Founders American Black Ale

Formerly brewed at Founders Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

kp’s Fest of 26 Pours with a big tan head over an opaque black body. Caramel and spice aroma, which echoes in the flavor. Chocolate and some coffee notes, some roasty malt flavors, almost touching on burnt.. Smooth, nice beer.

Too bad this one is retired because it was very good. A dark brown appearane with a lasting head. A nice chocolate and caramel aroma. The flavor consists of coffee, licorice, and chocolate. A rather dry and bitter beer. Very good for a porter.

I think this one was last brewed in late 2003, so this bottle was at least 3 years old upon consumption on 8/20/06.
Mahogany-hickory brown body is clear (sediment left behind), with deep auburn highlights and a moderate-sized, light-tan head that shows fairly strong retention for its age, though little/no lacing.
I think the recent raters are mistaking the products of age for what was intended here. The descriptions of "tart", "lactic", "sour mash", "funky", etc...while true, can’t possibly have been intended. The vinous qualities stem from the roasted barley and seem to have become dominant in this lighter bodied ale. There’s also a good chance of a light lactic infection. Anyways, there’s plenty of oxidation to go around as well. The beer is way passed its prime and shouldnt be rated here, unless you are going to cut it slack for the oxidative and heavily vinous/lactic qualities it possesses. Ripe, black berries are piquant in the nose, with a fresh, creamy oat-like note that helps soothe. Roasted barley nuttiness with a bit of ash on the side, is unmistakeable. Hops certainly have faded, though I’m not sure that they would have benefited by enjoyment anyways. Other than the influence from specialty grains, it has a solid, well-malted edge to it, with a range of chocolate, caramel and toffee. Still a very vibrant beer, despite the oxidation, and quite a strong aroma to boot.
Plenty of oxidation in flavor, but a sticky, chewy, well-malted body and sound attenuation can’t be beaten down by oxidation and vinousness. Mild roastiness, moderate caramel/toffee and lighter sugar notes. It’s obvious they were going for some near-session strength/style ale or a dark ipa-like beer, but with the addition of roasted barley and/or chocolate malt. It works well, I’ve always been a fan of dark IPAs or whatever you might call it, and this is no exception. Thanks for the bottle, Styles!

Poured almost black with a explodingly huge tan head. It doesnt sound like this is very common with this beer, maybe infection? Looks like some people have a huge head or a very thin head, very odd. Had a crazy plateau creamy head that stayed up in the corner of my glass while the rest went down. Thin body. Very roasty flavor and a weird bitterness. This is kinda like a funky porter.

12 oz bottle, via Styles. Pours a very dark brown with chestnut highlights under a minimal fine bubbled light brown head. Aroma is fruity with some chocolate, licorice, coffee, and the lightest hint of sourness. Coffee and heavily roasted malt pops out first with light yeast. Finish is fruitier with a light sour mash tinge coming on late. Mouthfeel is lighter bodied with fizzy carbonation and a watery texture. Overall, OK, but clearly on the downturn. Moral of the story, this is retired, so if you’ve still got some drink ’em up.

Bottle from The_Man. Pours a black color with light brown/ruby hints barely perceptible at the edge. Smallish, fast fading off-white head leaves a smattering of lacing in its wake. Aroma is pleasant, sort of reminding me of a rum and coke with a little malty side track. Medium bodied. Tasty roasted malts, caramel and some chocolate. Decent enough hop bitterness to overcome the grain portion of the taste. Nicely done, different and entertaining.

Bottle: Black coffee in color, thin sudsy off-white head, patchy lacing.   Slight lactose like sweetness, a bit of coffee and roasted malts.   Seems even musty, or perhaps a bit of moldy cheese.   Bittersweet malty start, roasty, milk sugar lingers.   Noticeable hops, light, accentuates the malt backbone quite well.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate.   Strong lingering roasted malts and milk sugar.   Seems more of a cross between a dunkle, milk stout, and a dry stout.   Thanks Larry for this rare treat!

Not sure how old the bottle is, but everything seems to have held up ok. Pours an opaque black with a light brwon head that retains for a bit before is dissolves to a film. Dark fruits, coffee, bitter chocolate fill out the aroma...perhaps some orange zest in there too. The flavor is very roasty: more coffee and bitter chocolate with some more dark fruit and yeast. The mouthfeel is very light and malty over the tounge a bit sour torwards the end and a bitter finish.