Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale

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

A definite bourbon aroma and sharp bourbon flavor. Warm and slightly viscous without being slick or tasting like ethanol. Brown sugar, vanilla, dark caramel, pie crust. Really a delicious old ale.

Pours a rich reddish copper with a significant though quickly waning creamy white head. Good lacing. Big woody oaky vanilla bourbon. Sweet malt bill makes this a an almost cloying bourbon sort of experience. Not bad, but not quite my cup of tea. Definitely strong caramel and even a hint of chocolate in here. Not bad at all. A creamy rich mouthfeel with very subdued carbonation and a velvety smoothness. A woody bourbon note comes through over a great bit caramel malt backbone. Wood is huge here, and the vanilla is big, but the tannic oak is what sticks out. And actually, it reels in the malt well, making this a lovely balanced beer. Cookie dough in the finish? A little bit of diacetyl, but the aftertaste is dominated by vanilla and oak. After this and the Kentucky Breakfast, I might be turning the corner on bourbon barrel aged beers... maybe.

12 ounce bottle in pint glass. Dark amber with lasting ring and lace. Very mild toasty malt aroma. Toasty brown sugar maltiness with medium raisiny fruity sweetness and medium dry bitter finish. Medium-full body and medium carbo. Quite complex and string but mellow and enticing. A well-made, drinkable, pleasant, strong, tasty old ale.

Thanks to Ted at CRBC for sharing. Pours a deep opaque brown with a light tan head that lasts and seeds beautiful lacing. The aroma is oaky malts, alcohol, ripe fruit, and a hint of brett sourness. The body is med-heavy with very light CO2. The flavors show off some bourbon character but are really malt accentuated. Lots of ripe apple with a turkish delight character that makes the beer unique and slight sourness that balances the sweet malt. The finish is sweet, warm, and lasting. Beautiful beer.

Dark opaque chestnut with small dense head and nice lacing. Smell is sweet and rich with bourbon and coconut.Taste is same, with vanilla and a tiny bit of astringency. Finishes with banana bread, and slight warming alcohol. AWESOME $5.45/12oz

interesting beer, not necessarily like other old ale’s i’ve had, though definitely still has old ale characteristics. that’s all i can really remember about it except i know it looked good and had a great mouthfeel.

bottled 3/5/09poured a dark ruby and brown in color with a thick foamy two finger light tan head that stuck around. aroma has sweet chewy caramel malt, rich dark malt, vanilla, dark sweet fruit, and some rum cake. medium mouth feel with light carbonation coats the tongue well. flavor has plenty of rich malt, vanilla, thick caramel sweetness, some earth, and a hit of alcohol at the end. i really like the flavors in this one, but the sweetness does get a little high even for a sweet lover.

Bottle from footbalm. Borbon notes predominate. If this weren’t the BA version, I don’t know that it would have much flavor. Good, but not great.