Founders Imperial Stout - Founders Brewing Company

CurtFromHershey

Pennsylvania

4.36/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours like frothy motor oil. Pitch black with brown edges when held to light. Funky, beige head which subsides surprisingly quickly for how dense it starts.

Smell is mildly roasty with hints of mocha. Surprising dark fruit undertones. Pleasant.

Taste is more toffee and burnt molasses than the nose would lead on. Bitter, nondescript hop presence. Good flavor, but I think a bit of age would help as the hops detract from the flavors in this case. No booziness detected.

Mouthfeel is thick and lush. No complaints other than maybe slightly too carbonated.

Overall a fantastic beer which I will seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 01:42:30 | More by CurtFromHershey

Cee-Poe

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle date 11/2011

A -- Pours deep black with little head

S -- Rich hints of chocolate and roasted malts

T -- Amazing. The 10.5% is not at all recognized. Rather, the bitter roasted malts give way to semi-sweet chocolate on the back end. One of the best tasting beers I've had.

M -- Wonderful. Not too viscus but not too thin... just right.

O -- One of my favorite beers. Happy to find some 2011 on the shelf a couple of weeks ago. That will allow me to hold off on drinking the 2012 too soon.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 17:52:50 | More by Cee-Poe

n2185

North Carolina

4.44/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Doing a vertical with 3 different years: 2012, 2011, and 2010

A:
2012--pours black with a finger of brown head that fades into a thin layer with a little lacing
2011--about the same as the 2012, though a bit less carbonated
2010--similar, but even less carbonation.

S:
2012--bitter roasted malts with bitter cocoa, roasted coffee, and bitter, piny hops.
2011--smooth, semi-sweet chocolates dominate with creamy coffee. The hops are faded.
2010--roasted malts with sweet chocolate, graham, vanilla, and cocoa.

T:
2012--bitter cocoa, roasted malts, char, and piny, earthy hops.
2011--roasted malts, semi-sweet, creamy chocolate and a bit of robust coffee. There is a light bitterness.
2010--roasted malts, sweet dark chocolate, and smokey char with a little vanilla.

M:
2012--thick body with low carbonation, it's nice and creamy
2011--thick body with low carbonation, it's a bit smoother than the 2012.
2010--similar, but with little carbonation. More sticky than creamy.

O:
2012--a great, robust, and bitter imperial stout.
2011--still delicious. Not as bitter and hoppy, but smoother and creamier.
2010--still tasty. Much sweeter and more mellow than the others.

They're all delicious and drinkable. It's a tie between the 2011 and 2012 for my favorite, but they're all great. One of the best non-bbal stouts out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 02:27:53 | More by n2185

craft_shannie

Indiana

4.29/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

poured into an imperial pint glass.

A: opaque black; minimal, unimpressive brown head.
S: sweet roasted malt; dark fruit
T: dark roasted coffee w. a nice balance of sweet (on the front-end) and bitterness on the finish.
M: smooth, creamy, minimal carbonation.
O: impressive. interesting sweetness and big, bold taste. i am absolutely amazed how the 10.5% is hidden behind such a drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 23:08:04 | More by craft_shannie

CharlatanSin

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a tulip. For some reason I seem to be near the one store that got a bunch of this, and nobody else seems to want any, so I've got an extra 4-pack I'm looking forward to aging.

A- Jet black with a big dark brown bubbly head that sticks around. Lots of lacing. Gorgeous.

S- A powerful blast of dark chocolate and dark roasted malt. Doesn't get much better than this for an imperial stout.

T/M- Very complex taste. Roasty. Dark chocolate. A decent amount of hop presence, too. Hardly any booze. A little vanilla, and a little raisin. The finish is very long and very bitter -- not a bad thing, but it's intense. 1 beer is probably the limit here. The mouthfeel is thick with medium carbonation.

O- Delicious, fantastic, but quite the palate destroyer. If I had to choose just one for life, Breakfast Stout probably edges this one out because of the smoothness and drinkability. But this is great. I'm looking forward to seeing how it takes to some aging, and I'd love to try a BA version.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 20:27:28 | More by CharlatanSin

KomodoDragon

Virginia

4.54/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A - A violent poor produced a subtle butterscotch head that grew and grew to 1 inch with outstanding lacing.

S - Earthy, chocolate

T - Here is a case where the taste do not seem to follow the smell - to me. roasted vanilla espresso, fig, black malt, hint of sweetness and sugar cane. some sourness in the finish. Alcohol intensifies the flavor rather than overshadowing it. Hoppy finish reminiscent of a black ipa.

M- some creaminess, but also a bit too fizzy for me.

A lot going on here, and wonderful to sip. It'll warm you on a cold night. Solid entry in a favored category.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 03:51:42 | More by KomodoDragon

shangwang

Pennsylvania

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

Bottle dated 12/07/12. Poured into a Dogfish snifter.

The first characteristic of this beer that really stood out was how viscous the body was as I poured it. Initially I was left with a full thick finger of cocoa head, which reduced to a thin layer leaving scant lacing after a few minutes. The smell was fantastic and rich; baker's chocolate, vanilla, and charred wood stood out with hints of anise. Lots of dark, roasty malt in the taste with a very subtly sweet finish. Very bold, like cold French roast coffee. Mouthfeel is on the heavy side, and very smooth. Fits the beer well.
Great beer to sip at, although it's so good you'll want to have a few. Very satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 17:58:53 | More by shangwang

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is super deep jet black. The head forms late going through the Guiness effect. the color is a deep mocha which lightens as it fades, and leaves some fine lacing about the glass.
Aroma is quite pungent having a deep roasted malt and barley smell, border line burnt. other aroma include chocolate, molasses coffee and light anise.
Drinks smooth and soft on the palette with only a slight hint of ashen grittiness. Flavors of roasted malts, coffee, molasses and chocolate just like the nose.
Towards the end there is alcohol warming and hints of licorise and seem to numb the tongue.
There's a reason this brew is on the beer of fame. Definitly top 5 in the Imp stout catagory.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 11:48:27 | More by micromaniac129

rdilauro

Connecticut

4.64/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Its Late December 2012 and each week I've been enjoying another stout. I dont think I could ever get tired of tasting stouts.
This one was Jet black and poured slowly down my beer tasting glass and slowly came up with a chocolate/amber small head. And that did not last very long., I wasn't totally sure of the nose, but I was getting some caramel, butterscotch laced with a touch of nutmeg. My second scent and I picked up a cross between a ripe pear and banana. Sounds strange, but the aromas seem to blend together.

The first sip was full, probably would have been fuller if it wasnt for the amount of carbonation. I prefer my stouts to be almost flat, with very little carbonation.
I was thinking chocolate at first, but there was a degree of bitterness that I came away with coffee beans. Now I am not sure if it is within forum rules for me to make a single comparison with another Founder's brew, The Breakfast Oatmeal Stout. The Oatmeal stout was fuller, richer, and had a more distinct sense of coffee, really espresso. This Imperial Stout wasn't as full , the coffee was there, but more American coffee in style then a Mediterranean espresso bean.

I think that some of the bitterness came from the IBUs for this one.... That I always like

The finish of this stout was a little rougher then I anticipated. Still a very nice finish, but I guess I am getting really tight on what I am looking for.

All said and done, this Imperial Stout still ranks in the 10 Ten of my Best stout list.
Another good job by Founders

02/08/13:
Snowy night in the Northeast. You can see by my updated reviews that after snow blowing, I went into my stouts. This type around, the Founder Imperial poured much darker and thicker than I remember the first time. Plus the head was a dirty cooper by wonderful head. Five minutes into my glass and there is still some signs of the head. Putting my nose into the tall glass to me is just about the same as putting your nose into a coffee grinder, but a beautiful coffee!. Loving it. The higher alcohol or perhaps the higher IBUs in this one made it quicker to drink. The coffee overtones stayed right with me until the end. Even 10" away from my glass, all I call smell and think right now is COFFEE, COFFEE, COFFEE... Now that is being said with a New York accent from a person who now lives in Connecticut

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 03:09:20 | More by rdilauro

Florida9

Illinois

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

A: Black; slightly glossy black. Slowly forms a creamy, tight, extra-dark mocha colored head that eventually recedes to a thin ring around the edge. Leaves some light lacing.

S: Not overly aromatic, but what is there is pleasant. Mostly cocoa and deeply roasted malts, with a bit of char.

T: Taste is intense. Starts off with bitter chocolate and charred malts. There are some light piney hops that try, but fail, to push through. Long, lingering, dry cocoa finish.

M: Full bodied and heavy. Carbonation is actually a bit higher than you'd expect from such a big beer. Moderate charred malt bitterness and a lingering chalkiness on the finish/

T: This is a beast of a beer, but is also a very good one and is quite a bit better than many of those highly sought after single-day release rarities.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 01:45:09 | More by Florida9

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

4.86/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottled December 20, 2012:

A: pitch black colored body with a one finger tan foamy head that rises a bit and drops gently to a half finger's worth of head. Lacing is foamy and ringy, lightly clingy.

S: coffee, malts, dark chocolate and just a bit of licorice really slightly in the background, all combined nicely and coming through in a robust sort of way.

T: sweet and bitter at different times to show a fantastic complexity between the coffee to the malts, chocolate, and licorice.

M: medium and smooth. It leaves a bitter aftertaste and finish. It is very drinkable, I feel like I could pound these bad boys all day.

O: this is an absolutely awesome beer. Complexities are so pronounced in all regards. Next year, I'm hopin' I'll get a few more to cellar. What an excellent precursor to Nemo!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 00:15:59 | More by kangarooAdam59

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.54/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This pours a pitch black color with a large, foamy brown head. There are lots of robust coffee, roasted malts, and hops in the aroma. It delivers quite an amazing smooth, complex, and robust flavor. Roasted malts, coffee, toffee, licorice, and hops are all here! It drinks silky smooth with a chewy, chalky after taste. Grade A delicious in a bottle!

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 05:23:46 | More by Lemke10

Docrock

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Snifter at 53F

A- pours a very thick jet black, looks like crude oil, with a solid mocha color head and nice sticky lacing.

S- aroma is predominantly dark roasted coffee with a bit of wood ash and burnt malt. as i pull away from the glass i picked up waft of bittersweet chocolate and brown sugar?

T- really dense chocolate and dark roasted coffee, a touch of toffee. it is almost syrupy in its viscosity and i quickly sensed the alcohol content.

M- i was surprised how little carbonation there was after looking at the beautiful head for several minutes. its thick, creamy and as i said above seems like a syrupy thickness but it goes down very smooth.

O- after scoring a 4 pack and drinking for the first time i would be glad to share this with friends. It was a bit heavier on the coffee flavor than other Russian Imperials i have had, however this was an impressive beer and well worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 01:48:11 | More by Docrock

ironchefmiyagi13

New York

4.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Being a fan of FBS, I knew I had to try this...

A. Pours jet black with a creamy espresso creme head

S. nice chocolate and coffee on the nose. I like the faint scent of hops and resin from thia beer. glad to see it isnt absolutely mellowed out and still has some spink. What you would expect with an RIS

T. The same coffee and chocolate notes, with a presence of hops and a cloying bitterness that exists from the first sip after the swallow.p

M. Syrupy with an astringent finish. Nice and pleasant

O. Not the best OR worst RIS I have ever had.though it definitely is up there with the tastiest. Would definitely order again

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 04:29:14 | More by ironchefmiyagi13

patpbr

Ohio

4.29/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- dark with a slight head and heavy carbination.
S- The aroma is sweet with a hard candy scent.
T- Chocolate and roasted malt, vanilla. Nice hop blending with a nice bitter finish.
M- Thick, and strong brew. You don't notice the abv. It's heavy and an easy drinker
O- very good

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 01:10:05 | More by patpbr

kevanb

Illinois

4/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Founders Brewing Snifter.

The beer pours a viscous, sludgy texture out of the bottle, jet black in color with a nice dense caramel colored head, about a finger high that has moderate retention but leaves behind a great network of sticky lacing. The aroma is very nice, roasted coffee and burnt chocolate that eases up into some nice sweet grain and dark pitted fruit. The complexity is a bit lacking, but with the simplicity comes a very nice balance. The flavors are rewarding as well, big roasted coffee with bitter dark chocolate jumps out, molasses and a bit of licorice follow behind that help smooth things out and bring out some nice rich grain and sweeter dark cherries that also provide a hint of tartness that is very pleasant. The body is thick and chewy, rich and fairly smooth, just enough carbonation to prop up the flavors and to give this beer just enough lively prickliness but yet still have an easy smooth finish.

Verdict: A Very nice Russian Imperial Stout from Founders. It’s big and robust yet smooth and rich and while the flavors aren’t that developed, clearly with time this beer will evolve into a really flavorful and special beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 00:10:15 | More by kevanb

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.58/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into an oversize wine glass. Purchased in Wakefield, RI.

A- Pours a jet-black, oily opaque body with a generous fluffy dark mocha head that sticks around for a while and leaves some heavy chocolate lacing. Perfect!

S- Intense fresh coffee beans, cappuccino , milk chocolate, vanilla, mocha, toasted malt. Upfront and inviting.

T- Hugely bold roasted coffee, semisweet chocolate, heavily toasted, nearly burnt malt. These flavors are not subtle in the least bit, they shine through this beer and mesh together perfectly. Leaves a bitter roasty note on the tongue.

M- Medium-heavy body, medium low carbonation.

An outstanding interpretation of the russian imperial. It hits all the high points of they style. Another impressive stout from founders.

I personally like it better than breakfast stout. Recommendable.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 21:17:53 | More by gcamparone

hungarianwax

4.01/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark and deep brown. Rich brown head

S: Smells almost a little sour and peaty. Smells a little less stouty than some similar beers.

T: Great malt, chocolately. Covers the alcohol content well. Lacking slightly in richness.

M: Feels very thin for a stout. Low carbonation.

Overall 4
Instyle 4

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 17:47:54 | More by hungarianwax

AmitC

Indiana

4.65/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

One of the thickest pouring beers or stouts that i have ever had. Pours like thick engine oil. Dark brown in color while pouring. A highly viscous dark black color inside the glass. Head is about one fingers thickness and shining brown mocha colored. Good retention. Excellent lacing with each sip and receding head. Opaque.

Aroma is a little subdued. Ground coffee in abundance. Some heavily roasted and burnt malts. No alcohol hint whatsoever. Some licorice/chicory and subtle hops. Aroma is just not as excellent as the rest of the beer.

Taste is excellent. Full of burnt up malts and some ground coffee. A lot of hops as well, that provide it good amount of bitterness as well. One of the most bitter stouts i have had as well. This beer is drinker's delight. No apparent alcohol, not even traces. A good presence on the tongue, with roasted malts fighting with hops for dominance and the hops seem to have upper hand.

A very thick and full bodied feel. Low to none carbonation. Astringency for those who do not like burnt up flavors and hops.

One of the best stouts i have has. This is a winner.

Style Rate: 4.75
Personal Rate: 5

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 16:09:58 | More by AmitC

rodkin

Missouri

4.01/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dark black, with a small off head. Pretty nice except something was in it. Not sure, but it was pretty gross.

Smells good. Chocolate, coffee, a bit of malty sweetness, slight bit of fruitiness.

Taste is chocolate, burnt coffee, bit of vanilla, light fruitiness, kind of smoky.

Mouthfeel is a bit overcarbonated, medium thickness.

Very drinkable stout, and great for the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:38:08 | More by rodkin

Mavigo

Michigan

4.8/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

I've been seeking out this beer for a while. Got it at Tom's party store in East Lansing. Not sure what to expect, pouring it slightly chilled into a nonic glass.

A: Pours with a somewhat oil type consistency, jet, opaque black with a short caramel head with bits and spots of similar colored lacing.

S: Scrumptious aroma of freshly brewed coffee, dark chocolate, brown sugars, malt sugars and barley.

T: Incredible taste, Dark and milk chocolates, coffee, toffee, rich sweet syrupy sugar taste, a hint of alcohol but very well hidden for being 10% ABV, almost barely noticeable.

M: Hardly any carbonation but that's a major plus for me, very, very smooth and rich taste, great flavors, superbly masked ABV, I could easily down a 6 pack of this with out even realizing how potent it is.

O: It was fairly pricey, $3 for one bottle, I guess they were sold out of 4 packs but it was well, well worth it. It was my reward for waiting so patiently, I was thoroughly impressed and delighted by this beer and any would should take the opportunity to try it if they come across the chance.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 01:50:53 | More by Mavigo

mikem0487

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, bottled on 12/07/12

A-Poured a thick jet black. Surprised to have no head what so ever in the poor. A incremental sized brown head formed for a moment than receded to the edges. Had this on draft a couple weeks ago and poured a nice foamy head. Complete opposite of what it is now. Hope that does not carry over to the smell and taste.

S-Smells like a great imperial. Roasted dark chocolate malts, mild smoked tobacco in their with prunes, raisins. Minimal hop presence in the nose which does not diminish at all the great aroma this beer has.

T-Roasted malts, dark chocolate, tobacco, dark fruit on the palate. This is defiantly a malt driven beer with the hops for balance. Finish's mildly bitter on the end and leaves a chocolate burnt aftertaste. Very enjoyable brew. Taste great throughout than leaves with that burnt after taste which is not my favorite.

M-Medium bodied beer. Low carbonation. Finishes on the dry side. Great for this style.

O-A great beer overall. I enjoyed it much better on draft than I did in bottle however. The appearance did not resemble the first time I had it on draft and the tobacco burnt taste is more heavy on my bottled beer tasting. This is still a great beer overall but if I had reviewed it when I had it on draft this would have gotten a much higher score. Goes to show you that everything in the brewing process down to the packaging of the beer can take away from such a stellar beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 00:59:33 | More by mikem0487

Michael_D

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

pours black with a small chocolate head that didn't stick around long. Sweet chocolate, roasted malt, and coffee. Full bodied and smooth. Sweet up front but the roasted malt quickly take over. Coffee heavy in aftertaste. A more manly, less sweet breakfast stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 02:40:39 | More by Michael_D

ChadChaney

Iowa

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

Had this on tap @ Zombie Burger in Des Moines and was less than impressed, bought a 4 pack and gave one a try tonight. Totally different beer.
Pours a jet black with a nice deep tan head that lingers. Has the thickness I crave in an Imperial stout.

The aroma is a little odd, some roast, chocolate and an odd anise or sambucca type smell finish it out.

The bottled version lacks the odd anise flavor at the tail end that the tapped version had. This is a big beer,lots of bitter dark chocolate with just a hint of roasted malt/coffee and a tinge of anise at the end. You can feel the Imperial in this beer, although I.detect no booze bite. Love the Flavor.

Overall, this is a fabulous beer, love the bitter chocolate notes and couldn't ask for much more. Going to grab some more to cellar for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 01:20:28 | More by ChadChaney

MarcatGSB

Michigan

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

Vintage 2013 poured into Founders snifter.

A: This puppy has an amazing appearance. Deep, rich black with a very frothy brown head. The head seems to hang around for ever, and the lacing is amazingly thick. Sticks to the side of the glass and almost appears to not move at all. Very, very impressive.

N: The nose is chalf full of dark, almost burnt malt with a touch of smoke and hops. Very dark chocolate followed by a wonderful balance of vanilla and cream.

T: Roasted malt are ever prominent on the tongue, followed by rich chocolate, bitter molasses and marsh mellow sweetness. There is a touch of alcohol on the back of the tongue, but is well hidden by the complex layers.

M: Inky, squidy, oily texture, that coats the mouth, yet washes away clean. It's actually a bit "thin", but doesn't lack by any means. The carbonation is right on, and is lively in the mouth.

D and O: Founders Imperial Stout fresh, Expedition Stout with a year on it. That's how I feel. This beer is the definition of the style, IMO. It's absolutely fantastic, and does not disappoint on any front.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 20:18:41 | More by MarcatGSB