Founders Imperial Stout

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

12 oz bottle, cellared 18 months. Dark brown with a brief tan head. Dusty chocolate and coffee. Taste is grape popsicles, mocha and leather. Finishes with a bitter kick; smoked grapefruit. Medium body, a little sticky, soft carb. Good stout.

12 oz bottle. Dirty motor oil black and pours just as thick, topped by a brown head. Sweet nose, dark chocolate and a definite dark fruit presence, plus a solid dose of roasted malt. Thick, satiny mouthfeel. Lots of dark chocolate goodness here, roasted malt, mild raisin notes. Slightly dry dark chocolate finish. A rich treat!

Thanks Pantanap for bottle and someone I’m totally forgetting for the other.(I need to start marking these bottles). Pours dark and thick with almost no head. Smells of cold coffee and rich, roasted malts. Flavor is nice...coffe like with some good bitternes and great roasty notes. Mmmmmm, muy bueno!

12oz bottle, 2005 vintage. i rarely drink beer before noon but my apartment is cold and on this saturday morning i’m craving some chocolate. it is almost noon anyways. i don’t plan on following this up with another beer however. this ones for holdenn who claims stouts are great with breakfast. first off, i’ve had this beer several times and was surprised i never rated this. pours black with small soapy tan head. the nose has soy sauce and dark chocolate notes. as it warms up the nose becomes more salty and nutty. flavor has some nutty dark chocolate and slightly bitter coffee notes but those flatten out a bit on the palate evolving into more bready and soy sauce notes. this thing has really mellowed out, too much, as it seems aging for 2 years is pushing this thing causing more soy notes. it has a flat, dry, and watery finish. the alcohol is hardly noticible and the hops have faded out. i was never blown away by this beer but i’ll have to rate a fresh bottle soon..3.1......................................... 2006 vintage, cellared a bit over a year. pours jet black with basically no head. nose of soy, espresso, chocolate, and some smoke. flavor is more robust than the 05, chocolate syrup, espresso, hints of soy, dark fruits, pretty sweet stuff. thick and slick mouth feel. alcohol is well hidden. this beer just doesn’t do much for me, sure it is really chocolatey but this needs hops, roast, and a body that isn’t so slick...3.4

Poured black with a tan creamy head. Aroma of coffee and chocolate. Great smeller. Coffee and chocolate flavors mixed well together with a roasted feel in the finish. Thanks Matt for this!

Bottle courtesy after4ever. Pours opaque black with a thin brown head. Sweet and full aroma of chocolate and vanilla. Sweet and full body. The taste is marvelous, loaded with chocolate, vanilla, roasted hazelnuts. Soft espresso finish.

12-oz. Thanks, MrFacto! Pours black with a thin, burnt tan head that falls away almost immediately. Big soy and pruney nose, but this falls away as it warms to reveal a lovely soft thick bittersweet chocolate note. Big thick velvety body--attack rolls bold right from the first drop. Riot of smoke, soy, prune, bittersweet chocolate all over the mid-palate. Sticky, slightly bittersweet finish, hops well hidden.

This was a good stout. Taste of many malts, not too mention chocolate and coffee notes. I don’t know what else to say except this was a damn good stout.