Foundation Stout - Badger Hill Brewing Company

maximum12

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a single 12 oz. bottle recently. Badger Hill has been making pretty good but not great beers, so hoping one of their efforts really comes on. This one? Lessee.

Pours is black, or close enough to be technical, with minimal carbonation. Nose has enough roast that there's another beer out there missing its roast, along with a shot of sweet milkiness. Smells like morning coffee. Which I like the smell of, but not the taste. So...

Foundation Stout is a roast virtuoso. Tons of roast flow from the nose into the mouth (though not directly I hope), dominating the experience. Quite a hop bite in the middle, enlivening the beer, pepping me up. too. Mild chocolate that's quiet enough to be half-imagined. Nice & creamy, but heavy for a low-ABV stout though, I'm getting full from just a few ounces.

Badger Hill has been inconsistent for me, one good, one not-so-good, to date. If they keep this one consistent, it might be the best beer in their stable. Not a category warper, but a good, soild stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 02:39:41 | More by maximum12

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Solid black, with a tight tanned head of foam.

Mild aroma of roasted coffee and cocoa. Lightly bitter, with a dot of sweetness in the middle. Very nice.

Taste: Bittersweet describes the first hit on the tongue and down the throat. A little bit of complexity in the malt, as it slides down, then softly fades back, leaving hoppy traces in the wake. A little creamy, slightly milky. Smooth, yes, but still interesting, memorable, rewarding, while being an exemplary drinkable stout. Clean, while complex and invigorating. Full-bodied, rich and tasty.

Hops really stick out in this, even though it's only 45 IBU. I'd love this much bitterness in a pale ale or IPA, but I'm liking it less and less in maltier beers. Is my palate changing? My taste?

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 07:08:32 | More by feloniousmonk

zeff80

Missouri

3.99/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured an opaque, jet black color with a one finger, light brown head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of chocolate and roasted malt.

T - Good roasted malt flavor with dark chocolate and a touch of rolled oats.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This is a really good stout. Wish I had grabbed more while in Minnesota.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 19:14:36 | More by zeff80

Mdog

Minnesota

3.99/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Black, good head but low retention.

Smell: Interesting coffee and smoke, bit of dirt.

Taste: Nice roasted coffee flavor, not too bitter.

Mouthfeel: Moderate feel, not too heavy.

Picked up a single to try of this stout. It's a pretty solid beer, interesting smoke notes in the aroma that don't really come through in the taste. Tastes pretty standard for a stout, coffee flavored but not too intense.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 20:29:56 | More by Mdog

jera1350

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Dark chocolate brown colored with a crystally light brown head of foam that is left clinging to the glass.

Nice variety of scents. Malty, hoppy, chocolate, cream, star anise.

Very nice flavor going on. Bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, roasted malts, piney, grapefruit bitterness. The grapefruit really lingers after the finish. Has to be the hoppiest american stout I've had. Has a hint of underlying black licorice in there also.

Feels quite a bit thinner than the 6.3%. The carbonation is soft, but feels a thin also with that weak body.

This is a really hoppy stout that drinks very easily. This could easily fall in the black ipa category. Could be a dangerous one at over six percent because it does not feel and taste like one. The hops are actually quite incredible in this. The only thing lacking here is the body, otherwise a wonderful brewski.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 02:54:42 | More by jera1350

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a near black color. The head is half an inch of light tan foam that recedes quickly into a small cal of lacing. The aroma is quite bold for a beer of this size. There is a lot of roasted malt, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and hints of graham cracker and licorice. The taste is similarly bold. It has everything the aroma does with a moderate bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a chewy texture, and appropriately light carbonation. The mouthfeel of this beer is truly excellent. Overall, this is one of the better regular stouts I've tasted in a long time. I will certainly drink this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 01:21:53 | More by KarlHungus

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice coffee and roast aroma- bits of chocolate, not much hops to speak of. Appropriate and enjoyable.
Very dark body with biggish tan head.
Roastiness dries this beer out quite a bit and it lingers with a soft bittering. Flavor is pretty strait a copy of the aroma. Hop real hop flavor that I can detect.
Moderate body and bubbled on the south side of moderate.
Pretty uncomplicated. For my tastes could use a touch of sweetness to balance out the dryness - others may disagree. Nice having a everyday stout in these parts after Schell's dropped the one they have done for a few years. This one will fit that bill.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 18:15:39 | More by garymuchow

Scotchboy

Idaho

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

An awesome little diamond-in-the-rough sent to me by Aaron (thanks man!) poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint. Love reviewing these smaller breweries that he sends me...

A: Dark brown pour with red highlights showing at the stem of the glass. Light tan head has some small bubbles and recedes pretty quickly but does leave a little lace.

S: Hearty nose of roasted malt with hints of licorice and molasses...maybe some dark chocolate as well as some nuttiness. Hints of an earthy hop profile too.

T: More roast, chocolate, coffee emerges on the palate...with hints of smoke and burnt malt. Burnt caramel? Bitterness on the finish.

MF: Pretty creamy medium body with some viscous notes. Feels like lighter carbonation with some lingering burnt and/or hop bitterness.

O: A really decent standard stout from a smaller brewery - the perfect beer to lure patrons inside during a blustery winter day. Tasty stuff!

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 15:22:50 | More by Scotchboy

morimech

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Black color with a massive head that had excellant retention. The head settles to a thick cap after a long time. Moderate amount of sticky lacing is left down the glass. Impressive looking stout.

Malty aroma of roast, mocha, and a hint of smoke. Some grassy and earthy hops as well. Seems to be some yeast aromas sneaking in. Slightly spicey.

The yeast that I thought I could smell, really show up in the flavor. Has an underlying Belgian quality to it. Could swear this had some spice like cardamon was added. Almost like they took a page from the Lift Bridge recipe book. Good malty flavor with notes of mocha and caramel. Moderate bitterness with some earthy and pine hop flavor. Not the cleanest overall flavor, but I like it.

Medium to full bodied. Well paired carbonation gives a nice silky texture.

Badger Hill's most impressive beer. Plenty of character with its quirks and all.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 19:35:24 | More by morimech

doucmehu

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle.

A: Pretty standard stout fare, deep murky brown with a moderate mocha head.

S: Nice roasted malt and baking chocolate presence, some mild musty earthy hops.

T: Roasted malts dominate throughout without being burnt or acrid tasting, and a bit of smokiness. Bitter chocolate and hints of caramel and toffee sweetness in the finish. Adequate musty hop bitterness helps to round out the finish.

M: This is what really shines for me and my friends. For a single stout, this one has a nice full body and silky mouthfeel with proper carbonation. This is what I expect from a solid stout.

O: Reminds me of a top notch porter as much as a stout. The description describes an English and Irish influence, but this seems pretty straightforward American craft, and fairly well done at that.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 15:22:06 | More by doucmehu