Darwin's Forehead
Fonta Flora Brewery
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- Porter - American
Ranked #195 - ABV:
- 6.2%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #14,676 - Avg:
- 4.04 | pDev: 5.45%
- Reviews:
- 5
- Ratings:
- From:
- Fonta Flora Brewery
- North Carolina, United States
- Avail:
- Rotating/Seasonal
- Wants
- 1
- Gots
- 1
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
Notes:
Mashed with southern select two row barley from our good friends at Riverbend Malt House of Asheville, North Carolina along with a decidedly delicate blend of the finest caramel and chocolate malts. Fermented cool with our preferred house ale yeast for a touch of residual sweetness and a luxurious mouthfeel. Blended with North Carolina sea salt from the Outter Banks Sea Salt Company for increased quenchability. Brewed to comically celebrate Charles Darwin, the extraordinarily complex and contemplative father of evolution.
Reviews: 5
| Ratings: 25
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jlindros from Massachusetts
4.12/5 rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
No can date
Pours a tan but smaller foammy fizzy head with lower retention, fair messy lacing, dark molasses brown color with hints of mahogany light
Nose brings nice brown darker malts, toasted bread crust, layered caramel and toffee and a bit nutty, a touch of roast and coffee, a little baking spice and some sweet almost cookie-like aromas, and just a hint of a smoky note
Taste brings more rich brown malts, toasted and a bit roasted, layers of caramel sugars and toffee, a little nutty and biscuity, light roast with some coffee notes and a hint of smoke, some earthy spicy hops kick in with med to a little lighter bitterness up front, a bit of salt on the back end, fair sweetness, a bit of bread crust, then finishes sticky with med to a bit higher bitterness, more spicy hops, more salt, sweet caramel and toffee lingering, and a bit of roasty coffee
Mouth is med to fuller bod, a bit rich chewy like, med to a bit higher frothy carb
Overall a nice beer, somewhere between American brown ale and porter, with that salt on the back end, pretty solid beer
Dec 11, 2020
4.12/5 rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
No can date
Pours a tan but smaller foammy fizzy head with lower retention, fair messy lacing, dark molasses brown color with hints of mahogany light
Nose brings nice brown darker malts, toasted bread crust, layered caramel and toffee and a bit nutty, a touch of roast and coffee, a little baking spice and some sweet almost cookie-like aromas, and just a hint of a smoky note
Taste brings more rich brown malts, toasted and a bit roasted, layers of caramel sugars and toffee, a little nutty and biscuity, light roast with some coffee notes and a hint of smoke, some earthy spicy hops kick in with med to a little lighter bitterness up front, a bit of salt on the back end, fair sweetness, a bit of bread crust, then finishes sticky with med to a bit higher bitterness, more spicy hops, more salt, sweet caramel and toffee lingering, and a bit of roasty coffee
Mouth is med to fuller bod, a bit rich chewy like, med to a bit higher frothy carb
Overall a nice beer, somewhere between American brown ale and porter, with that salt on the back end, pretty solid beer
Dec 11, 2020
dbrauneis from North Carolina
3.92/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: Pours an opaque yet still clear extremely dark chestnut brown approaching jet black in color with light to moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising quickly along the edges of the glass and faint dark cola brown + dark brown colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall foamy tan head that slowly reduces to a large patch of slightly mottled very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of dark + chocolate + caramel malts with a light to moderate amount of caramel sweetness. Just shy of moderate aromas of roasty coffee and hints of cola.
T: Upfront there are slightly stronger than moderate flavors of dark + chocolate + caramel malts with a light to moderate amount of caramel sweetness. That is followed by light to moderate flavors of salted caramel, light flavors of cola, and moderate flavors of roasty coffee. Just shy of moderate amounts of roasty bitterness which linger for quite a white leaving lingering moderate roasty + chocolate + caramel flavors.
M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Relatively smooth.
O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and a smooth albeit slightly thin mouthfeel. Enjoyable with pleasant flavors of chocolate + coffee + salted caramel without much sweetness. Well balanced between the roastiness and the sweetness.
May 31, 2020
3.92/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: Pours an opaque yet still clear extremely dark chestnut brown approaching jet black in color with light to moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising quickly along the edges of the glass and faint dark cola brown + dark brown colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall foamy tan head that slowly reduces to a large patch of slightly mottled very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of dark + chocolate + caramel malts with a light to moderate amount of caramel sweetness. Just shy of moderate aromas of roasty coffee and hints of cola.
T: Upfront there are slightly stronger than moderate flavors of dark + chocolate + caramel malts with a light to moderate amount of caramel sweetness. That is followed by light to moderate flavors of salted caramel, light flavors of cola, and moderate flavors of roasty coffee. Just shy of moderate amounts of roasty bitterness which linger for quite a white leaving lingering moderate roasty + chocolate + caramel flavors.
M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Relatively smooth.
O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and a smooth albeit slightly thin mouthfeel. Enjoyable with pleasant flavors of chocolate + coffee + salted caramel without much sweetness. Well balanced between the roastiness and the sweetness.
May 31, 2020
avalon07 from South Carolina
3.73/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
L: Poured from a tallboy can to a pint glass. Had a dark brown color and a thick consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy, tan-colored head that quickly dissipated. Not a whole lot of lacing.
S: A so-so aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, and salt.
T: Tasted of a mild amount of chocolate (not quite enough, in my opinion), a good amount of roasted malt (the dominant ingredient), mild salt notes (mostly in the finish), and some caramel (could've used more). Like the aroma, the flavor a bit on the meh side. Not all the ingredients really come through. Still, all the elements are there.
F: A fair amount of carbonation with a sharp, smooth finish. Medium-bodied.
O: A very uneven beer, but not without some good qualities.
Apr 27, 2020
3.73/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
L: Poured from a tallboy can to a pint glass. Had a dark brown color and a thick consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy, tan-colored head that quickly dissipated. Not a whole lot of lacing.
S: A so-so aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, and salt.
T: Tasted of a mild amount of chocolate (not quite enough, in my opinion), a good amount of roasted malt (the dominant ingredient), mild salt notes (mostly in the finish), and some caramel (could've used more). Like the aroma, the flavor a bit on the meh side. Not all the ingredients really come through. Still, all the elements are there.
F: A fair amount of carbonation with a sharp, smooth finish. Medium-bodied.
O: A very uneven beer, but not without some good qualities.
Apr 27, 2020
BigGold from Mississippi
4.31/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Had poured from pint can, bottom stamped “CANNED ON 03292019,” into clear plastic hotel water cup.
FF Forehead’s got the requisite roasted malts of a porter, but also much more, including a deft amount of fruit and cocoa.
Sep 16, 2019
4.31/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Had poured from pint can, bottom stamped “CANNED ON 03292019,” into clear plastic hotel water cup.
FF Forehead’s got the requisite roasted malts of a porter, but also much more, including a deft amount of fruit and cocoa.
Sep 16, 2019
metter98 from New York
3.92/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: The beer is essentially jet black in color. It poured with a quarter finger high light tan head that died down leaving a patch of bubbles on the surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of cola are present in the nose along with notes of dark malts.
T: The taste follows the smell and has flavors of cola and dark malts with a bit of roast and light notes of salty caramel towards the finish.
M: It feels just about medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink and is a good representation of the style while the salted caramel adds a touch of uniqueness.
Serving type: can
Jun 29, 2019
3.92/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: The beer is essentially jet black in color. It poured with a quarter finger high light tan head that died down leaving a patch of bubbles on the surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of cola are present in the nose along with notes of dark malts.
T: The taste follows the smell and has flavors of cola and dark malts with a bit of roast and light notes of salty caramel towards the finish.
M: It feels just about medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink and is a good representation of the style while the salted caramel adds a touch of uniqueness.
Serving type: can
Jun 29, 2019
Darwin's Forehead from Fonta Flora Brewery
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
25 ratings
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