Founders Brewing Co.

Grand Rapids, MI

Breakfast Stout American Stout

8.3% ABV

I find the idea of Stout Season to be a bit redundant – when isn’t it a good time to have a stout? – but if it means it’s time once again for Founders Breakfast Stout to hit the shelves, so be it.

One of my favorite stouts from one of my favorite breweries, Breakfast Stout is a double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout. I’ll be damned is that description doesn’t hits all the right notes on its own. As the name entails, it’s a rich and hearty beer that’s the epitome of a breakfast beer, what with its flaked oats, various foreign and domestic chocolates, and Sumatra and Kona coffee. And now that Founders is back in South Carolina, it means we’re privy to this beauty of a beer.

However, the Palmetto State wasn’t a barren land for Founders before they renewed distribution a few months back. There were a few remnants of Founders from years gone by still lingering in local beer stores, so I snagged a couple of packs of the 2010 batch, which are currently kicking it in my cellar. And in an effort to see how the two batches differ, I decided to crack open one of each and see how they compared.

The pour on each is identical: a thin pitch black with a very slight brownish head that dissipates quickly, no lacing and some nice alcohol legs

On the nose, the 2010 had very pungent notes of coffee and oatmeal. There was a  very strong roastiness and a big bitter dark chocolate character to it, along with a slight astringency. It’s comparable to the coffee on the 2012, but that’s a whole lot more noticeable on the younger batch. You get a big, rich roastiness that coats the slight hints of dark chocolate and oat. It’s a very thick and rich smell.

The taste on the 2010 started with a very slight hop bitterness. The bitter dark chocolate is the first noticeable flavor, followed by the coffee, which comes comes after that with rich roastiness. The smoothness of the oat takes over after that and you get a taste of a lot of bitter coffee.

The flavors are a stark contrast on the 2012. The beer is much more mellow on tongue with no hop bite at all, and overall it’s much sweeter on palate. The chocolate is again the first flavor but it’s creamier and sweeter. The smooth oat follows and imparts a very creamy aftertaste. The coffee pops on the back and it still ends with a slight bitterness.

While neither batch is bad by any means, I much preferred the 2012, although it may have just been what did it for me that particular night. It was rich, creamy and sweet with all the flavors you’d expect and hope for. (Funny enough, my wife opted for the 2010. She’s a keeper.) I’ve heard this year’s batch is thin and bland compared to last year’s. I can’t comment on that, but there’s never any reason to not buy Breakfast Stout, no matter what season it is.