trying my first porter

Anchor Porter.

 

Porters are great. Founders and Bell's are two of my favorites. Great Lakes is supposed to make an excellent porter, as well.

 

Founders even better lately...so rich

 

Founders and Sierra Nevada Porter as good as well. I love pairing a Porter with some hearty beef stew!

 

You can't go wrong with what has been mentioned so far. Some other suggestions would be Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter and Fuller's London Porter, from the English side of the spectrum.

 

All of the above suggestions are great Porters and I'd try them first, but after you've tried some of them they try Arcadia's London Porter for a nice contrast. It has a slightly smoky peat flavor that many people enjoy. (Its not yet available for this year's release, but you might still find some on store shelves, and it will still be good.)

 

Agreed

smuttynose robust porter
Mayflower Porter
Ballastpoint Porter

 

Edmund Fitz and Founders are both great porters. I haven't had Edmund Fitz but people I trust tell me it's great :-). With some luck I'll be getting some next weekend.

It looks like Ballast Point is now available in Ohio so Victory at Sea would be another suggestion. Pretty great stuff.

 

Anchor absolutely, but no likes on Sierra Nevada's version. I'd also recommend Stone's Smoked Porter, also Flying Dog's Gonzo Imperial Porter and Smuttynose's Baltic Porter if you can find them. I love a good porter. ^^

 

I used to think porters were boring, but after having Edmund Fitzgerald and Black Butte Porter, I have really learned to appreciate the style. I also found Samuel Adams maple pecan porter to be surprisingly good, can't wait to try it again.

 

Go to the top 100... select American Porter.... find the highest ranked one that is readily available nearest to you.

 

I'd say Boulevard Bully! as an entry point, but 1) it's a sealed 6 and 2) it seems to have an identity crisis (tastes good, though). And the price is a bit lower than Founders. Still, for the more traditional ones, I'd second TongoRad--Samuel Smith is the way to go (and Fuller's a bit behind). Just be prepared for that burnt-toast bite. Baltic Porters seem to be out of favor, or I would recommend one or two--it was a brief fad a few years ago, but mostly went out of style.

 

I wouldn't recommend a Baltic or Imperial for a first porter. Start with E Fitzgerald.

 

Porters are an absolutely beautiful style of Beer. I prefer them on chilly evenings, but anytime is just fine. Roasty, dark, full bodied, nice malt/hop ratio. Delicious stuff. Poured into a nice glass, they look cool and usually retain head and lacing. "Relaxing" beer, is the best way I know how to describe them. Boulevard and Sierra Nevada make fine examples of the style.

 

OP, you nailed it with Edmund Fitzgerald and Founders Porter.. they are basically the only porters I really need.. you should have no problems at all finding them in Ohio.. Rogue Mocha Porter is also really good and should be easy to find on shelves as well.. we also get O'Fallon Smoke in Ohio, which is another gem..

 

This is a good idea to find (some of) the best porters out there, but TBH, porters/stouts/IPA's that are in the top 100 tend to be BIG beers and may not always be the first place to start. That being said, if you find a few try them. But I'd try to hit a middle of the road Porter first, or at least one that's not BIG, and see if you like it. If so, by all means, dive in and find some rare gems that you area may have.

Cheers~

 

Fuller's Black Cab Stout is pretty good too, if you can get it.

 

I second Mayflower, if you can get it in Ohio.

 

Firestone Walker makes a really nice porter