Founders Bolt Cutter - Founders Brewing Company

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

10 oz pour in a wine glass at Barcade for their Founders blowout.

Bolt Cutter pours a murky amber, with no visibility through to the other side of the glass. What flimsy bits of foam that are actually present disappear quickly. The nose has some mice malt and barrel components, with aromas of caramel, maple, and brown sugar all commingling. A little bit of a pine hop note shines through as well. While the bourbon is a little more present in the flavor profile, I have to say it's still remarkably smooth for being a 15% beer. Besides, the maple, caramel, and brown sugar all still trump the booziness in terms of intensity. Right at the end though a brash bitterness and a flash of piney hops crash the party. It just doesn't fit, it's akin to a harsh, jangling chord ringing out against an otherwise nice piece of music. The carbonation is nicely muted, but the body is noticeably syrupy, just a bit too much. As is, Bolt Cutter is an alright beer (though not up to Founders' usual standards). I think some time to let the out of place dry hop portion that was shoehorned into the blend mellow will do it some good though.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2012 21:59:00 | More by axeman9182

vfgccp

New York

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Barcade BK, Founders tap night.

A - Low offwhite head with ok lace and retention. Cloudy burnt sienna, cognac body.

S - Huge apple brandy nose, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, dried apple, light caramel.

T - Soft round booze, caramel, dried apricot, vanilla extract, sharp oak, dark brown sugar. Long afterglow of warm booze caramel and nutmeg.

M - Expansive mouthfeel with a solid body. Great staying power without feeling syrupy.

O - Insanely smooth. I can't believe this is 15%; it could definitely get you into a world of trouble if you're not paying attention. A stellar barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2012 21:31:54 | More by vfgccp

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +1%
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

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1%
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

zeff80

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a clear, ruby/copper color with a one finger, dark, khaki-colored head of foam. It left thin rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled sweet, malty and boozy.

T - This is so boozy. It is malty with caramel, toffee and butterscotch. It had a strong alcohol heat.

M - It was sharp and smooth. A full bodied ale with clean finish.

O - This is a very big, boozy barleywine. Glad I was able to get some and share some.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 02:33:32 | More by zeff80

vobr0002

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- brownish amber in color, murky appearance with white head that lingers.

S- boozy, toffee, caramel, bread, floral, slight citrus.

T- caramel, toffee, sweetness. Very thick and lots of hop bitterness. Lot of alcohol warmth and some bourbon on the back end.

M- thick full body with lots of carbonation.

O- this is a very good beer. Well worth seeking out and enjoying. Easy sipper.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 02:15:34 | More by vobr0002

TVolt1

Minnesota

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

A; Beautiful amber colored beer with a small amount of off white head. It is a little cloudy but all in all I think it has a great appearance.

S: I am having a hard time smellin .gthis beer. I think I smell a lot of grains, small amount of hops, and a lemony.

T: Very nice, smooth taste. For a 15%er, it went down extremely smooth. It has a nice bitter finish.

M: Great, thick mouthfeel with medium carbnonation.

O: OVerall, a delicious beer! I am glad I spent a few hours driving around to find it! It was well worth the effort!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 02:12:05 | More by TVolt1

Optifron

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

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

Appearance: Dark reddish brown. Thin lingering white head.

Aroma: Malty. A bit boozy, but definitely less so than expected. Sweet malty aroma.

Taste: Really mellow for 15% ABV. Pretty balanced sweetness with some nice hop finish. Definitely on the hop end of balance.

Mouthfeel: Smooth. Residual mouth watery sweetness. Have had smoother beers.

Overall: Delicious barleywine, albeit less than I hoped for Founder’s anniversary. Hides the booze well. Would certainly drink it throughout winter if it was moderately priced, but passed up my chance to buy it at $21/750mL bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 21:48:34 | More by Optifron

anth0ny

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep, hazy orange color with a thin off white head, beautiful baby lacing delicately clinging to the top edges of the snifter.

Massive aroma with a full blast of pineapple and hints of caramel and booze. Woah!

Unbelievably smooth mouth for the ABV, huge syrupy body with massive hop, fruit, caramel and bourbon flavor profiles. Dangerously drinkable.

A massive sipper with a bold, enjoyable flavor. Fantastically integrated. Everything from balance to carbonation is off the chain. Founders is known for their barrel aged specialties such as KBS, CBS, and Backwoods Bastard, and this one is right on par.

*Extra notes - Had this on tap twice as well as a bottle. I'm noticing a considerably larger alcohol dominance on the nose and tongue out of the bottle. I'm definitely going to age my second bottle to see if it tones down to taproom quality.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 06:35:17 | More by anth0ny

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

15th Anniversary Ale- 2012

A= Pours a nice deep hazy amber color with a thin off white head that holds some pretty steady retention and lacing for such a large beer.

S= The smell has a nice big hop bite to it as well as a big caramel sweetness to it. The alcohol does make itself present but barely in the nose. Smells like a big syrupy barleywine for sure. The hop malt balance gives it a caramel sort of aroma.

T= The taste is about where I was expecting from the nose. It starts with a big hop bite that is different because of the quick following of the big caramel sweetness in it. Tons of sweetness in the middle with a boozy finish. The hops are not as potent as that in an IIPA but they are still there in force.

M= Big and syrupy

O= This is a powerful beer. I'm a few sips in and it's really getting me toasty. A great beer for this time of year. This beer is a little boozy now and becomes a little much after a while right now. With some time I can see this being very smooth and sweet. This beer works but it's not the crazy good barleywine that one would expect Founders to make. Not all of them can be homeruns but this one is a nice double.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 05:04:54 | More by jjanega08

haazer

Pennsylvania

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

Pretty much the first beer ordered by everyone at the Capones black friday event. Served in a minature 5.5 ounce snifter.

A- The beer is quite a beautiful maroon/amber color. Lots of dark red accents throughout but when put to light this thing glows. The head was a light tan, and suprisingly some lace did appear for this big abv bad boy.

S- The nose presents toffee, caramel malts, and some bourbon highlights that you would expect from this barleywine. There is also some sweet fruits in here which I'm betting come from the cascade hops used.

T- Sweet hard candy, jolly rancher flavor. Not cloying though, but sweet enough. Theres some tofee flavors mixed in. There may actually be more heat from the hops in here than the booze. Booze is felt but its not overbearing. The fruity flavor is there too with a big bitter bite.

M- Full bodied and highly carbed. Very warming body.

O- This is a very good barrel aged barlewine. Definitely let this thing warm up or else you'll taste booze. Founders had this kegged and bottled for about 3 months before releasing, but I'm real curious to see what a year or more would do, as this probably has infinite shelf life.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 00:23:25 | More by haazer

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aawwweee shit. Another fouders big bottle series. As luck would have it, local advocate of beer Orangesol tipped me off to a place that had bottles for sale. This was my first time purchasing one of these "backstage?" 750's with no bottle limit or secret handshake at the door granting me access to such a privilege.

I opened this at a tasting I hosted this past weekend that was stout themed. (Im a douche like that.) Color me excited for this: wearing my bold cutter hat, founders shirt, bolt cutter boobie tassels and matching underoos. Ok, none of that is true except for the tasting and opening part. Poured into a tulip, the brew appears a hazed copper orange with 2 fingers of frothy yellowish tan head. Patchy webs of lace stick to the glass and display solid powers of retention. There is ruby clarity noted when held to the light along with a lighter yellowish coloring around the edges.

The nose has fruity, citrus, floral and pine aromatics primarily centric to hop charcter. This is pretty much what the entire focus of the nose is about with hints of herbs and a bit of catty appeal. There is some solvent alcohol cutting through with a mild tingle of accenting caramel sticky candy sweetness.

The taste is all about the hops with a huge solvent to fusel alcohol inclusion. Focusing on the hop character it is fruity, floral, pine-like, herbal and a bit catty. Did I mention solvent booze is readily apparent numbing the tongue more with each sip? Hints of caramel grain attempt to poke through but with no residual sweetness. Ample to excessive bitterness with alcohol running rampant. Almost like mandrin oranges and tannic dry woodiness are the last things noted.

This is medium bodied with a modest amount of carbonation. It has a big alcohol impact and hoppiness. This is like vodka with a splash of resinous DIPA added. Aging would be wonderful to tone the booze down but having the hops fade would leave this pretty boring and lifeless. It will be interesting to see how this developes but you wont catch me buying any more of this.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 20:06:32 | More by stakem

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

augustg

Illinois

4.65/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Copper reddish color witha thick light tan head that dissipates fairly quickly.

S- HOPS! and soem malt but the hop presence really stands out on this one. Not a bd thing at all but unexpected from a Barleywine

T- The Hops come through again upfront followed by some really srong pineapple and vanilla notes. Bitter finish and a bit of burn at the very end of this beer. Not overly boozy at all.

M- Good mouthfeel overall Not to thin.

O- This beer is excellent and I feel will age very well. Can'y wait to try another in 6 months or so.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 03:35:19 | More by augustg

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750 ML poured into a snifter

A- Pours very syrupy . A half a finger of a dense off white head. A ton of alcohol legs. A hazy copper color. A menace of a looking beer.

S- There is a lot of hops on the nose. A slight sharp pine, some overly ripened grapefruit. Caramel and toffee. A slight vanilla and a nice oak character.

T- A crisp bitterness up front. Followed up by an obvious alcohol presence. It sweeps over with a bit of the oak flavor and dry feel. There is a very slight touch of bourbon and vanilla. The malt profile of this beer is very caramel and toffee forward which is accented nicely by the vanilla. Hop flavors are more dominant on the nose. The hops are slightly citrus and overly ripened fruits, flavors of an aged IPA.

M- Thick and syrupy. I wouldn't call it hot but it is without a doubt a very warming beer. More drinkable then I was expecting. Good carbonation and a bitter palate.

O- This is a beast of a beer. Approach only if your ready to embrace some intense flavors. I like fresh barley wines, barrel aged barley wines and barley wines aged at least a year. I like the fresh ones because they have an intense hop profile, and aged ones because the hop profile has died and allowed the malts to take over. This beer is sort of stuck in limbo between the three, partially aged in barrels for about 5 months total. Its good now but I see it as a beer that will improve incredibly with age.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 23:40:41 | More by TwelveOunces

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a nice amber/mahogany color with half a fingers worth of off-white head

S: Plenty of hops, along with a big malt backbone and alcohol. As it warms, notes of vanilla, oak, and maple all come out and integrate nicely with the hops and sweet malts

T: Starts off with the sweetness of the malts and then goes into a combination of the hops and alcohol. The alcohol is present, but it doesn't seem like it's 15%. I'd say it seems more like the level of say Devil Dancer or even more comparably to Stone's OG BW (so around 11-12%). As it warms, the barrel notes come out more with vanilla, oak, and maple (same as in the nose). Nicely complex, especially as it gets closer to room temperature

M: Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Creamy and smooth

O: Now that the style (on the site at least) has been changed to American BW and not English BW, it fits the style much more. Definitely a hoppy barleywine with plenty of kick and complexities. The barrels really add a nice dimension to this beer, especially the maple barrels. I can see this one aging very nicely as the hops and alcohol fade and the barrels (should be) shining more

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 00:56:26 | More by BEERMILER12

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in an Illinois State shaker pint glass.

Fifteen great years from Founders. Cheers! This celebration pours a mostly clear auburn topped by a finger of light khaki foam. The nose comprises grapefruit zest, sweet caramel, a hint of vanilla, pine resin, and a decent dose of booze. The taste brings in more of the same, with the alcohol merging with the citrusy hops, boosting them to the heavens. The sweetness of the caramel (joined by what may or may not be a kiss of bourbon/maple) remains intact, but it's beginning to clash a bit with the boozy hops, which leave a chlorophyll-laden aftertaste that lingers for a bit. The body is a hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a decent anniversary b-wine, but one that's clearly way too hot at the moment, and one whose overly-expressive hops kill any real sense of the barrels and of balance. It's not really all that bad, but there are plenty better barleywines out there, especially for the money.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 19:29:57 | More by TMoney2591

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

2.08/5  rDev -48.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

It's been a while since I've bothered to review, but this one seemed worth my time...

Appearance -- Bright orange with high clarity and a quarter-inch sudsy white head. Its appearance in the glass is more akin to a DIPA.

Aroma -- WHOA hops. Resinous hop dankness with overtones of tangerine and stone fruit, along with a base of caramel malt sweetness. DIPA?

Taste -- Again, VERY hoppy, akin to Devil Dancer. In fact, I'd swear this WAS Devil Dancer if it weren't so much sweeter and boozier. Assertively hoppy, but very focused in aromatics and flavor, and not enough in bitterness. Lots of simple caramel malt sweetness that, instead of lending balance to the massive hop presence, tends to make the flavor profile messier. As far as barrel character, there's really none to be found. Maybe underneath all of those hops somewhere, or maybe it's adding to the saccharine malt sweetness? Simple

Mouthfeel -- Fuller-bodied with firm carbonation. Too much carbonation for the style, but like everything else with this beer, it fits more snugly in the American Double/Imperial IPA category.

Overall -- This is my first real letdown from Founders. I consider them to be one of the best breweries in the business, but this falls way short. This is essentially Imperial Devil Dancer with a touch of maple. Really lacking in depth or the bones to make me believe this will benefit at all with age, in my super-duper humble opinion. Your mileage may vary, of course, since I don't like vintage 120 Minute, Double Crooked Tree or Devil Dancer. Maybe those are your bag?

Looking for a nuanced, complex barrel-aged barleywine with personality? LOOK ELSEWHERE.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 19:00:00 | More by yeahnatenelson

MarcatGSB

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
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

Dope

Massachusetts

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

A: Pours a clear ruby red with a big and dense tan head adorning it. Fades very, very slowly. Leaves an almost solid wall of lacing behind. Top-notch head retention.

S: Whoa, english barleywine? Not so sure about that. Very hoppy. Lots of tropical fruit like apricot, mango, pineapple along with a bunch of raisin. Noticeable alcohol sting but honestly not as much as you'd expect. Hoppiness covers it up quite a bit. As it warms up, the raisin really comes to the forefront with a touch of brown sugar.

T: Again, surprisingly hoppy. Very hoppy in fact. Lots of tropical fruit up front mixes with a very, very strong raisin aspect. Some garlicky/oniony hops too. Lots of caramel and toffee in there. Has sort of a grainy aspect towards the finish. Finishes with toffee and more garlic/onion. Some hop oil coats the mouth nicely as well, leading to a long lingering hoppy aftertaste. Booze is surprisingly well hidden though it does immediately warm the belly from the very first sip.

M: Big and heavy. Not over the top though, decent carbonation and hoppiness cuts it nicely.

O: A hell of a big beer. Big ABV, huge malt notes and huge hop notes. Lots of strong, sharp flavors all mix together quite well. Very enjoyable even for a super fresh 15% ABV beer. Hope I can pick up another one of these to cellar, curious how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 06:53:27 | More by Dope

lovindahops

New York

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

After being the dd for the wine and chocolate festival at the fair, I definitely deserved to open one of my two bolt cutters.

A- With an aggressive pour, bolt cutter pours a reddish amber body with a solid head of tan foam that rises to the top of my surly tulip. As the head recides, remnants of the foam drift to the edges of the glass. Strong carbonation rips through the glass

S- sweet caramel and earthy tones lead off a richened fruit presence. Some vanilla oak and slighlty sweet syrup are present in this bold barleywine

T- Very strong surge of butterscotch and fruit like candy is galvanized as the predominant characteristics from the get go. An earthy presence flows through with an extreme presence of hoppiness characterized by piney flavors. Certainly bold but masking the alcohol well throughout the tasting. Really a big sweet barleywine flavor as was hoping for

M- A little thin but still sweet and clinging to the pallet

O- I really enjoyed this as an all out flavor assault for a barleywine. I wish I could sense the bourbon that everyone mentioned but nevertheless this is a wild brew that some aging will do well. I'm looking for a few more of these. Thanks founders!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 04:45:21 | More by lovindahops

Greywulfken

New York

4.49/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: center-pour into tulip: clear deep amber with orange highlights; slim head of tan slips away without a trace

S: chewy caramel; suggestion of candied bitter orange; warm brown sugar sweetness

T: alcohol was a little sharp up front; warming, boozy; sweet orange and coriander in a solventy pool; some malty roasted/burnt orange rind

M: at just below room temp, medium body, no real carbonation, some astringence (alcohol); slight chew up front, but then dissolves and slides quickly across the palate; boozy aftertaste - probably a good cigar beer

O: hey, look, its Founders and its a barleywine. You know you're not going to go wrong. This was an excellent barleywine, but (yes, a but) I was not stopped dead in my tracks. I've had Founders Nemesis 2010 (an American barleywine), and plenty of other b'wines - this is up there with the best barleywines, but I don't know that it clearly displaces the best of the bunch.
It is obvious that you need to buy this if you see it, and I credit those with the discipline to store this for a couple of years. It will no doubt be fantastic.

Aged really well: had one on 3/2/13 and it had already morphed into a superior beer than it started off as - more citrus notes on the tongue and nose, all the malt and hop flavors melded and mellowed; super smoothness and deliciousness.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 04:08:09 | More by Greywulfken

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

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

RandomBattle

New York

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

Bottle to Founders tulip, perfect!

Appearance - pours a darkish amber and produces a nice 1 finger white soapy head. Very well carbonated.

Smell - the first of the varying aromas I got from this beer was just straight up alcohol, which is understandable given the ABV, but not exactly inviting. That asides I got a lot of hops and some sweet, malty caramel.

Taste - this is a big beer and the tastes are very evident of that. Strong hops, sweet, sticky malt, sugary caramel, and a slight alcohol burn. At the current moment in time this seems more like an American barleywine then an English style, primarily due to the strong hop presence.

Mouthfeel - for a big beer the mouthfeel was pretty much on point, asides the alcoholic twang it went down fairly easy.

Overall - I agree with everyone that said age will do this one well, I plan on sitting on the rest of my bottles for a while. Given the hype and average retail price I don't think I will be buying anymore though.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 00:41:11 | More by RandomBattle