Founders Frangelic Mountain Brown - Founders Brewing Company

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a light brown with copper highlights, moderate tan lacing, decent retention. Hazelnut right upfront on the nose, notes of clean, french pressed medium roast coffee, brown sugar, vanilla and cream round out the nose. Hazelnut hits the tongue first, big and strong but milds out until the medium roast coffee with light cocoa notes hits, some mor enutty qualities, vanilla and brown sugar join the mix. Full side of medium, creamy and smooth. Fantastic nose and flavor, maybe a bit too much for some to enjoy as I did.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2013 15:30:08 | More by rfgetz

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Writing a review from memory, but since Hads count for realsies now, even a bad review from memory is better than nothing. On tap at Prohibition Pig a while back.

A - Deep brown with a tan head.

S - Massive coffee and hazelnut aromas, really attractive. Throw in some cocoa, too.

T - Follows the nose, it's like a fresh cuppa hazelnut coffee.

M - Medium-full body that goes will with the rest of the beer.

O - Overall a great specialty brown ale, with a tasty combination of coffee and hazelnut.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2013 02:13:52 | More by greenmonstah

Optifron

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on-tap during Founders night at Crane Alley in Urbana, IL 11/18/2012

Appearance: Dark brown. Light tan head.

Aroma: Coffee! Hazelnut. Both intense.

Taste: Intensely hazelnut and light coffee. Coffee bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Very light carbonation. The bitterness finishes a bit dry.

Overall: Like nothing I’ve ever had, but in a more interesting way than a good way. Too much coffee/hazelnut for me.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 21:34:53 | More by Optifron

Bung

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at Duckworths. Surprisingly light hazy reddish brown pour. Frothy Off white head, laces the glass pretty nicely.

Aroma, toasted malt, molasses and mostly hazelnut.

Taste, a little more balanced, but mostly works around the hazelnut creamer. Lighter toasted malt, vanilla, some chocolates. Coffee faintly present in the finish.

Solidly medium body. Carbonation is just a bit too active for this to be creamy. Still coats pretty well though.

Say what you want about this, you aren't going to do that much better for a dessert brown ale. Went great after some Thanksgiving leftovers.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2012 01:33:35 | More by Bung

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

$7.50 pour a 10oz pour. Served in a tulip.
Sampled 07AUG12

[A] Arrives with a 1 1/2 finger of creamy, compact light to medium light brown head. Retention is just below great but looks spectacular as it recedes leaving a complete sheet of foamy lace stuck to the glass. The body is a rich, chestnut-stained dark brown color. Hazy to the point of being completely opaque. Lacing stays consistent while varying sizes of holes emerge on the earlier deposits. Moderate transparency towards the end of the glass.

[S] While I'm not a fan of hazelnut in coffee, it works exceptionally well in this beer. Interestingly enough, the coffee component is weaker than advertised. Working in my favor, the chocolate seems to take over and pairs wonderfully with the robust hazelnut aroma. This nose is down right fantastic.

[T] Hazelnut, cocoa, rich rendered caramel. Balance and integration are damn near masterful but ... there is a little room for improvement here. I blame the mouthfeel for not carrying out the flavors as judiciously as it could have.

[M] Semi thick, luxuriously creamy body upfront (particularly at warmer temps) but, with stylistic consideration, a slightly aggressive carbonation from mid palate through the end damn near destroys the finish. Quite salvageable but a smoother finish would have taken this beer into another world.

[O] Fantastic brew for my tastes. Obviously most of BA isn't nearly as impressed. But, looking at the stats, this beer seems to do much better when served on tap rather than in the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 19:01:18 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Blue Dog durin their wealth of riches event.

The beer pours a fairly dark brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is attractive in this beer, as I pick up vanilla, light coffee and chocolate, and some frangelica liquer (which I guess is to be expected). The beer smells rich and sweet, but at least for me, I found that the combination of aromas really worked for me. The flavor profile replicates the nose, with the beer also showcasing a roasty malt quality and light bitterness that I thought blended in well with the vanilla, mocha and frangelica. Mouthfeel was fairly full, with a long, roasty sweet finish. Alcohol was nicely integrated into the flavor profile, which I felt enhanced this beers drinkability.

Had this side by side with the Better Half, and found that I preferred this beer. It was bit less sweet and boozy than the BH, which probably explains why I preferred it. Clearly one of the best brown ales I've ever tasted.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2012 13:48:45 | More by johnmichaelsen

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This poured out as a light murky brown colored beer... Might have been one of the first samples out of the keg. There wasn't much head on top or lacing at all on this one. The smell of the beer was loaded with Hazelnut and some other sugary aromas. The taste of the beer is a little malty upfront but quickly fades into a pure Hazelnut finish, no bitterness but sweet candy-like Hazelnut. The mouthfeel was decent, not overly carbonated and medium bodied. Overall I was glad I got to try it. I would probably enjoy a bottle of it around the holidays or something but other than that this one wouldn't be something I would seek out too often.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2012 06:45:34 | More by Knapp85

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap at The Blue Dog

Frangelic Mountain Brown casts off a deep brown look almost like dirty pond water with a nice amount of firm mocha colored bubbles leaving a firm cap up top. The cap does not cling to the glass at all and eventually goes away.

The smell on this is fairly simple, hazelnut aroma seeps out and hits the nose buds. It's pretty much all you get through most of the temp flucs some brown malt appears with some caramel, toffee scent and sweet sugars. Not picking up on the 9% here. Founders sort of nailed the nose if this is what they were going for.

Taste wise, this is a big brown ale with no alcohol intrusion and a large amount of hazelnut and toffee thrown in the mix. Some grain and light plain coffee come through with a smidge of vanilla, but the hazelnut wins the race. It's not the most complex beer on the market, but it's a step up from some of the boring browns I've had over the past decade, Frangelic offers something different.

Feel is sturdy bodied with a build that is a bit larger than medium. Not super thick and not hot at all. The sweetness builds up after a while on the tounge and could get 'enough' over some time. Carb is subtle but there leaving a non dead beer with life.

Glad I had a portion of this. A 25oz bottle would of been a chore. I suspect that this could be used to some degree baking some fine cakes, or bread. I dug the simpleness of a big brown with a twist of hazelnut.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2012 22:44:56 | More by onix1agr

beer2day

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Triangle Wine for their Founders Takeover ...

Deep, earthy brown pour with very little head. Thin lace. Good color, though.

Hazelnut, coffee, roast malt, light caramel malt, and a light shot of grapefruit hops all in the nose. Very nice.

Hazelnut takes over tin the flavor, but you still get a nice blast of roast coffee, caramel malt, toffee, and a hint of hops. I like it.

Body is substantial, without being overly thick.

Not a big fan of browns, but this is quite nice.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2012 01:47:59 | More by beer2day

merc7186

New York

3.98/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured on tap at DeCiccos in Brewster NY, into a snifter glass.

A: Deep Brown/Amber Hue, Passes Minimal Light, Thin White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Hazelnut, Mild Coffee, Mild Nutty

T: Sweet Hazelnut, Coffee, Mild Nutty

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Sweet, Mildly Bitter

Overall, its a nice brown ale but the hazelnut seems a little artificial and too sweet.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2012 22:38:51 | More by merc7186

srv33

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a half-mug on tap, pours a dark semi-clear brown, with a thin tan head and fantastic fine lacing. Strong scent of coffee, hazelnut, vanilla, and chocolate. Taste very closely follows nose, with the hazelnut coffee flavor dominating. It does do that well though, it really does hazelnut and coffee flavors like nothing else, if that sounds appealing - definitely get a hold of this brew. Mouthfeel is fantastically smooth, thick, and creamy. Overall a very well done brew, highly recommended for someone who wants a strong coffee-hazelnut combo.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2012 23:27:32 | More by srv33

barczar

Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque deep brown with half inch beige head that leaves spotty lacing.

Coffee, mocha, and hazelnuts, and roast malt dominate the aroma. The longer I smell it, the more it reminds me of extract.

Flavor is very coffee forward, lots of hazelnut, almost tastes like frangelico...imagine that. Notes of chocolate and roast malt.

Body is fairly syrupy, with minimal carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel.

Overall, a bit too roasty and nutty for a brown. Overpriced for what it is. Tasty, but not spectacular.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2012 21:53:38 | More by barczar

oline73

Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on-tap at Teresa's Next Door. Served in a goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours a clear reddish dark amber color. There is a half finger of off white head that leaves some lacing on the glass.

Smell: I'm getting freshly ground coffee. There are some nutty notes along with sweet toffee and some dark fruit.

Taste: The taste of this beer was amazingly smooth. Very smooth coffee notes with some dark chocolate, toffee, and dark fruit notes. The finish is full of the smooth coffee flavor. There is no real bite to this beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with smooth tingles of carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This beer is incredibly smooth. The sweet toffee notes complimented the beer very well. I feel very fortunate to have run into this one on-tap.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2012 22:57:04 | More by oline73

mdfb79

New York

4.3/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 08/07/12 notes. Ended up having 2 8oz. pours of this last night at Rattle n Hum in NYC at their Founders event.

a - Pours a medium nut brown color with one inch of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of caramel malts, coffee, toffee, roasted malts, nuts, toasted malts, hazelnuts, and vanilla. As it warms up a ton more hazelnut comes out, as does espresso. Really an amazing mix of hazelnut coffee, vanilla, and caramel/toffee in the nose; just perfect. Probably the best smelling brown ale I've ever smelt.

t - Tastes of coffee, espresso, roasted malts, toasted malts, caramel malts, hazelnut, vanilla, tofee, light hops. Taste is still very good, but has less vanilla and caramel than the nose, and more coffee comes though. Very good, but not as good as the nose.

m - Light to medium body and low carbonation evident. Easy to drink for 9% ABV, but the mouthfeel is a little too light/watery, which keeps it from being great.

o - Overall I liked this one a lot; one of the better brown ales I've had in a while. I didn't seek any bottles out since it was a brown ale but now wish I had, and am very glad I got to have it on tap. The nose is amazing; not sure how long that espresso/hazelnut will last so I'd drink it right now and it is drinking as good as it probably will. Would love to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2012 15:26:21 | More by mdfb79

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap 7/28/2012 at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a medium brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains maple, chocolate, caramelized malts and a touch of hops.

T: The taste start is very sweet up front with strong flavors of maple, caramel and chocolate. The malt character is hearty and there’s a touch of an alcohol sting. The hops presence is very mild but brings some balance. The after-taste is sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, strong kick, good representation of style, this is a decent stronger brown ale to drink for a while if you’re ok with the sweetness.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 19:38:41 | More by TheManiacalOne

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-clear medium brown color with a small off-white head and little lacing

S-hazelnuts, coffee,,chocolate, vanilla bean

T-coffee, chocolate, hints of vanilla, mild to moderate sweetness, hazelnut flavor a little on the artificial side

F-light to medium body with mild carbonation, a little on the thinner side

O-an interesting brown ale variation by Founders, would have higher marks if it had a little more body and creaminess and the hazelnut flavor didn't seem artificial

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2012 02:14:21 | More by MDDMD

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Prime 16 during the Founders CT launch party.

A: Clear, deep dark persimmon body with just a 1/2" of frothy off-white head. Mediocre retention and lacing. Ok Brown Ale.

S: Powerful hazelnut, coffee, and chocolate. Simple, and simply great.

T: Opens with huge coffee, toasted hazelnuts, and some chocolate. The hazelnut persists onto the finish, where it's joined by potent booze. Nuttiness and spicy alcohol on the aftertaste. Discordant and ultimately underwhelming, despite having some really tasty things going on.

M: Creamy medium body. Really great for the style.

O: Loved the smell, but not the back-end heat. Not a bad beer by any stretch, but far from the awesomeness I was expecting.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 00:12:44 | More by woosterbill

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours brown with crimson undertones. Head is minimal and recedes to a grouping of large bubbles. Mostly transparent. Body glows.

S-A mixture of sweetness and concentrated coffee. Very roasty. Hazelnut coffee and other assorted nuts. Vanilla and light hints of Nutella. Alcohol masked well.

T-Tastes very sweet but the roasted nutty coffee sets in and never lets go. Molasses and vanilla extract. Light mocha. Very, very roasty. Finishes with dried coffee bean flavor.

M-Lighter than the ABV would lead me to initially believe. Alcohol is mildly drying. Finishes with bitter coffee beans. Slightly syrupy and creamy.

O/D-A slight disappointment, but it is still a pretty cool beer. Plenty of coffee here. Maybe a tad too sweet for me but I was quite excited to try it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2012 22:38:16 | More by VelvetExtract

vandemonian

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Frangelic mountain brown is a sweet flavoursome brown ale with an amazing aroma and a great flavour.

A: Brown colour and a thin head that fades fast. 4

S: Sweet flavoursome malt. Some coffee and brown sugar flavours too. There are also notes of hazelnut. 4.5

T: Malty with strong coffee flavour and a slightly smoky finish. 4

M: Quite thin. 3.5

O: 4

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2012 02:15:36 | More by vandemonian

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

8oz pour, on tap at Founders Fest. Fresh brewed. Served in a plastic Founders cup. High class!

Pours deep brown with 1.5 finger tan head. A sort of golden brown around the edges. Nice lacing- even on the plastic cup. 

Terrific hazelnut coffee nose! Just insane how freakin good it smells. I can't stop sniffing. 

Taste really delivers on that hazelnut coffee nose. Hazelnuts and coffee dominate with cocoa, caramel, mild charred malt and brown suger. No trace of alcohol, just coffee and hazelnut goodness. 

Medium light bodied with just enough carbonation to keep the flavors active for a long zesty aftertaste. 

Outstanding! I'm having trouble finding a store in Atlanta that will start any kind of waiting list for next month's bottle release so it was awesome to try this at the brewery. Definately worth a shot if you get the opportunity. 

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2012 00:14:40 | More by ThickNStout

scottfrie

California

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into large snifter. Thanks jbck109!

A: Pours a deep nutty caramel brown with a thin, bubbly, light tan head that faded into a thick collar leaving wisps of soapy lace down the glass.
S: Rich and sweet notes of hazelnut and buttery nuts dominate followed by light hints of light roasted coffee and roasted malt.
T: More buttery greasy nutty taste, hazelnut, light roast, milk chocolate, and a hint of raisin and vanilla.
The finish is slightly bitter with lingering flavors of hazelnuts and caramel, and the aftertaste is full of coffee, brown sugar and vanilla.
M: Full bodied, slick, greasy and smooth mouthfeel, with low carbonation.
O: I love that the hazelnut overpowers the coffee. A great example of hazelnut in beer. Very delicious, thanks Jay!

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 00:02:02 | More by scottfrie

brentk56

North Carolina

4.04/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours an ice tea brown color with a rather modest head that fritters away rather quickly though it leaves a scattering of dots all around the glass

Smell: Hazelnut coffee, with undertones of toffee and vanilla

Taste : Hazelnut coffee with bitterness in the background from both the coffee and nutskin elements; in the middle, the vanilla and toffee sweetness builds but never becomes overwhelming; the finish is nicely balanced - not too sweet but filled with the flavor

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: The ratings have built for this beer over time as I recall when I first bought the bottle the ratings were terrible; not sure whether the beer has developed that much since it was bottled but I rather enjoyed the beer though it is not something I would likely seek out again

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:15:47 | More by brentk56

CMUbrew

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Review from Fall 2012
750 mL bottle poured into a Founders snifter

A: Nut brown in color with ruby highlights. Looks quite oily.

S: Hazelnut coffee. It's that simple. If you're expecting anything else you're out of luck.

T: Most definitely hazelnut coffee. Thats about all I get. Coffee is slightly tannic. I would not consider the pure hazelnut coffee flavor that bad as that is what Founers was going for, although I would have liked it to be sweeter. Flavors became slightly less pleasing as the beer warmed although not terribly so.

M: Slick, oily, and slightly viscous.

O: This had potential to be a top favorite of mine in the brown ale style as well as beer in general. I love hazelnut coffee, but I needed this one to be sweeter (you won't hear too many people say that).

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 20:26:56 | More by CMUbrew

Joethebeerpro

Georgia

4.49/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Frangelic Mountain Brown is the quintessential taproom “one-off” beer: Founders’ brewers created the Mountain Brown series for their taproom in Grand Rapids in 2007. Frangelic Mountain Brown is the 16th iteration in the series of popular brown ales—and it likely won’t be the last. The singular characteristic of this beer comes from the use of hazelnut coffees in the brewing process. The beer has distinct aromatics with sweet and nutty flavors beautifully balanced. Founders is known for its beers made with coffee (i.e., the Breakfast Stout series), but this is both the brewery’s first brown ale and its first beer brewed with hazelnut coffees to be bottled. It clocks in at 9% ABV.
It's amazing with brownies!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 05:47:42 | More by Joethebeerpro

SHODriver

California

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: pours a deep brown with ruby edges with a small off white head that quickly fades to a collar into a snifter
S: some brown sugar, hazelnut coffee and some lightly roasted malt
T: hazelnuts and coffee up front and throughout the drink, lightly roasted malt struggles to make its presence felt and there's a bit of caramelly sweetness at times. swallow is more hazelnut coffee and a bit more caramel
M: medium in the mouth with slightly prickly carbonation. decent finish
O: the hazelnut coffee kinda dominates the beer. I wish it would have played less of a leading role. Not a bad beer but it's almost like drinking watered down coffee. Interesting beer though

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 04:41:11 | More by SHODriver