Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale

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

12oz. Bottle. My 100th rating. Has a dark mahogany appearance with a thin lacing white head. Pungent nose with aged wood, bourbon and sugary fruits. Flavor is dominated by heavy doses of malt and caramel. Malt flavors manifest themselves as dark fruit, vanilla and sugarcane. Carbonation is low which lends a vintage character to the beer. Has the texture of slightly watered down maple syrup which is great because its thick, but not like drinking malt extract. Has a tiny Bourbon kick on the finish and leaves a short sugar coating on the tongue. Maybe still a bit hot at the moment, but can’t wait to see what it tastes like after a year or so.

Pours dark ruby red with a small amount of head. On the nose I get banana, orange peel, other subtle fruit nuances in there and of course a hint of malt. Medium bodied. On the palate I get banana, more orange peel, candied fruits. Leaves a nice aftertaste on the mouth as well. Nice sweetness, but not too sweet. This may not be what I am used to in an old ale, but still a nice beer that should not be graded too harshly for being a bit off style.

Orange red brown pour with a thin head. Particalia throughout the body. Unfiltered. Strong molasses, maple, apple, and oak in the aroma. Complex flavors throughout. Slightly strong on the oak, but quaffable nonetheless.

poured a nice amber brown with decent head. good aroma, malt and alcohol with undertones of tropical fruit. i thought that was unusual and intriguing. after my first sip, i figured out which fruit. the flavor is heavily sweet with coconut. the coconut was so overpowering that i poured it down the drain after i barely got down the third sip. i am not a fan of coconut in my beer! reminded me more of barleywine than it did of an ale. i won’t be getting this again.

Amber color pour with a small foamy head that lasts a while. Aroma of alcohol, fruit, brown sugar, and some acidic notes. Flavor is rich, sweet and malty. Big on fruit and dark caramel. Pretty good stuff.

On tap at the Bocktown, nice place. Brownish like iced tea. Nice nifty head. Friendly clean beery aroma. with no ill olfactory. Quite an over the top alky first impression, is this barley wine? Strong on the palate, does not hide the alky one bit. In your face bitter malt. Lots of personality. Rather strong overall with very little if any carbonation. Would not purchase again, too much for this lager lover. Not what I think of when I think of old ale.

Amber pour with a thin dirty white head. Aroma is of fruit, bourbon, slight alcohol, and sweet malt. The flavor is complex. I tasted the fruit, almost like raisons or plums, the sweetness, and the bourbon at the end. No flavors overpowering the others. The alcohol seems to be offset by the wonderful flavors of this beer. Low carbonation. Nice sweetness. I will try to age one for awhile to see how it does...but probably will drink them this weekend and have to buy another 4-pack.

12 oz bottle courtesy of the Binnys Singles Rack (Orland Park, IL) that I’ve been sitting on for awhile now. Poured into a tulip, pours a fierce fiery amber, hazy, with moderate offwhite head that cakes a bit, laces well. Aromas push a fine caramel malt, light spice, mellow darker fruits with some orange, spices, and a touch of florals. Nice. Initial is moderate in body, fruity up front with some dark fruits and orange like notes, perhaps even a touch of apricot. Further in, the malt becomes more notable, with bits of spice and a small pleasant bittering finish. Touches of brown sugar, vanilla, and the fruitiness really work well together, coupled with some nice malty toffee and caramel feel. Very nice.. and I generally don’t like beers that are Barley Wine/Old Ale types. Cheers!