Founders Imperial Stout

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

Source: 12 oz bottle purchased from Bruisin Ales in Asheville.
Glass: Samichlaus snifter.
Appearance: Oily black pour with a thin ring of brown head.
Aroma: Roasted malt dominates, but hints of milk chocolate and nuts are present.
Flavor: Ashy, roasted malt base, with a chocolate finish.
Palate: Full body with soft carbonation.
Overall: Another excellent offering from Founders. I have yet to be disappointed by anything they make.

From bottle. Big coffee chocolate nose with molasses, caramel, and some licorice. Mild bitter hop aroma, nutty. Sweet alcohol and a bit of lactose. Jet black body, a little hazy, with dark cocoa-colored foamy-creamy lacing head. Medium-heavy chewy body with medium carbonation and warming. Starts with tons of malt sweetness but not cloying. Chocolate, coffee, molasses, licorice, vanilla. Medium dull bitter finish. Burnt grain and nutty yeasty chalky after.

I really like most of what Founders puts out but something about this one was amiss. It started out great with a black pour with a thin tan head and some splotchy lace. IT smelled pretty damn good too with chocolate, roasted malt, licorice, molasses, sweet malt and barley on the nose. But then it kind of went down hill as it just ended up tasting too salty. Taste of roasted malt, alcohol, salt, bitter chocolate and very dark roasted malts. Perhaps I ended up with a bad bottle, but I just couldn’t finish it. I’ll check back sometime down the road on this one.

Tap at Founder’s cafe in a pint glass. Coffee and chocolate aroma. Black colored with dark tan head. Medium sweet and heavy bitterness. Thick cocoa/coffee oily feel, heavy bodied with long bitter coffee finish. Tastes of chocolate progressing to boozy coffee.

Bottle. "Light does not pass through this," says Lise. Black opaque color. Virtually no head. Coffee, roasted notes, nuts, spicy . . . like a hidden nutmeg. Caramel, toffee hints as well. Malty bitterness blend on front of the tongue to start followed by a toffee coffee finish. Well balanced. Neither too heavy nor too light. Solid

[Bottle] Pours black with a nice brown head. Aroma is odd, I wouldn’t have noticed it, but as guerde said, there was noticeable basil, also banana, and some plum. Taste is good--anise, roasted malt, chocolate (subtle), and alcohol. Barely any bitterness. Very nice, thick mouthfeel, smooth, and long, somewhat dry mouthfeel where the roasted malt shows up the most. A very solid RIS, but definitely not my favorite.

(bottle from OSLO) Pours black with a small dark tan head. Aroma is heavy on roasted malt, with some licorice, dark roasted coffee, italian sausage (with some thyme, aniseseed, and basil), and a hint of smoke as well. The taste is very smooth with chocolate, dark roasted coffee, chocolate, and a bit of black licorice as well. Finish possesses a lot of roasted barley, smoke, light bitterness and salt. Mouthfeel is medium to full with smooth carbonation. Not a bad imperial stout. Thanks Al!

12oz bottle from bruisin’ ales. pours an oily thick, beautiful jet black with a thin, dark beige head and a ring of lace. aroma is excellent with big roasted malts, bittersweet chocolate, cinnamon, and dark red fruits with hints of wood, caramel, coffee, and booze. flavor is wonderful as well with big dark chocolate, red fruits, and nutty malts up front backed by notes of rich coffee with cream, smoked wood, and earthy hops with a long, bittersweet finish. palate is smooth and creamy, full bodied, with mild carbonation and the slightest touch of boozy warmth. overall, a great brew and another winner from founders.