Decided to crack something dark on the rainy last night of my GW: Founders Panther Cub 9.2% BBA Porter with vanilla extract and maple syrup Deep black with reddish highlights and thin light beige foam. Big woodsy sweet bourbon and vanilla aroma. It has a richly sweet maple and dark malts flavor, loads of bourbon and vanilla in the finish but really well balanced. Good stuff, very smooth.

.355 shared with Snegurochka at home. Impenetrable clear black body with very small quickly diminishing fawny head. Some spotted lacing, although not much. Strong aroma of both bitter and sweet components. Some smoke, wet charcoal and dark bread and malts combined with the sweetness of vanilla, sweet baked goods dough and caramelised nuts. Flavour packs a punch and is very vanilla sweet and slightly syrupy (is that even a word?) to begin with. Luckily it almost immediately also delivers bitter dark chocolate, cocoa and coffee which transforms into a long and satisfying slightly peppery roasted end. Would not have minded an (even) more roasted and smoky aftertaste, but what can you do. Perhaps not as full-bodied as its heavier cousins in Founders' illustrious line-up but still a very well crafted beer which fans of both sweeter and more bitter brews of this type may find very enjoyable.

355ml bottle, shared with TheCellarer. Pitch black body, no head, but tanned ring around the edge. Nose: Roasted coffee, anise, raspberry, vanilla, caramelised fruit and rye bread. Taste: sweet liquorice, raspberry, rye, plum and dates. Smooth and very pleasant palate. Very drinkable, but maybe a bit too sweet? However, my expectations and rating might be influenced by the taste I got of Fullers Underground mountain yesterday, so I really looked forward to trying this one today.