Founders Breakfast Stout

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

Poured and let to sit out for about 15 minuted before I actually took my first smell or taste, just to see how it looked. It poured jet-black with only a slight head at first so I poured a little more vigorously at the end and it almost looked like nitrogen bubbles coming down the side of the glass but there was no nitro in the bottle obviously. After letting sit for 15 min the head decreased from a little more than an inch to about 1/4 inch but is still there in a tight knit pattern. Also left a perfect unbroken curtain of tiny bubbled dark lace around the rim of the shaker. Aroma is initially roasted coffee beans, almost more ground coffee aroma then a brewed coffee. Which reminds me that this smells exactly like the homebrew I made by throwing 1/2 lb of lightly ground dark coffee beans right into the secondary. However, as this warms the coffee aroma blends nicely with rich dark and bittersweet chocolate, a hint of hazelnut and a nice amount of roasted malt. Very low carbonation which allows for the smoothness of this beer to come through nicely as well as allowing the full rich and complex flavors to develop. The first thing you notice as you take your first sip, besides the low carbonation, is the fact that this beer is overwhelmingly thick and extremely full bodied. Coats the entire mouth and stays for a while leaving all the powerfull flavors to linger. Freshly brewed strong black coffee is the initial flavor but a strong roasted malt character soon follows and blends nicely with the coffee. Chocolate is in there as well to create a nice balance. The oatmeal is used in just the right amount to create an exceptionally smooth beer, but also not too much as to destroy the beautiful head and lace due to its oils (Think Sam Smiths Oatmeal Stout). Some burnt black malts are noticed towards the end and adds to a slight acrid feel to the end that is actually very welcome. No doubt this adds that dark as night black appearance and it really goes nice with all the coffee in here. Low to medium hopping as the finish is just rightly balanced to give a good finish and not to become cloying. In fact it might actually come out tad harsh in the finish and create a slight sensation in the back of my throat now that I think about it. Still one of the best overall stouts in the world. Many thanks to Eyedrinkale for the trade!

Stumbled upon this totally by accident at a locat bar - The Independent - despite looking for it for years. My first impression was not coffee, as other reviewers found, but a deep earthiness. The lacing on the glass struck me as more beautiful than any beer I’ve had, with a wonderful cathedral windowpane effect. Definitely have to get more.

Delectable aroma; unique. I can’t imagine a better aroma. I can’t say it’s coffee because I’ve never smelled coffee like this. I do smell hops. Perfectly opaque. Refreshingly large tan head, lasting. Excellent lace. After I opened this brew and read the description, I realized that perhaps I shouldn’t be drinking a rich coffee beer shortly before retiring to bed. Hopefully the alcohol from this brew and my previous brews this evening: Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Bier and Kuhnhenn Fourth Dementia, will put me to sleep. I pre-warmed this beer a little bit, and it is was immediately ready to drink. Man, is this stuff good. It blows me away that, despite the high beer prices in Michigan (read: Ann Arbor), that I can get a beer this good for "only" $2.89 a bottle. Not sure I would choose to drink this at breakfast time, but it would be good any time of day. It is really hard to find any flaws in this brew. I can see what the fuss is all about.

Wow... stopped into the brewery, had a pint and then took a growler home. Thick, coffee and chocolate flavors... Wonderfully thick mouthfeel. I highly suggest you try this!

Bottle shared with tupalev & jerc - courtesy of tupalev. I originally rated this beer based on a sample at the Michigan Brewer’s Guild Festival a couple of years ago, but my rating simply consisted of the word "COFFEE!" written over and over again, so I’ve always wanted to give it another try and a proper rating. Many thanks to tupalev for giving me the chance. Pours a deep inky black, absolutely beautiful as a it hits the glass. Huge aroma of coffee, chocolate, bourbon and wood smoke - outstanding. Full, round, lucious mouthfeel - wow! OhmygodsoGOOD flavour of dark roasted coffee, bitter chocolate, big roasted malts, a hint of smoke, and a moderately dry finish. I concur with tupalev when he says "One of the best stouts I have ever tried". Un-freakin’-believable!

I probably could drink this stuff with breakfast. I don’t much care for coffee as coffee, but put it into a beer and I’m happy as a clam. Tons of coffee flavor, with not a whole lot else, but that’s ok. Tastey. RERATE 12/24/2004: Had a pitcher of this with friends the other week, now that I’ve been on RB a while, I think I appreciate this stuff even more. The chocolate and coffee notes are perfectly balanced, right amount of sweetness. It’s too bad that they don’t continuously have this on tap. But, now that it’s bottled, I’ll have to give that a try.

Dark brown closing in on black, nice khaki head. The aroma is burting of chocalte covered espresso beans with light earthy hops and dry oatmeal. The flavour is so good, yes its dominated with coffee but is so rich, chewy and yummy. I feel like I’m chewing on espresso beans. Finish dry and asking me to keep on drinking. I love this beer.

Black lacquer body, I sense brown upon it but only see black. A chocolate milk brown top about an inch high sits on top with a lovely creamy rich denseness. Crown slowly percolates down to a whispy bubbled skim and the lacing is quite sticky and layered in sporatic thick webby curtains. Oh my this is lovely! Wow, what a great aromatic display on this of bold, rich mocha java, sweet oats, chocolate, fudge, and loads of robust roastyness. Incredible little dollps of tangy prune and burnt molasses keep an almost sour undertone to it. Unfortunately it tends to mellow out and becomes less potent as it sits but still is a wonderment to let flood into the nasal aura. The taste is the perfect carbon copy of the smell but set with much more adorned tones and length. Its heavy, rich, blanketing, and bakes long lasting flavors of big chocolate shavings covered on top of thick, fluffy Swedish french toast glazed with whipped buttered cream and molasses syrup. Sides with dark oatmeal cookie sweetness and is then followed with hardy coffee bean bitterness and milky dark chocolate bitterness, making this one hell’uva meal of a brew. Need I say more? De-fuckin’-licious! Well rounded roast and bitterness creates a delicately silken full body. Unlimited amounts of roastified textures and darkly bittered chocolate/coffee delivers itself for eons across the playing field of the palate. Great oaty sweetness and mild sour pruneyness transcends underneath with an aloofingly amazing accuracy creating just enough balance to keep that roasty/bitter/burnt stuff from completely dominating. Satisfingly drinkable by leaps and bounds. Move over Bell’s Java Stout...Breakfast is the first meal of the day. ...Actually, give me a couple bottles of this stuff any time of the day and I’ll be a happy man. Very happy!