Founders Breakfast Stout - Founders Brewing Company

Tilley4

Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

What a deliciously creamy brew this is... Loaded with coffee chocolatey goodness... Intense aromas of dark rich coffee and bitter chocolate..

Smooth richness blend of coffee and cocoa.... Very rich and intense... Overpowering taste and aroma...

A delicious beer... Terrific... World class.

Serving type: growler

02-07-2011 20:21:34 | More by Tilley4

MWellington

New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

First review...and it's a good beer to start with I reckon. Poured from a tap into a clear growler at the liquor store I work at, then poured into my 20oz Culinary Institute of America glass.

Appearance: Probably one of the darkest beers I've ever seen. It came out nice though, decent 2 finger head with lacing throughout the glass during consumption.

Smell: Coffee, Roasted Malts, etc. It was drank Christmas night so I'm having trouble remembering.

Taste: Like a Milk Stout, with notes of Coffee, don't think I got too much Chocolate.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, light, easy drinking, not heavy like I expected.

Drinkability: Very Easy Drinking, I plan on getting a 4-pack of it this weekend.

I highly recommend this beer if you have it near your house.
Cheers!

Serving type: growler

12-29-2010 03:37:27 | More by MWellington

MuddyMcGinny

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

64 oz. Growler into a English nonic.

Whoa! Pours Black Sabbath black, firm and syrupy with little head that forms slowly. Minimal froth is espresso red/brown with little carbonation. Very subtle dark ruby ring at the crown. Smell of rich dark coffee, malt and some smoke.

Coffee bitterness and chocolate with a really nice bite on first sip, Sumatra/Kona combo makes for a real robust flavor without much lingering bitter in the aftertaste... but the second pour is off the charts! Once the buds adjust the bite gives way to a smooth creaminess that makes this puppy extremely drinkable.

Lots o' muscle. Brings me back to my old Brooklyn days of a Manhattan Special without the extreme bitterness and carbonation. The two growlers I scored from Joe Canals Woodbridge NJ was a gift from the beer gods. Lashed it back while groovin' the Macpodz! Real good stuff coming out of Michigan!! One of my knock 'em out most favorite beers to date.

Serving type: growler

12-12-2010 01:23:28 | More by MuddyMcGinny

JoeBloe

New York

4.8/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

ok - i've had this a couple of times a couple of ways when traveling out of state over the years - and now founders is finally distributing in NY -
i brought a couple of 4pks into work last week and poured a few glasses to give to the crew to try - the response was overwhelmingly incredible --"what IS this?' 'where did you get it?'
"can you get me some" "i don't think i can drink anything else now that i've tried this! " were some of the comments - beer advocacy rules!
also,one of the best labels in the industry
the next day i stopped by decicco's in ardsley to pick up a couple more 4pks for the guys and to my amazement there's FBS on the growler fill station! -

pours thick and black and puts up a nice thick 2 finger tan head and laces nicely on the way down -
smells roasty(?) with coffee and dark chocolate
taste is very nice up front with coffee flavors and chocolate with a slightly bitter finish that begs for the next sip
feels nice on the tongue and pallete, like a good quality dark chocolate -
drinkability is amazingly good - to quote a beer store employee who saw my purchase - "that stuff is like crack" - i want to sip this all day long -

very well deserving of its standing as #8 best beer on planet earth

Serving type: growler

10-25-2010 19:35:29 | More by JoeBloe

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Super deep brown, not quite black with a billowing brown head that has good retention, and gobs of lacing down the glass.

S - A touch of grassy hops, but then its all rich roasted coffee with a touch of dark chocolate.

T - Rich dark chocolate, then milk chocolate, and finishes with a big blast of roasted coffee.

M - Full body, delicate low carbonation, super smooth and creamy across the palate with a touch of dark chocolate bitterness in the aftertaste.

D - Turns into a sipper after a glass, but the taste and mouthfeel are excellent. Full body, but it never gets "chewy" or syrupy. Well done. I will get this again.

Serving type: growler

10-15-2010 00:15:31 | More by garuda

chinchill

South Carolina

4.39/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in 4oz glass

A- nearly opaque. Brownish black.

Superb example of Imperial Coffee stout. Excellent balance of tastes with clear presence of coffee, malt and hops, and with both sweet and bitter components. Highly complex and dynamic flavors. Subtle chocolate flavor. Exceptionally smooth both while drinking and in finish.

S - Aroma is much lighter and softer than expected for such a highly flavorful brew. Primary aroma: Malty roasted coffee

Excellent, nearly the best stout I've ever had but bested by Founders CSB

Serving type: growler

10-09-2010 17:43:40 | More by chinchill

dayswonder

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

When I poured it from the growler it looked wonderful. The head just kept growing as I poured. The color of the head is a warm caramel color. Smell has notes of mocha.
The taste...Oh the taste is glorious! Absolutely amazing in my mouth it was like an explosion of flavors. Dark chocolate notes, coffee, and a little bitter towards the end. It's a good bitter though. The mouth feel is very silky and smooth. Overall it goes down smooth and lacing occurs down the whole glass. First time ever trying this beer and so far it's one of my favorite stouts.

Serving type: growler

09-25-2010 23:32:27 | More by dayswonder

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a perfect pint.

A- pours pitch black with a 3 finger brown head. Lacing is perfect, all the way up the glass. Gorgeous

S- strong, dark coffee with slight hints of cocoa and roasted malts. I'd like a tad bit more cocoa and a little less coffee...that's my only complaint. Super strong and brilliant

T- I hope you like coffee, because that's what you're getting out of this one. Tons upon tons upon tons of coffee, and almost nothing but. Getting hints of roasted malts, but no real sweetness as I'd want from some chocolate...a little bit of a disappointment there

M- its actually not thick and syrupy at all, which took me by surprise a little bit. I expected a thick slush...it was a lot thinner than I expected, but there was still some body to it.

D- I expected more out of this, but its still a really good beer. Could have been balanced out a little more IMO

Serving type: growler

09-24-2010 21:12:15 | More by bigfnjoe

jsanford

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is my 1st official BA review, so I wanted to choose a good one. Poured into my trusty New Belgium globe glass from a CBX-filled growler. Right around 55 degrees.

A - Dark inky black, 3/4 inch milk-chocolate mousse head with good retention. Leaves a nice swirl in the center and a foamy ring around the edge of the glass

S - Sweet roasted coffee and bitter chocolate, slight oatmeal, slight vanilla. Wonderful.

T - Spot on with the nose. Bold roasted coffee. Cocoa powder. No real hop flavor but there's a definite bitterness. Great balance between some very strong aspects.

M - Chewy. Slightly thin with a wonderful carbonation that tickles the back of your throat as it goes down. Smooth.

D - Could easily drink this all night/day if not for the ABV. Definitely gets better as it warms up, much of the bitterness fades and the flavors meld together nicely.

This is one of my favorite beers from my absolute favorite brewery. Obviously doesn't get the hype that its cousins get but where KBS is a special-occasion beer, I never feel bad about pulling out one of these on a whim (especially with some bacon and eggs)!

Serving type: growler

04-21-2010 21:17:04 | More by jsanford

peabody

Kentucky

4.85/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours out really thick and black. Very slight bubbles but I poured it really slow. Been in the Growler for 4 days.
Smell is charred malt and coffee bean. Some chocolate but it's dark and very creamy smelling.
Taste is just mellow as it can be. Wonderful cherry and dark black bitterness with a sweet maltyness combines all at once. What is left is a bitter blackness that sticks around for a long time.
Mouthfeel is very clean at first then a sticky bitter-sweet takes over till the end.
Drinkability is just perfect here. I want to drink this whole growler.
I think this is just as good and probably better than the bottle. Glad Kane at Roof Brothers in Paducah, Ky got ahold of this keg.

Serving type: growler

11-06-2009 00:51:05 | More by peabody

movingtrain

Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a growler of Breakfast Stout at Party Town in Florence, KY. Poured into a snifter.

Pours black, with a light creamy tan head.

Smells of coffee, bitter chocolate, molasses...some super dark malty notes here...and very coffee-like. Sweet on the nose, but not overly sweet smelling.

Taste is amazing...dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee. The alcohol is coming through, but not overpowering. Some hints of vanilla, pepper, and some other spices...

Overall, this stout is incredible. It's dry, but not too dry. It has some sweet notes, and the coffee flavor lingers for a long time. The mouthfeel is a little light...but is incredibly drinkable and remarkably balanced.

Serving type: growler

09-12-2009 18:14:28 | More by movingtrain

Gmann

New York

4.33/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black color, with a dense chocolate milk looking head that settled into a sparse cap. The aroma is of mocha, moderate coffee and milk chocolate, some charred wood and hints of smoke. Big roasted malt flavor, bitter chocolate and strong coffee, some wet wood and smoke, a bit ashy, as well as some vinous flavors. The feel is starts off chewy but seems to get lighter towards the end, seems to tail off. Soft carbonation leads to a creamy feel; finishes bitter. A very flavorful stout, good range of roasted malt, chocolate, and wood.

Serving type: growler

05-17-2009 01:02:35 | More by Gmann

joerodiii

New York

4.05/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler from BigZ in Huntington, NY.

Thick, dark black with no hints of any color. Aroma of roasted malts and chocolate.

The stout tastes like it smells, roastey with a touch of chocolate. It is a little too bitter for my tastes, but it still works. The mouthfeel is perfect, slightly thick but not syrupy. I would love to try a nitro version of this beer.

Serving type: growler

01-26-2009 22:21:17 | More by joerodiii

LilBeerDoctor

New York

4/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of iowaherkeye. Pours black with a dark tan head that dissipates rapidly. Aroma of coffee predominantly, followed by roasted malt, nuts, and rich sweet malt. Flavor of coffee roast, peanuts, some burnt malt. Solid body. Great beer (it didn't awe me though). 8/4/7/4/16

Rerate 11/23/08. Growler. Pours black with a small tan head that fades rapidly. Aroma of roasted malt, coffee, and roasted nuts. Flavor of sweet roasted malt and lots of coffee and nuts. Tasty and very drinkable for an imperial stout. Nice coffee presence. Lots of chocolate peanut butter. Yum!
Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 4/5
Flavor: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 16/20
4.0/5

Serving type: growler

11-23-2008 03:13:52 | More by LilBeerDoctor

jojox

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler from The Drafting Room, review from notes.

a - not much CO2, probably because of the growler. Super black. 1 molecule thick head but stable! Very black in color

s - coffee, chocolate, raisins, red fruit, molassis. Smells delicious. Toffee. No hops, not a hint.

t - rich and bitter coffee stout. Very good. Solid flavors, very rich and strong, but not very complex or complicated (although it's pretty cold). Bitter from coffee.

m - not smooth, more rough from bitterness, but not unpleasant.

d - let's see: I've got a whole growler!

Great! - drank *6* glasses!

Serving type: growler

11-22-2008 17:04:09 | More by jojox

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pitch black with almost no head. tiny amount of tan foam clings to the edges of my glass. no bubbles in the body of the pour.

S - smells of burnt coffee beans, little whomp of alcohol behind it, soy sauce works its way in the mix too.

T - flat black coffee, smokey burnt malt and hearty roasted oats, dark chocolaty finish, sweet with sour creeping in at the edges. almost as if someone took a really nice brewed cup of black coffee, imbued it with a little more sweetness, a good dollop of alcohol, and chilled it.

M - flat, not at all as creamy as the description of the beer might lend one to believe.

D - I would have easily been able to down my growler in one night if I weren't really taking it slow and steady this evening. This is a beer to be savored.

Bottom line is that Founders is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.

Serving type: growler

11-22-2008 03:07:51 | More by HeyItsChili

BrewMaster

California

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Dark black with a thick, brown, fluffy head. Very nice lacing and a very sticky head on the side of the glass. Swirling brings this monster of a head back to life.

Smell: Wow. Rich aromas of dark chocolate, coffee grounds, brown sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla.

Taste: Sandy coffee and chocolate flavors with vanilla, soy sauce, and Hershey's syrup all coming in boldly but not too strongly. There's a nice hop ending to this beer that ingers along with a long, sweet, brown sugar finish. The aftertaste is bready and sweet. The flavor is great because it does not overdo it on anything. There not too much of anything but all the flavors are tasty and well represented.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy with a slight graininess that awakens my palate. So very well done on the feel.

Drinkability: This beer is great because no flavor or smell is overdone. A lot of stouts taste like cold coffee. This beer is complex and tasty without killing the consumer with one intense flavor. Well done because their are lots of coffee and chocolate flavors but still some hop and vanilla flavors to soften the brew.

Serving type: growler

08-31-2005 17:46:19 | More by BrewMaster

CortexBomb

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Breakfast Stout pours out of the growler normal stouty black, and accompanies it with a nice off tan head and the alcohol noticeably clings to the glass upon shifting, just like I like my stouts. The smell is distinctly roasty with a strong coffee effect.

The taste is very coffee-ish up front, but not so much coffee as to absolutely overwhelm the palatte and make it unenjoyable. Baker's Chocolate and a creamy sensation are also very much present, and the vaguest hint of hops help put it over the top in the taste category...really well done. The flavour ends with an almost coffee groundish effect and leaves that wonderful stouty roasted flavour on the tongue to remember it by.

The mouthfeel is strong, but not quite tops for a stout, it clings, but isn't quite elite in viscuity. Drinkability for a stout is very good though, it's quite easy to put one of these down and I tend to buy it when I see it, though usually only on tap, which is fortunately fairly common in beer bars here in MI.

Overall this is a great beer by Founders and is well worth trying out.

Serving type: growler

08-01-2005 04:35:12 | More by CortexBomb

Loki

North Carolina

4.88/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Sampled from a 64oz growler.

Appearance: Completely opaque, solid mass of blackness that builds a healthly cocoa colored head. The head is a bit unique in that from the side it looks like layered bubbles, yet from the top it is smooth for just a few depressions and looks like a brown sponge.

Smell: Rich coffee, creamy smooth chocolate, rich malts, and hints of smoke. Smells like a fancy coffee house iced latte with something extra. I could wake up to this every morning.

Taste: Coffee, bitter chocolate, and roasted malt. At first I thought it tasted like a cold cafe mocha coffee, without the cold coffee taste; but it almost exactly like chocolate covered expresso beans. Simply fanstastic. It makes me long for a cup of good, fresh java.

Mouthfeel: creamy and cold beginning with a slightly bitter finish. Maintains a refreshing wetness and finishes increadibly smooth. I was amazed that my mouth felt this wet with some of the coffee and chocolate bitterness.

Drinkability: Fantastic, impressive, somewhat unique. I could have this at anytime of the day and may try it tomorrow with breakfast!

Thanks granger10 for the wonderful beer!

Serving type: growler

10-04-2004 12:28:47 | More by Loki

tvl89

Texas

5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served from a bottle at around 55 degrees. This is my first founders breakfast stout so my expectations were really really high. Oh god I wasn't disappointed at all! The appearance is just like a typical imperial stout; pitch black with a decent head that dissipates in about 3 minutes. The smell is just awesome, coffee, heavy chocolate, roasted malts and more chocolate. The taste is just like the smell very delicious, very creamy. The first flavor you palate detects is the rich coffee, followed by tons and tones of dark chocolate, ending in a pleasant bitterness. This could be perhaps the best Russian stout out there. I highly recommend!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 01:26:46 | More by tvl89

patre_tim

China

3.85/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Dark brown, almost black opaque with a half head of deep brown mocha colour with a slight rusty tinge. When held to the light you can see a deep brown rusty amber tinge a half cm into the body.

S: Dark chocolate, coffee, toffee, mostly a sweet dark coffee scent, coffee liqueur.

T: Coffee, dark chocolate, snow or freezer burn, then a sour almost watery quality that then turns into a rusty metallic taste, and a finnish of black coffee. Very complex. As I drink it, the metallic disappears, and becomes more of a black licorice taste. There is a sweetness to it, but its not overwhelming, and remains more in the background.

M: Medium heavy body, somewhat lighter than some American Doubles, medium low carbonation. Syrupy.

O: I like it, but was certainly disappointed based on the high ratings this one has. Certainly does not add up to 100 for me. I much prefer the taste of Peche Mortal to this. Will go well with the Black Joe Cake (a chocolate cake with coffee in it and a vanilla icing) I'm about to have from my Birthday.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 13:25:33 | More by patre_tim

GonzoHomebrewer

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

One of the beers that really started it all for me

A- Black as the coffee that wafts from it, with a small not so dense mocha head

S- The nose on this beer, as a coffee lover, just does it for me. Just a wonderful bouquet of cold press, dark roasted coffee with semi sweet chocolate in the background. Just awesome

T-A little lackluster compared to the wonderful smell, but still does a good job of conveying the dark roasted coffee and semi sweet chocolate,

M- This is where I could use a little less carbonation or perhaps it is just simply too thin, but relative to other Imperial Stouts, the mouthfeel is lacking, is more American Stout than Imperial.

O- I have a bias because this is one of the beers that got me enamored with craft/micro/nano/artisanal whatever we call it now; beer. Still, anybody who considers themselves a craft beer connoisseur ought to try this beer. It is worthy

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:21:26 | More by GonzoHomebrewer

bobbyr5

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This is one of Founders' best.

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 8.3%

Purchased at: Discount Beverage, Canton, MI

Pour: Thick dark pour that resembled ice coffee

Aroma: Smell mostly of coffee with the sweet smell of chocolate

Flavor: Coffee and Chocolate flavor

Overall: A+

Usually comes in four packs in Michigan, but I managed to them in a mix a six pack for cheaper. Good substitute for a morning coffee!

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 14:58:06 | More by bobbyr5

fitrock2112

Ohio

4.73/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured Breakfast Stout in to a snifter.

A - Black as midnight, brown head that is barely noticeable.

S - Coffee, roasted malts.

T - Whoa, very smooth coffee and chocolate. Some sugary sweetness comes through as well mid palate. This is a true winner.

M - Light carbonation, heavy mouthfeel, but smooth as silk. Luxury at its finest.

O - Well, its Founders Breakfast Stout. enough said! Enjoy. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 01:56:48 | More by fitrock2112

sguzman

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Another favorite! Had it at the Stout on 33rd West by 1 Pen Plaza NYC. I must say it has a lovely aroma with a twist of bitter cream. The body was very filling and satisfying. I enjoyed it so much i had 4 in one sitting and didn't make it back to work. The cream stout taste leave your pallet satisfy and refreshed. I would recommend the beer to any women you wish to have a great time with.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2013 19:53:30 | More by sguzman