Need recommendations for a smooth porter with no coffee bitterness

By "coffee bitterness" do you mean roasty flavor?

There are Brown or English Porters (like Fuller's Porter) are less roasty and more sweet and malty. Or you could look for a milk stout which has lactose (milk sugar) added so are sweeter. Left Hand Milk Stout is pretty easy to find.

 

Maybe give Port City Porter a try. It's pretty much done in the classic style, velvety smooth, with just a touch of dark chocolate bitterness on the finish. It's not overdone, however, and leans away from that robust coffee profile.

Essentially, what you are looking for are more what would be called Brown Porters, instead of Robust Porters. Unfortunately not too many brewers are making that distinction these days.

 

Yes, Founders Porter is personally a favorite of mine, but that beer is very bold in flavor so I can see how it would not be your thing based on what you're looking for.

Other good English style Porters are Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter, and Saint Peters Old Style, although they may be a bit pricier than your Harpoon was. If you're looking for a bargain porter, Yuengling Porter is fairly mild and sweet.

Another widely available beer you might like would be Youngs Double Chocolate Milk Stout - it's available in nitro cans which gives you that "smoother" mouthfeel.

 

maybe Anchor Porter but been a while since i had one.

 

Milk stouts are a good bet...https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/82/
Left Hand Brewing (mentioned above) and Lancaster Brewing are have good ones that are easy to find.

I would also recommend Long Trail Harvest (fall seasonal), although it's an English Brown Ale style, but it's a close cousin to the porter/stout and I think it hits the marks you're looking for.

Different style entirely, but if you haven't tried a German-style doppelbock (double-bock), I would recommend it. The top 3at that link (Troegs Troegenator, Celebrator, and Spaten Optimator) are excellent and relatively easy to find.

 

Have you tried Breckenridge Vanilla Porter? It’s probably exactly what you are looking for by your description.

I always found it to be a bit too sweet for my tastes but I prefer bold and roasty when it comes to porters and stouts.

 

The OP said they have tried Breckenridge and Leinenkugels.

Those are the two most reviewed Vanilla Porters here on BA. Atwater has a pretty widely available Vanilla Java Porter - but I would assume that is too much coffee flavor.

 

Looking at that list, Bell's Double Cream Stout is pretty easy to find and is excellent.

 

Totally missed that.

I’ve had the Atwater and actually like it because the coffee notes balance the sweetness from the vanilla. Haven’t had it in a few years though.

 

Try Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout. It's an amazing mix of chocolate, coffee (but not bitter), maple, bourbon, and booze. Mouthfeel is smoooooooth, kind of creamy. Alcohol is well hidden but will sneak up and bite you in the butt. Pretty easily available too.

 

While it is a good beer, it does cost over $20 for a 750 mL and not a beer you really want to drink that much of. It’s too cloying (IMO) to drink multiple glasses of.

 

My favorite Porters are Great Lakes Edmond Fitzgerald Porter and Otter Creek's Stove Pipe Porter- no bitterness

 

Black Patent malt is what contributes the coffee like flavor. I'm not much of a fan myself which is why I substitute debittered black for much of the black patent when I make a porter.
Surprised the OP doesn't go for the Breckenridge, personally I think it's excellent especially on nitro. Such are different tastes.
I will second (or third) the afore mentioned Taddy Porter. My first porter was an attempt at a clone of this beer.
The Great Lakes and Otter Creek porters are also excellent (imo).

 

Second for Edmund Fitzgerald, but I’m guessing it will have too much roast for what the OP is looking for.

 

It's available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles this year.