Founders Imperial Stout

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Serve in Snifter

Bottle. Roasted, coffee malt aroma and a syrup like black pour, little to no head, carbo loaded fill that settled to a pitch black appearance. The smooth palate was expectedly thick, but I was surprised with the smoothness, an almost creaminess about the texture. The taste held coffe, malt, smokey dark chocolate notes, and a bitter alcohol aftertaste.

Thanks be to Brian at True Vine! It took some self control to let the jewel warm up a bit but it is well worth the wait. Espresso color while pouring with just a hint of caramel colored head. The head will last if you swirl it some in a snifter. Smokey vanilla and cane syrup nose that gets better and better with some warmth. Semi sweet dark chocolate, rich coffee, deep burnt caramel, outside brown smoked pork, and a nice balance of bitterness from the judicious use of hops are all in abundance here. Quite possibly the finest mouthfeel of any beer I’ve tried. The finish is a little dry and long lasting. Founders accomplishment in the area of Stouts makes me wonder if Dark Lord is really worth all the hoopla.

12oz bottle, bottled 12/22/11. Black color, nice brown head that fades a bit. Great ring of lace. Lighter, very crisp carbonation. Dry texture. Really roasty taste, some bitterness. That roastiness is awesome, it lasts long through the aftertaste, and has just a little bite (but it’s a nice assertiveness). Really big, chewy body. Aroma is big orasted malts, some bitter-sweet dark chocolate, good hops. Great stuff.

1-year old bottle. Smooth, dark pour; as dark as can be and not be black. Luscious, slight cocoa head that dissipates quickly but comes back around edge of glass when the glass is swirled. Coffee, chocolate hints are more subtle than when freshly bottled. Great mouthfeel and aftertaste.

UPDATED: FEB 7, 2012 Dans le spectre des Impériales stouts, je la placerais exactement entre la Expedition pour l’éventail de saveurs et la Ten Fidy pour la présence en bouche. Un peu moins de tabac et de cuir que la Expedition et légèrement moins de mélasse que la Ten Fidy. Le café et le chocolat se marie également parfaitement et consomme leur union jusque dans la puissante amertume.

Got this on tap at Molly Malone’s in Covington, KY. Looked like motor oil or syrup when poured. Pitch black with a small light brown head. I had a hard time getting much from the aroma. A tiny bit of sweetness mixed with a dark roasted smell. This is a good smooth stout - well balanced. Not overly sweet, leans more toward the coffee, roasted malts tastes. Coats the inside of your mouth like syrup and the flavor lingers for quite a while.

Founder’s Imperial Stout pours pitch black. Pours thick like motor oil. A small tan head is poured and pretty much disappears to nothing except lacing around the glass. At first the smell of this brew will not blow you away. When I first poured it I had to sit there to pick some stuff up but as it warms the flavor pops more and more. Chocolate, roasted malt, molasses, and a smokey aroma. As it warms it becomes almost like a mocha. It makes you want to dive right in. For being 10.50% there is no sign of alcohol in the nose. Very nicely done. For the taste the roasted malt comes in first with a nice bit chocolate coming in next. To me it tasted like chocolate malt ball. The alcohol makes a little bit more of an appearance then it did in the aroma. It won’t smack you in the face though. Coffee is also there and adds a little bit of a bitter taste. The beer ends with some molasses and dark fruits. The taste isn’t big like a lot of imperial stouts out there. But it’s nice and rich. Really wanted another one after I was done with the bottle I had. The mouthfeel on this brew is really a one of the stars of the show. It’s full bodied, smooth, and it coats the mouth nicely. Really well done. If you see this brew pick it up.

Bottle, shared with my lovely fiancee. Pours one of the darkest blacks I’ve seen on an impy stout, with rich, espresso-foam head. Some lacing, but more alcohol legs. Nose is crazy: chocolate-covered, burnt espresso beans, roasted malts, a kiss of vanilla and smoked pork. Taste is more chocolate and rich, strong espresso. A hint of mint chocolate creeps in, with an undercurrent of heat. Lively mouthfeel, becomes creamier as it washes over the tongue. Slightly brash due to its youngness, but still pretty great.