Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale

Thanks to footbalm for the bottle. Cloudy orange/copper color with a small head. No retention. Aroma of bourbon, brown sugar and vanilla. Taste has a little dark fruit along with the sweet brown sugar, bourbon and vanilla. Also some sourness throughout, maybe close to peaches. Just a little warm. Very nice.

Bottle courtesy of Secret Santa (thanks!). Pours dark reddish-brown with traces of off-white head that leave as quickly as they came. I could smell this bad boy as soon as I opened it, so I knew that I wouldn’t have to dig too much here. This must be a 2006 bottle because there’s a big oak presence here, got hints of bourbon and brandy interestingly enough. Additionally, got some caramel, malty sweetness, and a few times I caught some coconut in there, which was odd, but I love coconut, so hell yeah! As the beer warmed up, the bourbon influence took over the aroma almost entirely. But enough about how it smelled...that’s just foreplay. Taste was nice, mostly bourbon, but has a good background of malty sweetness to complement it. Finish was pretty boozy, more bourbon of course. Pretty sticky palate, definitely good for this sort of brew, despite its relative ease of drinking. A good first impression for the Old Ale style on my tastebuds.

12 oz. bottle. Rich and malty smell upon opening. Low-proof whiskey character, but not too heady. Pours somewhat muddy brown, with a weak head that’s gone in a minute. But a fine taste indeed. Whiskey again, with caramel and Sugar Babies in support. Don’t go looking for hop character here, if you’ve held this for any length of time (this bottle about 6 months old), it’s been reduced to a small supporting role. Grpe juice, prune and blackberry impressions around the sticky, almost gooey brew. May be a bit too sticky for some, especially on this hot August Night (Neil Diamond reference; how postmodern of me). But it’ll be well worth waiting for winter to open the other bottles.

Pours a cloudy brown color with lots of floaties and a ring of light brown lace. Very good aroma and flavor of peated and caramel malt with very mild alcohol. The body is light and creamy and the carbonation is gentle. Another solid Founders product.

12 oz bottle. 2006 vintage. Poured a clear reddish-orange color. Not much head other than a thin off white ring and a bit of film. Aroma was of plum, cocoa, and malty molasses. Sweet on the tongue with a chewy, slick mouth feel and very little carbonation. The effects of bourbon barrel aging on the flavor are obvious with vanilla, whiskey, and oak flavors imparted. There is also some raisin and malty milk chocolate. Boozy bourbon finish that lingers. Good beer that gets better as it warms.

This is a good beer, but seems a little potent for an Old Ale. It reminds me more of a barleywine than an old ale. Nice caramel flavors with a good supporting body to balance out all the flavor and alcohol. It just reminds me more of a barleywine

Pours a cloudy brown color with almost no head. Syrupy consistency. Aromas of raisin. Full bodied and fruity flavors. Malty, chalky aftertaste. Decent but not phenomenal.

2006 vintage. Courtesy of boboski, you are so my hero. The color reminds my of Fall in New England, a warm ochre, redolent of the turning leaves. Aroma is vanilla, maple, burnt orange and that wisp of whiskey. Flavor follows suit, but is a an impressive performance, high notes seem to be a a symphony of sweetness, some bitter orange undertones. The close is a heady bourbon flavor that is well integrated. I live for Old Ales, and this was a definite star.