.
Overall it's a delicious beer that I would try again
Jan 05, 2020Aroma is a really pleasant mix of dark roasted espresso beans,roasted malt, some milk chocolate and mocha candy. Aroma is very well balanced with even more there than I'm explaining
Taste is mildly sweet yet has a slight dry component. Not as complex as the aroma but theres roasted malt,dark chocolate, espresso beans.
Overall it's a delicious beer that I would try again
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