Founders Imperial Stout

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

Bottle. Smells like roasted malt, coffee, vanilla, alcohol, and chocolate. Flavor is bitter up front, then coffee. Smooths out a little in the finish but still quite bitter. Dark chocolate comes through at the end. I was hoping for a bit more complexity. Very drinkable; the alcohol is well hidden.

bottle from the noble-est of squirrels... pours viscous and very dark ruby brown... nearly black with long lived orange tinted hot cocoa colored head. it spends much of it’s time as a film with a bunch of soft spots of lace. it smells like really rich coffee mixed with highly roasted grain, chocolate, ash and a fruitiness akin to a merlot. those vinous notes carry over to the flavor and combine with rich roasty ashiness, bitter cocoa, black coffee and a parchingly hoppy finish. ashiness carries over to the aftertaste and stays there for a while. it’s medium bodied with airy soft carbonation which gives it a lux mouth feel. dryness and bitter touches give it a crazy drinkability even though it lacks some complexity... 8/4/8/4/17/4.1

12oz bonus from Joey @ South Bay Drugs, thanks man! This Impy pours like motor oil with a one finger thick chocolate head that left some spotty lacing. tons of cocoa, roasted malts, and a touch of coffee and booze. Flavor is mostly chocolate and booze, though the booze in not overwhelming. Finishes quite complex and pretty smooth.

Bottle Pours like motor oil a good deep black with a thin tan head. The head leaves fairly quickly, but laces well. Has a good chocolate aroma with hints of coffee, and vanilla. Has a nice robust roasted flavor. Good carbination and a nice mouthfeel. Has a full body. Has a fizzy-oily texture. A solid finish wit a real good aftertaste. This is a hearty beer with a lot of flavor. I really enjoyed this one.

12oz shorty bottle. Opaque blackness, with an oily tan minimal non-head. Sweet chocolate and coffee aroma, quiet pleasant. Rich and syrupy thick, solid bitter chocolate tastes. Maybe some underlying hops under the rugged malt body. Some smoky coffee nuances as well. A great IS, a touch thin oddly enough body-wise, which makes it all the more on point. Classic.

12 oz bottle thanks to Odeed. Man, I can’t believe I haven’t had this beer. Pours a pure black color with a nice beige/brown/orange colored head. A nice aroma of vanilla, coffee, roasted malts and chocolate. The flavor is strong; sweet mocha coffee, vanilla, roasted malts and chocolate, bitter hops, Light ash and lots of alcohol also. Very nice.

I had high hopes, but was rather disappointed by this one. I like the other Founders stouts (and even non-stouts) that I’ve had, but this one just didn’t stand up. A bunch of flavors that I didn’t feel blended together very well.

Growler pour thanks to the Grand Rapid guys I met at DLD. Dark black pour with a tan head. Great aroma of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate. Taste reflects the aroma but only more so. Another top notch Founders. Left a nice mouthfeel.