Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Old Ale
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

12oz bottle, pours a clear brown/amber with a small head that dissipates fully. Great aroma of sweet malt, figs, caramel, brown sugar, alcohol, and bourbon. Don’t think this is the bourbon barrel version, but still smells of bourbon nonetheless. Taste of caramel, sugar, dark fruit, bourbon, and oak. Alcohol is not overpowering for nearly 10%. Nice barley wine type flavor, but is even better than most barley wines I’ve had. Smooth mouthfeel with light carbonation. Overall a great beer!

2006 Bottle. Dark brown pour. Thin off-white head quickly diminishes into a halo of lace. Oak, toffee, vanilla, and bourbon on the nose. Very smooth on the palate. Malt, vanilla, and bourbon flavors. Nicely complex, very drinkable at 9.3%. Medium-full mouthfeel. Slightly astringent finish with some alcohol presence. I’ve often overlooked this beer in the past. Try it, you’ll love it.

Pours a dark brown with small tan head. Aroma of malts, vanilla, and dried fruit. Flavor was malt driven with a smooth sweetness that was countered by a nice dry hop finish. A complex blend of flavor ranges from vanilla, plum, toffee and a slight alcohol warming that come together beautifully to make a fine brew. Very drinkable and very enjoyable. If you like barleywines, you have to have this ale.

12oz. bottle, 2006 bourbon barrel-aged version. Richly malty and sweet aroma, complex and enticing, plenty of bourbon character to be found here alongside notes of toffee, vanilla, cherry, oak, dark brown sugar, raisin, fig, dried flowers and slight medicinal alcohol, even some very faint smoke detected. Deep, dark copper color, somewhat hazy, with a fully subsiding head. Flavor is utterly dominated by the powerful malt presence from beginning to end, with more sweet toffee, cherry, vanilla and dried, dark fruits, shot through with oaked bourbon and finishing with a gentle, earthy bitterness and lingering alcoholic warmth. Palate is smooth, sticky and nearly still, with a body that’s full as can be. This is excellent. Seemingly very complimented by the barrel aging process, and one I’d had on my wishlist for some time. Thanks a lot to boboski for the opportunity.

Bottle: pours a dark brown with a thick white head, aroma is strong on the alcohol maybe there is some caramel under that but it is pretty overpowering, taste is malty, burnt toffee, slightly sweet and no signs of the alcohol other then a little bit of a warm feeling in the back of the throat, fairly full moutfeel as well. Good stuff.

12 oz. bottle from Buffalohead on 5/23/2008. The bottle itself has "05" below the label. Hazy brown pour with a very spare, wispy thin head. Complex aroma includes caramel, raisins, chocloate, spice, oak, and vanilla. Medium body, low carbonation, smooth and rich mouthfeel.

Sweet malt flavors dominate, caramel and brown sugar are quite evident. Balance comes in the form of an earthy and spicy bitterness that makes for a very pleasing finish.

murky brown and smells of toffey vanillaand alcohol.ohhhh i like it......it shas a sharp bite then toffey and coconut and some vanilla. the alcohol is not that well hidden but its not unbearable and the outh feel is great. I really wasnt expecting to like this butI am quickly becoming a fan

Bottle 2006. THIS IS FANTASTIC. Pours amber brown and cloudy. This is 9.3abv and this good jeez why buy a session beer when u can treat a 4 pack of this just like one. Bourbon, oak, vanilla. Very oaked finish and a nice warming etoh but kindly. Second impression is in accord. I may have to second think my favorite founders beer.