Founders Brewing Co. Imperial Stout
These days there are moments when I think I’m becoming a beer cliche. Lately, my favorite styles tend towards imperial stouts, IPAs, and the occasional “wild” beer (lambics, etc.). And lately I’ve begun to really enjoy barrel-aged imperial stouts.
Those styles, especially the imperial stouts and IPAs, are easily the hottest beer styles of the moment. You can’t throw a stone without hitting a brewery that is making one (or more) of their beers in an “imperial” version, and all of the hot beers that are making people run to the store on release day are one or the other.
And so I find myself asking whether I’m a cliche, or whether these are just great beers and I’m simply enjoying them for what they are. I’ve gone back and forth over this question, and come to this conclusion: I don’t think I, or anyone else enjoying these beers for that matter, am a cliche. Instead, there are just some amazing beers being made in these few styles today, and they’re getting a lot of attention because more and more brewers are trying their hand at them. There’s definitely a symbiosis of sorts between the beer-buying public and brewers, but the bottom line is that as more brewers try their hand at these styles, more and more fantastic versions of them are hitting the shelves (or taps, as the case may be), and more people are recognizing this, which in turn generates more attention for the beers upon release, and so on the circle goes.
And let’s face it, as I look back over the different posts that I’ve written about IPAs, imperial stouts, and barrel-aged beers, I haven’t been uniformly positive. While there have been some that I’ve loved, there have been just as many that I’ve been disappointed by. Some of the beers that I’ve been underwhelmed by have gotten rave reviews elsewhere, whereas others that I’ve enjoyed haven’t been as warmly received there. I don’t know what that means exactly, but I think it most likely points to the reality that taste is subjective.
Although, while taste is subjective, at a certain point you just can’t ignore it when a brewery consistently hits the nail on the head, and creates great beer after great beer. This Imperial Stout that I’m drinking right now is yet another example of a remarkably stellar beer that Founders Brewing Company has brewed to perfection. I’ve had the good fortune to try a number of their beers now, most everything available out this way, and can honestly say that I haven’t failed to be impressed yet. And so here is one brewery, and one beer, where there’s no question but wholeheartedly agreeing with the rest of the beer drinkers out there in acclaiming that this is one fantastic brew, and one great brewery.
I actually first tried their imperial stout several months ago. I’d picked up a single bottle while buying something else from them. I hadn’t heard of it and wanted to give it a whirl.
Instead, it gave me a whirl. Or floored me, is more like it. I was totally stunned by the layer-upon-layer of flavors, the massive presence, complexity, and depth that it displayed, and the way that the flavors just lingered for what seemed like hours after taking a sip. And here I was, with just the one bottle!
And so when I saw a 4-pack available a little while later I jumped on it (not literally!). Turns out that I didn’t know how lucky I was. One local shop owner that I spoke to received all of 1 case for his whole shop, and it sold in a couple of days. And that was a month or two before I stumbled over this 4-pack.
So here I am, at the tail end of a blisteringly hot day in April, just as it turns from hot to breezy and cool, sipping on this amazing beer while sitting on my back porch and recovering from a long day.
Founders releases this beer quarterly, and allocation is very tight, so it can be hard to find. Their website indicates that it’s made using 10 different varieties of malted barley, and weighs in at 10.5% with 90 IBUs. I poured this straight from the fridge, and found that it really opened up when it hit cellar temperature, at about 50/55 degrees.
The stout pours thick and viscous, like motor oil. A dark cream-colored head builds and slowly dissipates to leave a persistent, thin layer and good lacing. The beer is pitch black without the slightest highlight. The nose has plums, darkly roasted coffee beans, bittersweet chocolate, espresso, roasted grains, with some hops floating around the edges. The palate is thick, creamy, like a rich turkish coffee, accompanied by flavors of molasses, anise, deep chocolate flavors, bitter roasted grains, and a mouth-coating malty sweetness. The texture is incredibly rich and velvety, with a layer of warming alcohol. The incredibly long finish starts off with bitter roasted grains and espresso, giving way to unsweetened bakers chocolate and and chocolate-covered raisins.
This is easily one of the best beers I have had in a long time. To be honest, this is one of those beers that tasting notes can’t really begin to describe. You can only fully understand how good it is by drinking it yourself. All that the tasting notes and description can do is convince you that you need to find it.
I continue to be astounded by the consistently great quality of Founders Brewing Company’s beers. Most often we experience breweries that turn out a number of beers, of which a subset is reliably great. But in the case of Founders, I have yet to find a beer that underwhelms me.
The rumor is that we may be making a cross-country trip this summer, and if so, I can guarantee that a stop at their brewery in Grand Rapids, MI is in order. In fact, I was so jealous the other day! One of my favorite bands, El Ten Eleven, was playing at the Founders brewery! Can you imagine, listening to some of your favorite music being played live while having the chance to try several different incredible Founders beers?! Sounds too good to be true. Anyhow, I can’t think of a better reason to find a route that goes through Grand Rapids.
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