Founders Imperial Stout - Founders Brewing Company

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on nitro-tap at Al's of Hampden into a nonic pint.

A - Pours used motor oil black with a small film of khaki colored head, dissipating down to a spotty film, leaving thin rings of lacing down the glass.

S - Lots of flavor going on in this one but mostly coffee, chocolate, dark roasted malt, booze, and a tiny bit of vanilla. Not too over the top like others, just a solid Imperial Stout.

T - Lots of rich dark roasted coffee mixes well with the dark roasted malt and dulled chocolaty sweetness. The booze comes thru more and more as it begins to come to room temperature. Finish is very roasty with tons of it lingering long after the finish. Not too bad.

M - Heavy body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Lots of heavy roast in both the feel and the finish. Good overall balance but the booze crept in toward the end.

D - Pretty good. I enjoyed this one but the roast began to wear me down over the course of the glass. Still a very nice beer. Glad I finally got to try it.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-07-2011 19:11:27 | More by orangesol

thain709

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - The body is black as night and has a head that is pretty much non exsistant...there is a dark brown, wispy cap that formed and became a bead...spotty lacing

S - A lot of roasted malt with dark chocolate and roasted espresso beans mixed in...there is a trace of alcohol on the nose

T - Again, the roasted malt is there and it's the first thing you pick up...it gives way to bitter, dark chocolate and a dark fruit flavor...I'm getting dates and raisins...the ending turns into bitter, roasted coffee/espresso beans...the coffee flavor isn't as pronounced as the chocolate

M - Full bodied...creamy and smooth...bitter chocolate

D - A very nice Imperial Stout that has a great mouthfeel...had it beside a Green Flash Double Stout and this one was my clear favorite...the flavors were full and rich...watch the ABV though because you can't taste it

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-03-2011 20:51:43 | More by thain709

bigaltemple

Colorado

4.44/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 12/20/12

Good pour of motor oil. Black and viscous. No real head, but wasn't really expecting one. Dark, caramel ring supplies some small spots of lace.

Nice and toasty, almost smokey. Good amount of bitter chocolate and fresh roasted coffee. As it warms, get some sweeter/vanilla notes.

Initial taste is all espresso before the char and chocolate show up. Very thick and coats the entire palate. Warming even with the alcohol being well hidden. Like the nose, vanilla and caramelized sugar show up after some time.

Highly enjoyed this and would love to have more to enjoy on a cooler evening.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 03:45:47 | More by bigaltemple

Zbyler

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A- Pitch black. Couldn't see any light shining through when held up to the light. Nice tan finger and a half of head.

S- Roasted malts, Charcoal, chocolate, I get a whiff of beef jerky or smoked meat in there as well.

T- Rich roasted malts up front. Dark chocolate notes, nice smokiness to it. Burnt caramel notes in there as well. Hints of coffee too. Slight roasty bitterness on the finish.

M- Thick mouthfeel, very smooth and not much carbonation.

O- Another solid offering from Founders. Not as good as the Breakfast stout but its a whole different animal. Much more of a smokey stout here. Great none the less.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 00:45:09 | More by Zbyler

RaulMondesi

California

4.74/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Just pumped. Straight pumped. Raul got this goodie in a trade and is Raulsky sure glad he did! Holy hell! This bad boi is werkin it like Alessandra Ambrosio walking down the catwalk. Boom boom to all the zoom zooms. Coffee, chocolate, bourbon... Give it to Raul. He wants it all!

Baby baby? Baby baby!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 02:22:19 | More by RaulMondesi

Andrew61923

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle dated 1/5/13 poured into my Duvel tulip. Had been planing on aging this one a bit longer, but oh well.

A: Black as night and pours as thick as motor oil. With an aggressive pour. leave a finger's worth of tan head that dissipates rather quickly into some random bubbles and a thin halo along the glass' edge.

S: A lot of smoked malts resulting in a meaty aroma. A hint of chocolate sweetness.

T: Still a bit of meatiness in the taste, but there is a whole lot more bitter chocolate going on with the palate than there was in the aroma. This will only continue to grow in complexity as it ages and I'm excited to see what it tastes like moving forward.

M: As mentioned before, this was a thick pour and has a thick mouthfeel. That being said, that should be the goal of an imperial stout and this beer does it well. It coats the tongue well and leaves me yearning for another sip. I'll indulge that craving.

O: I'm excited to see as this beer develops. I have two more from this bottling date and another from the year before. All of them should provide great drinking experiences and I would venture a guess that I will enjoy it even more next time I revisit it.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 02:34:36 | More by Andrew61923

dar482

New York

4.49/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle on neck says the beer was bottled on 12/6/12.

The color is a pitch black stout color with a chocolate brown half finger head. The head lingers, good amount of lacing on the glass. Beautiful color on the head.

The aroma has roasted malt, coffee, and deep rich chocolate fudge. It’s a very delicious chocolate aroma. There’s a bit of dark fruit in there.

The flavor is deep and rich. The first hit is just of dark roasted espresso, which leaves an aftertaste that salivates the mouth and asking for more. There’s also a dark bitter chocolate. However, the big flavor is that bitter espresso or French roasted coffee. It’s quite smokey at times. It’s almost like charcoal with how deep and burnt the flavor is.

As the beer warms up, you get some deep rich dark fruits like cherries or raisins, much like a Belgian strong dark ale.

The mouthfeel is just luscious and viscous, almost like drinking hot chocolate. It’s very creamy and the alcohol does not come through at all.

This is quite an exceptional beer, but for those who are interested in deep dark flavors. The bitterness in this does not let up. This is a good addition to Founders incredible line of beers. It pushes towards KBS instead of Breakfast Stout. I can definitely find some similarities between this and KBS, despite this not being the base beer.

For some, this would be too roasted, smokey, or almost burnt. I still think this is a wonderful beer, though I prefer a beer with more finesse or balance like Stone Russian Imperial.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 04:17:54 | More by dar482

Bauzen

New York

4.28/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Black as night, thick as motor oil. Head is tan, there isn't much of it.

Smells of roasted malt, chocolate, and molases.

Slightly bitter, very thick, and pretty much a meal in a bottle. This is the kind of beer that warms you up on a cold night, but drinks as easy as a hot chocolate without being 'flavored'. The hops add to the body and the texture, keep things smooth and buttery. Very little of the initial bitterness remains in the finish, instead, the heat from the 10.5% ABV gives you a tingle on the palate.

Overall, it leaves something to be desired from other comparable offerings from Founders, but it certainly stands its ground as an exceptional Russian Imperial.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:30:44 | More by Bauzen

da_beers

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Got this for my wife for mother's day (her favorite beers are Stouts and Porters) and I had to get one for myself.

A - Poured a gorgeous dark black with a beautiful tan head of about a finger. Poured thick like a syrup almost (exaggerated), was beautiful in the snifter.

S - Smelled of molasses, dark chocolate, and a nice smokey/roasted malt.

T - Exceptional. Warmed the body on its way down. Had obvious chocolate and malt flavors through and through, as well as that molasses again. Was pleasantly surprised at the hop bitterness with this stout coming it at 90 IBUs.

M - Was definitely full bodied and a meal. Every glass has a sandwich in it! Very full flavored and buttery, coating the palate with its components.

O - Overall a great stout, Founders nailed this one. One of my top stouts for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 01:38:12 | More by da_beers

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.51/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

truly exceptional stout right here. I love the fact that it isn't sweet at all, and it doesn't try to hide what it is. very straightforward stuff. the pours is almost jet black, just the darkest shade of brown in there, with a patient but excited mocha colored head that swirls right back up as soon as it settles. the nose is very alcoholic, but its not aggressive or cheap vodka style, its there as a reminder, or maybe a warning. I pick up some good wood in this too, maybe birch or maple, something lighter than oak for sure, more fresh. there is a cocoa bitterness throughout the flavor, that climaxes toward the finish. lots of dark dark roasted barley here, and a certain earthen quality that fills in for the usual residual sugar. it makes the beer more drinkable than it should be. I love the mouthfeel, soft as crushed velvet, but with enough carbonation for its huge body not to get filling. it also finishes fairly clean for a style that usually clings to the teeth for ages. alcohol is warming but not offensive, and the absence of sweetness is astounding and really quite unique in the big stout world. I can finally see for myself what all they hype is about, and this is a beer for the ages. hard to imagine kbs and cbs being even better, but I will find that out for myself as well...

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 20:06:34 | More by StonedTrippin

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into pokal. Jet black with a thin brown head that fades quickly, leaving incredibly fine lacing. Smell is coffee and roasted malts. Taste is huge; coffee, chocolate, roasted everything, all over the tongue. Delicious bittersweet chocolate aftertaste. Alcohol not noticeable for how much it is; mouthfeel full and creamy. Awesome stout!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 20:29:15 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

emyers

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Founders snifter. Bottled on date 12/07/12.

Appearance: Pours black with a half-inch dark brown head., which dissipates quickly into a thin lacing. Leaves lacing down the glass.

Smell: Dark chocolate, roasted malt, maltose.

Taste: Once again, very strong with the dark chocolate and roast flavors. Herbal, earthy hops come through along with a nice bittering hop presence. This is definitely on the bitter end of the imperial stout spectrum,and I love it. The bittering hops definitely help keep the strong malt base in check. Excellent.

Mouthfeel: Nice and thick, appropriately low carbonation level. Bittering hops have a drying effect on the palate.

Overall: Excellent imperial stout. Packs in a ton of dark chocolate/roast flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 03:45:46 | More by emyers

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.26/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Beer is jet black with a good-sized tan head. Good retention.

Nose contains roast malt upfront, with chocolate and anise there behind. Strong and deep smell. Nothing unusual but very nice.

Taste is similar to the nose. Roast malt, black licorice and chocolate are all there. Slightly smoky. Quite bitter for the style. A bit of a coffee flavour. All of the expected RIS flavours, bold and strong.

Full bodied, very low carbonation level. A bit oily, but also very smooth and silky. Nice mouthfeel. I like the low carbonation level.

Overall, very good RIS. Tasty stuff indeed.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 02:24:33 | More by jrenihan

MrRutan

Iowa

4.01/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Good beer overall I'm fairly new to stouts (enjoying them that is). The aroma is a little lack luster I expected more from as rich looking of a beer. The flavor is fantastic has great taste up front with a little bite that I enjoy. It isn't as coffee flavored as alot of other stouts I have had. The finish is quite good however about 20 seconds after you take a drink it does leave a slightly bitter taste far back in the throat. All in all a very good stout, I would order it again!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:42:29 | More by MrRutan

erialbill

New Jersey

4.95/5  rDev +13%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Never considered myself a stout man but this beer changed my opinion of stout's. Was like drinking an extremely smooth dark chocolate/espresso milkshake. What a beer... maybe the best I have ever had. Poured thick with no immediate head but a nice 3/4 inch amber head formed at the top. Nice lacing on the glass. Honestly was sad to finish the glass now I am on a crazy search to find more. Great job Founders!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 14:31:52 | More by erialbill

Immortale25

Florida

3.99/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Due South Brewing Co. snifter. Bottleneck says Bottled 12/22/11.

A- Pours an intensely opaque black color with no head but instead just a thin brown ring around the edge of the glass and no surface foam. Minimal spotty lacing.

S- Heavily roasted malt of the dark chocolate variety with a bit of nuttiness and molasses. Some alcohol fume.

T- Big attack of dark roast and some booze that just pounds down on the palate. Moderate hop bitterness plays second fiddle to all the charry molasses notes. A bit of dark chocolate but there's not much sweetness to it. Pretty boozy overall. Small note of oak.

M- Chewy and slightly creamy with the most robust of bodies and low carbonation.

O- A bit one-sided. I was thinking this would be fantastic since there's a good amount of age on it (and it has been cellared properly) but I'd be more interested in trying a fresher one.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 01:44:17 | More by Immortale25

fx20736

New York

4.59/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Given to me as a gift by a BA on 4/16/13.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Smith's Pint glass, served at room temp.

appearance: black as crude oil with a 3 finger mocha brown head, The Lacing is magnificent.

aroma: rich roasted malt, chocolate, some black licorice.

mouthfeel: sinous, silky, velvety, seductive.

taste: thicky, syrupy with chocolate and coffee. Charred bitterness and alcohol on the fade.

notes: Another Founder's masterpiece! Again, a Founder's beer scores high on all criteria. Beautiful to look at, wonderful aroma, amazing mouthfeel and outstanding taste. Little wonder that they are one of my favorite breweries. Like all beers I love this balances rich maltiness with a strong bitterness. In this case the bitterness comes from the charred/ roasted malt rather than the hops. The chocolate and coffee are thick and rich. Probably the best Imp. Stout I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 22:54:07 | More by fx20736

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

one of the thickest black pours i've ever seen, topped off with 1/4" of dark brown head. lots of licorice and dark chocolate hit the nose immediately, sugary sweet, dark fruits. the flavor is that of bitter dark chocolate at first but after a second turns into sweet milk chocolate with a slight lingering bitterness throughout. tastes of brown sugar, mocha-latte, toasted grains, slight licorice.

a full body stout with a slight amount of carbonation. creamy on the lips, slightly chalky after feel. this is an excellent stout that you shouldn't pass up trying. sure, it's not as good as their barrel aged stouts, but it's still DAMN good.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 06:13:03 | More by facundoCNB

Craigory

South Carolina

4.7/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

12oz bottle with 11/29/2012 bottling date, poured into a Libby's stout/porter glass.

A: Pours black, with only a thin, mocha head that quickly recedes to a ring on top of the beer. Holding this up to the light, I don't even get ruby tints; this is just black and beautiful in the glass. Leaves some splotchy lacing as I drink it down.

S: I smell bitter chocolate, bitter roasted malt, bitter coffee, a hint of alcohol, and a bit more bitter chocolate.

T: Follows the smell exactly. The alcohol doesn't poke through too much, but I do get lots of bitter chocolate, typical RIS roastiness, a hint of coffee, and more bitter chocolate. A light vanilla sweetness shows itself here and there on the finish.

M: Full and creamy, with moderate carbonation and a bit of astringency.

O: I take this and Ten Fidy to be the best instantiations of the Platonic Form of a non-BA RIS. This beer is just a fantastic example of the style and would satisfy me any night of the week, any season of the year.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 00:18:13 | More by Craigory

drrone

Utah

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter.

A - Pours a completely black flow of fluid. It produced little head that was a light brown color and it disappeared quickly. It left a light amount of lacing.

S - I could start to smell it as soon as I began to pour the glass. It produces an intoxicating wave of cocoa, malted barley, slightly bready, with slight notes of vanilla and molasses. Initially you can pick up a light amount of booze, but as it warmed the booze really became strong.

T - Definitely a strong coffee presence right off the start, with a bitter chocolate and toasted/burnt malt. I pick up a little licorice, just slightly. It was much more bitter than I would have expected. Although, I love coffee and this delivers whole-heartedly.

M- For a dark and thick as it is looks it drinks wonderfully. It is full bodied, but I thought it would be more "chewy". It leaves a pleasant residual taste and it covers the 10.5% quite well.

O - I do like this beer. It is has a pronounced coffee presence and the chocolate is tasty, but more bitter than I anticipated. I think I like Ten Fidy a better, it has more of that wow factor. I have an extra bottle that I am going to hang on for a while and see how it matures.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 16:37:57 | More by drrone

mikeg67

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Thanks Samp01 for sharing. Pours dark brown with short lived, creamy, brown head. Aroma is of bready malt, raisins, plums, cacao, vanilla and brown sugar. Body is full and creamy. Taste is burnt grain, bready malt, herbal hops, dark fruit, brown sugar and some alcohol. Finish is long and bitter. Very nice RIS.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 21:24:07 | More by mikeg67

spointon

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

I poured this one from a stubby 12oz brown bottle into a short fat snifter.

A= This ale poured a deep dark black-brown color with nearly zero light penetration. Maybe a hint of ruby color near the edge when held up to light. The dense, light brown head rose about an inch and a quarter with a solid pour, and the head lasted a loooong time, leaving behind some nice lace when it did eventually fall.

S= A lot going on here. I smelled coffee, chocolate, roasted barley, toffee, some dark fruit, and maybe even a hint of smoke and leather. Really complex and wonderful in the nose.

T= Much like the smell, complex and intriguing. I found the coffee/chocolate flavors to be in balance with each other but not overpowering the rest of the nuances in the beer. There was also a slight smoke character that I assume came form the use of black patent malt, and which was subtle/well done. The dark fruit flavors added complexity with out overpowering. Bitterness was high, both from hops and the sheer amount of astringent/roasted grains in this stout. Overall it was all in balance for the style and quite delicious. This had a long chewy aftertaste that made me want it more and more.

MF= Heavy bodied, with a firm carbonation. Spot on in my opinion.

D= Really a nice beer to sip while reading a good book. Very drinkable despite the abv and the big bold flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 01:24:27 | More by spointon

Chrysostom

Ohio

4/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.25

As always, this beer is reviewed live, not from notes. As always, it is reviewed to style (ala BJCP), modified by personal taste (contra BJCP), unlike the "hedonic scale" of certain beer-review sites. If I reviewed solely to taste, certain beers, poor exemplars of my preferred styles, would receive consistently higher marks than excellent exemplars of styles I do not favour.

Presentation: 11.2 fl oz/330mL stubby bottle, 4 for $10, I believe, poured in to a Samuel Adams' imperial nonic (it barely fills the glass half-way) at around 40ºF (too cold), warming as I write.

A: Pours a dark, thick, engine-oil - or chocolate syrup in consistency - opaque black - absolutely opaque, not even a hint of highlight - and with an apparent high viscosity. On a very vigorous pour, one small finger of head is produced - did I mention this beer is THICK? like unto used engine oil - which has little retention, and recedes in to a scum on the face of the beer and a ring around the edges of it, leaving a spotty, patchy, bubbly-looking lacing as it goes.

S: Toasted and burnt malts. The "ten malts" advertised by the brewer come through strong. Some alcohol. Bitter baker's cocoa. An almost-peaty, soapy aroma peeks through occasionally. Not very complex for the RIS style: it's generally vaguely "stout-y". Avery's Czar - hell, even Leinenkugel's Big Eddy and Guinness' Foreign Extra - all have more going on in the nose than this.

T: Plum, prune, liquorice, sour grapes, vinous alcohol, dry, toasty, pumpernickel bread, southern buttermilk biscuits, bitter chocolate, whole coffee beans dipped in dark chocolate, undefined-yet-present hopping. Most of those flavours are from malts, so, it can not be said this beer lacks complexity on the palate.

M: Smooth and creamy, lacking carbonation, as is standard for the style. Thick in body, as in appearance.

D: Low-Moderate. Alcohol is well-hidden, but drink is very thick, and quite intense with the roasted flavours.

O: A pretty good imperial stout, a fine example of the style, but not up there with the likes of Avery's Czar, which is similar in ABV, or with the weaker RIS examples such as Barley's Alexander or Guinness Foreign Extra (not technically an RIS.. I digress). The lack of carbonation leaves something to be desired, as the beer feels a bit flat, and the flavours never pull together in an ideal way, although they do pull together in some way. Not adventurous or new; somewhat pedestrian, standard RIS (what can be said of a beer-drinker, when he believeth a 10.5% ABV beer to be "pedestrian"?).

Comparable to a coffee/cocoa-forward counterpoint to the liquorice-forward Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout.

To style: 84/100
To taste: 72/100

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 12:54:27 | More by Chrysostom

nimrod979

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottled on 12/20/12. Poured into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a thick black with no carbonation. No head, no retention. Bummer.

Aroma: Roasted malt. Dark chocolate. Lacking complexity.

Taste: Big bad ass boozy Russian. Dark bitter chocolate and roasted malts.A little coffee bean. Getting a little black licorice flavor that I don't really dig.

Mouthfeel: Thick viscious mouthfeel, full body. Silky oily. Smooth, No carbonation at all really.

Wasn't overly impressed by this one as I have been towards other Founder's beers. I prefer FBS over this..

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 21:32:06 | More by nimrod979

kojevergas

California

3.55/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Founders Imperial Stout 2011 Vintage (bottled 12/22/11). Acquired from the very generous Duff27 in a trade. Thanks again, buddy! 10.50% ABV confirmed. I love Founders, so I have high hopes for this one. I haven't had it before, but I loved KBS and FBS. 90 IBUs. Label art is okay. 12 fl oz/355ml brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are sky high given the brewery and style (which they seem to be adept at).

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm considerably over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger rich vibrant hold-tan head of fantastic cream and thickness, and pretty good (3 minute) retention for the high ABV. I love that gilded tan appearance; few imperial stouts can really pull that off. Body colour is a solid nontransparent opaque jet black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Nice lacing as the head recedes. That's exactly how an imperial stout should look.

Sm: Burnt malt, light fennel/licorice, creamy roasted barley, dark malts, chocolate, chocolate malt, and hints of light buried stonefruit. Light molasses. Malty sweetness. I can detect some light alcohol, but it's not a hot or boozy aroma; I can tell age may have done this one well. Coffee roast when I look for it. A surprisingly timid aroma of mere average strength. Understated, but I'd stop short of calling the aroma subtle per se. The fennel/licorice has me worried; I have a personal aversion to that flavour.

T: The first thing I notice is the black coffee bitterness and chocolate bitterness on the climax - which is more pronounced than expected, but welcome. It's more sweet in the first and early second acts. Chocolatey throughout - dark chocolate, not milk chocolate, though there is some cream up front. Little alcohol comes through at all; this isn't boozy or hot in any way. Maybe a twinge of licorice, but it doesn't bother me. I could use more roast - both in terms of barley and coffee, but there is some here. Burnt malt is prominent and works well. Dark malts abound. It's well put together and cohesive. A balanced Russian Imperial Stout, if a timid one. I want more depth of flavour than I'm getting, and each note doesn't ring distinct. Good amplitude, to be sure, but because the execution of the amplitude is so high, I have trouble really enjoying each distinct flavour. Any hop character is generic floral and functions here purely as a preservative. It's a rich flavour, but not overly so. The bitterness keeps the richness in check. Low acidity. Not at all a harsh flavour profile; it's quite mellow. Good body and build for the style. It's complex and well done, but I want bolder flavours. I quite like it and it's a tasty brew, but it's not perfect.

Mf: Warm and lightly creamy. Excellent carbonation. Not at all astringent. Good body here. It's smooth and wet. Thick and a bit chewy. Maybe a touch oily. Good presence on the palate. Complements the flavour profile well, even feeling a bit custom-tailored towards it. A bit smacky (if you will). I could use a touch more coarseness and dryness.

Dr: Drinkable for the style, but you wouldn't down it by the glass. It hides its ABV well and is an enjoyable sipper. It's a solid brew from Founders, but it's not quite on the level of KBS or even FBS, styles taken into consideration and all. I'd get it again and it's quite tasty, but it's not exemplary. A good Russian Imperial Stout that fans of the style will be pleased with, but it's not amongst the best out there. I'd recommend it to friends, but Founders does make better beers. I'll have little trouble finishing my bottle, but I do wish I had someone to split it with. Thanks again for the opportunity to try this, Duff27!

Low B

Probably best aged for 1-3 years.

Would pair well with chocolate or truffle.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 23:08:32 | More by kojevergas