Founders Bourbon Imperial Stout

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

On tap at the brewery. It was served in a snifter with a nice 1 inch beige head. The smell was fantastic! I could pick up vanilla, espresso, bourbon and heavy malts. It was served a little too cold at first and the bourbon dominated the taste. As the beer warmed up the complexities came through with vanilla, bourbon, and chocolate. It went down easy and had was very easy on the palate. Man, I hope they bottle this sometime as it is a fantastic brew.

On tap at brewery. Black with tan head. Aroma of coffee, chocolate, oak, and prominent bourbon. Tastes very sweet, with malt, coffee, boozy bourbon, chocolate, and molasses. Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Awesome!

Enjoyed on tap at the brewpub. Served too cold I thought. Dark brown. Full mouthfeel. Chocolate stout. A sipper, above average mouthfeel.

Tap at Founders. Pours a thick black with dark brown hue, small tan head, and decent lacing. Aroma very up front with dark chocolate, deep roasted coffee, roasted malt, caramel, and a bourbon balance. Flavor matches well with an additional pleasant bitterness, vanilla, and a great coffee aftertaste. Bourbon was nicely present, but didn’t dominate, which made for a very nice brew.

On tap @ Founders. Pours dark black with a mostly white (slightly off-white) head. Nose is chocolate, bourbon, booze, vanilla, roast, and awesome balance. Flavor is incredible, but instead of the normal roast and bitterness in Founders Imp Stout there is mellow bourbon and depth. So much complexity in this deep barrelled beer- chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, roasty coffee, and mild bitterness. Awesome and incredibly complex.

On tap at Founders. Small brown head around the edges of a snifter, the the body was a viscous jet black. Aroma of vanilla, bourbon and hints of the original imperial stout. The nice thing was the bourbon wasn’t too overpowering in any part of the beer... it was definitely there, but it wasn’t overkill. The mouthfeel seemed to be a bit thinner than the base imperial stout. Flavor was really great, with bourbon, vanilla, a little oaky and hints of the imp stout.

Sampled draft at the brewpub (Grand Rapids, MI). Pours a near black opaque pour with some browning edges, small brown head that dies to a film yet laces pretty well. Aromas are a nice melange of roasted malts, coffee, oak and light bourbon and vanilla. Very nice despite the summer temps. Initial is smooth, with it dominating the front end oak and vanilla, moving into chocolate and coffee, roasted malts, and a touch of warming alcohol. This is a lighter BA’d brew, but it works very well, making it easily quaffable without too much booziness and the flavors still shining through the oak. Finish reminds you of the booze, smooth oak, and sweetness. Faint bitterness, very nice. Cheers!

On tap at Founders. Pretty much a black pour with a very boozy aroma. Not much in the way of a head, but whats there is tan. Pretty good mix of chocolate, coffee, and maybe a touch of caramel and ash. Finish is a moderate bourbon burn.