Founders Imperial Stout

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

Bottle. Pours a thick, jet-black color with a solid tan head that started to creep out of the bottle as soon as I popped the cap. Aroma is great - roasted malts (very roasted), dark chocolate, sweeter malt and some toffee. Flavor is very similar - huge raosted malt and bitter chocolate. As the beer warms a little, there is an underlying sweetness (lactose?) that seems to be a little too much. Despite that, this is big, bold and easy to drink.

Opaque with tan head. Very smooth. Alcohol is very obvious in the aroma. Hearty and full body, silky feel. Strong taste of coffee and alcohol.

bottle from drewbeerme. Thanks Andrew! Nightcap on my 24th birthday. Had a good amount to drink tonight, so bare with me. NIce roasted chocolate flavors mixed with a little coffee, toffee, and a good amount smores and cake too. Some chalk on the finish. Im going to have to have another beer now to clense my palate. A very different tasting impy and far from my favorite.

wow. very strong, almost too strong. very dark and thick, quite pricey in a four-pack locally.

Impressive and powerful and strong and very Imperial Stout-like. Imagine Founder’s patented taste (you know what it’s like) and put that into an Imperial Stout. You guessed it. Not my favorite. But an excellent brew, yet again!

Poured a thick black with a small, beautiful caramel head. Aroma is kind of weak - really subdued coffe and bitter chocolate. Flavor starts kind of subdued as well, and evolves into coffee, roasted malts and a nice bitter chocolate. The mouthfeel here is a perfect 5; it’s creamy, chewy and lush. Overall, kind of like Expedition in that it’s too much bitter coffe, especially on the finish, but this (to me) is definitely above Expedition. There’s a more interesting dynamic of flavors, and it’s not as sickly heavly and filling.

12oz bottle from Artusory. This black ale poured with a miniscule dark tan head, and a strong aroma of alcohol. There is a chewy mouthfeel and strong tastes of chocolate and coffee with a long slightly bitter finish. In spite of the alcohol aroma, there is no discernible alcohol taste.

(Bottle via trade with <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=2 target=blank>kramer17801, thanks Jason!, cellared for 9 mos. after trade) This hints at complexity but doesn’t quite get there - still nice...Pours like thick black coffee from the bottom of the pot. Pretty much opaque. Thin cocoa-brown head recedes quickly to light ring around edges. Aroma is semi-sweet chocolate, roastiness, molasses and dark coffee. Mouthfeel pretty smooth, very lightly prickly, medium-full. Lacing rather sloppy. Flavor of coffee roast, bittersweet dark chocolate and a slight hint of plum or cherry as it warms. Grassiness in finish at times. Aroma probably outdoes the flavor. Alcohol well-hidden.