Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale

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

12oz bottle. Poured a medium and cloudy brownish / amber color with an averaged sized off white head. Lots of suspended particles. Aromas of vanilla, wood, bourbon, caramel, oak, earthy, brown sugar, and some spices. From the aromas, assume this is the ’06 aged in Bourbon Barrels (if not, it sure fooled me!). Tastes of bourbon, vanilla, caramel, darkfruits, and wood. Lacing left on the glass. Smooth and creamy body that was way too easy to drink. Alcohol content hidden. This was pretty damn good (I enjoyed it more and more as I drank it!).

Bottle. Pours a hazy mhogany color with a small tan colored head. Aroma is bourbon, oak, caramel, tofee. Flavor is bourbon, oak, dark dried fruits, caramel, toffee. Palate is full bodied, mild carbonation, finishe sweet and boozey! Awesome stuff, I find this to be way more balanced than the Backwoods.

12oz 2006 bottle. About 1 year old. Poured into a snifter the color is a muddy brown and the head is a clumpy layer of white cream and lace. The aroma is rich caramel malts and a touch of alcohol. Flavor is equally rich but not nearly as sweet as I had anticipated. The flavors are hard to pick but I guess this just isn’t my style of old ale.

Founders hits the bullseye once again with this excellent beer. It’s rare when you find a brewery that consistantly makes outstanding beer, so I know whenever I see the Founders name on the label that I’m in for something tasty. The beer pours out a deep, dark copper/amber color, 1 finger thick head with not much lacing. First aromas I could pick up were wood, bourbon, and light fruits with an underlying mapley sweet character that I found very enjoyable. Flavors were simply fantastic. The tastes that immediately hit you is the combo of oak/woody and caramel malts which is fantastic. Bourbon, light smoke and vanilla round out the flavors, but this is one hugely malty beer. I absolutely loved it.

Dark amber color, small head. Strong bourbon aroma and flavor, with strong maltiness and some sweetness. Unlike some others, I did not taste the alcohol. Truly excellent beer. Re-rate: I had to mention that this is my favorite beer. The more I drink it, the more I love the bourbon flavor, and everything about it. My only complaint is that it’s not as easy to come by as I’d like. Nevertheless, I thought my score should reflect how highly I think of this beer.

Dark muddy purple in color with a thin head. Old, crusty fruit and bread in the nose with a bit of an oxidized smell, I’m loving every second of it… crusty old fruity old ales are something I really love, and this one, with a fuller yeast presence than most, is awesome. Notes of old cake, stale pie crust, wrinkled plums combined with an amazingly frothy texture and a brandy-like note create a really nice, moderately hopped old ale that feels older than it actually is.

Rich burnt amber color, hazy. Fruity aroma--coconut and rotting pomegranate. Smooth palate. Solid beer, all-around enjoyable on a cold winter night.

Shared a 12 oz bottle with 3 friends, one who returned with the bottle from a visit to the Brewery in Grand Rapids. Pours amber, with a little head. Smelled of scotch. Tasted sweet and scotchy. Overwhelming nose. A nice beer, but not one I would drink all day.