Founders Porter
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| A Roasty-Toasty Pairing |
The Beer
6.5% abv
45 IBU
12 oz stubby bottle
$10.99 a six pack
Founders Brewing
Foundersbrewing.com
Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
My Strength Rating: 7.5 the bitter notes pick it up – this is not your creamy smooth porter.
This porter pours a black body with a tan head. I had to make an aggressive pour to get a two finger head which, dissipated quickly.
The nose has some hoppy spice, dark chocolate – 90% dark, grainy coffee.
Upfront on the taste are a variety of toasted, roasted, and burnt notes. Roasted coffee, burnt grains, burnt chocolate (yes, 95% dark chocolate bitter) and this is all mixed with some good hoppy spice like citrus rind and black pepper on the tongue. There is a burnt caramel note on the back of my palate. Thinking of malts; think of Black Russian or pumpernickel bread.
The roasted notes linger on the palate for a satisfying aftertaste. The brew is on the thick side, not creamy, just thick. With a 45 IBU (international bitter units), there are some hoppy notes in this porter.
I have to say, I enjoyed this porter and I am looking forward to having another one on Christmas day.
The Cigar
Wrapper: Nicaragua Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 6 x 52 box press
My Strength Rating: Starts off with a 5 / 7 on the mid-point / 8 on the finish
This Puro hails from Nicaragua and is billed as full-bodied. Puro means that the wrapper, binder, and fillers are all from one country. I picked this stick up in a sampler pack but, I have smoked all of them except this one. I have to admit I do not remember the flavor profile of the G5. Coffee is all I remember.
I am not going to be doing my regular process here where I smoke the cigar to write my review and then I drink the beer to understand the flavors and then later I pair the two. I have this one cigar and this one bottle. I am saving the other bottles for Christmas day.
I am going to establish the taste of the porter first and after a few sips I will light the cigar for the pairing. Oh, now I think I remember this cigar. From memory, it was not complex. Straight forward dark coffee notes, roasted earth, and green peppercorn.
Off the light it is on the medium side with a smooth coffee profile.
As it approaches the mid-point of the cigar the body builds to medium-full strength. Some nice spice, coffee, and hardwood notes make for a tasty smoke.
Paired with this porter I am enjoying this cigar. The simplicity of this cigar matches well with the complexity of the beer. The coffee and woody notes of this cigar of course fits with the word description of the porter. I think these two are meant for each other. The strength ratings of each are similar, as well.
On the final third of the cigar: The body continues to build. The cigar started off with a medium body and the body moved to a medium-full by mid-point. Now, it is on the fuller side of medium-full, if not full. The coffee is more espresso like, while the burnt earthy notes become a little stronger. 7.5 or an 8 on my strength scale for the finish.
If you like coffee, roasted notes of earth and hardwood with a touch of pepper, this cigar is for you.
I like – how about you? Leave a comment.
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