Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)

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

Bottle purchased at Crown #15, in Fishers, IN. Pours like black coffee, from the bottle, raising a thin, creamy dark cocoa head that leaves cascading, patchy lace upon the snifter. The nose is of old coffee blended with bourbon and a light note of cigarette ash. This is NOT among my favorite noses on an imperial stout. As I see all of the 8s & 9s running down this page, I have to wonder if I have a poorly handled bottle or if my nose is just off this evening. Medium-bodied and oily with a moderately astringent finish. Sweet, roasty, fruity dark malt with a sweet, oaky bourbon backing and a light tobacco ashiness at the finish. This beer definitely improves as it nears room temperature, but with it’s reputation, I was expecting much more. It’s good... but not great.

Jet black in colour with moderate carbonation. Aromas of chocolate, Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur), and a bit of fruit. Quite heavy, almost milkshake-like, in the mouth. Mild chocolate and hazelnut flavors dominate, with a bit of cold coffee and vanilla playing second fiddle. A bit of a woody element along with a prune and burnt sugar note come through right at the finish. Quite boozy, but nice. Many thanks to boutip for the bottle.

First of all, a double muchas gracias to Seaoflament and Badbeer for two of this brew. Second, I just don’t get it... Pours a thin looking dark brown color with a thin, but potent looking, brown head that fades quickly. I know this a different beer than Breakfast Stout but I still get the same smell, coffee grounds. The scent gets better as it warms up but still not great. Toasted malts and alcohol as it warms. The first thing to hit my tongue is coffee grounds, but it gets better. Toasted malts and alcohol quickly drown out the taste of coffee grounds. Palate is thin, coats the mouth a bit. Nice carbonation.

This was an impressive beer. Bottle at the Map Room. Nose is huge coffee aromas. Very roasty. As it warmed, alcohol came out, so I prefered while it was still chilly. Distinct taste of coffee liquer. Reminded me of a white russian in taste. Distinct vanilla, chocolate and coffee flavors. Not just the malt induced versions, but actual coffee and chocolate in this beer. A very interesting conction, with some minor bourbon character.

The aroma is a mixture of oak, vanilla, roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. The color is a deep rich black with a nice tan head. The flavor is of chocolate, vanilla, oak, bourbon, and coffee. The finish is smooth and coats the mouth.

The fragrance of fine roasted coffee and bitter chocolate quickly escape the bottle with underlying notes of vanilla and, of course, bourbon. BLACK (and I’m not exaggerating) body with ZERO (none, nada, zilch) head. Visually, this looked like a glass of heavily-used motor oil. Flavor was a classic robust IRS with bourbon sneaking onto the palate more as the beer warmed. This brew is distinctively smooth, mature, and delicious.

Crush with Jakebra in a random parking lot. Pretty overwhelming in every way. Not overly bourbon-ized like some other brews. So much to enjoy with this one.

2008 Bottle - First beer of the new year (and for breakfast to boot) - Thanks buckybeer- Pours thick black with a medium brown head...aroma is oak, cacao and molassas malt...flavour throws it all out on the table, nothing hidden, bourbon, coffee, vanilla oak...finish is char bitter, not hop bitter...a lot of flavour but still not too complex, just an easy drinking winner...