Founders Imperial Stout

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

wow. very strong, almost too strong. very dark and thick, quite pricey in a four-pack locally.

Impressive and powerful and strong and very Imperial Stout-like. Imagine Founder’s patented taste (you know what it’s like) and put that into an Imperial Stout. You guessed it. Not my favorite. But an excellent brew, yet again!

Poured a thick black with a small, beautiful caramel head. Aroma is kind of weak - really subdued coffe and bitter chocolate. Flavor starts kind of subdued as well, and evolves into coffee, roasted malts and a nice bitter chocolate. The mouthfeel here is a perfect 5; it’s creamy, chewy and lush. Overall, kind of like Expedition in that it’s too much bitter coffe, especially on the finish, but this (to me) is definitely above Expedition. There’s a more interesting dynamic of flavors, and it’s not as sickly heavly and filling.

12oz bottle from Artusory. This black ale poured with a miniscule dark tan head, and a strong aroma of alcohol. There is a chewy mouthfeel and strong tastes of chocolate and coffee with a long slightly bitter finish. In spite of the alcohol aroma, there is no discernible alcohol taste.

(Bottle via trade with <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=2 target=blank>kramer17801, thanks Jason!, cellared for 9 mos. after trade) This hints at complexity but doesn’t quite get there - still nice...Pours like thick black coffee from the bottom of the pot. Pretty much opaque. Thin cocoa-brown head recedes quickly to light ring around edges. Aroma is semi-sweet chocolate, roastiness, molasses and dark coffee. Mouthfeel pretty smooth, very lightly prickly, medium-full. Lacing rather sloppy. Flavor of coffee roast, bittersweet dark chocolate and a slight hint of plum or cherry as it warms. Grassiness in finish at times. Aroma probably outdoes the flavor. Alcohol well-hidden.

bottle. pours pitch black. nice creamy brown head. aroma of burned chokolate. taste of coffe chokolate and liqerice. great beer.

Bottle, poured very black with a few dark bubbles, thick lacing, tons of chocolate on the nose, some coffee and roasted malt, sweet malt and faint vanilla, taste of chocolate, chocolate cake, bittersweet chocolate, dark roasted sweet malt, faint alcohol on the tongue and nose, very chocolatey stout, full thick mouthfeel.

The color was an oily black with no light penetration. The head was barely there. It was medium brown. The aroma was very sweet with strong molasses, alcohol, chocolate, and vanilla. The flavor is roasty, chocolate, sweet, coffee, vanilla, and a little bitter. The palate was thick and heavy with light carbonation. The finish was lingering and roasty. There is a yellow film left inside the glass once the beer is gone.