Founders Bolt Cutter - Founders Brewing Company

Beerdregs

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Bolt cutter release party at St. Paul Pizza Luce.

A: Opaque copper orange color. Almost no head at all. A few swirls in the snifter glass brings up a minimal white head.

S: This is the bright spot with this beer. The work that the brewery did with this beer really shines on the aroma. I get a heavy hop aroma, maybe peaches and rich maltiness with the alcohol wafting up into the nose. I just don't smell the bourbon.

T: I don't taste the bourbon or the maple syrup. I was expecting a little more sweetness from the malt to balance the alcohol. The hops definitely play a strong role here especially in the finish with the bittering hops. Very boozy. I actually taste more of a canadian whiskey with this beer. As the beer starts to warm I do perceive a little bit of vanilla.

M: Very dry mouthfeel with mild carbonation and heavy alcohol burn that swirls up into the nasal passages.

O: This beer really teased me with the aroma and so I was kind of let down with the taste. I was expecting more from the bourbon and hoping for some maple syrupiness. The alcohol just kind of hijacked the attention for the beer. I think 15% is too much for me in a beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2012 02:58:29 | More by Beerdregs

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Capone's, Norristown, PA

Slightly hazy ruby-copper pour with a thick ringlet of white foam; decent retention and a bit of lacing. Aroma was sweet and malty, toffee and butterscotch, and a hint of naphtha-like booze. Taste was pretty nice, but seemed to fade after the first couple sips for some reason. More malty goodness, toffee, butterscotch, dried maraschino cherries, some boozy heat, and a markedly bitter hop finish. The toffee sweetness faded as it warmed, otherwise my taste rating would possibly step up a notch. This wasn't quite a full-bodied beer, but on the upper end of medium, fairly mellow considering it's still pretty young, but will probably be a nice sipper in a year or two.

Hence I will save my bottles until then.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2012 03:14:34 | More by Rifugium

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 11/28/12 notes. Had this on tap at the Blind Tiger VSK event in NYC. Had a sip from a friend and then an 8 oz. pour.

a - Pours an amber-clear reddish color with one inch of white head and low carbonation evident. Looks as expected.

s - Smells of bready malts, bourbon, oak, toasted malts, alcohol , caramel malts, toffee, and light vanilla. Good, but much more bready than I was expecting, and a decent amount of alcohol.

t - Tastes of bready malts, toasted malts, graham cracker, bourbon, oak, vanilla, caramel malts, dark fruits, toffee, alcohol, butterscotch, and biscuit. Again, tons of bread and toasted malts, but more dark fruit and caramel here than the nose. A small step up from the nose for me, but the alcohol is still there too.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Pretty thick and nice body, and some alcohol heat.

o - Overall I found this to be a good BA barleywine, but not great. While it does not taste liek it is necessarily 15% ABV, it is strong and the alcohol is there. Tons of bready and toasted malts, and some nice bourbon, I have one bottle of this and will hold onto it for a year or two to see if it mellows out a little bit. Good but not as good as some of the other Founders special beers.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2012 15:40:23 | More by mdfb79

spartanfan

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: pours a clear, deep amber color with a small off-white head that quickly fades to a ring. Minimal lacing is left behind.

S: aromas are of sweet caramel, brown sugar, and mild citrus.

T: sweet tastes of caramel balanced by citrusy hops. Not quite as much hops as I was expecting, and this reminds me more of an english style barleywine than american. When cold alcohol is practically not existent, but as it warms the alcohol becomes more apparent.

M: Full mouthfeel with a perfect amount of carbonation. As the beer warms the alcohol becomes a bit too hot.

O: A very solid, very strong barleywine. I'd like to try it with some age on it and would buy it again if I ever get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 17:46:44 | More by spartanfan

webmanspidey

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a golden amber color with a light head. Smells are very sweet honey and malt with some crisp hoppiness. Taste is a mix between a sweet bold malt and crisp hops. The alcohol blends in pretty well for being this heavy. There are also some nice hints of vanilla and oak.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 02:40:25 | More by webmanspidey

jaxon53

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served this a bit below cellar temperature, letting the beer evolve some as it warms. Served this in an oversized snifter, from a 750ml bottle. A Founders brew is always worth a shot...

Appearance: Bolt Cutter pours out a crystal clear deep copper color, that is quite brilliant when held to a light. A somewhat gentle pours brings about a solid inch of creamy tan foam. Pretty decent head retention. Thick foamy lace was left clinging to the glass. A really pretty beer in my opinion.

Smell: Big, sweet nose on this beer. Seems to be a pretty healthy dose of hops in there. Sweet malt really seems to be the center piece, along with some sweet candied fruit. Raisin and plum come to mond first. Hints at fine pipe tobbacco. Toffee is there but is slightly hidden. Booze is there, but is quite subtle...

Taste: Full flavor packed into Bolt Cutter. Again big, and quite sweet. Strong dark fruits, similar to those found on a holiday fruit cake. Hops are in there but are overpowered but the sweet malt base. A bit of a boozy bite but the 15 percent ABV is quite well hidden. A little sweet but not bad.

Mouthfeel: Wonderful, full bodied mouthfeel. Pretty smooth considering its big size.

Overall: Not a bad drink, the sweetness started to get to me though. One glass is really enough for me. Alcohol is well hidden but will bite you. A sipper in my opinion. Not my favorite brew from Founders, but not bad...

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 20:34:55 | More by jaxon53

zac16125

South Carolina

4.09/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

750mL bottle into a small snifter

This beer hit the market and was hot shit, 2 months later its getting killed on reviews and the BA forums. I was excited to get a hold of a bottle to try for myself.

A: Pours a very dark amber with some reddish hues when held to light. One fingers width of very light tan colored head dissipates down at a fairly quick rate. Leaves a good amount of spotty lacing.

S: Smells sweet, but like a hoppy citrus sweetness. There is a rather non-descript sugary sweetness, a melon character that is rather unique to the barleywine style, some faint hints of bourbon and vanilla-oak from the barrel, and some booze. Its unique, but I like.

T: Hops and burnt sugary sweetness are the first tastes I notice. Initially it is very reminiscent of DFH 120 Minute. Then some other notes come out including caramel and toffee, with bourbon and booze on the finish. There is some hop bitterness on the finish too. Im not sure where all the cloying sweetness comments are coming from, this beer isnt even on the higher end of the sweet spectrum in my opinion. It actually reminds me a lot of DFH 120 (although I may be biased as this was suggested to me by someone before I even tried it) with the addition of bourbon barrel notes. I love 120min, but I dont particularly like how the bourbon characters mesh with the flavor profile of the base beer here. I like the taste a lot, but Im deducting points for the aftertaste which is a bit odd at times.

M/D: This beer has an absolutely delightful mouthfeel. Full bodied, manages to stay away from becoming syrupy, a decently heavy carbonation, and a very smooth mouthfeel. The drinkability on this thing is dangerous. Great in this aspect. 4

O: Overall, this one kind of put me through a roller coaster of beer-motions. Im a whore for big boozy beers, and this is certainly one of those. I also think it has a great mouthfeel and drinkability, and I appreciate the unique qualities... BUT I just dont think barrel aging did this one much good. I love BBA beers, but barrel aging doesnt go with everything. I would be interested to try this just as a base beer. Either way, I did thoroughly enough this and highly recommend it to anyone who loves big boozy beers. This certainly isnt for everyone though.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 01:40:35 | More by zac16125

tectactoe

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours an amber-copper color, sort of cloudy and hazy with an off-white head that settles quickly after a hard pour, no real lacing to mention. Aroma is heavy and thick; sweet toffee, burnt sugar, rosey fruits, plums, figs, juicy dates soaked in booze, light vanilla, oak, a touch of wood. Taste hits hard up front with sweet, burnt brown sugar, booze drenched raisins, figs, plums, some backwards woodiness. Creme brulee comes to mind with the burnt sugar and slight vanilla hints. Butterscotch in the background maybe, too. Hop profile is a bit ashy and dry with a light perfume aroma to them, adding a reasonable amount of bitterness to make sure the sweetness isn't cloying (which it's not). The booze profile is mostly reminiscent of bourbon-whiskey; it's warming and relevant and noticeable, slightly warm and a little more so as the beer approaches room temp, but it's never too hot to drink. I would imagine this would mellow out a bit and become excellent with some more time on it. Thick, sticky, heavy body, low carbonation.

Surprised by how good this was, reviews were pretty mixed so I didn't know what to expect. While it was pretty tasty, I think it might mellow out a bit more with some age. Unfortunately, the price tag on this one is a little much for what you're getting.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:19:50 | More by tectactoe

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes from Saturday night. A good beer to celebrate a friend's birthday.

A- Shared between about 5 glasses from the 750ml bottle. Somewhat hazy red body with a creamy white cap. Decent head retention and tons of lace clouds everywhere from a frothy ring.

S- Big deep caramel malts and the cascade hops are noticed instantly. Some spicy raisin and some oak. Not getting a ton beyond that in the aroma specifically.

T- A ton more opens up here compared to the nose. Maple is nice and just a bit sweet atop the big caramel, raisin, dark fruit and spicy notes. Oak and bourbon are subdued but balanced in very nicely. Dry hopping lends a citrus floral feel that actually works nicely with the rest of the flavors. Slight alcohol hints.

MF- Body is creamy and somewhat silky but not as thick as I would expect. Alcohol warmth and some bitterness.

Big but very dangerously drinkable. Awesome balance of huge barrel and barleywine flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 03:23:21 | More by cbutova

drabmuh

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Churchkey DC's Founders Anniversary party with a few other founders offerings. Served in a snifter. 10 ounce pour. Beer is clear and orange-ish with a soft white head with low retention, no lacing and low carbonation. Looks fine.

Aroma is nice. Bourbon, sweet, malt. Aggressive. A little heat as well.

Beer is dry on the finish, light on the body but maintains the sweetness upfront. The bourbon and oak are lost in the palate, maybe the ABV is thinning the beer too much. Overall it is a good beer but from Founders I was expecting an amazing barrel aged experience. One of the poorer showings from their BA beers honestly. I might have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 01:43:48 | More by drabmuh

mcintire78

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: A beautiful deep gold to pale amber color, with a bit of carbonation and a substantial, finger high head that dissipates slowly.

s: Boozy and sweet (honey? sugar?)!

t: Sweet taste up front (toffee?) with a strong bourbon taste kicking in at the end.

m: Gentle up front, not much carbonation, but the alcohol burn catches up with you.

d: This is a sipper for sure. A beer for dark winter nights holed up in a cabin with a blanket pulled around you.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 02:05:57 | More by mcintire78

oline73

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at the Capone's Black Friday Event. Served in a tasting snifter.

Appearance: The beer pours a clear reddish amber color with a layer of off whit head. The head fades to a ring around the glass and leaves some lacing.

Smell: Right off the bat I notice the strong alcohol burn. I'm getting an aggressive hop presence along with some dark fruit. Warm and full of citrus peel hops.

Taste: I would say that this beer could use some age. Quite bitter and very hoppy. Citrus peel hops are backed up by some sweet brown sugar, dark fruit, and maple syrup notes. The finish is very bitter. There is a hot alcohol burn throughout the whole sip.

Mouthfeel: The body is just on the syrupy side of medium with fluffy, tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I thought this beer was too young. I think it could be fantastic in a year or two. The sweet notes were very good, but they need time to come to the front some more.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 02:47:41 | More by oline73

MarcatGSB

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Here is my ticket for the hype train, now show me where I sit...

A: Pours a very bright copper color, very transparent, with a decently fluffy white head, that sticks around for a decent amount of time and showcases some very good lacing. A visually appealing beer.

N: Boom, straight money cascade. Lots of that tropical/resiny hop coming forward...it's pleasant, and almost unexpected. Trace amounts of vanilla, oak, and maybe even some brown sugar.

T: Big hop presence once again. Lots of tropical fruit notes with that resin like bite. Some of those typical barleywine notes likes toffee and caramel...a bit of that dry oak and bourbon coming through again, but it's every so vague. Kind of leaves you wanting, but it's still good.

M: Big beer, that's for sure. Huge sticky mouthfeel gives you the full dynamic of this beer...huge!

Drink and Overall: Overall, it's a very solid barleywine. Simple as that. The hop makes me think more of an American Barleywine than an English...compare it to a fresh JW Lees and the comparison is amazing.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 14:06:51 | More by MarcatGSB

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Track 84. Served in an SN Beercamp taster. Pours the color of maple syrup with a slightly hazy clarity and a loose, off-white head. Nose expresses raisins, prunes, a medium malt profile and candied demerara sugar. Taste follows nose with a slight residual alcohol bite at the finish. Mouthfeel is medium-light in body with a slightly oily texture and an even carbonation. Overall, a good American Barleywine, but not worthy of the hype and the price point. I'd like to see what 3-5 years in the cellar does to this beer. That said, this brew does not drink like a 15% abv beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 00:52:27 | More by Jwale73

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2012 vintage (15th anniversary). Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter.
A: Pours a dark orange-amber hue with 1/4 inch light tan head. Fairly quickly recedes.
S: Equal parts grainy hops and sweet caramel malt hits first. Toast, brandy, and raisins. Hint of light maple syrup.
T: Aggressive hops and alcohol hit first. Toasted grains, sweet caramel malt, and sultanas. With warming, notes of toffee, light molasses, and rye emerge. Malt also comes more forward to better balance the strong hop presence.
M: Moderate-heavy body. Sticky sweet feel. Strong boozy alcohol note and strong hop bitterness with a moderately dry finish.
D: A solid barleywine. Interesting twist with the strong hop presence. This certainly could age well, but you'd lose the hops over time which I think elevate this brew a notch. Yes, the alcohol is strong at 15%, but drinks easier than that.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 03:57:54 | More by mwilbur

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.04/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

one of the best barleywines of the year. not cheap, but damn good. it pours a sticky honey color with just a finger or two of white lace on top. the nose is crazy, sweet and strong, like a homemade spirit or something, its got notes of scotch, toffee, brown sugar, and orange peel. that first thing I think of when I taste this is, wow, if gummy bears were liquid, this is what it would taste like. its sort of got that artificial fruit flavor sweetness from all the malt, but it works here, and the alcohol is just ridiculous, especially when this gets up to room temperature, its downright hot. not much hops in here that I can pick out, but a lot of big flavors competing for attention, so its probably just as well. mouthfeel is thick and gooey, not much carbonation, which makes this a slow sipper. the alcohol content makes sharing the bottle must, as does the sugar, which gets tiring. still, this is what a barleywine should be, and founders has pulled this off wonderfully.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 20:33:16 | More by StonedTrippin

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Founders Bolt Cutter

Poured into a 4oz tasting glass from the tap at iTap (Soulard).

Pours a copper color with some nice amber hues. Nice and clear. Light cream head rises up about half an inch. The beer is very nice looking. The amber and copper colors are bright and lively. The head recedes slowly and definitely leaves some sticky lacing. (4.5)

Starts off with some aroma of vanilla with some intense hop juice sweetness that comes up quick and fierce. Nice caramel and citrus notes mix in well. These notes are followed by some more vanilla and butterscotch and very nice bourbon notes. There is some nice piney and grapefruit notes as well. (4.0)

Flavor is intense. Tons of resinous hop notes! Very piney and slightly sweet with some good citrus notes and grassy hop notes. Sweetness is very present and intense but its not overwhelming at all. Caramel notes mix in with the barrel and the intense hop notes. As it warns the hop notes are much more intense and there is some nice syrupy notes mixed in there as well. The finish is quite dank but mixed in with some awesome barrel notes. Oily and slick with an intense finish that is sticky but at the same time dry because of the hops. (4.0)(4.0)

Overall. This brew got a lot of hype. And even though it’s not all undeserved because it’s a good brew it might have been a bit overblown. Very flavorful and well done mix of intense malt sweetness, caramel, toffee and vanilla notes. There is some nice dank pine as well as grassy and herbal hop notes that are also complimented by some citrus notes. (4.0)

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 23:23:11 | More by JoEBoBpr

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was on tap a while back at Holy Hound in York, PA enjoyed chilled in a snifter.

The color and clarity are both great a brilliant copper/bronze shade with visible carbonation and thick cream cap of light beige with tight bead and nice lace formation. The smell is very good, but comes off very hop forward and high alcohol in the nose which is appropos to the style but not especially complex so just above average accept it has some nice hop pine scents. The feel is good well above average in that it is 15% and feels like 10% tops it has hop oiliness and high bitterness level but it is relatively dry for the style making it taste similar to a Double IPA with asservtive bite and pretty hard not to have alcohol effect the palate at the abv listed but it does a decent job of concealing with some moderate carbonation.

This tastes intense! as the name implies it does not tread lightly and it means business -lots of sharp hops with piney, peppery bite and slight caramel and nutty dry malt to underscore with lots of alcohol with some fruitiness on the palate. I really dug this and it is so fresh you can't help but wonder if the intense octane of a 15% can mellow with cellaring, but the hops are very tasty so I would not hold on to this. I enjoyed how smooth it was for there aren't many 15% beers I have liked as much as this, A great tribute to 15 years in business -keep up the good work Founders!

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2013 14:59:31 | More by Slatetank

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

4.01/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Cloudy amber with a small white head.

Smell: Maple, strawberry hard candy, figs, caramel, coconut, toffee.

Taste: Now that this has some age, the maple backbone is much more apparent. The hops have also receded from when I had first tasted it, as expected. At first, it was like a 3x IPA masquerading as a Barleywine; now it's coming into its own. I see great things happening to this thing down the road as the hops continue to recede and the malt sweetness/complexity becomes more apparent.

Mouthfeel: Not thin by any means, but on the medium side for the style.

Overall: I find it a bit odd to rate something 8/10 and call it OUTSTANDING, but this beer to me is at least/around an 8, despite all the criticism. It's just getting better, and will continue to do so with age. The hops are receding, and this is getting better every day.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 03:46:39 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A week after this beer was released, I was still kicking myself for not seeking it out. But by a stroke of blind luck, I came across a bottle, and I’m still not sure how. Thank you, oh sweet and merciful beer gods.

A: Pours a rusty-bolt red, slight hazy but with deep color to it. Surprisingly big head for such a hefty, alcoholic beer, too, rising to a full inch of eggshell-colored cream at a slow, determined pace. Eventually the foam falls to nothing more than a few bubbles, leaving little specks of lacing everywhere as it does.

S: Typical barleywine scents, but a twist – no, really, it smells like someone squeezed some lemon juice in here. It’s a tangy hop kick, almost acrid, wafting up effortlessly through the malts. Not a bad effect, actually: lemon and sour grape candy notes are causing some interesting interplay with the fig, caramel, molasses, and black licorice that run deep through the nose. Woody tones pick up on the back end, as well.

T: Holy hell, now I where this stuff got its name – pour some of this on a chain and you’ll cut right through it. Power in a bottle, but slow to deliver, the palate starts with a peaty, leathery earthiness and caramel nougat character. It’s all malt, but no sugar; how did they do that? Maybe it’s just that the other flavors are intense enough to push the residual sugars into the background. The hops come off in a stinging, astringent way, prickling with pine needles, blood orange, peach, and a touch of flowery hibiscus, and the booze isn’t far behind: its warmth grows to vodka-and-water solvent proportions before dying down to a more pleasing (though just as strong) taste of roasty Scotch. Yep, I’d say that’s enough to draw my attention away from any other flavor this beer can conjure up. Aftertaste is astonishingly light, leaving just a small taste of sherry and fruity candy on the tongue.

M: Fiery as all hell, but I’ve had IPAs feel thicker than this – sure, this is a sipper, but that’s really only because chugging it would be the liquid equivalent of the Cinnamon Challenge. Take heed: this beer is dangerously drinkable, as far as 10%+ beers go.

O: What the hell is going on in my glass? I think I like it, but that might just be the power of the Bolt Cutter luring me into its grasp. Give this one a year – no, two. Trust me, open it up next year to celebrate Founders’ 16th anniversary and you’ll be much happier. I mean, you’ll probably be just as happy, but at least it will stop your taste buds from burning off. Seriously, I think my hair is falling out…

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 23:16:26 | More by BarryMFBurton

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer pours a slightly dense but clear aged copper brown body with a bubbly light tan head that sticks to the glass and sluggishly slides back into the beer.

S- the nice sweet caramel malt aroma has some candy sugar notes that come through as the beer warms and a slight spicy character with some ether hints in the finish.

T- The smooth sweet caramel malt grows as the beer warms and takes on a brassy wheat malt flavor. The finish of pungent hops and alcohol gently round out each sip.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a thick texture in the finish that is thinned by an alcohol warmth that hangs in the mouth.

O- This is a big monster barleywine with a gentle alcohol heat for 15% ABV and I was surprised at how much hops presence was in there aswell. It was a nice beer to taste but I would have preferred it without as much alcohol. This beer was a night starter and night ender in one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 22:07:52 | More by rhoadsrage

millertime416

Iowa

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

To start off, this is a very very good American barleywine, maybe even great. The aroma is almost all hops: pineapple, citrus, even a little bit of pine. But still has a very strong malt presence. Flavor is along these lines, nice balance between hops and malt with a good level of bitterness. The alcohol is well hidden, maybe too well. Founders was right, this is definitely ready to drink now; though, I don't think age will hurt it at all.

The problem with this beer is that it purports to be a partially "maple syrup bourbon barrel aged" barleywine, and yet the barrel is completely absent. I detect almost no bourbon, barrel nor maple syrup of any sort in this beer. I drank this through many temperatures (fridge to room temp), and still cannot find any barrel. Maybe I drink too many bourbon barrel aged beers to detect it, but this does not at all drink like a barrel aged beer. If you were looking for a bourbon barrel aged barleywine along the lines of King Henry or Abacus, look again. While I acknowledge that I might be giving this a lower rating because it was marketed as a barrel aged barleywine, I would probably consider this to be better than most, if not all, the other non-barrel-aged american barleywines I have had.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 05:16:11 | More by millertime416

Powderhornphil

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy rich amber orange. Pretty appealing looking.

Smells of Citrus, earthy hops when cool. As it warms, and it seems that sound be recommended, scents of warm, buttery toffee start to come forward.

Let this beer warm up. It really lets the sweet malty toffee out. For me, the booze is more palatable as it warms. Some oakiness starts to come through. Generally, the barrel and bourbon are gentle influences.

Mouthfeel is full but not as thick as you might think for a 15 % BW.

Overall a nice beer. I can see the letdown if you expect something like a top 50 beer. But you enjoy for what is is, you will get a nice BW.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 03:02:07 | More by Powderhornphil

srandycarter

California

3.99/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Murky dark apricot.

S - Sweet, sweet, sweet. Boozy, hoppy, yummy.

T - Same as mouth, more hops in there.

M - Heavy body, good carb, pretty good balance.

D - I like this one! Took me a long time to pull the trigger, as it is so big, but it was worth it.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 05:00:55 | More by srandycarter

jisom123

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

We have to stop comparing the backstage series beers to each other.

Smells like cotton candy, maple syrup and an enjoyable booziness.

Very limited barrel flavor, and limited maple.

Great mouthfeel.

Hint of Belgian trip yeast flavors. Doesn't mesh well.

Not worth the price. Too much going on in the wrong departments, too little going on in the right departments. Still a good beer. not great.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 03:04:56 | More by jisom123