Founders Imperial Stout

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

The color was an oily black with no light penetration. The head was barely there. It was medium brown. The aroma was very sweet with strong molasses, alcohol, chocolate, and vanilla. The flavor is roasty, chocolate, sweet, coffee, vanilla, and a little bitter. The palate was thick and heavy with light carbonation. The finish was lingering and roasty. There is a yellow film left inside the glass once the beer is gone.

Thanks to brewblackhole. My first Founder’s experience and an Impy no less, excited am I. Wow, pours the blackest of black, looks like oil. Only Goose Island had a more appealing look. The head showed itself just long enough for me to realize that it was brown, not tan, brown. Wonderful aroma, sweet (but not cloying), the alcohol is well hidden, coffee, chocolate. Very clean aroma. The flavor is wonderful, roasted, alcohol is comfortably warming, sweet, molasses, coffee, and a bready texture and taste. The palate is wonderfully smooth, feels chewy. The finish is very warming and very rich, it maintains all the taste. Glad I got my hands on this.

Black color. Intense roasted malt flavor with little hops. Not too sweet. Medium body. Alcohol well hidden. 2009 version is 90 IBU and 10.5% ABV. Wonderful deep roasted flavor, mouth-filling malt sweetness and extreme hop after-taste!

This pours a very dark and viscous black with a dense one finger head, that might be the darkest I’ve seen. It took forever for the foam to fade to a very nice cap, leaving behind a solid sheet of lace. Smell; very good roasted malt aromas, with a solid presence of chocolate. There’s some dark fruits, with coffee and caramel. Taste; the roasted malts dominate the first few sips with te coffee and slightly over cooked caramel. After I let this sit for a while some very nice dark fruits come through with dates, prunes and raisins. To top it all off this finishes with a rich dark chocolate flavor. Mouthfeel/Drinkability; this has a very full bodied mouthfeel, and I’m not surprised after the pour. Drinkability is very good, especially since the alcohol is barely detectable, but it’s still a sipper for sure. I’ve passed this beer up in the past, for reasons I can’t explain. Never again though. Founders is definitely one of my top two or three favorite breweries.

Bottle. I’ve had this for a bit so it’s at least a year old, maybe more. Pours a thick black color. Almost still, just a wisp of a tan head. Fruity and malty with tons of roasted malt and chocolate. Very thick mouth feel. Chocolate, licorice, tobacco, cherries, figs and even a musty note. Bitter, just to the point of excess. lingering finish.

Bottle aquired thru the generousity of buckybeer. Mmmmm....Chocolate. The aroma was like opening up a Hershey bar. Pours a thick black crude oil look with a thin head. Great falvaor that is Very Smooth, almost velvety with a chocolate malt presence and a slight warming. Great Imperial Stout. Wow was this good. Thanks Buckybeer I owe ya! Cheers!

Duane shared a bottle of this with me last night. Dark, almost black pour with a mocha colored head. Strong roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, and piney hop aromas. This beer had the most chocolatey character of just about anything I’ve had to date. Strong roasty chocolately flavors with a nice hoppy finish. Excellent imperial stout.

Black and opaque with a deep tan head doesn’t last. Can’t get light though this sucker with a spotlight. Deep and rich malty and roasted aromas that leap out of the glass, smooth toasted and toffee aromas abound as well. Flavor is rich malt with significant roasted barley Alchohol flavor present, but blends nicely with the rich bitter chocolate flavors. Smooth and creamy and finishes with a pleasant warmth. Very nice beer.