Founders says: Brewed with ten varieties of malted barley, this stout is smooth as
silk, yet complex and rich in body. Serve this guy at cellar
temperature. Put another log on the fire, sit back, and enjoy the
friendship of this ultimate winter warmer.
This one I got in a trade from Chicago. It's available from Founders in January, and doesn't quite have the same hype as some of Founders' other stouts, so my understanding is that it's a little easier to get than some of their other seasonal offerings, as long as you're in their distribution area. I've been hearing rumors that Founders is going to start bringing some of their beer out to California, and we have seen a few kegs out here for special occasions. I don't know what the deal is or if it's even true, but if we can get any of their beers at all that would be great. They are really fantastic at imperial and barrel-aged stouts.
This imperial stout is 10.5% ABV.
Appearance: Dark, dark brown, practically black. Pours like motor oil, with a mocha-colored thin layer of foam on top of the pour. There is a little bit of lacing left on the sides of the glass, but it eventually slides down and rejoins the foam layer.
Smell: Licorice, chocolate, coffee, with hints of leather and smoke.
Taste: Smokey dark chocolate, slight undertone of anise and tobacco. Rich, but not too heavy. Very roasty overall, and a bit of bitterness, which I like, since it cuts through the oilyness of the chocolate and tannin flavors. There is no trace of the alcohol, even as the beer warms.
Mouthfeel: Outstanding -- smooth and creamy, not sticky or viscous. Medium to full-bodied.
Overall: This was a really great imperial stout, which can be a really heavy style. This one definitely had body and a ton of flavor, but it's not sitting too heavy on me or filling me up too badly. I love how well they were able to mask the alcohol on the palate. This isn't a style I usually prefer, but this is a great beer and I'd be happy getting this in a trade again.
4/5
This one I got in a trade from Chicago. It's available from Founders in January, and doesn't quite have the same hype as some of Founders' other stouts, so my understanding is that it's a little easier to get than some of their other seasonal offerings, as long as you're in their distribution area. I've been hearing rumors that Founders is going to start bringing some of their beer out to California, and we have seen a few kegs out here for special occasions. I don't know what the deal is or if it's even true, but if we can get any of their beers at all that would be great. They are really fantastic at imperial and barrel-aged stouts.
This imperial stout is 10.5% ABV.
Appearance: Dark, dark brown, practically black. Pours like motor oil, with a mocha-colored thin layer of foam on top of the pour. There is a little bit of lacing left on the sides of the glass, but it eventually slides down and rejoins the foam layer.
Smell: Licorice, chocolate, coffee, with hints of leather and smoke.
Taste: Smokey dark chocolate, slight undertone of anise and tobacco. Rich, but not too heavy. Very roasty overall, and a bit of bitterness, which I like, since it cuts through the oilyness of the chocolate and tannin flavors. There is no trace of the alcohol, even as the beer warms.
Mouthfeel: Outstanding -- smooth and creamy, not sticky or viscous. Medium to full-bodied.
Overall: This was a really great imperial stout, which can be a really heavy style. This one definitely had body and a ton of flavor, but it's not sitting too heavy on me or filling me up too badly. I love how well they were able to mask the alcohol on the palate. This isn't a style I usually prefer, but this is a great beer and I'd be happy getting this in a trade again.
4/5
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