Founders Porter vs Deschutes Black Butte Porter

When I was living on the East Coast, finding Michigan's Founders beer was like taking the beer for granted; you could find it everywhere. After moving to the West Coast, suddenly drinking Founders was like finding Russian River on the East Coast; not easy!

Fortunately, Founders' distribution channels grew in 2017 and now distributes to the PNW. After having both Founders Porter and Black Butte Porter, separately, I always wondered if they were the same beer because they tasted so dang close to each other.  Are they basically the same? Drastically different? There was only one way to find out!

	Founders Porter	Black Butte
Appearance	Darker. Zero transparency; not as much foamy head, and not as much head retention	Dark, but a Bit lighter. Some slight transparency; larger foamy head; LONG head retention
Aroma	More caramel/toffee; red fruit	more roast; pear
Mouthfeel	thicker mouthfeel; not as carbonated	thick mouthfeel, but thinner than founders; sharp carbonation
Flavor	more bitter; lower notes of caramel/toffee	bit more sweetness; higher notes
Overall	a bit heavier, more toasty roasty and lower note flavors	a bit lighter, higher notes

Both beers are fantastic porters to drink. If you want a porter that has a bit more of an edge to it and some more roast, pick the Founders. If you want a bit smoother and slightly lighter (not much! but enough to notice!), pick the Black Butte Porter from Deschutes.

Both go well with shucked salted peanuts :)