Founders Bolt Cutter - Founders Brewing Company

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

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

reviewed from notes taken on 11/30/2012.

poured into boltcutter tulip glass.

Appearance: Copper orange bodied beer with a huge 2 fingers of thick and fluffy white head. Thick lacing coats all over the glass.

Smell: Pine hops. Really sweet pinaapple upside down cake with cherries. Almost a sherry or brandy sweetness in the nose of this beer.

Taste: Pineapple hops start this beer off. Tropical fruits, candied sugar, butterscotch. This beer is really sweet, but it got a bigger hop profile than I would like in an English Barleywine that adds balance. Maybe a little maple and bourbon, you really gotta work to find it though. Its got a bit of a booze kick that you can taste as a touch of astrigency.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Well carbonated beer, but its surprisingly still a little syrupy. Warming booze that slides down you throat.

Overall: I think the is a really good Barleywine. Its leaning more towards an American Barleywine, too much hop presence to be an English Barleywine. Its a really aggressive beer that a little rough around the edges right now. I do feel that this is going to be great with a few years on it. Age this beer and I think this will become alot closer to an English Barleywine in a few years. I wish the barrels had more presence that was the biggest dissapointment from this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 14:59:56 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - Pours a medium copper color with a nice creamy head that dies down fairly fast and leaves a thin and sticky layer and light carbonation.

S - Sweet caramel & toffee, hints of green apples, alcohol, bourbon, and some maple syrup presence. The aroma smells syrupy, bold, thick, and the alcohol smacks you in the nose.

T - The alcohol presence sure isn't shy and really is overpowering, especially on the first several sips until my palate finally adjusts to this big beer. Lots of bourbon, maple, and brown sugar up front with substantial burn on the way down. After several sips the throat adjusts and the burns calms down to being almost noticeable, but still present nonetheless. Lightly spicy and after a minute or so the cascades start to surface and coats the mouth with a layer of citrus.

M - The best aspect of this beer, it's thick and full bodied which is what I would expect from something this big. Sticky, lightly syrupy, slick, viscous and velvet smooth.

O - The first several sips are intimidating because the alcohol presence is so in your face, about 1/5 in it goes away and the other nuances start to come out. There is some nice complexity but the booziness can take too much of a front seat with this beer. It's also very warm in the beginning. I have a few bottles left and they're going straight to the cellar to see how this one develops in 10-12 months.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 02:39:09 | More by jzeilinger

SLeffler27

New York

4.39/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fills a snifter with a translucent copper that radiates light, while thin fine white foam drifts above. A nice webbing of lace coats the glass, building rings with each sip, while the head itself slowly diminishes throughout the session.

Fresh hop citrus reaches out from the glass, drawing one into a sweet lusciousness, without betraying the floral freshness. Some caramel and some pine sap are also detected. Somewhat between the hoppy American, and the Malty English styles. Warms to reveal some of the ABV, while retaining the fresh aromas of earlier.

Follows the nose, with the bitterness expected from and American style, emphasizing tangerine, but allowing the dark dried fruits to play against the bitterness. Some toasted qualities too. Sweetness is in check, but still more than anticipated form the American version. Warms well, as a sipping beer should, accentuating the nuances of the flavor profile, rather than adding to it. The finish is unusual in a pleasant way. Lingering and not subtle, but not overbearing either.

Full body and smooth. Alcohol is a primary component, yet less than one might infer from 15% abv. Prickly carbonation and a tad syrupy.

An excellent sipping beer to enjoy while conversing in a light hearted manner, as loving eyes peer deeply back into ones soul. I enjoyed this after a meatloaf benedict with béarnaise sauce, on a bitterly cold sunny afternoon, in the “city.”

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 20:38:46 | More by SLeffler27

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

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

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

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle. Pours a slightly hazy medium brown with an inch of frothy head. Lots of lacing. Aromas of booze, citrus hops, raisins, caramel and earth. The taste is malty but with a surprising amount of hops. Bitter with some caramel, dark fruits, and booze. Heavier mouthfeel. This is one of the hoppier barleywines I have had, almost like a boozier Bigfoot. Slow drinker but with over 25oz of this 15% ABV beer that's a good thing. Drinks fairly well for being so high in alcohol. Overall, well made delicious barleywine. Hope I get to have another one.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 04:39:30 | More by PicoPapa

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

andrewinski1

Maine

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bendurgin for sharing this deliciousness! Poured into a tulip. The color is dark straw with a bit of haze. There is a nice half inch fluffy head.

The aroma is hoppy, with fruity notes of pineapple. There is a nice dose of vanilla here also.

The taste starts out mildly malty with some wood notes and vanilla. There is a fruity hoppy finish with notes of mint.

This is full bodied, with a fluffy white head. This is tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 02:05:24 | More by andrewinski1

WillCarrera

Illinois

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

On-tap at Churchkey in DC, poured into a snifter.

A- Pours a dark amber color with a finger of khaki head, leaves some nice lacing.

S- Big aroma of toffee, vanilla and bourbon, as well as some pineapple and juicy hops. Very boozy.

T- The flavor is very sweet at first with lots of toffee, vanilla, bourbon and maple syrup. Towards the finish some juicy, tropical hops produce a moderate bitterness. Lots of booze, which lend a lot of fruitiness but also just a lot of heat. Barrel notes are difficult to detect besides mild hints of vanilla and bourbon, not as much in that department as I would have hoped.

M- Medium-bodied, has a thick, slightly sticky feel. Considerable amount of alcoholic warmth on the end.

O- This is a solid barleywine, but I think Founders could have done better, it's pretty boozy and fruity without a really interesting barrel quality to keep it interesting, it's just a bit disjointed, I understand the whole 15% for their 15th anniversary idea, but it wasn't necessary.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 03:14:38 | More by WillCarrera

FanofHefe

Illinois

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

Bomber poured into a Duvel tulip. Clear, dark amber body with strong red tint and a one-finer tan head. The head dissipates very quickly and leaves a smattering of lacing.

More impressed by the aroma than I thought I would be. The hops definitely jump out early with a combination of citrus and light tropical notes. Solid caramel malt aroma blends with the hops nicely.

The flavor is a little stronger on the caramel malt side than the original aroma. But, enough of hop presence to make for a solid barleywine mix.

Surprisingly, very little notice of the alcohol for such a strong abv. This is one of, if not the best, barleywines I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 00:17:59 | More by FanofHefe

yamar68

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pretty mellow looking, boozy beer - burnt copper body topped with a slight half finger of pale khaki head that recedes after a few seconds... a thin collar retains pretty well and produces some oily booze legs.

Interesting... incredibly dynamic smelling beer but very smooth, oaky vanilla, citrus peel, some faint booze warmth, sweet syrupy malt character, surprisingly tame to the nose. Blossoms with some warmth... some dessert candies and sweet dark fruit comes to the forefront.

A lot more happening in the taste... sharp bourbon notes, that same vanilla oak, honey, pineapple and other tropical fruit, some caramel and leather... not so apparent though, certain aspects of the beer are overshadowed by the booze bill which I think makes it an excellent candidate for the cellar. As the beer nears room temperature, the beer really ties itself together. Booze translates to bitter juicy fruits, pineapple... balanced.

Dry, bitter, sake type finish is actually pretty enjoyable. Mouthfeel is spot-on, not too oily and not too thin.

Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 03:20:48 | More by yamar68

Etan

Illinois

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

750ml into a snifter.

A: Nice bright amber with a decent off-white head.

S: Smells of slightly aged hops, caramel, a bit herbal, strong alcohol.

T: Bitter citrus and pine, dank earthiness, mild cidery sweetness, faint maple, palpable booze.

M: Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.

O: Honestly, this tastes like an overly bitter, overly boozy American barleywine to me. Not much barrel character to speak of, and the hops and alcohol together give the beer a slightly astringent feel. I don't think aging this will improve it, but who knows.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 06:02:04 | More by Etan

tectactoe

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
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

bobhits

Kentucky

3.15/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours a dense protein and yeast infused body with dark ruby and orange coloring. Given a good forced pour it produces a nice inch or so of head in my founder snifter, but it doesn't last or provide lacing. There are some huge alcohol legs that show what is left of the carbonation. Given the alcohol none of this is surprising.

Given the size of this beer the aroma is a bit subtle. There's a tone of caramel sugars with nice American hop aromas (I get a stone like centennial (SP?) hope aroma though there's something else that leads me to believe I might be off on this or there's another hop I should be picking up). Finishing out there's a good bit of sweet sugars with vanilla notes that are coming from the oak aging. I don't get straight bourbon here, but the oak and vanilla are there.

Deep caramel malt is accented by vanilla notes from oak aging. Bolt Cutter mixes the sugary flavor with a nice bit of a bittering hops and a hint of an alcohol finish. Given the 15% abv. there is far less of a bite from alcohol than I had expected. Founders has for some reason decided that anything in a 750 ml should be as sweet and sugary as possible. This one is a lot less over the top than their others (fake sugar infused hazel nut coffee, maple syrup mixed in coffee and bourbon, over the top sugary barely wine aged in sugar infused maple barrels, or a super sugary fruit beer), but make no mistake this is a sugary sweet beer. While there is a good effort to balance the beer with hops it doesn't make it there. This beer is much like their standard barley wine with oak and vanilla added in.

I'm not sure how to score this. 15% is rather subtle. The carbonation is very good for the alcohol levels and there's still a bit of an alcohol bite left here. This beer is not overly dense or thick so don't expect the thick syrupy smooth mouth feel of some of the great English Barely Wines (JW Lee I'm talking about you). The final verdict is this is good, but not great in this regard.

Bolt Cutter comes in at nearly 23 a bottle here in Kentucky after tax. I have a bottle to age and see if this one ages well (what 3-5 years? Really let me know how long I should age this one, PM me darn it!). Ultimately this is very good beer, but it is sold in the wrong format (nobody needs 750 ml of this and it is hard to review with company) and it never really mixes into a full beer. There's too much sugar to go with the bite. It isn't clean flavored and it is so freaking big. This beer just doesn't come together in the end. Don't get me wrong, this isn't bad, it isn't something to be insulted, but it isn't worth the money and if I didn't have another bottle I'd not even consider buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 11:14:31 | More by bobhits

davey101

Connecticut

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Serving type: bottle

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

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a 50cl (17oz.) snifter glass.

Appearance: Right off the bat it pours your simple amber but you look at it has more of a cinnamon-rust color that is somewhat hazy. Head not so thick orange tinted just about 1/3" off the body.

Smell: Light alcohol scent, not crazy over it but it has a barley feel to it which is impossible to dislike.

Taste: The strong alcohol is very evident, you drink you feel. It has almost like a scotch feel to it combined with what real beer is. Barley so strong and a taste that lingers in your mouth.

Mouth: With a sweet after-taste, you feel what quality is. Not exactly smooth but just right texture combined with medium carbonation.

Overall: Made this my first beer for the year 2013 and I have to admit that I think I made the right choice on how to start the year. I lately have been taking a liking to barleywines and this one is on top of it's game. Grab a glass and lust it, Salud!

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 07:33:29 | More by BlurryVisi0n

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4/5  rDev -1.5%
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

webmanspidey

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +1%
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

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

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

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

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

Poured from 750ml capped bottle into Delirium Tremens Snifter. 1st review of Bolt Cutter 12/2/12. Thanks to my wife.

A. Pours 2+ finger head. Big head for a Barleywine. Thick lacing. Excellent retention. Color is dark amber. Good looking beer. 4.5

S. Brown sugar, spice, caramel, has some hop bitterness, a bit of alcohol heat. Get quite a bit or raisin, and brown sugar as it warms. Smells like a pretty tasty Barleywine with a bit of hop punch. Smells a tad hot at this point. Slightly reminescent of Devil Dancer. 4

T. Brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, oak, raisins, a bit of alcohol heat, a punch of hops at the back provides some bitterness on the back of the tongue. The 15% is remarkably not very apparent. I was enivishioning Devil Dancer on the tongue, but this is pretty smooth. Some age should only smooth it out even more. 4.5

M. Full bodied. Finishes with quite a bit of sweetness and a bit of bitterness.

O. Impressive. Has the potential to be great. Was impressed at the smoothness of this beer being 15% and being young. I also thought that not all of the flavors had married together yet. Very interested to see what time does to this Anniversary creation.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 23:39:07 | More by siradmiralnelson

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

jegross2

Illinois

2.28/5  rDev -43.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

Reviewing the Bolt Cutter from Founders Brewing Company out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. This American-style barleywine was brewed in honor of Founders' 15th anniversary, and is a blend of the base beer unaged, aged in maple syrup barrels and aged in bourbon barrels.
Score: 40

November 2012 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 01/11/13.

Appearance: Pours a bourbon color with a finger and a half of seafoam colored seafoam-like head that slowly settles to a thin layer. Awesome lacing ad retention. 4.5/5

Smell: Boozy caramel, an earthy spiciness, stale hops and tons of sweet, bready malt. Brown sugar, maple and light lemon too. 2/5

Taste: Tastes like a boozy, bready malt-forward stale IPA with a maple character and light spiciness. Another reviewer likened this to barrel aged Devil Dancer -- spot on! There is some caramel too. This beer is almost undrinkable, and this is only 2 months old. This beer was much tastier, albeit still disappointing, fresh, but even then it was nothing special. It has since fallen off entirely, and collapsed into a sweet malt bomb of a mess. 2/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, minimal carbonation. Malty sweet and juicy. 3/5

Overall: Founders beers are very rarely duds, but this one is an imperial stinker. When I had this beer fresh the night before FOBAB, it reminded me of a less-hoppy New Glarus Thumbprint Barleywine with a little maple mixed in. Tasty, but certainly not worth the hype. Just under two months later, it's fallen off a cliff, the hops have become completely stale, and the boozy malt has taken over entirely. Considering that this bottle sat in my fridge for the duration of its "shelf life," and considering it was not even "stored" for two months, I doubt my experience had anything to do with storage conditions (though if Founders' maple aging program has taught us anything, this may be the byproduct of bottle variation). If you have not opened your bottles yet, I advise you sit on them longer -- this beer cannot get much worse and time can only serve to mellow out the booziness.

Recommendation: Avoid this one, though I presume this advice comes too little too late.

Pairings: The sink drain.

Cost: $25 for a 750 ml bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 18:41:54 | More by jegross2

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