Founders Bolt Cutter - Founders Brewing Company

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 mL bottle pours a lightly hazed copper color with a surprisingly delicate head that sticks around a good while...nice lace too.

Nose is almost all caramel...wow, like a boardwalk candy shop! Little bit of toffee and toast, smooth nose - that’s fo sho.

Taste is understatedly hoppy! Mashes sweetness, toast and caramel just about as well as any beer I have ever had. Alcohol is ridiculously smooth for a 13%'er...Impressive. I really like it. Mouthfeel is a tad less creamy than I expected, but that is a minor complaint. Founder’s can do some amazing beers and Bolt Cutter fits their profile well, though it is almost a disappointment if one of their beers fails to rock your socks off! That can be both a blessing and a curse, in this case I think Bolt Cutter is a very good Barleywine, but never quite reaches the ‘epic’ status that many of their beers seem to effortlessly obtain.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 01:11:43 | More by twiggamortis420

Alextricity

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

To my surprise, I saw this at the World Expo of Beer in Frankenmuth, Michigan and decided to try it out. I hope you're all ready to roll your eyes at this review and spit on your screen!

Appearance: A nice ruby-like color. No head to speak of, and no lacing either .... which I guess is to be expected.

Smell: Honestly smelled like a chlorine pool to me, for the most part ... after awhile that note seemed to fade and I just got a really odd mix of super sweet malt with hops. Unusual.

Taste: It's a barleywine. It's 15%. In the words of Ralph Wiggum, "It tastes like burning." The beer isn't overly bitter, but it burns quite a lot with a lot of alcohol in the flavor. I found that I was mainly concentrating on getting all of it down, rather than trying to pick up on flavors. I could finish my 4oz sample, but I'm not convinced I could have much more.

It's too big for me. Sweet, heavy, and copious amounts of alcohol in the flavor. Could definitely benefit by mellowing out over the course of a year or so.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2013 16:50:01 | More by Alextricity

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

srandycarter

California

3.99/5  rDev -1.7%
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

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.41/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a hazy light orange caramel with a powdered dusting, and large bubbles mixed in.

S: Aroma of cotton candy , caramelized sugars, sweet oranges, light oak aromas and sweetness comes on strong.

T: Lots of Sugary cotton candy flavors, caramel along with fruity tastes and berry flavors. I am reminded of Fruit Stripe gum. Tons of red ale flavor and crystal malt flavors. Excellent balance with not an overabundance of hops but great flavor. This beer clearly shines with the fruity esters from the yeast and a refreshing flavor overall rather than a tannic overhopped and overboiled mess. I pick up light melon as some other reviews have picked up as well. This really blends well with the overall amount of bitterness in this beer and I wish more beers would follow this suit.

M: Thick body with a low level of carbonation. just right

O: Overall this is a great beer and glad to have tried this but with the outrageous price, I would never buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:24:52 | More by alpinebryant

chinchill

South Carolina

3.71/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Shared bottle. Very high ABV cannot be hidden. While I'm not hit in the face with the full 15%, this is, nonetheless, a bit too boozy for me. The high ABV comes in a very flavorful brew, which suggests various fruits and fruit brandy. Excellent hop/malt balance.

M: Rather full bodied, with excellent (low) carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 17:46:42 | More by chinchill

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.14/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Review 150!!!

On tap at farmhouse to sniffer (2012)

A: redish brick to brown in color there is no head but is translucent as can be and looks pretty clean

S:actually a fairly nice aroma of both bourbon and maple syrup mixed together and I have a very highly sensitivity to bourbon that being said you can can most definitely tell this is a barleywine as there is also a distinct malt aroma

T:first of all surprisingly there is no hint of alcohol at all it's not super fresh but impressive for a barleywine. It has a smooth malty flavor the maple bourbon is pretty evident as there is a maple sweetness that blends well with the natural malt sweetness

M: there is a slight alcohol burn but its more like a warming Then a burning and does not effect the taste. It goes down really smooth and easily for such a high abv but on the other hand it is fairly thick and syrupy though not sticky

O: I usually am not a fan of barleywines but I really like this one the maple undertones really cut the malt flavor and do it for me plus the fact that its 15% and doesn't stinky anywhere close to that doesn't hurt. I definitely think this one is worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2013 23:07:36 | More by Pinknuggets

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Came out much lighter than expected at 15% non barrel aged, it was an amber color, even light amber for that matter with just hints of red throughout it. Thin off white head, 1/2" in size. Pretty impressive appearance.

Aroma was a little bit of honey, substantial carapils type of malt, light melon and hop aromas.

Taste, plenty hoppy, lots of caramel, slight honey sweetness. Of course the booziness is there, this is a big ass beer. The hops seem to have more of a bittering/balancing effect moreso than flavoring hops. Sticky, but not syrupy. Can see why they call it Bolt Cutter, this definitely cuts through plenty of previously consumed beers during the Round of 32 during March Madness. The body always seems lighter than the flavor. That is impressive, even if this is not the greatest barleywine in the world. Some woody flavors in the mouthfeel downbottle. The biggest disappointment has to be that the alcohol is the most noticeable aspect tastewise. Not terrible, but it definitely stands out a little much for me. Wishing I sat on this another year or two. Sometimes drinking fresh isn't always best.

We drank this over at Layne & Courtney's because of the tactics of one David Hurley, beverage nerd at El Dorado Casino, who shut down our previously approved bottle share, because of the hurt feelings of the BMC distributor and special events area at the sports book bar. Pretty lame and disingenuous, we won't be taking our money, vacations or bottles to the El Dorado anymore.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 16:34:27 | More by Beerandraiderfan

harrymel

Washington

1.96/5  rDev -51.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Alright, let's see what's going on here.

Pours a fiery orange with loose soapy light tan foam scattered over a brilliantly clarified beer. Cherry, alcohol, burning alcohol, sugar, light crystal malts, some pithy hops. Not an impressive nose whatsoever. Flavor is simply sweet. Booze, malt, sugar, brown sugar, absolutely overly boozy. Medium bodied with low carb and a wet finish that actually makes me feel like I just took a shot of cheap liquor, probably one of the least desirable mouthfeels I've had in quite some time. I tried, but this became a drainpour for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 04:16:12 | More by harrymel

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Blood orange color and almost translucent. A vigorous pour resulted in a small soapy off-white head.

Aroma: Orange citrus hop character and thick caramel/amber malt. Not really getting any alcohol which is surprising.

Taste: Starts with a slow building of bitterness that results in a fruity gummy candy hop character. Not sure if the fruit flavors are coming from the hops, malt, yeast, or barrel aging but they are numerous and very present in the flavor. Peach, grapefruit, and caramel coated apricot. Almost a Scotch Ale quality at times but definitely more in the Barleywine category. The malt bill is a tad unassuming with hints of caramel and amber malt. There is a hint of alcohol but overall none of the 15% ABV is present. Very smooth finish. Not super complex or outstanding but decent.

Mouthfeel: Feels like medium in body which is pretty thin for what I was expecting but makes it less of a meal to drink. Average carbonation and pretty good drinkability.

Final Thoughts: I wasn't expecting to be blown away by Bolt Cutter and it basically met my expectations. The hop character and flavor is interesting but a little too sweet at times. Would I drink it again? Probably not, but obviously it was just a one time release.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:56:17 | More by JamesMN

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
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

beerdrifter

Germany

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Picked this up in a great trade with Evan! Crystal clear copper-mahogany pour with a one finger creamy off-white head with decent retention and crazy lacing. Deliciously sweet malty nose with hints of resiny, citrusy hops, pine, butterscotch, wood, and booze. The taste is rich and complex with a strong, boozy, malt forward sweetness with hints of vanilla, tobacco, maple, caramel, dark fruit, tea, oak, and butterscotch. The mouthfeel was really boozy up front, but as it came to temp, it became almost creamy. Still thick and syrupy, but really smooth with a nice warming, bitter finish. Overall, this is one complex and flavorful beer. Would love to see what cellaring does for this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 19:51:50 | More by beerdrifter

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a slightly hazy golden amber color with tangerine hues and a two finger frothy off-wife head that quickly settles into a thick, lasting cap.  Streaks of soapy lacing left behind.  

Sweet, slightly leathery malt aroma with a complex hop profile balancing out the boozy sweetness.  Citrus/tropical notes of pineapple, tangerine and grapefruit followed by resinous pine, grass, leathery malt, caramel, toffee and biscuit.  There's a touch of alcohol in the nose but more subtle than expected.

Full chewy body with a huge blast of bitter, earthy hops that linger over the sweet and earthy/leathery malts. Dank, bitter and resinous with an earthy/grassy hop bite followed by sweet caramel malt backbone and subtle heat.  Sticky pine needle flavor along with grapefruit and orange peel sweetness countered by caramel malt and toffee toward the finish.  Really well balanced and smooth with the high abv excellently masked.  Would never have guessed that  it was 15%.  Another solid entry in the backstage series but not worth the exorbitant price.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 01:07:45 | More by corby112

jaxon53

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +1%
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

smcnulty1981

Rhode Island

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A: clear golden orange color with a slight off white 1 finger head with a god ammount of lacing and alcohol legs

S: good ammount of caramel malts and warming vanilla very sweet smelling
Slight dank hop smell no alcohol on the nose

T: vanilla and caramel with a slight hop bitterness there is a slight hint of alcohol

M: full mouthfeel very sticker and lingers for awhile

O: great beer overall asome15th anniversy beer for founders and its a shame that this beer will be brewed only once

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 03:02:37 | More by smcnulty1981

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle received via Growling at the Moon. Thanks for the brew, Dan!

Poured into a DFH snifter, formed a 1/2" tan head over the clear reddish coppper brew. Head lasts tremendously for such an abv brew, with leggy, going-nowhere lacing. Aroma is fruity, sweet, and boozy.

Taste starts syrupy sweet, a quick fruitiness in the middle, then a strong slap of hops bitterness followed quickly by alcohol. Slight numbness lingers after the swallow. Even so, not as forward with the EtOH as some less abv brews I have had. Mouthfeel is slickery smooth, and drinkability is good. I was fearing a Beast-like affront, but I actually enjoyed this brew, as substantial as it is.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 00:59:08 | More by ppoitras

chugalug06

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Amazing 1/2 finger, vanilla colored, foamy, frothy head on top of a clouded ruby red brew.

Coconut, roasty, caramel, vanilla, very strong and pleasant. Slight hint of heat.

Whoa, @ 15% I was expecting a ridiculous amount of heat and sugar, that's not the case. Smooth, a bit watery, easy drinking, slight burn on the late after taste, mild carbonation. Strong Iced Tea flavors are rampant, missing much of the tropical barrel flavors found in other BA B-wines. Lots of caramel and toasted malts.

A very nice way to celebrate an anniversary... Highly recommended, it's up with some of the best. Thanks!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 01:58:55 | More by chugalug06

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

2.09/5  rDev -48.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Shared by Paul.

Thanks...sorta. The beer appears a who cares irrelevant hue with a it doesn’t matter head. The aroma brings a please don’t scent with a shitload of unnecessary hops and huge boozy sweetness. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Tons of malt and hops thrown together with no sensitivity or balance. Overwhelming alcohol and sweetness. What a disappoinment. No thanks.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 07:30:33 | More by Huhzubendah

timc100

Illinois

4.31/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Split a bottle at Duck Fat.

A: Gorgeous slightly murky golden amber. The dirty cream head looked like a beer that was 66% barrel aged - bit bubbles, spotty lacing, but substantial. Great looking beer

S: Prominent resinous grapefruit citrus and sticky caramel, very skunky and pungent, which is all very nice. However, lacks complexity in this category - no barrel character, no BW fruitiness. Still, though, good aroma

T: Great stuff. Incredibly rich, very sweet caramel and sticky resinous pine and grapefruit. There are slight vanilla and oak notes that I wish were more prominent - cannot detect any maple syrup in flavor, aside from assumed added sweetness. A delicious, messy, sweet caramel bomb.

P: Full. Sticky. Chewy. Syrupy. Just huge, but again, kind of messy

O: A really great beer! I wish they would have barrel aged the whole beer and did __ bourbon and ___ maple syrup bourbon. Have one sitting in the basement, really looking forward to what age will do.

It is kind of a mess, but works. Received a lot of negative feedback on the forums, which I don't think it deserves. A great beer if you are into huge, sweet, sticky onslaughts on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 06:07:00 | More by timc100

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a Founders Brewing Company 15th Anniversary/Bolt Cutter branded goblet

Pours a deep golden amber capped by a cream colored two finger fluffy head. Above average retention, especially for a BA brew, fair amount of splotchy, sticky lacing. Deep aroma of dates, hints of brown sugar, toasted oak, and light background notes of bourbon. Dried apricot, figs, and dates dominate immediately holding down some piney hops. Brown sugar and caramel midpalate joined by vanilla and toasted oak. Aggressive, piney hops surface, but are quickly rounded out by toffee and caramel malt which continues through the finish and are joined by pleasant bourbon and warming alcohol. Huge full body, smooth and syrupy with gentle carbonation. A very enjoyable brew and one that can be expected to improve with age.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 04:31:02 | More by chanokokoro

rapidsequence

Virginia

4.44/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle (I think, maybe its a 750) bought for an exorbitant sum at Ned's.

Appearance: Exceptional clarity. Copper or iced tea colored body. Decent head with a stiff pour, fades to spots. Good lacing.

Smell: Sweet, hoppy, and hot. Rich caramel malt and maple syrup as well as vanilla notes. CItrus and pine. The alcohol stings the nose, especially with deep inhalation.

Taste: Delicious caramel and darker toffee is up front. Maple flavor is complementary and not overpowering. Vanilla and some woody barrel flavor. Cascade hops flavor and lots of bitterness. Big alcohol bite at the end.

Mouthfeel: Slick and sticky. Full body almost chewy, but not too much. Coats the tongue. Long sweet, boozy finish.

Overall: This is a great beer. Lots of nice complexity. Price is nearly prohibitive.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 02:03:54 | More by rapidsequence

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from tap into snifter at flying saucer Kansas city. Poured a seethrough amber brown with chewey head and lacing. Huge hop aromas...way to much for me...mixed with big sweetness. Taste is sweet caramel toffee malts and lots of hops. Its a bit hot and sharp. I am so glad I didn't buy a bottle. ..its just way to hoppy. Maybe some age would mellow this out a bit but id never get again unless it was aged...

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2013 00:06:28 | More by DrinkSlurm

tdm168

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to jtd1969 for sharing this bottle.

A - murky orange with a big, off white head that has great retention

S - huge bready aroma with some sugary notes

T - bready, burnt sugar, caramel, sticky, alcohol, mild bitter finish

M - full bodied, warm, well carbonated

This in my opinion is a fantastic beer. The 15% is only slightly noticeable. The malt is big, sticky, and flavorful. The burnt sugar notes were fantastic throughout. This is one of the better beers that I have had recently. I definitely this is a beer that people should be checking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 01:24:57 | More by tdm168

Pencible

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a clear gold with moderate off white head.
S: It smelled like strong sugary citrus and candied apricot, with some fresh grapefruit and pine.
T: It tasted like bittersweet citrus and sugar, with some grapefruit and light chocolate and pine. It had a clean and bittersweet aftertaste with alcohol warming.
M: It was fairly thick with moderate carbonation. Nice full body.
D: This was reminiscent of Flying Mouflan, but a little less malt balance. It had a wonderful hop profile in the scent and taste, with a solid body. The alcohol was definitely noticeable, so it needed to be sipped. Age might help mellow, but it would also totally change the character of the brew. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, and was happy to get to try the rare brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 16:54:49 | More by Pencible

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
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