We plan to introduce Smoked Porter, brewed with a combination of beech wood–smoked barley and oak-smoked wheat malt along with a generous helping of chocolate malt, on shelves and draft lines beginning in February 2014. Like all of our Backstage Series beers, Smoked Porter will be sold in 750mL bottles, with a suggested retail price to be determined.

Brewed for the first time on our new three-barrel pilot system a few weeks ago, we decided this one was too good to keep to ourselves. This 8% ABV smoked robust porter delivers a beautiful balance of chocolate and smoke character that’s flavor forward without being overwhelming. It’s our first ever smoked beer.

“This is a style of beer that we’ve discussed brewing for a decade,” said Co-Founder and Vice President of Brand & Education Dave Engbers. “We weren’t able to fit it into our production schedule for years. Now, with our pilot system, our brewers have room for greater experimentation and aggressive recipe formulation. Brewing beers like this was the idea behind launching our Backstage Series and was a driving force in our investment in a pilot system this past summer.”

We also recently added a draft line in our taproom dedicated to our pilot system, only pouring those small batch experimental beers. A recent offering showcased our first lager in twelve years.

Limited bottles of Founders Smoked Porter will only be available in Michigan; draft will be available in most markets across our distribution footprint. The beer will be released in February, with exact timing dependent on distributor shipments. Bottles will be released in our taproom at a to-be-determined date. It will not be a pre-ticketed release. Look for at least two more Backstage Series releases from Founders in 2014.