Tag Archives: Founders

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May 7, 2013

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World of Beer taps rare, unique Founders brews for members-only event

Founders

Being a Loyalty Member at Columbia’s World of Beer certainly has its perks. Sure, there’s all the swag you get for drinking great beer, but it also gets in you to special members-only events the folks running the show occasionally throw.

If these event are a way of saying thanks for being a member, then the one they’ve got lined up for May 30 is like a big ol’ bear hug. Four beers from Founders will be featured that night, and the WOB crew it aiming to make membership worth it.

First and foremost, WOB will have the ONLY keg of Doom – Founders’ 10% barrel-aged double IPA – you’ll find in the Columbia area. The rare Backstage Series release is a bigger version of Double Trouble, Founders’ 9.4% DIPA, which has been aged in bourbon barrels. And if you want to try them side-by-side, you’ll be able to do just that as a keg of  Double Trouble will also be on tap that night.

And they’ve got a keg of KBS. ‘Nuff said.

WOB’s Randall will also be brought out to give a unique spin to Breakfast Stout. The beer will be run through brown sugar-glazed pecans that have been soaked in Buffalo Trace bourbon, a concoction created by WOB’s Chris Metcalfe.

Other than buying the beer, there’s no charge to attend, but you will have to be a WOB Loyalty Member to gain access to the super-secret drinking area (read: upstairs). Visit the bar to sign up for their loyalty program.

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March 22, 2013

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KBS returns to SC shelves

KBS

When Founders began distribution in South Carolina again in 2012 after a years-long hiatus, so too came the possibility that some of the brewery’s more highly sought after beers would also arrive. Since they’ve come back, we’ve seen the latest releases from the Backstage Series – Frangelic Mountain Brown and Bolt Cutter – and recently began seeing the sessionable All Day IPA arrive recently after being promoted to a national seasonal release.

While the official release date of KBS – their annual 11% bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout – isn’t until April 1, the beer can already be found on shelves in Charleston as the photo the Charleston Beer Exchange tweeted shows.

KBS is not one to sleep on. The beer is regarded as one of the planet’s best imperial stouts and one of the best beers in general. It also ages incredibly well, so you’ll want to pick up a couple of bottles. Which is good, because chances are wherever you find KBS – if you can – supplies and how much you can buy will be incredibly limited.

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October 30, 2012

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Founders Harvest Ale

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Founders Brewing Co.

Grand Rapids, MI

Harvest Ale Wet-Hopped IPA

6.5% ABV

‘Tis the season for wet-hopped ales. Every year about this time, breweries tout their brews where hops go from vine to brew as quickly as they can – a break from using dried or pelletized hops – to preserve the freshness and flavors of the hop cone. It’s a style I love – I am a hophead, after all – and really can’t get enough of.

I’ve had many a Founders beer in my life, but until now, Harvest Ale has eluded me. Chalk it up to us not getting distribution in South Carolina  until earlier this year, but I’ve always managed to miss out. (Until now, Harvest Ale was the only regularly released Founders beer I hadn’t had.) But all is well with the world, and I’ve gotten my first sip of the first wet-hopped ale of the season.

Harvest Ale pours a really clear blonde yellow color with just a slight chill haze. Absolutely no head to speak of, which was kind of surprising. Barely any lacing but the alcohol legs were really nice.

You can certainly tell it’s a wet-hopped ale from the nose alone. It’s a rich, wet pine with really sweet and sticky oranges. There’s certainly a big malt character to it. And there’s also a bit sweet hop note to it. It really reminds me of Hopslam, and I love Hopslam, so that’s a good thing.

The taste starts out with a big bitter pine hop bite on the front of the tongue followed with a thick, wet and juicy mouthfeel. There’s just a mild carbonation across the palate. Middle of the mouth are those big juicy orange and a sweet bready malt character. The bitterness pops up again on the back and lingers for a good long while. The finish is straight-up wet pine and juicy fruits. It’s a very thirst-quenching beer that certainly tastes incredibly fresh.

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October 16, 2012

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Founders All Day IPA

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Founders Brewing Co.

Grand Rapids, MI

All Day IPA Session Beer

4.7% ABV

Lately, there’s been somewhat of resurgence of session beers – those with a lower ABV – and it’s become a much-hyped alternative to bigger and badder beers. As much as I love my bourbon barrel-aged stouts, knowing I can come home and crack open one (or two) lighter beers is a nice change.

Founders is so stranger to big beers, but with their All Day IPA, they’re reaching toward the other end of the spectrum. At just 4.7%, the beer packs all the hoppiness you’d want from a good IPA in a less hangover-inducing package.

The beer pours a slightly hazy sunset orange color. It’s almost see-through but with just a slight bit of chill haze. There’s barely a half finger of head that dissipates really fast along with very weak lacing and alcohol legs.

There’s a great, big biting pine on the nose. It’s definitely get some Cascade and Citra notes to it with big grapefruit and a little bit of pineapple and lemon. There’s a very slight astringency and a little malt sweetness, but primarily a huge pine scent.

There’s a nice hop bitterness on the front of the tongue and mild carbonation throughout the mouth. Middle of the mouth, those grapefruit and pine flavors really pop. There’s a strong malt presence on the back with a touch of a sweeter note. It clings to the back of your throat and really lingers for a long while. However, it is a clean finish, and you can definitely tell it’s a lighter IPA. It does seem a bit watery on the back, but not very much so.

I wish I could try this beer fresher. Even though the one I had was bottled only a month and a half ago, I have a feeling the hops might be a bit stronger and the finish not so malty.

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September 14, 2012

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Founders Breakfast Stout (2010 vs. 2012)

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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.

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September 6, 2012

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Founders Backwoods Bastard

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Founders Brewing Co.

Grand Rapids, MI

Backwoods Bastard

10.2% ABV

I’ve waxed poetic before about my love for everything Founders, a love that’s only grown since they’ve popped up in SC again. As I continue to make my way through their catalogue, I tapped into my cellar the other night and opted for a bottle of Backwoods Bastard, birthday gift from last year courtesy of my friend Josh and one of the last few Founders beer I hadn’t tried yet.

This bastard is a 10.2% Scotch ale aged in bourbon barrels. It’s released late every year, perfect for those pre-winter nips you need to keep you warm. (Fun fact: The beer was temporarily banned in Alabama because they weren’t too keen on having “bastard” be on the label.)

The beer pours a murky rust-colored brown color. It sounds gross, but it kind of looks like dirty pond water when you hold it up to the light. It’s topped with half a finger of a thin bubbly head that vanishes quickly. The lacing falls fast, but there are some very strong alcohol legs.

The barrel-aging hits your nostrils hard. There are big oak and bourbon on the nose, along with lots of caramel, toffee and raisins. It’s a very rich, oaky sticky sweet smell with a bit of the peat and smoke you’d expect from a Scotch ale.

The beer is very mellow on the tongue with just a slight carbonation. It glides across the tongue and melts on the back of the throat. The oak is the most present at first, but then the bourbon melts over the palate and gives way to the big sweet notes. There’s a slightly woody finish, but the caramel and raisin notes are the biggest hit on the end.

Scotch ales/wee heavies are one of those styles I used to hate but have grown to really enjoy, and this is definitely one of the better ones I’ve had. Of course, anything from Founders that’s barrel-aged is going to be fantastic, and this is no exception. It’s rich, sweet, smokey, oaky, smooth … oh, just drink it.

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July 19, 2012

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Founders Frangelic Mountain Brown

Founders Brewing Co.

Grand Rapids, MI

Frangelic Mountain Brown Ale

9% ABV

Oh, Founders. How I love you so. Not only are your year-round and seasonal beers great, but your Backstage Series really shows just how awesome you really are.

First, there was Blushing Monk, the awesome Belgian ale brewed with raspberries. Then, one of the holiest of holies, Canadian Breakfast Stout, a chocolate and coffee stout which hung out in bourbon barrels used to age maple syrup. (Side note: One of the best beers I’ve ever had. Duh.) That was followed with Curmudgeon’s Better Half, a take on your old ale brewed with molasses, aged on oak and then aged again for nearly a year in bourbon barrels also used to age maple syrup. All phenomenal, and I’m happy to welcome Frangelic Mountain Brown to the club.

The beer is, surprisingly, the brewery’s first brown ale. It’s brewed with hazelnut coffee – which I friggin’ love – and then bottled for your drinking pleasure. No fancy aging, no bourbon barrels, just a straight-up brown ale with hazelnut awesomeness.

So, why is it part of such an illustrious collection of beers? Because it’s so damn good.

The pour is – surprisingly enough – brown, but with hits of amber around the curves of the glass. Two fingers of a  creamy off-white head tops it and sticks around. Very nice lacing and alcohol legs as well.

I absolutely love anything with hazelnuts in it, so the nose on this was heavenly. There’s a huge creamy hazelnut coffee right off the bat, along with a big chocolate note. It’s a very creamy smelling. 

The taste is absolutely positively delicious. It’s a little light on the front of the tongue and has a lighter body, but the flavor explodes on the back. It doesn’t play around. It’s just straight hazelnuts and coffee. There’s a great roasted taste and a really smooth nuttiness from the hazelnut. It all settles into a surprisingly creamy chocolate taste. Just a slight hint of the alcohol, too.

While this is considered the least favorite of the series among a lot of folks, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s like receiving an A on a paper when you’ve been scoring an A+ on the three you’ve written before it. It doesn’t mean you’re bad or a disappointment at all, it just means you’re slightly less awesome than you are on a usual basis. Still, the creaminess of the hazelnuts and the roasted qualities of the coffee make this one just as superb as its predecessors.