Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale) - Founders Brewing Company

gabedivision

New York

4.09/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle to a snifter glass

A- Pours a deep chestnut reddish brown with a 1/4 inch white head

S- Big toffee, caramel, brown sugar, followed by the a nice woodieness from the oak, sweetness of stale grain on the end.

T- Sweet brownsugar up front, followed by a mellow heat from the booze, cherry wood, hints of vanilla, sweet candied fruits, tobacco, caramel a lot more sugar all throughout, bready toffee flavors coming off the malts

M- Full bodied, low carbonation, smooth drink a sipper for sure, very woody and earthy, finishes nice and dry

O- Overall curmudgeon a enjoyable beer, as the beer warms up alot more complexities can be found throughout, and i am going to assume (and find out) that it will open up alot more with some age, its aggressively on the sweet side, so ill let a few of these sit in the cellar and mellow out.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 01:48:57 | More by gabedivision

fx20736

New York

4.55/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, served at fridge temp.

turbid ochre brown with a one finger khaki head.

cinnamon & sugar overlays toasted malt, like B&M Boston Brown Bread.

mouthfeel: smooth and soft.

taste: malty sweet with honey, dates and cinnamon, atouch of vanilla and some tartness like mango chutney.

notes: damn, this is like Backwoods Dirty Bastard only better, a tasty sipper bursting with flavor and aroma, awesome.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 23:14:09 | More by fx20736

bound4er

Wisconsin

3.61/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 4/19/12

A. Hazy amber appearance with crimson highlights. Off white head of one finger breaks quickly.

S. Caramel, pitted fruit (mainly overly ripe cherries), organic volatiles I can't describe and a slight mustiness. Pretty complex.

T. Caramel, prunes, bready malt and cherries. Turns bitter quickly with lingering caramel and alcohol burn.

M. Medium bodied with a nice mouth feel. Low carbonation.

O. Not one of Founders better efforts.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 01:48:26 | More by bound4er

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.61/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle, bottled 04/13/12.

Appearance: Good-sized head, retention not bad with a fat finger remaining. Little flakes look frozen in the copperish body, like congealed honey.

Smell: Molasses, pungent dark fruits, little musty, bit of sherry notes.

Taste: Caramel, musty raisins, herb-like sharpness, earth and aftertaste of alcohol soaked dried fruits. Good but doesn't grab me.

Mouthfeel: Smooth but then body asserts itself a bit. Despite that, i find it lacks a little oomph.

Overall: A good ale but not my fave from Founders.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 12:32:50 | More by papat444

lsummers

California

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Looks fantastic, a hazy amber orange with some minimal lacing and some alcohol legs.

Smell isn't the best part of this beer but is still good. Malts, brown sugar, fig, and woody notes.

Taste is pretty big and drinkably great. Taste hits first with dark fruits and quickly changes to burnt caramel, toffee. The burnt but not smokey taste really comes through.

Mouthfeel is good, not overly sticky and sharp enough to be a drinkable sipper.

Overall it's a really good old ale. I would definitely try this one on draft but there are other favorites out there I prefere more.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 06:56:06 | More by lsummers

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.29/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from the brewery, 12oz into a tulip. Bottled April 19, 2012.

Reddish brown, unfiltered with a light cream cap. Light lace and almost no retention. Nose of syrup, candy, caramel, sweet dark fruits and fantastic bready malt notes. Palate more syrup, honey, breads, light toastiness, slight booze and caramel again. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel - 'coating.' A fantastic beer all around, I'd revisit this time and time again.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:59:50 | More by liamt07

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.21/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle (bottled 4/13/11) into a snifter, pours a medium red brown with a short white head that dissipates quickly leaving little lacing, quite cloudy

S: molasses, raisins, prunes, figs, caramel, toffee, oak, whiskey

T: sweet dark fruits, raisins, prunes, heavy on malt, oak, molasses, slight hop bitterness at the end

M: very heavy and oily, little carbonation, alcohol makes itself well known

O: sip this like you would brandy, it's sweet heavy and complicated

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 01:51:19 | More by M_C_Hampton

scottfrie

California

4.33/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into snifter. Thanks for sending me a few of these jbck109.

A: Pours a murky burnt orange with a thin cream colored head that faded to fuzzy lace.
S: Huge notes of vanilla with sweet hints of burnt caramel, raisins, spicy hops and mild cocoa powder.
T: Follows the nose with very smooth flavors of brown sugar, toasted malts, caramel, vanilla, peppery spices with a mild hoppiness in the finish. Sweet mild chocolate, a touch of dark fruits and candied sugar, figs, and chocolate brownies round off my list of nouns and adjectives. The aftertaste is lightly bitter with leafy hops. Really complex and delicious.
M: Alcohol is slightly warming in the finish over a full body, soft and sticky mouthfeel with fluffy soft carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed this one. It was complex and very well integrated and balance. Very easy to drink, glad I have one more. Thanks again Jay!

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 17:11:56 | More by scottfrie

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.23/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served from a 12oz bottle into a Redhook limited edition tulip.

Appearance- Reddish/copper with zero head and quite a bit of yeast floating around in the glass.

Smell- Fruity, bourbony, honey sweetness. Malty and delicious smelling.

Taste- Cherry, molasses, caramel malts, and yeasty/bready flavors. For almost 10%, the ABV is well hidden (which alone is a feat).

Mouthfeel- A good amount of carbonation balances out the viscosity of the beer. Pretty damn smooth.

Overall- This is a nice smooth beer from Founders. I bet it's awesome with some time on it.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 04:21:12 | More by Seanniek91

jpro

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle from Northbridge Piggly Wiggly... Poured into a Mikkeller tulip.

A: Pours a gingerbread brown, with a light tan, pinky-width head; retention fades to a thin ring that leaves no lace (as expected at 9.8%).

S: Wow... A very rich aroma... heavy caramel malt; rum cake; maybe a touch of brown sugar; nutmeg (?); some aroma floats the nose, too, giving it a little heat.

T: Poppy seed cake; sweetbread; fig; pretty impressive hop finish - a lot of citrus / earthy / leafiness on the end; complex.

M: Medium-full body; higher carbonation; a touch syrupy / oily on the palate.

O: A very nice old ale - one of the better one's I've had; on the same level as Bell's Third Coast old ale; really good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 01:07:36 | More by jpro

JustinAniello

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a cloudy dark copper with a half-finger head. Minimal lacing and cap as the head quickly dissipates.

S - Heavy sweetness with a medley of notes; browned caramel, chocolate, malt, and even some dark fruit. A slight burn of alcohol if you inhale deeply.

T - Milk chocolate and burnt caramel, very sweet at first. Turns to dark fruit and grapes, quick hit of piney hops on the swallow. Lingering bitterness with a hint of and alcoholic bite in the aftertaste.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Goes well with the flavors.

O - An interesting beer and my first old ale, great show for the style. Nice flavor and aroma profile. The alcohol isn't harsh but shows through enough to warn you that this beer means business. A great beer to sip through the night.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 01:37:17 | More by JustinAniello

jhartley

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. into a flute glass. Bottled on 04/13/2012.

A- Poured aggressively, no head what-so-ever. No surprise with a 9.8% abv. Cloudy floating sediment through out a reddish brown body. Small tiny bubbles streaming up from the bottom. Filmy sediment left in the bottom of the bottle.

S- Malts, dark fruits. Molasses-sweet aromas coming out. Not really getting too much else.

T- Brown sugar molasses, caramel sweetness up front with a tangy bite. Booze comes out as it warms. Really like the taste of this, there's just a lot going on.

M- Smooth at first with a carbonation that is really light, some major complexity with this beer. Slight fruitiness on the tip of the tongue.

O- A real sipper here, to enjoy it ya got to take it slow, or that high ABV will put ya down quick! This is not a "first beer or the night" beer, definitely last one of the night to enjoy it. Really picking up on the molasses in it too. I put couple of these in the cellar to see what happens, they are already 9 months old so not sure how much longer to keep them or that I can wait.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 21:11:26 | More by jhartley

LeRose

Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from undated 12 oz bottle into snifter.

Appearance was a very hazy, dark orange. No appreciable head, and what there was vanished quickly. Aroma was sweet, slight alcohol, raisin date fruit notes, some breadiness, some caramel, whiff of vanilla. Immediate taste was bitterness with some acidity underneath, then sweetness. Malty, caramel, maybe fig, sweet grapes, maple syrup notes, and more vanilla than the nose. Sweetness builds, vanilla and maple notes linger. Soft and smooth on the palate, not too carbonated, some tingle from the alcohol. Some syrupy sticky sweetness stays on. Overall, warming and fun to drink. A lot going on, but seems well blended. As it warmed, cleared and had many tiny bubbles. Also became very brandy like in character. Liking this a lot.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 23:39:11 | More by LeRose

ubenumber2

Arkansas

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle , some big dummy poured the whole bottle in while talking to family member , let it sit for a bit and drank slow , but was a nice colored beer , amber and hazy , could have been because of how I poured , nice thick head that stuck around for a while

Malty and sweet aroma , almost a candy smell to me , very nice makes my mouth water

Full bodied beer , really feel like you are drinking something with this beer

The alcohol really comes through with this beer from start to finish ,a nice malty background with sweetness in their also , warming to the tongue and mouth , nice beer for a cold winters night

This was my first beer from Founders and I am impressed , I will be purchasing more from them now that the state line liquor store in Missouri is carrying Founders

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 01:31:48 | More by ubenumber2

sjones5045

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Well, hard to describe how it pour other than a dark reddish brown with sub avg head. If you are drinking on tap it pours very clean, an extremely fresh bottle will have tiny sediment and a bottle that in your fridge for a month or so will have thick sediment and if not poured carefully will leave you with snot looking sediment floating at the top. Had to scoop out the snot on the drink I'm reviewing.

Smell is a sweet malty nose. I personally enjoy it cause its so different than most other beers out there. I enjoy the fresh hoppy smell of other beer but this is the antitisis of that which provide a complete different experience than most beers.

So the taste is a home run. About as malty as they come. Some sweetness breaks through as well as some fruit that reminds me a little of a scotch ale.

I would not say smooth but its an enjoyable bit with each sip. Once again a completely different experience than most beers which I enjoy the creativity.

Overall, the best old ale that I've tried. It's an underapprecited and under brewed class of beer in my opinion. This is perhaps the top of the class when it comes to old ales, and definitely worth having around when you want a break for a hoppy beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 17:49:35 | More by sjones5045

AmitC

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ok so here is another one from Founders. Bought a single bottle at 3.75 without taxes. Too much. Not the bang for the buck type.

Poured from the 12 oz bottle into a large snifter. Deep Amber color. Too much haze. Opaque. A lot of suspension. Dirty looking beer. Less than a finger thick head of off white color. Not enough standing. Disappears pretty quickly. Just decent stickiness. No bubbles seen.

Aroma :Malt forward. Caramel. Very apparent strong alcohol. Some nuts. No hops. No fruitiness. Toffee -yes. Hints of vanilla.

Taste: Malt heavy. Upfront, back and everywhere in between. Some bitterness is there but overall finish is boozy, semi sweet and dry. Alcohol after taste.

Mouth feel: Medium to slightly full. No carbonation. No astringency of any kind. Warming alcohol but does not hurt. Drinks well but very strong.

Style Rate: 4
Personal Rate : 4

A beer that does not give bang for the buck. Overpriced single.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 04:09:52 | More by AmitC

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into tulip

A - Hazy brown with orange hues and a thin tan head.

S - Molasses, leather, caramel, prunes, wood.

T - Hugely malty, insane caramel flavor and toffee, molasses, prunes, vanilla, oak and over-ripe pear.

M - Medium body, sticky and wet. Works for the beer, but I don't love it. Needs to dry out just a tiny bit.

O - Very good beer overall. Tons of different flavors going on and they all work together well.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 19:44:49 | More by greenmonstah

far333

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly hazed burnt orange color with a low dark beige frothy head that settles quickly. Rich aroma of caramel, ripe fruit, citrus, vanilla and cotton candy. Rich flavor that mirrors the nose, some alcohol sweetness and warmth, bourbonesque notes, rich caramel, hints of smoke, stone fruits, and cotton candy. Semi-full mouthfeel, slight warming of the cheeks. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 21:06:25 | More by far333

Jade

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a bottle of Curmudgeon in a brandy snifter.

A - Light amber color, cloudy (unable to see through) with very little head. Bubbles fizzing up on the sides of the glass.

S - Yum! Caramel, candy malts with hints of molasses and a sour smell of sorts

T - Very malty. Bitter backend, drying on the tongue. Oak and caramalized malts. Gets better as it warms...gets sweeter and tastier more in line with the smell.

M - Medium thick, with litlle carbonation feel. Not the smoothest beer.

O - A decent old ale. A nice sipper, but not my favorite style. Definitely worth a try. Relax and enjoy on a cold evening!

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 19:53:25 | More by Jade

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

4.48/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Looks like a golden, amber IPA.

Smell: Caramel with hops.

Taste: Delicious. Probably one of the most ideal balances of hop and malt I've ever encountered in a beer. It's sweet, but dangerously drinkable. Don't let the classification of "Ole Ale" throw you off, this is ridiculously awesome.

Mouthfeel: As usual with Founders, the mouthfeel of this brew can't be ignored. It's significantly thick, with not much carbonation, but despite that, the flavor that this carries just makes it drinkable as hell.

Overall: This was so much better than I thought it was going to be. In the meantime, Founders is simultaneously laughing and making better beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 08:45:38 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

Heavenisbeer

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at Appalachian Vintner in Asheville. 2010 vintage.

A: Murky, hazy amber with suspended sediment. An aggressive pour leads to a thin sliver of an off white head, which quickly recedes to bubbly puddles and a white thin halo. No visible carbonation in the body.

S: Caramel, molasses, boozy cider notes off the initial pour. As it warms, I get some candied sugar and raisins.

T: Molasses and caramel off the bat, followed by some vanilla. Some muted fruit notes: pear in particular. Bitter crabapple hop notes on the aftertaste.

M: Not great; actually quite average. Slightly watery, with a bit of carb and a touch of warming booze. Mediocre.

O: I was expecting a lot more depth from a vintage version of this--maybe I need to have it fresher. Not bad, but not worth the price tag.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 22:32:42 | More by Heavenisbeer

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.33/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Bottled 4/19/12

A- pours a hazy khaki body with a light mocha 1" head that sticks around for a while.

S- sweet caramel, toffee, vanilla, sugar cookies. Bourbon-like.

T- starts out with some caramel, dark cherry, and vanilla notes and ends with a smokey, toasted malt and cocoa flavor. All of these notes go together quite well. No booze.

M- medium heavy body, medium low carbonation

I was really impressed with this brew. It's a super smooth, highly drinkable, complex old ale. As always, founders really nailed this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 00:53:41 | More by gcamparone

BrownNut

Florida

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - 3.5 - Looks like cloudy apple cider, not much head, and what there is doesn't last long at all.

S - 4.5 - Smells wonderful. Very malty and kind of sweet. Reminds me so much of the smell of Raisin Bran with honey on it in my cereal bowl as a kid.

T - 4.0 - The malt from the aroma carries through and to a lesser extent the honey. What comes with it is a mild bitterness of the woody variety, almost with a bitter citrus peel hook at the back of the tongue but not quite. That lingers on the back of the tongue for five or ten minutes after finishing. This is part of what gives the beer its unique identity but is also something I'd like to see muted, which maybe I'll get via aging. I'm left with very pleasant mildly burny booze fumes drifting up my throat, the kind that keep you warm in cold weather.

M - 4.0 - Medium bodied, coats the tongue. Fights to go dry at the end but doesn't quite make it. Nice and interesting.

O - 4.0 - Really very nice. Chalk up another old ale for me. I have yet to have something called old ale that I dislike.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 01:03:32 | More by BrownNut

DrinkMoreBigBeers

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aged bottle with a date of 4/26/12.

A - Poured out a one finger off white head that dissapated fast. Appears well carbonated with small bubbles streaming up. It is a reddish brown color that really looks lovely when held up to the light and gets a nice reddish dark ruby color. Slight lacing left behind on the glass.

S - Can you say malt bomb with sweet caramel, butter scotch, vanilla, and oak barrels. Not detecting alcohol at this point on this one.

T - Taste follows the nose pretty well with tons of malts - starting with caramel sweetness, vanilla, alcohol, toffee, and slight oak barrels. Still a little more boozy then I would like at this point being 7 months old. Leave an aftertaste of the alcohol, might be better in another year or so. However, still a rather pleasant beer.

M - This one is full bodied and really soft in the mouth with a good amount of carbonation to keep the flavors moving through your palate.

O - This is probably my least favorite beer from Founders, in yet I still enjoy it. I just wish it was slightly less boozy in the aftertaste. I will age some more of this for another year and see if the alcohol dies off. Could be an awesome beer with a couple of years on it, we shall see. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 00:51:31 | More by DrinkMoreBigBeers

SLeffler27

New York

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Curmudgeon pours dark copper with fine sediment in suspension. In the Dogfish Head snifter, the beer is dark amber with a late-erupting head. The cascade glistens cedar gold as it builds a fine, off-white, creamy head that lasts five minutes and leaves a coating of lace.

The aroma includes caramelized sugar, dried fig, prunes, and some whiskey.

Initial sweetness gives way to light bitterness. Dark fruits lead the way with raisins and dried figs. The finish is light and lingering. Warmth brings out light rum flavors and a progression of character.

A smooth body that is full, yet creamy, with light carbonation and, after four years in the bottle, a modest sense of warming alcohol.

Age has served this Curmudgeon well as the booziness from a young bottle is now well checked. This works well for sipping while reading.

This label is an example of how Founders artwork elevates beer. More importantly, scowl aside, the label reminds me of George :-)

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 21:13:57 | More by SLeffler27