Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Capone's Liquor & Food in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2013 Vintage - Bottled 12/14/2013)
Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 10.5%
Reported IBUs: 90
Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Capone's Liquor & Food in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2013 Vintage - Bottled 12/14/2013)
Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 10.5%
Reported IBUs: 90
You didn't think I would end this cold, snowy, windy, Winter night with a Pale Lager, did you? About Founders:
The beer pours into an oily and inky black body. It's totally opaque, and it kicks up a finger of impressively dark brown head. The head has some black tones as you pour the beer, and then it settles for mocha/coffee brown. Head retention is also quite impressive, with a pinky of lingering head just hanging around. Bright light confirms the same. There is some tight lacing, and big, glossy alcohol legs.
Yeah...this is a big beer, as you glean from the aroma. There are layers of anise, black licorice, booze, dark baker's chocolate, huge chocolate, dark chocolate truffles, woody chocolate with ghostly bourbon and coconut, coffee, roast, and nondescript hops. It's a huge aroma, leaning towards that insane chocolate-anise-booze punch.
This is just a huge beer...epic milkshake mouthfeel, with tons of layers of baker's chocolate, anise, coffee, roast, and some hoppy booze on the back end. I'm reminded of the Evil Twin Even More Jesus and the Oskar Blues Ten FIDY. As you sip on this, the hop bitterness grows, the anise notes get more prominent, and you pick up more complex booze on the back. There is woody bitterness with hints of coffee, coconut/vanilla, and lots of anise-booze.
This has to be one of the best readily available, non-barrel aged Russian Imperial Stouts you can get. Literally just sitting on shelves. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, with that milkshake mouthfeel. Palate duration is long and intense, and the complexity is high. For 10.5%, this is drinkable, but you might want to sip on it anyway. I don't know where the 90 IBUs went. Up front: aggressive and sweet chocolate, baker's chocolate, coconut/vanilla, sugar; that rolls into big roast, coffee, anise, more woody chocolate/vanilla; the back end dials up huge roast, bitterness, anise, booze. The finish is sticky and dry, and coats the corners of your mouth, lip, and tongue. Really good.
The Founders' Imperial Stout is part of Founders' specialty releases of beer. Available between January and March, this giant beer is brewed with ten varieties of malted barley and is appropriate for those cold Winter months. This one punches in at an impressive 10.5% ABV and packs 90 IBUs.
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| Founders Imperial Stout |
The beer pours into an oily and inky black body. It's totally opaque, and it kicks up a finger of impressively dark brown head. The head has some black tones as you pour the beer, and then it settles for mocha/coffee brown. Head retention is also quite impressive, with a pinky of lingering head just hanging around. Bright light confirms the same. There is some tight lacing, and big, glossy alcohol legs.
Yeah...this is a big beer, as you glean from the aroma. There are layers of anise, black licorice, booze, dark baker's chocolate, huge chocolate, dark chocolate truffles, woody chocolate with ghostly bourbon and coconut, coffee, roast, and nondescript hops. It's a huge aroma, leaning towards that insane chocolate-anise-booze punch.
This is just a huge beer...epic milkshake mouthfeel, with tons of layers of baker's chocolate, anise, coffee, roast, and some hoppy booze on the back end. I'm reminded of the Evil Twin Even More Jesus and the Oskar Blues Ten FIDY. As you sip on this, the hop bitterness grows, the anise notes get more prominent, and you pick up more complex booze on the back. There is woody bitterness with hints of coffee, coconut/vanilla, and lots of anise-booze.
This has to be one of the best readily available, non-barrel aged Russian Imperial Stouts you can get. Literally just sitting on shelves. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, with that milkshake mouthfeel. Palate duration is long and intense, and the complexity is high. For 10.5%, this is drinkable, but you might want to sip on it anyway. I don't know where the 90 IBUs went. Up front: aggressive and sweet chocolate, baker's chocolate, coconut/vanilla, sugar; that rolls into big roast, coffee, anise, more woody chocolate/vanilla; the back end dials up huge roast, bitterness, anise, booze. The finish is sticky and dry, and coats the corners of your mouth, lip, and tongue. Really good.
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| Coconut French Pressed Founders Imperial Stout, yum |
Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)
I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. This is just...wow. I honestly wasn't expecting this beer to be as good as it is. I think this might be better than the Founders' Breakfast Stout, and that is saying something. This beer is just fantastically huge with tons of complexity, and lots of big, bold flavors. The booze and huge mouthfeel means you can sip on this, and that means this is perfect for those cold Winter nights. At around $14 for a 4-pack, this beer is a bargain. You can probably get it cheaper too. Food pairings: a woody cigar, dry chocolate cake, no food, steak, a raunchy burger with mushrooms and onions and strong cheese. Fannnnntastic.
Random Thought: So I infused some toasted coconut into a separate bottle of this beer, for fun...you might remember my previous Randall adventures from HERE.
This time I opted for a little bit less coconut, and I only let 8oz of the beer sit on the coconut for about 30 minutes. I blended the remaining 4oz back into the 8oz, and walla.
This beer was fantastic with the coconut infusion. The coconut was a lot more subtle than when I added it to the Bourbon County. This is a huge and hearty Imperial Stout, and the notes of anise, complex booze, molasses, and rich dark chocolate play fantastically off the sweet nuttiness, sugary vanilla and chocolate, and Almond Joy notes you get in the coconut. The base beer also has tons of woody and cherry notes (like an Abyss Jr.), and the infusion of coconut adds a welcome layer of complexity that I really enjoyed. Would recommend infusing this beer with coconut.
I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. This is just...wow. I honestly wasn't expecting this beer to be as good as it is. I think this might be better than the Founders' Breakfast Stout, and that is saying something. This beer is just fantastically huge with tons of complexity, and lots of big, bold flavors. The booze and huge mouthfeel means you can sip on this, and that means this is perfect for those cold Winter nights. At around $14 for a 4-pack, this beer is a bargain. You can probably get it cheaper too. Food pairings: a woody cigar, dry chocolate cake, no food, steak, a raunchy burger with mushrooms and onions and strong cheese. Fannnnntastic.
Random Thought: So I infused some toasted coconut into a separate bottle of this beer, for fun...you might remember my previous Randall adventures from HERE.
This time I opted for a little bit less coconut, and I only let 8oz of the beer sit on the coconut for about 30 minutes. I blended the remaining 4oz back into the 8oz, and walla.
This beer was fantastic with the coconut infusion. The coconut was a lot more subtle than when I added it to the Bourbon County. This is a huge and hearty Imperial Stout, and the notes of anise, complex booze, molasses, and rich dark chocolate play fantastically off the sweet nuttiness, sugary vanilla and chocolate, and Almond Joy notes you get in the coconut. The base beer also has tons of woody and cherry notes (like an Abyss Jr.), and the infusion of coconut adds a welcome layer of complexity that I really enjoyed. Would recommend infusing this beer with coconut.
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