Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)

Bottle from franksnbeans -- thanks!

I’ve wanted to try this one for several years now, and tonight’s the night. Leo Smith’s Divine Love on the stereo, I settle in and crack open the bottle within a few degrees of room temperature. It pours out into my snifter dark and beautiful, thick with vast lacing and a small dark-tan head.

Huge smoky, ashy catches me by surprise. I was expecting more vanilla, less smoke. It recalls Peche Mortel in its ashiness, but somehow it wears that ashiness much better; here I get charred hardwood and pipe tobacco rather than soggy cigarette butts. That ashy aroma dominates the nose; underneath there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on, though you have to go looking for it: blackberries dipped in chocolate, peaty whisky.

Despite all of the ash I get a vinous, juicy flavor, tannic wine, berries, lots of bourbon. Bitter chocolate cake late. It’s acidic early, dry through the close; not a sweet imperial stout at all. Full, warming mouthfeel. only a hint of alcohol heat, that fascinating ashiness rising into the sinuses.

I’m not sure it’s right up there at the very peak of the genre -- and I don’t think I enjoy the flavors quite as much as I did with the bottle of the Abyss ’07 from a couple of nights ago -- but I freely admire this one as a fascinating and obviously well crafted beer.

On tap at the Glass Nickel at the GTMW pre-party Insane coffee, malt, and cappuccino aroma. Taste is sweet, coffee, bourbon barrel, typical stout flavors, vanilla, and more coffee. Brisk carbonation. Nice mouthfeel.

Bottle. [thank you, Yespr]
Pours pitch-black with amedium and very creamy brown head. Looks much like a Guinness in the way that the bubbles between the liquid and the head moves around a lot, gathering momentum, enhancing the head and increasing the liquid. Aroma is powerful, lots of mild coffee, super cocoa and a light tart bourbon note. Creamy and full mouthfeel. Flavour has chocolate, light dryish coffee and a great roasted feel to it. Some light tartness and oak, but not even remotely too much - very well balanced and nice.

Bottle. Twist off cap, which Jesper opened with a bottle opener. :-) Pours a pitch black colour with a creamy brown head leaving a good lacing. Very good aroma of chocolate, some bourbon, roasted malt and some wood. Very good creamy mouthfeel. Lovely dry flavour of dark bitter and sweet chocolate, coffee, vanilla, well balanced with bourbon and roasted malt. Just such a great tasting brew indeed! Thanks a lot for sharing this great beer yespr!

12 fl oz, trade with ygtbsm94 . Pours dark almost black with a dense and nice chocolate coloured head. Aroma is smooth chocolate, roasted malt, coffee and a smooth bourbon note into the finish. Fantastic balance and only with a smooth bourbon note into the finish. I think most bourban barrel aged beers are way to dominated by the bourbon notes, not this one.

[Courtesy of yespr, session @ yespr] Pitch black with tiny short lasting head. Aroma is sweet with roasted malt, bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, coffee and bourbon notes. Sweet flavor with roasted near burned malt, bitter chocolate, bourbon, aok, vanilla and coffee notes. Alcohol warms you up nicely. Lovely!

Bottle courtesy of pantanap (thanks!). Pours stout black with a little tan head. Aroma is big on coffee and what smells a little bit like rye. Some bourbon traces in there as well. Taste brings much more strong coffee and roasted malts, with some vanilla interlaced. Decently thick on the palate with a bitter coffee finish. While I do enjoy this beer, I agree with JCB that the original Breakfast is better.

Bottle. [Courtesy of yespr, another great session @ yespr] Small beige creamy head that mostly diminished. Pitch-black colour. Good display of lacework. Aroma of vanilla, liquorish, sweet chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, dried fruit, hint of berries and very vinous in the sniff. Over the palate the bourbon and wood comes through, burned malt, oat dryness. Full bodied with an average carbonation and light dry and thick texture. Heavy sweet and counter bitter notes in balance. Lingering chocolate and light bitter finish.