Founders Imperial Stout

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

Poured viscous obsidian with some caramel edges and a bare chocolate colored head that produced some nice lacing. Aroma was heavy dark chocolate malt, hints of coffee, vanilla, oak, root, and even some sweet grapefruit citrus before a strong amount of alcohol finished it off. Flavor was actually very citric I found, dark chocolate, cacao, coffee, subdued vanilla, oak, rooty-floral character, and some spicy hopiness. Palate was thick and full, and had a quite warming finish.

The smell is dark roasted malts, dark fruits, coffee, chocolate, and alcohol. The look is very dark, black colored, with a decent tan colored head. The taste is alcohol, malts, chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, and slight bitterness.

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.