Founder's Breakfast Stout
I bought this beer because I loved the name. I've had mixed experiences with Founder's, a brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their beers are fine, but I've never really been blown away by one.
This seasonal offering clocks in at 8.3%, a heavy hitter to be sure. It's gotten some great reviews (Beer Advocate has it rated the 9th best beer in the world, #4 in America; 22 and 15 respectively on RateBeer).
It is a very interesting beer, but I can't quite muster the enthusiasm of the larger beer rating community. Perhaps my standards for stout are higher... After all, I've drunk more than my share of the inimitable Cadillac Mountain Stout, which Beer Advocate ranks only #27 in America, but which is the perfect beer in my book. I'm also a big fan of the Victory Storm King, Bell's various stouts, and the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. And I should mention here that I'm already counting the days till I get to try Dark Lord Super Imperial Stout (April 29th) from the geniuses at Three Floyds. Dark Lord is a 13% abv monster, and since I'm on a bit of a ratings kick, I'll mention that Beer Advocate has it as the 3rd best beer in the universe.
But back to the Breakfast Stout. Its name comes from the fact that it's loaded with coffee-- Sumatra and Kona, so they say. There's lots of dark roasted coffee in the nose, and it also makes up the biggest part of the taste. I get some nice bitter chocolate and a little malty sweetness as well.
I guess what makes it less than perfectly satisfying for me is a certain lack of balance (just too much coffee-- and that's saying something coming from me) and a slightly thin mouthfeel.
Don't get me wrong: it's a good beer and ambitious. But it's not something I'll go looking for.
This seasonal offering clocks in at 8.3%, a heavy hitter to be sure. It's gotten some great reviews (Beer Advocate has it rated the 9th best beer in the world, #4 in America; 22 and 15 respectively on RateBeer).
It is a very interesting beer, but I can't quite muster the enthusiasm of the larger beer rating community. Perhaps my standards for stout are higher... After all, I've drunk more than my share of the inimitable Cadillac Mountain Stout, which Beer Advocate ranks only #27 in America, but which is the perfect beer in my book. I'm also a big fan of the Victory Storm King, Bell's various stouts, and the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. And I should mention here that I'm already counting the days till I get to try Dark Lord Super Imperial Stout (April 29th) from the geniuses at Three Floyds. Dark Lord is a 13% abv monster, and since I'm on a bit of a ratings kick, I'll mention that Beer Advocate has it as the 3rd best beer in the universe.
But back to the Breakfast Stout. Its name comes from the fact that it's loaded with coffee-- Sumatra and Kona, so they say. There's lots of dark roasted coffee in the nose, and it also makes up the biggest part of the taste. I get some nice bitter chocolate and a little malty sweetness as well.
I guess what makes it less than perfectly satisfying for me is a certain lack of balance (just too much coffee-- and that's saying something coming from me) and a slightly thin mouthfeel.
Don't get me wrong: it's a good beer and ambitious. But it's not something I'll go looking for.
posted by Eric | 9:18 PM
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