Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Old Ale
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

12oz bottle. Pours a mostly clear, somewhat hazed from a good amount of tiny particulate, red body with a brownish tint. Thin, beige head that dissipates quickly and leaves a light lacing. Aroma is sweet and malty. Some buttered popcorn, ripe berries, melon, a light toffee, and a hint of bourbon and floral hop. Flavor is very rich and sweet, but not the fruity sweetness of the aroma. Creamy toffees, a buttery bourbon, a light wood, and some jelly bean fruits up front. A lightly bittered, somewhat resiny hop comes in as well as a light alcohol warmth. Finishes somewhat harsh with a slightly intensified woody bitterness and a sweet, creamy caramel and alcohol. Palate is full, very smooth, and somewhat chewy. Overall, a balanced beer for the most part. Sweet and malty with a bit of a harsh ending. I liked it though.

Bottle. Dark amber brown pour, little carbonation and a nice light whiskey and vanilla aroma. Flavor was also that of whiskey, malt, wood and finished with some alcohol heat and oaky. Not bad.

Tap, Reddish color ale. Old style beer, can taste the alcohol, it is a 9.8% beer, but it has the feel of a higher percentage. It has a very harsh flavor that comes with the traditional style that it is brewed in. Founders has impressed me with several beers before, however this is not my favorite style, but it’s merely personal preference not reflecting poorly on Founders.

Brick Store - This is what I would consider a dead on example of a beer made in a very traditional old style. This beer tastes aged for one, but it is also reminiscent of a very rough, unfinished style like it would have been made without advancements in technology. You can really smell the grains, and a large amount of heat from the alcohol. Thick and chewy, with some earthy woody notes. Very nice and unique

#490 for this beer,12oz bottle, courtesy of shawnm213, thanks man. Kind of a medium dark red color, some copper as well. The head was rather thin, a bit off-white in color. Sweet ripe fruits and a little caramelly maltiness, very rich. First off, this was pretty smooth initially, but it did have a pretty big alcohol bite on the tongue, slightly bitter, pretty good. (967)

Bottle. Muddy brown, like dirty river water. The aroma goes with that description -- exceptionally sour and dirty. Wow, this has a strong flavor -- like furniture polish. Exceptionally malty, and bordering on the sour, this is for the accustomed palate only. (#3625, 8/2/2009)

On tap at MBG Summer Festival. Poured a reddish hazy amber with a light brown head. Aroma was sweet throughout with barley notes. Began with sweet malts but dark notes as well as alcohol grew throughout. Quite thick on the tongue,

The aroma is strong of grain and you can smell the alcohol (seeing as this beer is 9.8% ABV that is normal). The color is almost red and the when poured there is a very small head that disappears almost immediately. It is sweet with a bitter finish but not as bitter of a finish as in stouts. Overall good beer and another reason I am happy to have Founders in town.