Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)

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

(Bottle, Thanks Ughsmash) Pours black. Roasted, deep aroma of dark chocolate, dry cocoa, dark malt and coffee. Also a lot of oak wood up front with tones of vanilla and bourbon whisky. Medium roasted, light burned flavour with tones of bitter cocoa, salty liquorice, warming alcohol and some coffee. Well notable oak features in the flavour as well. A bit peppery and fiery. Oily, smooth almost a bit numbing mouthfeel with a medium to full body. Light to medium bitter with a tiny sweetness. Dark malt and oak in the lingering aftertaste. Truly world class. Second try: Pours black with a small dark brown head. The aroma is heavily coffee roasted with toned of green peeper and jalapenos. Just a whisper of vanilla-like oak and cocoa chocolate hints. Dry roasted. The flavour is of aromatic, dry coffee, bit sugary and vanilla-ish oak. Light dark fruity and blackberry. The mouthfeel is oily and round. Near full bodied.

Ah, KY Breakfast, at long last, we meet. Courtesy of Muenster. The pour is super opaque red/black with a very small brown head that can be stirred up from time to time. Swirling the glass leaves some spotty, oily lacing. The nose is potent and mouthwatering. Hints of faint cigarette smoke, toasted oats, vanilla, chocolate, cookies, all lurk within the complex, robust aroma. The mouthfeel isn’t all that heavy for an impy stout, but that’s not saying it’s thin by any means at all. The carbonation is right on for the flavor profile: minimal. Ah, the flavor is even better. This is the regular Breakfast stout (delicious) times two with the addition of creamy, charred, vanilla sweetness. The initial flavor is smoky with a wallop of oats and fresh coffee, this fades to a smoother profile akin to the woody, semi-sweet taste of Kentucky sippin’ whisky, and finally the finish lingers like a spoonfull of delicious coffee ice cream. An ashy character is noted at any stage in the tasting process and really holds the whole brew together. Not only is this absolutely delicious, but it’s unique. I could pick this one out in a line up of a dozen others in the style, yet at the same time it still satisfies my craving for a hearty impy stout.
[Nov 19, 2007
Pours extra black with a very small, dark tan head. I’ve been desperately trying to revisit this one and Iowaherkeye hooked me up! The aroma is pretty good: smoky, vanilla-infused bourbon, but not overdone at all. Huge amounts of oats and chocolate are also present. Some soy sauce is also noted. Anxiously taking a sip, my anticipation is quelled. This stuff is absolutely delicious. The bourbon character is tremendously tasteful. It only highlights and balances the strong, ashy toasted oat flavor. Thick, bittersweet chocolate lingers on the palate, giving this a delightful dessert quality. The brew improves twofold when it warms. Very complex, very rich, very balanced. This is one of my all time favorites. I’ve become a little more skeptical about barrel-aged brews after sampling so many, but this one is flawlessly done.
[September 9, 2008]
Bottle huge thanks to Hopdog. This is consistently one of my favorite beers. I mean, it’s so good. My brain tells me that I seriously love this beer but I forget just how good it tastes. I’m so glad to revisit it and reaffirm my complete obsession with this nectar of the gods. The pour is black and thick with a nice looking tan head that fades away pretty quick. It’s not the blackest of the black, but it’s certainly visibly an imperial stout. The aroma. Oh God, the aroma. It smells so good. Fresh, sharp, defined, roasty coffee, toasted oats, bourbon, ash, slight vanilla-esque tannins. The bourbon barrel aging on this is remarkably tasteful. It merely adds a rounded sweetness and does not interfere with any of the roasty, sharp qualities. Coffee is in full effect in the flavor, but doesn’t dominate the vanilla, wood smoke, or chocolate flavors. This is just stunningly appealing to me. Damned good beer.

Bottle from iowahekeye in June 2007. Thanks.1 Pours with no head and small bubbles that fade fast. Pitch black color. Swirling, it seems thin. Strong smokey, toasted and oak aromas. Maybe even a bit of bourbon aroma, but it may be the toasted oak confusing me. Medium body. Not dry, but not sweet either, hmmm. Alchohol is well hidden. Lots of flavor of raisins, coffee, molasses, and a little roasted grains. Gets better as it warms up. Excellent beer even though I’m not a big fan of smoky.

Thanks to Eric for this brew. Pours a dark black with a awesome aroma of bourbon and wood. The body is nice and thick. The taste is really earthy: a creamy whiskey taste with smoke, chocolate, coffee and bourbon. To quote Borat: Very Nice!

Bottle courtesy of Tampa Tasting Group as part of a blind coffee beer tasting. Pours a muddy dark brown to black with a thin tan head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, some notes of caramel, honey, and molasses. Flavor is roasted and malty with notes of vanilla, bourbon, wood, coffee, chocolate, some hints of caramel and honey. Generally medium to full body with a pleasing malty finish.

Bottle. Thanks to Puddintane for sending me this. Dark black pour - sludge, oily thick with a very thin head. This was so dark black that I could see my reflection when looking at it from above.

Heavy coffee aroma, bitterness. Malty with some chocolate tones.

First taste: bitter coffee taste mixed with some chocolate, warming up the alcohol, mellowing out to the vanilla bourbon taste that nearly came out of no where. Wow! Lite mouthfeel considering the thickness that this beer poured.

As it warmed and I take more sips I start to notice the low level of carbonation and the subtle tones of sugar being present. The vanilla flavor of the bourbon is so smooth in this stout that it is a perfect example of a barrel aged beer. Had a very nice warming feeling to it. As it warmed I got some lite wood aroma; as it warmed more and towards the bottom of the snifter, I got alot more bourbon being detected.

One of the smoothest and well balanced Imperial Stouts I ever had!

Bottle courtesy of JB175. Pours an oily dark opaque black with a minimal light brown head. Nose is coffee with hints of bourbon. Palate is coffee, dark chocolate milk and bourbon. Creamy mouth feel with a mellow finish. Alcohol is well hidden but has a warming affect ¾ through. This stuff is delicious.

Bottle picked up by my father during his recent trip to Detroit. Thanks Pops! Pours black with a half inch thick light tan head that fades a bit but leaves very nice lacing around the glass lasting to the last sip. Nose is a lot of coffee, very similar to the regular breakfast stout. Bourbon aromas become evident as the beer warms, but for the most part it just coffee. Flavor is a bit more complex than the nose, bringing out much more bourbon, coffee ofcourse still there, a little vanilla and cocoa too. Wish it had more of a chocolately flavor than the coffee, but still an enjoyable sipper. Just not my favorite type of imperial. Will be saving a couple of these babies to see how they age.