Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)

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

My #900th rating. It poured with an opaque black body, with a thin tan head very little lacing No carbonation. Aroma was fully of roasted coffee, and cocoa notes, but with a heavy alcohol scent, some oak notes. Initially the flavor was very sweet, like dark chocolate. The chocolate notes gave way to a warm bourbon flavor. It could have had more balance. It seemed to be extreme chocolate, and then alcohol. Otherwise this beer was great.

What a pleasant surprise. The name made me think maybe this was somekind of hillbilly joke, but it is actually a wonderful desert beer. Coffee and chocolate notes, like a Bell’s Expedition Stout, with a great alcohol warmth and a bourbon note that actually works. The general effect of using a whiskey bottle to age beer is usually nasty, destroying all subtlety, but this does add to the intensity and complexity of the beer. Very dark, almost opaque, small dark head. Nose announces the flavor well. Even a good hoppy finish. Just great.

Great Taste of the Midwest


I have not cracked any of my bottles open yet, but since it was on tap I figured I would give this one a shot. If nothing else, it might confirm that I should hang on them or trade them all away. It turns out to be the case that the truth is in between - it did not blow me away but at the same time it was a nice beer.

Aroma / Appearance - Coffee, muted bourbon notes, raisins, plums and smoke complete the nose. It smells far less like hot black coffee than the regular Breakfast Stout but it still packs quite a punch. The head was a dirty mocha color that lingered over the black body. Eventually some scents of vanilla and oak made their way into my nose as I prepared to take the first sip.

Flavor / Palate - Expresso, bourbon, vanilla, oak, plums, malts and smoke were evident in the first few sips. Unlike the aggressive coffee taste of the Breakfast Stout, this was strong yet not overpowering. I felt it might have been a little thin but the flavors are well balanced. The aftertaste comes across chocolately with a slight sweetness before finishing with some smoky notes. Very enjoyable - if I could rate it more precisely it would be only a fraction below the regular version at 3.95.

bottle. thanks bri. black with thin tan head. rich chocolate, roasted malts, coffee and sweet mild bourbon aroma. very rich chocolate, dark coffee, roasted malts and very mild bourbon. well balacned and not over the top. the chocolate is the highlight.

Bottle poured into a Duvel glass. Wow, that is some disarmingly thick black beer. Pretty assertive pour yields about a 1/4 inch of light brown head. Some bubbles and light lacing, but this is pretty much a still black beast. Nose of bitter roasted coffee and cocoa/fudge. Some dark fruit notes. Mild bourbon barrel/vanilla notes, but not overpowering by any means, which is how I like it. The bourbon vanilla is really more a kiss at the end than anything. Palate is thick but avoids being syrupy. Not necessarily as complex as some, but perfectly balanced and damn good.

Bottled. Beer is very dark brown, opaque, with an average-sized, frothy, light brown, mostly diminishing head. Unsurrendering specks of lacing on the snifter. The aroma is malty with heavy notes of toasted grain, cheap coffee, light note of caramel; Hoppy with a moderate note of herb, light note of resin/pine; Yeasty with a light note of cellar; Moderate miscellaneous note of top soil, heavy note of raw wood, light note of savory smoked meat. The flavor is moderately-to-heavily sweet, lightly bitter, lightly-to-moderately acidic with a long, ligtly acidic, lightly bittersweet, warm finish. The body is full, the texture is velvety and the carbonation is lively.

Had this twice in one day at the Dark Lord Day party. The barrel aging was far less than the Dark Lord which IMHO made this a much better brew as I could still taste the Imperial Stout qualities. Vanilla and oaken bourbon yeah but still a shitload of complexity not droned out by the BA-ing.Molasses,bitter chocolate and coffee just all teamed up on the tongue to proclaim victory over the mighty Dark Lord.

Bottle. A gift from CMUBEERMAN. Andrew, you totally rock! Pours tar, tan head. Aroma is pretty intense: malt, chocolate, coffee, bourbon, oak, vanilla, pine. Flavor is similar and creamy. Pretty amazing and very well blended for the alcohol content. Aliendan says, "It doesn’t make you feel like you will to sink to the bottom of the ocean" as is the case with many imperial stouts. This is an excellent beer and my highest rated so far. This is pretty damn smooth and well, pretty.