Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale

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

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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On tap @CBC13. Clear amber brown with white head. Aroma of caramel, malt and syrup. Taste is sweet and caramelly with lots of malts and some dusty basement notes.

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a reddish brown with a decent amount of head. Sweet malt on the nose, maybe a hint of caramel. Like its description, I found it deceptively smooth for the 9.8% abv. Medium body, not a very complex beer but a quality beer to sit back and enjoy. Malty with a very slight bitterness on the finish.

Midway put on a 2012 keg in celebration of ACBW. I have a couple at home, but they are destined for a trade. Pours brown with decent head and fabulous lacing. Smell is more grassy than I would have expected. The sweet molasses flavor carries much of the weight for this old ale. My own conventional wisdom figured the palate would be thick and viscous, but it had lively carbonation. Good beer, a little sweet for my hoppy American sensibilities. Draft - Midway Pub - Atlanta, GA

Dark Hazy Orange all around. Has an aroma of oak, chocolate, caramel and citrus hops. Flavor is strong oak, caramel, citra-hops, caramel and a very strong malty backbone. Body is heavy but carbonation is light; Very very thick thanks to the molasses but a pleasure to drink! I think I may have found my new favorite beer from Founders!

UPDATED: MAY 16, 2013 First impression - that’s how old ale should be to me. Pours deep amber reddish, cloudy with little peaces of yeast all around. Head is little, beige, no lacing. Taste is sweet malty profile with almost no bitter; overall dry palette, at the beginning spicy, later just yeasty astringent ( a bit reminds me Mikkeller/Lervig Double Eye PA). Palate - above medium body, thick texture, long light dry finish. A bit reminds me of Belgian style yeasty strong ales, like dubbels but not dark malt flavor. Enjoyed every sap.

Spout is orangish copper with a thin off white head. Nose is caramel malt, molasses, and sweet cane sugar. Taste is nice and extremely malty with notes of sugar, brown sugar and toffee with a little booziness due to the 9.8% abv. Mouthfeel is medium with no discernible aftertaste. Very nice beer for sipping on a cold day. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle. Pours amber with a tiny off white head. Aroma is very malty, sweet and with some marzipan and syrup as well. Taste is a hefty malt bomb with sweetness and some raisins/figs, at the end there’s chocolate and slight alcohol. Very well balanced. Mouth feel is sticky. After taste is quite dry and bitter hoppy.

Sample at CBC 2013, Saturday. Clear brownish with a medium head. Aroma and taste of malt, syrup, dried fruit, toffee and some light spices. Very drinkable.

Aroma is dominated by malt notes with only a slight earthy, dank secondary hop note. Malt has nice dark caramel notes, some toffee and a noticeable chocolate character. There is also notes of toasted bread, raisins and cherries. A light vanilla note is also present. Pours a fairly cloudy burnt amber with copper and brown notes. Quite a bit of what looks to be chill haze. Head is a thick light tan color but it quickly recedes to the edges. Flavor is similar to the aroma and is dominated by malt. Lots of toasted bread along with caramel, toffee and chocolate. Mid palate you get a moderate bitterness that helps balance the sweet malt and a touch of an earthy hop flavor. The finish has a bit more chocolate notes as well as some dark fruit. There is quite a bit of raisin and cherry along with fig. Nice, balanced vanilla and oak note also in the finish. A touch of alcohol spice in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium full bodied with medium low carbonation. Astringency is low an alcohol warmth is moderate. Overall a very enjoyable old ale. Very well balanced with nice malt character and just the right amount of hops and barrel note. The malt has great complexity and the beer doesn't finish too sweet. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Rusty red with a small head. Malty and sweet with a small hop bite. Good example of the style