Founders Bourbon Imperial Stout

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

On tap at Founders. Pours a dark brown with a little bit of tan head. Aromas are fairly predictable with lots of chocolate/coffee and roasted malt, a little smoke and some earthiness. Flavor is a nice mix of the above, with a little bit of bourbon or alcoholic burn and flavor.

On tap at Founder’s, 06/09. In your face buttery coconut bourbon aroma. Pours a caramel mocha color.

Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, on tap at Founders Taproom. Black with tan lacing head. Aroma of chocolate, roasted malts, bourbon, caramel, and wood. Taste is rich and smooth chocolate, molasses, and coffee with a big bourbon profile that’s not overpowering. A hint of vanilla with a warming alcohol burn at the finish. Dangerously easy to drink and delicious. Another incredible beer from an incredible brewery.

tap. pours dark brown with a tan head. notes of bourbon and espresso. not the most refreshing beer on a hot summer day, but interesting nonetheless.

Tap at Founders. Jet black pour with a dense, lasting, 1-finger, tan head and good lacing on the glass. Lots of bourbon in the aroma. So much so that it sort of burns and lingers after you take a whiff. The aroma also has oak, burnt coffee beans, molasses, rum, alcohol, some ripe dark fruit and milk chocolate. In the flavor the bourbon really comes out first again followed by burnt, bitter coffee. There’s a subtle earthy vinousness to the flavor as well as notes of milk chocolate, candied dates, a lasting bitter finish and some vanilla that start to come out as the beer warms. Oily full body with moderate carbonation and lots of alcohol burn. I love how this beer manages to bring out such big bourbon character without covering up the subtleties of the great base imperial stout.

8oz pour last weekend at founders... very similar looking to CBS as we had these side by side. deep black with reddish edges and a moderate tan head... nose starts off very heavy on the bourbon with lighter vanilla notes. smoothens out with chocolate undertones. a decent barrel-forward aroma... flavors of hot bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate that mellows out as it warms. turns a little hot towards the middle and on through the finish. slightly bitter in the finish.

On tap at Founders. I think this is actually their barrel aged imperial, bourbon imperial is older and different, but I don’t feel like adding a new one. Black pour with a dark tan head. Lots of lacing. Lots of bourbon and molasses in the aroma. Lots of oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate and espresso in the taste. Full bodied, almost creamy mouthfeel, they really have the body of their double stouts consistent throughout the different varieties. Lots of lingering vanilla, barrel, toffee. Alcohol nearly non-existant, but this brew is definetely warming. This might be the best stout I’ve tasted from them, this could be better than the KBS, better than the CBS, but that is a slightly different beast. In summary, lots of goodness. Not as bourbon-y as the Bourbon County, with all the benefits of the slightly overshadowed Founders Imperial.

Draft at Founders. Poured black color with a moderate frothy brown head that mostly lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate roasted malt, chocolate, woody cherry and small alcohol aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy roasted sweet woody flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet smooth finish of moderate to long duration. Another standout brew.