A smooth porter that tastes like roasted coffee and chocolate?

June 10, 2013 4:55 AM

In the 1990s, my favorite beer was Bert Grant's Perfect Porter. It was delicious and easy to drink, and had the tastes of chocolate and roasted coffee. Sadly, it is no longer brewed. Please help me re-capture the taste of my youth by recommending other porters that have a similar taste. Something that might be available in Minnesota would be best, but I get to travel sometimes.
posted by Area Man to Food & Drink (27 answers total)

I get that dark chocolatey goodness from Anchor porter. I've only had it in the UK but it's from your side of the pond.
posted by freya_lamb at 5:17 AM on June 10, 2013

I could not tell you offhand the exact answer to your question but urge you to take it to the guys at The Ale Jail in Saint Paul. They have an incredible selection of hard-to-find craft and import beers and are staffed by guys who know the brews thoroughly. They can help you find a new favorite porter, I guarantee it!
posted by BigLankyBastard at 5:18 AM on June 10, 2013

It's a stout rather than a porter, but Founders Breakfast Stout definitely has a strong coffee/chocolate roasty flavor, and is overall crazy delicious. Made in Michigan, so I'd think it'd be available in Minnesota.
posted by letourneau at 5:26 AM on June 10, 2013 [2 favorites]

If you have a friend that brews you could offer to pay for the ingredients and put in some sweat equity using some online clone recipes.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 5:47 AM on June 10, 2013

Dangerous Man Brewing's chocolate milk stout, in NE Minneapolis. Nectar.
posted by Bourbonesque at 6:13 AM on June 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Wolaver's Alta Gracia Coffee Porter
posted by papayaninja at 6:29 AM on June 10, 2013

Another stout, but Bell's Double Cream Stout fits your description (alas, it's seasonal, so you'll have to wait a bit to try it).
posted by carrienation at 6:30 AM on June 10, 2013

I love this kind of porter, too, but my favorite beer with these flavors is actually a brown ale: Abita Turbodog.
posted by hydropsyche at 6:34 AM on June 10, 2013

This is great. Not sure what odds of you getting it in Minnesota though.
posted by bifter at 6:48 AM on June 10, 2013

Schlafly Coffee Stout is delicious and not super heavy. It's a St. Louis brew, but a pretty decent sized brewery and Minnesota isn't too far away, so you might be able to find it there...
posted by Jacob G at 7:04 AM on June 10, 2013

It's been years since I had it, but maybe Young's Double Chocolate Stout would fit the bill? I also wanted to mention Blue Max Liquors in Burnsville. I know it's kind of a hike, but they also have a huge selection of craft/micro/import beers.
posted by Janta at 7:06 AM on June 10, 2013

New Glarus Coffee Stout is great. New Glarus beers aren't very widely distributed outside Wisconsin, but you can check the availability on their website.
posted by John Cohen at 7:20 AM on June 10, 2013

Not a porter in name, but try Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale. Chocolate and coffee are definitely the primary notes I get when I drink it, and it's generally awesome period.
posted by The Michael The at 7:27 AM on June 10, 2013

It's from Massachusetts and a porter, but it has that lovely coffee flavor: Berkshire Brewing's Coffeehouse Porter.
posted by jdl at 7:33 AM on June 10, 2013

New Glarus is currently not distributing outside of Wisconsin. You'll need to go there.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:47 AM on June 10, 2013

Seconding the Ale Jail and also seconding Dangerous Man's wonderful chocolate milk stout. (I think you'll only be able to get it at the taproom, but it is worth the trouble.) You will indeed have to pop over to Hudson if you want New Glarus and I believe this is also true of Dogfish Head, but those are solid choices too. We do get Founder's in MN and they also have a porter: Edmund Fitzgerald.
posted by clavicle at 8:20 AM on June 10, 2013

You might like Atwater Vanilla Java Porter. It is brewed in Detroit, but they do have a Minnesota distributer on their list of distributers.
posted by Sabby at 9:47 AM on June 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Keep in mind that pretty much the only difference between a Stout and a Porter is marketing.

How do you feel about Surly's Coffee Bender (I can see how it wouldn't pull off the "smoothness" that you're looking for)

No coffee specifically, but I'd also give Flat Earth's Cygnus X-1 a go (it's got the mouthfeel that I think you're looking for).
posted by sparklemotion at 9:50 AM on June 10, 2013

Should you find yourself on the west coast of Canada, have a look for Phillips' Longboat Chocolate Porter. It's really excellent.
posted by snorkmaiden at 10:24 AM on June 10, 2013

I rather liked Victory at Sea Coffee Imperial Porter. Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout is okay. Both are, to my taste, richer and more flavorful than the Anchor or Founders mentioned above.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:29 AM on June 10, 2013

I like Black Butte Porter.
posted by Fortnight Bender at 3:46 PM on June 10, 2013

Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout is fucking genius and tastes like coffee and bourbon, with chocolate and maple undertones.

You can also get Great Lakes Brewing's Edmund Fitzgerald, which is a fucking fantastic stout. (And not by Founders, as stated above).

You may be able to pick up Bell's (it's got limited distro outside of Michigan), but their porter is pretty solid too.
posted by klangklangston at 3:52 PM on June 10, 2013

If you can't find a beer to your exact liking, you can always infuse a regular ol' porter or stout with actual coffee grinds and cacao beans. I tried a stout once with hazelnut coffee and it was AMAZING. All you need is a french press. Just put ingredients in the french press, pour in the beer and let sit for a few minutes. You can try playing around with different flavors. Whole vanilla bean is also delicious to infuse into a beer. I've also seen people do it with fresh hops and an IPA in a french press.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 4:23 PM on June 10, 2013

Fuller's Double Chocolate Stout comes to my mind. Beautifully creamy. A dessert and a treat…
posted by Rabarberofficer at 11:58 PM on June 10, 2013

Keep in mind that pretty much the only difference between a Stout and a Porter is marketing.

This is true when you're talking about these adulterated things that aren't really either one but some sort of dark-shaded brew that gets its weaknesses covered up with chocolate and coffee and such, but in reality porter has more water thus less malty density and makes up for that with more hoppiness.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 5:23 AM on June 11, 2013

in reality porter has more water thus less malty density and makes up for that with more hoppiness.

I know there are lots of substyles with subtle differences for each, but if you look at the BJCP guidelines for things like a Brown Porter vs. an Oatmeal stout, the IBUs (hoppiness), OG (malty density), and even SRM (colour) are pretty much identical.

You can also get really silly and compare a Baltic Porter to a Dry Stout, and completely falsify your statement (in that the Porter is the bigger beer that is less bitter than the Stout).
posted by sparklemotion at 8:40 AM on June 11, 2013

You'll note though that while the ranges definitely overlap somewhat the stouts are typically at the higher end for both IBUs and SRM. The ingredients (eg oatmeal and some "skunked" leftovers from last month's brew) in the Stouts and the hardness of the water (eg Dublin's over the top bicarbonate levels) found in typical processing means that the "hoppiness" of the actual flavor is muted by the density and mouthfeel (god I hate that word), so you typically see a higher range of IBUs even if it's not coming through in the taste so much. So anyway, you could probably argue that stouts are just subsets of the porters, but there are distinctions beyond marketing when you get down to brass tacks. Of course it really is all horse trading and you can just call you dark looking beer whatever you want if you so desire.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 9:50 AM on June 11, 2013