Feb 18, 2010

Founders Imperial Stout

I was completely unaware of this beer from what is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries. A recent trip to the local shop revealed a handful of bottles sitting amongst the other Founders products — I initially glossed over it, before realizing it was new to the shelves.

I thoroughly enjoyed Founders Breakfast Stout and I figured that this would be a comparable, if not better product. Well, it’s a damned fine imperial stout, but I think I prefer the breakfast variety more.

Appearance

This imperial stout pours like motor oil with a very dark, dense head. Just the way I like it.

Aroma

Dark, roasted malt dominates the nose with a rich chocolate lingering safely behind. There’s a decent helping of smooth coffee notes, as well as a subtle hop presence. At 90 IBU, there better be some hop characteristics to the brew.

Taste

The first thing I noticed on the initial sips was the mouthfeel. It’s not indulgently thick, but it’s right up there with how I like my stouts. The second thing I caught, which was a nice surprise, was the earthy hops that really complimented the bitterness of the roasted malts. The flavor combines with the malts, cocoa and coffee nicely, creating a fairly rich and tasty brew. The 10.5% ABV only really makes a presence as the glass warms, leaving a little heat in the throat.

Overall

For an imperial stout this is one drinkable beer. It’s smooth, full flavored and damned tasty. The higher hop concentration mingles wonderfully with the roasted character of the malts. I’ve still got a couple of bottles left over from the purchase that I hope to hold on to for a while to see how those hops behave with some time under their belts.

Rating: 3.5/5

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