Founders Barrel Aged Reds Rye

A slag bit of heaven that you may miss on the grand tour. The frightful logo may put you off, but look past the old man and his cynical beard into a hazy wonderment of flavours. Saunter through a lazy head and realize that you’re sipping upon a world class rye, one that hints upon rows of cereal grains as yet undiscovered by modern man. This pour had notes of tree fruits, hedge fruits, legumes, palsied fanciers of aged squirrel in a bottle and a ripe bit of fun in a six-pack. Make your way to this offering and I doubt you’ll be willing to live a life without it.

On tap at MBG Harvest Fest 09. One word. AWESOME! I have to say that this beer was just all over the place in flavor, sweet, fruity, hoppy, vanilla, malty, and nectar of the gods..haha..but really this beer is out of this world. Great medium body that isn’t too light or heavy, perfect. Great all around, I can’t wait until I have this again.

Indy Brewers Fest 2009 - One I was really looking forward to as I love the regular version. That being said, I couldn’t rate it higher. Aroma is oak, RR hoppiness, crystal malts and some vanilla. Flavor is the other way around with the vanilla, malts, bourbon and oak leading the way and the hops finishing it off. Very smooth and a nice thing to try. I would still rather drink the regular version on a day to day basis.

Hand bottle courtesy of markwise. Pours a clear dark amber color with reddish highlights and thin off-white head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of bourbon, vanilla, oak, smoke, chocolate, ripe dark fruit. Flavor is sweet and malty with notes of chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, ripe dark fruit, caramel, grain. Generally medium body with a pleasing boozy finish.

Big thanks to markwise for bringing this all the way back from the land of plenty, beerwise (MI). It pours deep copper with off white head. The aroma is oak, bourbon booze, sweetness, hints of some sort of beer deep in the background covered by a thorny bush and tempting you to discern its aromatics. I couldn’t. The taste is smooth and sweet to start moving into oak, vanilla and a slight twang of rye. Midway bourbon and oak come to the front and crush the other flavor notes into submission. It runs toward dry booze, mild roastiness and oak into the finish. It ends with enough body and base beer to give you the sense that it’s about 10% of the way to being balanced.

On tap at the GTMW. Amber with a medium white head. Aroma of bourbon up front with some citrus, cereal grain and light oak to go with it. I taste the rye up front and nice citrus hops on the finish. In between there’s some mild bourbon, sweet malt and a touch of oak. Creamy textured beer is a bit oily on the palate and it has a moderate citrus bitter finish.

Growler courtesy of Markwise. Pours amber and you can already smell the bourbon. Nose is cherries, oak, bourbon, citrus hops, pine, and sweet caramel. Flavor is big whiskey, roasted malt, sweet caramel, toffee, booze, and bitter hops. What a beauty. Thanks for the share!

On tap @ Founders. Clear amber color, very thin white head. Aroma is a nice mix of hops, malt, and a slight whiskey presence. The hops and whiskey notes mix well in the flavor, perhaps a tad too much barrel, but it worked for me overall.