Founders Barrel Aged Reds Rye

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Specialty Grain
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

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.

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 Founders Taproom. Opaque ruby red with a small white head. Very nice fresh hop aroma with big orange citrus notes. Flavor is very complex with smooth oak, citrus (grapefruit and pineapple), pine, sweet caramel malts, and vanilla. Finish is spicy and bitter, but not overwhelming. An excellent brew.

On tap @ Founders. Pours caramel brown with an off-white head. Nose is slight rye, slight hops, booze, and vanilla/ bourbon. Flavor is equally deep with the rye and hops mellowed by the oak. The oak loves the rye gently and gives its number to call again. This beer lacks the bitterness of its unbarrelled cousin, but certainly makes up for it in depth and sweetness. Thoroughly enjoyable and would love to try more.

2008 MiBGF: Slightly hazed crimson hue and a very good head and lace. The aroma has notes of dry-hopped pine and catty hops, rye, caramel, oak and vanilla, and a earthy yeast vapour.

The taste is driven by a forward rye snap and layered with caramel malt. The finish is where the bourbon barrel shows it’s colors, vanilla, booze, and spice. There is even a hint of mint in there. The mouth feel is aggressive and biting yet uniquely drinkable. OUTSTANDING and the best beer of day 1.

Tap at MBG Summer Festival. Poured a hazy reddish amber with an off-white head. Aroma consisted of hops, bourbon and a slight spicy note. A very smooth beer with a well balanced flavor of bitter hops and some bourbon flavoring with a great undertone of oak and rye. Quite good.

On tap at founders. Hazy dark red with small beige head. Aroma with fresh red fruit and drier malt, some orange and grapefruit as well, only subtle barrel. Flavor is bitter grains and red fruit with some barrel, mostly tanic bitterness, dry but sweet and not cloying in the least, some overripe fruit, very tasty. Medium, well carbonated body. Very well balanced and all around very well done.

Draft @ Founders: Pour was a deep bronze color with almost no head. The nose on this is so ridiculously complex...notes of tropical fruits, coconut, vanilla, rye malt and some woodsiness all make themselves apparent in a big way. Body was slick, silky yet still retained a dryness. Flavor was equally as complex, starts relatively sweet and fruity with noticeable barrel compliments and finishes on a dry rye malt note. Very good brew.