Founders Bolt Cutter - Founders Brewing Company

davey101

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into a tulip glass. Served at cellar temperature. The bottle sat around for a day or so and I noticed a bit of floating cloudy sediment at the bottle of the bottle.

A - Pours a clear dark red/auburn color. A dense two finger creamy off white head forms but disappears quite quickly leaving behind a thin and spotchy cap with thick soapy edging. Eventually the cap vanishes and its just the edging. Decent amount of retention and lacing with clinging alcoholic legs. A swirl creates another dense head and a lively cascading effect. Beautiful looking beer!

S - Chewy toffee, bourbon soaked figs and raisins, brown sugar, maple, burnt caramel, vanilla and marshmallow. Some bright citric and piney hops. Extremely complex and layered, the aroma is just so busy. Has one of the most present and enjoyable alcohol presences I've experienced in a beer.

T - Starts off with toffee, caramel, and butterscotch and then some interesting tropical notes from the hops. Mango, peaches, and pine. Its not hoppy in the way that an American style BW is hoppy, its just...present with no real bitterness. Waves of warming bourbon, oak, vanilla, and dates. Very complex with each sip bringing a new element. Maple, butter, brown sugar, candi sugar, cotton candy; very sweet!. Just a huge amount of flavor here. A touch of warming alcohol but this does not feel like 15% at all.

M - Dense and creamy mouth feel, slightly syrupy. Excellent mouth feel for such a high octane beer.

O - Excellent, excellent, excellent beer. It stands out from the other barrel aged english BW's in that it has more of a hop presence than the others while still retaining those huge notes of toffee and butterscotch. This is drinking extremely well fresh, the alcohol is barely noticeable and only seems to compliment the intense and decadent sweetness with a pleasant warmth on the end. Flavors and aromas are top notch. Not quite a King Henry, but awfully damn close.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 03:39:12 | More by davey101

Benny3000

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

05-19-2013 13:47:51 | More by Benny3000

NeutroMan

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

05-18-2013 22:20:10 | More by NeutroMan

BUNZILLA

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

05-18-2013 00:59:45 | More by BUNZILLA

smartassboiler

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.5%

05-17-2013 14:19:24 | More by smartassboiler

dan027

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.5%

05-17-2013 02:51:26 | More by dan027

Dan3279

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-17-2013 00:20:40 | More by Dan3279

iHeartMNBeer

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-16-2013 20:21:27 | More by iHeartMNBeer

acc88

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

05-16-2013 07:09:34 | More by acc88

standardcherry

Massachusetts

3.94/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22oz bottle.

A: Pours a slightly hazy dark orange/golden color with a big, creamy looking tan head.
S: Hoppy citrus aroma, sweet malts, caramel, brown sugar, woody scent. There's a sweet, almost bubblegum-like aroma at the end. Strange, but not bad.
T: Smooth malty flavor, followed by maple and a ton of citrusy/earthy hops bitterness. Fruity flavors (pineapple and citrus) mixed with caramel, maple, oak and booze. A hint of vanilla as well, but the hoppy bitterness dominates. It's ok, but I'd definitely let it mellow a bit if I had another bottle.
M: Surprisingly drinkable for a barleywine this huge. Full bodied with a sticky mouthfeel. Great carbonation for the style.
O: Glad I got to try this beer but I wouldn't buy it again. If I had another bottle I'd let it hang out for another year or two to let the hops mellow more.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 05:44:08 | More by standardcherry

twkirkby

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-15-2013 10:09:36 | More by twkirkby

HarmonMW

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -20%

05-13-2013 21:40:36 | More by HarmonMW

davesway10

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

05-13-2013 20:35:49 | More by davesway10

hogansct

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

05-13-2013 18:33:40 | More by hogansct

vrbulldog22

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

05-13-2013 18:23:20 | More by vrbulldog22

Drock325

Missouri

4/5  rDev -1.5%

05-13-2013 04:24:26 | More by Drock325

tugg407

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

05-13-2013 04:09:30 | More by tugg407

GameOfThrones

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-13-2013 03:23:50 | More by GameOfThrones

whallgren

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-12-2013 19:21:04 | More by whallgren

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1.5%

05-11-2013 15:16:33 | More by mikeburd1128

jacewg

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

05-11-2013 13:18:05 | More by jacewg

kingmaker

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

05-11-2013 06:18:56 | More by kingmaker

opwog

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

05-11-2013 04:46:00 | More by opwog

hey5hitgoose

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

05-11-2013 00:58:10 | More by hey5hitgoose

justforrazors

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-11-2013 00:56:01 | More by justforrazors