Founders Bolt Cutter - Founders Brewing Company

Founders Bolt CutterFounders Bolt Cutter

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BA SCORE
91
exceptional
-
669 Ratings
THE BROS
85
good
-
read more »
rAvg: 4.06
pDev: 13.79%
Reviews: 158
Hads: 511

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Brewed by:
Founders Brewing Company visit their website
Michigan, United States

Style | ABV
American Barleywine |  15.00% ABV

Availability: Limited (brewed once). bottle (125), on-tap (31), growler (2)

Notes:
No notes at this time.
View:  Beers  (65) |  Reviews  (220) |  Events  (0)

Reviews

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Photo of Huhzubendah
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
Photo of avalon07
avalon07

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a growler to a pint glass. Had a copper color and a clear consistency. There was a small amount of foamy head that quickly dissipated. Fair lacing.

S: A big aroma of hops, caramel, and malt.

T: Tasted of hops (a lot of hops, as you would expect), caramel, malt, and a fruity quality. The booziness of the beer, in spite of the high ABV& isn't an issue. This is a complex, assertive, powerful flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp finish. Full-bodied.

O: Certainly not a session beer, this one is an aggressive beast, but well made and drinkable.

Serving type: growler

01-10-2013 00:55:26 | More by avalon07
Photo of Slatetank
Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
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
Photo of twiggamortis420
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
Photo of smakawhat
smakawhat

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass.

Pours out of the bottle like golden caramel, hits and makes a simple one finger head, very creamy and thick, perhaps off tan in color, a very light beige. Body color is a real nice peach orange and hints of red, with very slow rising carbonation coming up, and crystal clear. The beer is really good looking.

Nose is a bit simple and strange all at once. A fascinating mix of over-ripe melon, slightly acidic and sour, with a hint of caramel like sweetness malt in the background. Not bad but and odd sense, some sour and light vinegar comes out a bit.

Palate hits with a big rush. Thick caramel malt matching the nose of this strange large melon character. Quite large, but also sort of odd in a way. The body has a little tongue playful carbonation up front, but is quickly subdued by the malt thickness. Sweetness comes out a little bit more with warmth.

Overall it's fairly interesting and fun, but not the greatest tasting barleywine I've had and it's over ripe sour fruit angle is sort of bizarre. Luckily drinks well at such a high abv, but I wouldn't pay a lot of money for this.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 23:36:20 | More by smakawhat
Photo of StonedTrippin
StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.04/5  rDev -0.5%
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
Photo of champ103
champ103

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a copper/orange color. A dense, two finger white head forms with excellent retention. Rings of sticky lace is left behind. Really impressive considering the ABV.
S: Hops and malt intermingle in great balance. Tropical fruits, toffee, bread pudding. The alcohol is really well masked in the nose. Excellent.
T: Follows the nose with a great balance of hops and malts. Toasted malt, tropical fruits. Reminds me of bread pudding and toffee over fruit. Almost fruit cake like even. All the layers are there. A peppermint spiciness as well. Like peppermint candy in the finish. Love it.
M/D: Surprisingly medium body, lighter that I was expecting. Not that it is thin or watery at all, just not as resiny as I was expecting. Good carbonation and very smooth. The alcohol is incredibly well integrated, well basically nonexistent. Which make for a great warming, sipper.

Wow, I really love this. I was afraid this was going to be to messy and busy. It reminds me a bit of fruit cake, and I am one of the strange people that like fruit cake. While I can see how some people might be put off. I think it works perfectly. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 04:42:32 | More by champ103
Photo of tdm168
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
Photo of Jwale73
Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
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
Photo of Gmann
Gmann

New York

3.43/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a pretty caramel/deep copper color. The cream colored head is short but frothy, dense bubbled and settles inot a sparse cap.

The aroma is very sweet and is dominated by a candied fruit malt presence and a strong tropical fruit hop presence. Very English barleywine aroma. Candied orange and apricot to go along with an overall toffee scent. This is coupled with a pineapple and mango hop aroma. Too sweet for my liking.

The taste starts off very much like the aroma. Big candied fruit and toffee presence. Overripe apple and pear provide some fruity flavor, some raisin as well. The hops have an apricot flavor but also a peppery and grassy bitterness. Though there is an array of flavor it doesn't have much depth to it. Not very complex in the malt profile. Some alcohol flavor in the end.

The feel is light, almost watery, with prickly carbonation. Some slight stickiness but nothing compared to the style. Very sweet on the palate but has some peppery bitterness to offset. Plenty of noticable alcohol presense, big belly burn with this one.

Disappointed in this beer. Has more of an english profile and lacks depth in the body. I am also not a big fan of the toffee malt/tropical fruit combination.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:25:50 | More by Gmann
Photo of onix1agr
onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Capone's in SEPA.

Bolt Cutter comes in a goblet with a small trim of off white bubbles up top leaving a skim of foam for a bit before fading off, no lace but some swirls bring it back. The body is a deep amber golden color that is on the bright side, not much activity after a bit.

Smell is big on caramel and toffee with some toasted malt characteristic. Bourbon and maple in the scent. Sweet and alcoholic, I can sniff it from the glass cold and warm. Not a distraction. Not well integrated yet, I can see this blooming later on becoming a sweeter scent as a nice hop presence is noted.

For 15% this can be a lot hotter than it is, the alcohol is masked but not fully so it seeps out in the taste all over. The hops come forefront bringing out some sharp pine, with a mix of bourbon and slight maple tones leading to some more sweet caramel. English in nature that will mature when the hops drop.

Body is above medium with a harshness from the hops and alcohol mix, that is not all that scorching. A hoppy barleywine now, that probably will tone down with time. Carbonation is muted but there and keeping the beer from being dead.

A pretty good barleywine that has both English and American characteristics with the Founders touch. If I find a bottle I'll see where it takes me. Right now, I could not see drinking more than 8oz's though as it's ripe.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2012 01:45:49 | More by onix1agr
Photo of lordofthewiens
lordofthewiens

Maine

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

On tap at When Pigs Fly. The first time I had it, I was overwhelmed. I went back on four consecutive days just to make sure I liked it as much as the first time. I did; a wonderful beer!

To begin with, it's a very pretty beer. In a snifter it was a beautiful chery amber color, very vibrant. The rather small tan head left a good deal of lace.

The aroma was some sweet fruit and citrus. Pretty boozy.

Lots of figs in the taste, other dark fruits noted. A bit of orange. Nicely hopped.

I expected it to be boozy, with an ABV of 15%, but I thought the alcohol was well-hidden, and didn't think the alcohol was too intrusive.

Loved this beer. Wonder how it would age.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 20:53:26 | More by lordofthewiens
Photo of oline73
oline73

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
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
Photo of DavoleBomb
DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

5.0 A: Nearly clear dark orange color. Two and a half fingers of beige, frothy creamy head. Retention is insanely good for a beer this big and lacing covers the whole glass. Really impressed here.

4.0 S: Quite fruity with a lot of citrusy hops. Tangy fruitiness is what I'd call it as it meshes with the caramel and toffee backbone. Toasted malts with some strength. The hops also give a lot of floral aroma and perhaps a touch of herbalness as well. Peach, plum, and apple fruits from the malts. Booze is exceptionally well hidden as I can't smell any of it. It's good, but really isn't all that special. Solid hoppy BW nose.

3.5 T: Taste is good too, but it's surprisingly simple for a beer this big. A lot less citrus than in the nose with a lot more of the peach, plum, melon, and apple components. Lots of sweet neutral maltiness with lots of caramel and toffee. Again a heavy toastiness, which I like. Mild to moderate bitterness from the hops along with floral and herbal notes. Booze is much more noticeable in the taste, but it still doesn't seem like 15%.

3.5 M: Heavy body. Good moderate carbonation. Slightly chewy. Not a lot of creaminess. Light warming on finish. Not bad.

3.5 D: It's decent, but I probably wouldn't trade for it again as there are much better options out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 04:24:40 | More by DavoleBomb
Photo of srandycarter
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
Photo of johnnnniee
johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy burnished copper with a huge frothy whit head that persists forever. Aromas of sweet sugary malt, brown sugar, pine and earthy hops with a touch of alcohol and a hint of dried fruit. The flavor is sweet rocket fuel. Sweet sugar, molasses, prunes and cherries with a solid shot of earthy pine hops. The alcohol is present enough to remind you that this is a big beer, but I've had more obtrusive alcohol presence in smaller beers before. There's a solid shot of hop bitterness I would assume to counter the huge malt bill that this must have. Medium to thick body with a moderate level of carbonation, and a sweet syrupy resinous lightly hot mouthfeel. I enjoyed sipping on this for most of the night. It is a touch hot, maybe that will mellow with time, but I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:30:48 | More by johnnnniee
Photo of rfgetz
rfgetz

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a copper tinted orange, lightly hazed, fluffy cap of tan foam, decent lacing. Scent brings strong brown sugar and honey notes, firm hop profile with citrus zest, spice, some vanilla notes. Taste is big and sweet with strong hop notes... follows scent. Full bodies, sticky and chewy. Solid beer, but maybe a touch too big and sweet for my palate.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2013 15:26:08 | More by rfgetz
Photo of mdaschaf
mdaschaf

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a very nice orange color with a one finger off-white head with great retention, lasting for the majority of the time it took to drink it. Sticky lacing forms down the sides.

S: Wow, surprisingly hoppy, lots of pine and citrus upfront with some caramel, toffee, and oak that come forward. Lots of vanilla comes out in the middle. It was rather resiny with a little bit of alcohol at the end.

T: More hops upfront, very piney mixed with some grapefruit. The hops transition to some caramelized sugar, vanilla, bourbon, oak, and a little bit of maple.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly boozy, but it doesn't really impede the drinkability.

O: As someone that isn't a huge barleywine fan, I liked this beer quite a bit, probably because of the barrel aging. Surprised at how hop forward it was, but I am sure this will fade with time. Great beer to have for thanksgiving dinner.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 00:57:39 | More by mdaschaf
Photo of liamt07
liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Founders 15th Anniversary Party, into a snifter.

Redder brown, with a very small offwhite head that only leaves some whisps of retention. Nose of bourbon, maple, sweet caramel and malts. Some peripheral citrus, alcohol and cotton candy even perhaps. Taste has some maple, bourbon, white raisin, alcohol, sticky caramel and bitter citrus. Alcohol is well hidden but not completely disguised. A tasty American Barleywine, but not mind-blowingly awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2012 18:08:26 | More by liamt07
Photo of Pencible
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
Photo of TheSevenDuffs
TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured in to CBS Snifter.

A - Dark amber; slightly translucent. Half a finger of tan coloured head.

S - A big sweetness up front with caramel and toffee aromas coming through. Some citrus and a bitter hop presence also come through. No oak is detectable in the nose.

T - Big sweetness from the malt base up front that adds caramel, toffee and brown sugar flavours is balanced out by a massive hop bitterness and a touch of citrus. A warming alcohol presence also helps to balance out the massive sweetness. The oak is present but is very much secondary in this beer. Although a warming alcohol presence is noticeable, the alcohol is very well hidden overall considering the 15% ABV.

M - Full body; thick and chewy. Light carbonation. Full of sticky hop oils.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 14:56:29 | More by TheSevenDuffs
Photo of Arbitrator
Arbitrator

California

2.71/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

My allergies were acting up last night; my eyes felt inflamed and itchy, my vision blurred. From across the room, I spotted what appeared to be Goatse on a bottle label. Goatse?!?! Did White Birch make a non-ironic beer for once? I listened to the weirdos watching the Niners game and sidled over to the bottle. Oh... huh. My vision really is bad today. It's a bolt cutter. FOUNDERS!? Sweet. I love Founders. Thanks, Jason.

A: Pours a crystal clear copper-orange body with a half-pinky finger of tan head. Seems nice.

S: Boozy, raisiny caramel, brown sugar. Oxidized hops and vanilla. Not much in the way of bourbon or oak.

T: Bolt Cutter? More like Sweet Fucker. Brown sugar, caramel, toffee, even a touch of maple. Vanilla -- and there's the bourbon, a little more present on the taste than in the nose. Oak presents a light astringency in the finish. It's not enough to cut the sweetness. Nor are the hops; they have a stale, oxidized earthiness and melon flavor. Really... odd.

M: It's harsh; the one-two combination of booze and slight sugary burn are irritating to the palate. It's not super-syrupy, but it's on the sweet end and is cloying in some sips. The carbonation doesn't offset said sweetness enough.

O: I might be a little more lenient on this one considering it's Founders... Or maybe I'm being harsher because I initially thought it was a Goatse beer. Whatever the case, I'm glad I don't have a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 03:41:14 | More by Arbitrator
Photo of harrymel
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
Photo of cosmicevan
cosmicevan

New York

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

Bottle procured locally...enjoyed from my bolt cutter glass that arrived earlier today (thanks founders!!!).

a - brew poured a transparent orange amber brown with a thin fizzy head that bubbled away leaving a lip of fizzy head on the glass and some bubble islands on the surface. steady carbonation could be seen swimming to the surface for several minutes after the pour. lacing was all tiny bubbles clinging to each other to create a chunky lace look. looks good.

s - i love me a good barleywine and the smell is fairly spot on for what i like. great candied toffee malt with a glazing of fresh dank hop to really thicken things up and give it a maple syrup crossed with butterscotch type of vibe.

t - first sip is classic american barleywine. great mix of hops and malts. has a really great hopped out butterscotch vibe. the booze is there for certain, but i feel it is fairly integrated considering the heft on this beer. i've had many harsher barleywines at lower abvs.

m - surprisingly smooth and not syrupy. make no mistake, this is a big beer and on the full bodied side, but not nearly as chewy as i would've expected. i was surprised at the outcry of the heat on this one, but then i remembered that i'm a fan of big boozy and hot beers, so what seems hot to some is not all that hot to me. if you take down big beers like this on the regular...which i think is fairly common on this site...then i don't think you'll feel that this is too hot, but make no mistake, this is a 15% animal.

o - overall, put me on the happy side of the fence for this beer. i'm definitely impressed. when i had heard 4 years in a barrel the only thing i could think of was idiot's drool (shudder...) and although i expected founders to knock it out of the park, i was definitely skeptical with the 4 year investment in the barrels. i love a good barleywine and this is a good barleywine. is this Abacus (b1)? is this Alpine Great? is this King Henry? no, however i'd put this one in the company of some of my favorite BA barleywines. definitely worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 03:46:04 | More by cosmicevan
Photo of homebrew311
homebrew311

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is bright orange with minimal head. Spotty lacing present. Nose is a solvent infused Devil Dancer character, a bit of earth, tons of earthy hops, a touch of maple and vanilla. Taste is vegetal spicy character with heavy onion hop character and solventy alcohol burn. Not a big fan. Mouthfeel is heavy with mild carbonation and plenty of burn. Overall, big disappointment here. Things are out of balance and very overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 03:35:07 | More by homebrew311
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Founders Bolt Cutter from Founders Brewing Company
91 out of 100 based on 669 user ratings.