Founders Brewing Company Archives

Notes on beers brewed by

Founders Brewing Company

Canadian Breakfast
Stout (CBS) 2019

Nov 9, 2022

2019 CBS - at least that’s how it’s advertised. I don’t think CBS was ever the 12.3% printed on the beer menu, so there’s an element of doubt here. Anyway, not that important TBH. Poured with a head that could be better. Yes this is a 11+% beer, but it could be presented properly. Even in the warm glass this is pouring way too cold. Agitation created the head that you see, and that glass has warmed a lot since served. Nose and tastes are unremarkable. Remember when CBS was sending people into...

Founders Nemesis 2010

Dec 1, 2010

12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Meh, when beer gets like this for me it essentially ceases to become beer and turns into an experience that is simply too much like hard work. You have to really work at this beer to appreciate it and drink it, and for me that begins to detract from the point of "having a beer". It's a VERY high octane product no matter how one looks at it, and a beer like this could ONLY be brewed in America, or least by a brewer with a colossal American...

Founders Nemesis 2009

Mar 5, 2010

12 oz single in the usual Founders bottle presentation. From Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. $4.99 for the single. Murky, honey orange pour with a thin film of wispy foam on the surface of the beer. No head and no retention. Some viscous legs greet the eye too. Nose has some extremely large vanilla sugar notes - very big. Tastes have some bourbon character that builds. It's not an especially aggressive beer in terms of the depth, and to be honest it melds better than I was expecting. This is not a...

Founders Double Trouble

Feb 7, 2010

12 oz, stubbie single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA. One of the few Founder's beers currently in GA that I have not had before their recent arrival. Pour is a very surprising golden hue which s extremely attractive. Much lighter than I was expecting with a very good-looking, white, rocky head and lace. The head and retention are especially pleasing when you consider the ABV. Talking of the alcohol it's nowhere to be seen. Extraordinarily well hidden and I would have NEVER guessed this is as high...

Founders Centennial IPA

Jan 18, 2010

12 oz stubbie in the usual Founders presentation. Founders came to Georgia this week and I've had plenty before, but I've never reviewed this. Seemed like a good idea to crack on with this beer this evening. Mid orange pour with a touch of cloudiness. Head is not huge, nor is the retention great but the lace is very good with a real sticky nature. Pretty green, grassy hop aroma is the simple nose. Not massive, but clear and clean in its presence and without pretense. It is what it is. The...

Founders Cerise

Sep 3, 2009

12 oz single as part of a recent haul in Virginia. Stubbie bottle as per Founders presentation. A difficult to describe color; something between a mauve, hazed purple and the skin of light colored plum. Head is minimal, lace follows suit. Nose gives little away apart from simple malts, a touch of grain and a non-descript fruit character that one would not necessarily grasp as being cherry based. Tastes give a very muted cherry experience, and again not one that would stand out as being a...

Founders Porter

Sep 2, 2009

12 oz stubbie as per usual with Founders. Pour is surprisingly motor oil-like. From appearance one might have said that this beer was a stout or even a RIS. Quite viscous considering the style. Head is poorly formed with no head and no lace. From that, I get the impression that this has a higher ABV than 6.5%. Confusing. This is absolutely an AMERICAN porter. It has far too harsh a hop profile for me and its roasty, bitter notes take me to a place that I do not want to go with a Porter. I'm...

Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale)

Jan 31, 2009

12 oz single in the typical Founders stubbie bottle. 2008 vintage. A bit of a disappointing pour. I say that for a couple of reasons. Firstly the color is a wee bit dull. Opaque orange amber body and very little head and lace. Secondly although the head is in line with the ABV, the whole thing thing seems to lack much life or edge. A little dull. Nose and tastes are VERY vanilla based to me. Light bourbon and sweetness finish it. Strange brew for me. Too much bourbon/hard liquor influence for...

Founders Pale Ale

Aug 17, 2008

12 oz stubbie bottle - thanks to Penney from a recent trip to Bloomington, IN, USA. Very large and high head in the Duvel tulip. Bone white on top of the cloudy, orange honey colored body. Attractive and holds up well. It's "Dry Hopped", and "dry" & "hopped" are certainly apt descriptors of this beer. The beer has a mild bitterness but it is a very tannin like taste. Dry tea like finish is especialy strong. Decent creamy mouthfeel, nice carbonation. Aftertaste repeats the dry, puckering effect...

Founders Harvest Ale

Feb 9, 2008

Pretty sure that this came from Vancer as part of CEO/Old Farts BIF. Thanks man! 12oz stubbie bottle in the typical Founder's style. Advertised as 7% on the label rather than the 6.1% in the BA db. Lots of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Pour is a cloudy, deep orange with a large, bubbly head. Lace in minimal but there is some there. Really grassy, organic nose (as expected from the wet hopping). Hop based brew which sort of belies the APA style, this is more like an English IPA to me....

Founders Rübæus

Jan 12, 2008

12oz bottle. From a recent trade - not sure who, but thanks a whole bunch. Bright red color - a bit like that artificial sweet and sour sauce that you sometimes get with Chinese takeway (take-out for the Americans amongst us). A really genuine raspberry flavor - it tastes like the seeds that come in the real fruit. Very genuine. Easy drinking, mild tartness, very nice.

Founders Imperial Stout

Nov 4, 2007

Thanks to Hoppymeal for the trade. Ink black pour with a similar viscosity. Tiny ring of head around the outer extremeties, virtually no lace. It sits there looking menacing! Alcohol, roasted malts and chocolate in the nose. A high density RIS with a lot of dark (plain) chocolate character. Bourneville in a glass. Alcohol is present and warming but not burning. Coats the mouth, extremely smooth. Light bitterness and more alcohol complete the package in the finish.

Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout)

Oct 26, 2007

12 oz bottle, thanks to Hoppymeal for the trade. Poured into the Val-Dieu chalice the beer is dark brown with a very small mocha head and very little lace. This looks like a cold coffee and that's very appropriate. Alcohol laced, ice-cold coffee is a simple description. A more complex one would be one that adds vanilla and a touch of bourbon. Aroma is obviously very coffee-like but there is also considerable alcohol. The alcohol is NOT as prominent in the taste. Very smooth in the mouth and...

Founders Devil Dancer

Oct 7, 2007

On the label it says, "a triple IPA"! WTF?? I dunno, more marketing crap that we have to put up with. 12oz bottle into the Young's 20oz glass. Thanks go out to Vancer as a part of CEO/Old Farts BIF. 13% ABV - Jeez ... Pour is dark orange with a very thin head and no lace. Not that surprising considering the ABV. Sweet nose and hop based (imagine that!) Pretty viscous mouthfeel (that is not exactly surprising given the ABV), but a drinkable combination of big hops and big sweetness. This JUST...

Founders Dirty Bastard

Sep 14, 2006

Very strange. Has all the characteristics of a very nice malty Scotch Ale but it rapidly goes off in a very odd direction. Its problems all stem from the over developed hops. Dark garnet color with not much head. Good deep color, no lacing. Lovely malty nose with some sweet alcohol and this is reflected in the taste. Warming on the way down and all is well with the malty style until the last throws of the taste. Then we get a bitter hop finish. The bitterness is not very sharp or pronounced,...

Founders Bad Habit Belgian Quad

Sep 7, 2006

Can you say bubblegum?? Clear, copper colored pour with no head or lace (consistent with ABV%) when poured into the Koningshoeven small goblet. Alcoholic bananas and cloves in the nose which is quite strong. Sweet tastes with an alcoholic warming in the finish, but bubblegum is the overwhelming feeling that this leaves behind. Drinks all of its 9.8% ABV, if not a little stronger. Strong fruit (pineapple)/cough syrup tastes too, which although that does not sound good, it actually tastes better...

Founders Red’s Rye PA

Aug 26, 2006

Thanks go out to Brian700 for the trade. Fantastic looking pour with a massive rocky head that has great retention. Copper red body with a lot of clarity. Lovely sticky lacing left behind. Looks? It's a 5! Big hops, but it's really mellow - not astrigent at all. Couple this with magnificent malts and a subtle rye flavor and you have one delicious beer. Beautifully full hop burps are induced as I gulp this one down. Very satisfying and smooth the mouthfeel is both silky and light, but it also...

Founders Weizenbier

Sep 3, 2005

Very attractive color, a really cloudy, light butterscotch yellow. Nice and typical head, but this fades disappointingly fast. Minimal lacing. Aroma is really very acidic, and although the beer is not especially acidic to taste, there are some profound citrus tones. The citrus is not sharp like a grapefruit or lemon, much softer in the orange family. Mouthfeel is good, with a full and smooth character. Very mild experience in the classic way that the style should provide, but not at all bland....

Founders Black Rye

Jul 3, 2005

OK, but not much more than average for me. Dark, Porter like pour that promises a rich experience but comes up a little short. Good size tan head with some nice lacing. Mouthfeel lacked body. Some hop bitterness comes through but it sits against the back-drop of thin feeling brew. This was on the brink of being a really nice beer, but fell a bit short for me, leaving me somewhat unsatisfied. Neede more malty a body to balance the rye promise. In terms of Rye, if you get a chance try either of...

Founders Breakfast Stout

May 17, 2005

This is an absolutely exceptional beer. Utterly opaque, jet black with the smallest of dark, burnt golden heads, it looks dangerous in the glass! Aromas are amazingly chocolately with a very pronounced alcohol presence. Doubtless you will have come across lots of other stouts that you thought were "chocolately" or "coffee-like", but I challenge you to find anything that is close to this on either front. Astonishing! Without doubt it is THE most authentic chocolate and coffee tasting beer that...