Founders Breakfast Stout

Pours absolutely black with a tan head. Aroma is dark chocolate, coffee. Almost smells like the inside of a coffee house. Flavor is the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had, dark chocolate, nutty, some oatmeal, some milk-sweetness. Been waiting on this for a while, and it was worth it. This is just intense, worth all the hype.

12 oz bottle. Pours black with little head. Aroma is strong roasted coffee, a little chocolate detectable underneath. Flavor is of course very much coffee, along with some underlying dark chocolate and a bit of sweetness, maybe some nutty flavors. At first taste, I thought it was a little too dominated by coffee and lacking in complexity, but I’ve quickly decided that the intense roasted coffee is enough. This is really nice stuff.

Appearance is a dark brown hue, thin head of tan thick condensed foam mostly sustains, minimal lacing. Smell is reminiscent of bitter coffee grounds, some burnt roasty malts, and a touch of sweetness, possibly the strongest coffee aromas I have experienced in a stout. Taste is a big bitter coffee/espresso blast, so strong and dominant that I would peg this as a coffee, not beer, in a blind taste test, the roasty malts suppress most all other flavors, but some slight bittering grassy hops peak through, slight hints of chocolate, nuts, and oatmeal. Mouthfeel is full-bodied, smooth and slick texture, mild carbonation. This is possibly the most coffee-forward stout I have had (which reminds me of ST’s Choklat, the most chocolate-forward stout I have had), this typifies a "breakfast stout", I wouldn’t think twice about having this in the morning with some eggs and biscuits, definitely unique and a must-try for any fan of the style.

Draft @ Capones (2007 batch): Poured a black color with a tan head. The aroma was coffee, dark chocolate, malt, and espresso. The flavor was a WOW! Had a great flavor of coffee and chcolate. Smooth and creamy. I’d love to get my hands on more of this. What a beer!

Thick black motor oil pour with a dark tan head. Looks good. Stale coffee aroma with chocolate. Sweet to start, but then overpowered by bitter chocolate and coffee. Very intense flavor with a bitter alcohol and malt finish. Wasn’t a fan.

12 oz bottle. Pours a black color with a thin deep tan head that laces to the bottom. Aomas of coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, malt, and the woods after a rain. Flavor fallows suit with a nice warm bitter finish. Big body, soft carb, syrupy texture, and dry warm alcohol feel. Not a fan of coffee in beer, but this one is damn fine.

Pours a dark dark brown with a nice head. Strong aroma about equal parts chocolate and coffee. Nice sweetness.

Finally the infamous Breakfast stout touches my pallette. Made this my 60th rate (couldn’t wait for 100). The aroma was strong coffee. Poured thick black with a two colored light and dark brown head - Lacing sticks to the side of the glass - mouthfeel is thick and just the right amount of carbonation - taste is coffee roast with a slight bitter bite, chocolate and oatmeal. Very nice! The aftertaste is my favorite part of the imperial stouts and this did not let me down. Creamy taste lingered forever reminding me to take another sip. this brew is full of flavors and complexity that my pallette cannot yet comprehend. I would like to compare this to the Expedition Stout to see what I like better. Definately a great brew to keep on hand - can’t wait for the Bourbon Aged to come out!