It's a shame that the People's Porter by Foothills Brewery is only available as a regional draught. I really wish I could share this experience with the rest of the beer loving world. But at the same time, I would much rather the people come to Foothills than Foothills bottle and send to the people. Nothing kills a beer's unique personality faster than mass production and distribution. Remember what Fat Tire used to taste like? Yuengling? Yeah, me neither. All I remember is that they used to be good.

I think that People's Porter is too unique of a taste to be mass produced. It smells of roasted almonds and coffee, which is such a pleasing aroma. Roasted nut smells aren't uncommon to porters, but this is the first one I've had that smells of almonds. The appearance is very dark with only the slightest translucence. Porters can range from light brown to stark black, so the color is rarely an indication of any particular flavor. But coupled with the coffee aroma, the look and scent are very complimentary.

People's Porter has one of my favorite flavor trains. It's really bitter up front with lots of hoppy goodness, almost feels like an ESB for the first few seconds. Once the bitterness subsides, you get big doses of coffee and dark chocolate flavors which work brilliantly together. It's a savory mishmash of dark flavors. This is a beer that actually tastes dark. The finish is very nice and well defined, somewhat bitter, but doesn't last very long. It's almost like the beer knows not to overstay its welcome.

The only downside to this beer is the mouthfeel, but only from a novice perspective. For a seasoned beer lover, it is a very interesting experience. There are a LOT (some would say... a plethora) of changing dynamics, which keeps your brain occupied. But for the novice, it can be very off-putting. There is a huge swing in mouthfeel and flavor from first sip to last sip, which can range from aggressively hoppy to smooth and sweet.

People's Porter is definitely one of my favorites in the genre. One of the great things about porters is that they are rarely formulaic. The porter style is wide open for brewer interpretation, which is always very exciting for beer fans. Foothills Brewery has successfully capitalized on this knowledge and I hope they continue making this delicious brew (regionally that is).