Founders - Breakfast Stout (2012)

Ahhh, the first blog of a New Year.  A clean slate on which to begin and a new archive point in the right hand column.  It didn't take long for me to decide how to begin the new year of Sud Savant.  Maybe it was the desire to start the year strong or maybe it was simply all the "New Year's Baby" images floating around, but I knew I had to start the new year with a bottle of "the baby."  I'm referring of course to Founders' Breakfast Stout.

For those that don't know, Founders' Breakfast Stout is one of the premier go-to stouts brewed in America today.  You should be able to find a 4-pack for around $10 and it is worth every penny.  Its label lists it as a "double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout," and if that doesn't get your tastebuds all hot and bothered then I don't know what will.  In case that doesn't sound amazballs enough, Founders also makes special varieties of Breakfast Stout called Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) and Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS).  CBS is another imperial stout, but it is aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels.  KBS is somewhat the more sought after of the two and it is cave aged in oak bourbon barrels for one year.  If you see either of those beers you should never hesitate to pick them up because their availability is extremely limited and they are without question some of the finest stouts available.

For those that do know, I hope that this review can accurately put into words the sensations when drinking this national favorite.  This beer was bottled on 08/02/2012.  Let's pour!

Who could say "no" to those eyes?

Aroma 11/12

When served at a temperature colder than what is ideal, the beer has rich aromas only of coffee and a roast so dark you'd swear it was charred.  Slowly but surely, the sweetness begins to creep out as the beer approaches a proper serving temperature.  Chocolate tones are first and are especially sneaky since they had blended so well with the abundant coffee.  Then the beer simply begins to open up; aromas become larger and richer, a bit of warmth can be detected, and a bit of that lactose-like sweetness from the oatmeal all come forward and waft zealously from the glass.  You can smell this thing from across the table.  It's not like a mocha, that would be too light for this beer.  It's more like someone poured melted dark chocolate into your double shot of espresso.  Not complex, but it is beautiful.

Appearance 3/3

It's black.  Plain and simple.  Sure you might get a glimmer of a cola brown if you hold it right next to a light bulb, but for the most part it is an opaque, black hole of a beer.  The head was disappointingly small, but makes up for it by being a tan color with earthy red tones - almost as if cinnamon were part of this beer.

Flavor 19/20

Strong roast flavors begin this beer and then quickly meld into the chocolate and coffee storm that is raging inside this beer.  All dark flavors, all the time.  Darkest chocolate battles black espresso for supremacy of your taste buds and it is brilliant.  Lots of roast is present as well and adds a lovely smokiness to the whole.  A bit of a salty note is present when holding the beer in the mouth which I'm assuming is from one of the coffee varieties.  The blend as a whole is remarkably rich, fudge-y, bitter, and harmoniously blended.  The finish is a splash of pure coffee and a vibrant, albeit lesser, chocolate as it makes its way down the throat.  The aftertaste lingers as much as real coffee would, remaining bitter and inducing fears of future bad "coffee breath."  Oh, and the 8.3% ABV?  Invisible, unless you slurp.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Wonderfully smooth, but without falling into the trap of most stouts of being almost non-carbonated.  Quite the contrary, this stout has a level of carbonation that makes it much more lively that most stouts, yet does not distract in the mouthfeel nor butt heads with the smoothness inherent when using a ton of malts.  Also, I can't get over how the alcohol in this beer is completely camouflaged.  Well done!

Overall Impression 9/10

Truly, a first rate stout: delicious, big, well made, well blended, and deserving of its national acclaim.  Thankfully, this brew is not as hard to get a hold of as its big brothers.  This is not the biggest, baddest stout attainable, but should certainly be viewed as a treat whenever it is consumed.  

Total 47/50

I know, I know... some of you may find this rating a bit low.  In fact, most of the folks at BeerAdvocate and RateBeer would certainly find this score low as that FBS currently rates a 99 and 100 on those sites, respectively.  However, if one gives a perfect score to this beer, what are you supposed to give its big brothers, the CBS and KBS, which are even more highly regarded (even if that may be partially tied to their rarity)?  This is an excellent score for an excellent beer, but it is also given with a strong consideration to other contenders in the style.  It's actually quite the accolade to be compared to other amazing beers that are brewed on a much smaller scale.  FBS is one of the best widely distributed stouts in America.  Period.

Mikkeller - Beer Geek Brunch

Tonight I bid farewell to "Pinty" my beloved pint glass.  Pinty was one of Dollar Store's finest pint glasses and was with me from the beginning for all of my current 60+ reviews.  He was cracked today whilst being washed and so a suitable beer must be chosen en memoriam.

False obituaries for inanimate objects aside, today's review is for Mikkeller's Beer Geek Brunch.  It is way past brunch time, but I feel that my exbeerience will be similar, regardless.  There truly is no better way to introduce this beer than to reprint the description from the bottle.

"This imperial Oatmeal stout is brewed with one of the world's most expensive coffees, made from droppings of weasel-like civet cats.  The fussy Southeast Asian animals only eat the best and ripest coffee berries.  Enzymes in their digestive system help to break down the bean.  Workers collect the bean-containing droppings for Civet or Weasel Coffee.  The exceedingly rare Civet Coffee has a strong taste and an even stronger aroma."


I'm not sure who has it worse, me as a drinker or the workers that collect weasel turds all day.  And you thought chicha had a nasty recipe.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 12/12
This is everything that a stout should be.  Coffee is first in the nose followed by a dark, dark roasted (yet unburnt) chocolaty malt.  The sweet creaminess of the oatmeal peeks out next, followed by just the slightest hint of smoke (which I attribute to the malt.  Perhaps a bit of charring occured after all?).  When pouring a sample, be sure to let the head die a bit.  When the head is still churning and fresh, a great deal of alcohol warmth and oatmeal sweetness come roaring out.  This smells like quite a treat.

Appearance 3/3
Again, perfectly on the mark for the style.  This beer is pitch black, completely opaque, and pours thicker than a Weight Watcher's meeting.  Plenty of brown, sticky head is present which lingers in the glass and leaves some lovely lacing.  This is a pint full of awesome.  The SRC/EBC color chart in the picture is completely superfluous as this beer is out-and-out black.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 19/20
The initial flavor had me a bit concerned, but thankful those concerns were rendered baseless very quickly.  The first sip is a tangy, salty bite in front of the traditional stout flavors.  No, not exactly what one expects when diving into a stout, but thankfully this flavor is completely absent in the rest of the beer and even fades from the beginning as the beer warms.  From this bite, we transition to the backbone almost like leaving an underground tunnel in a car - big flash of light (our biting first sip) and then fades gradually into focus as our eyes adjust (the backbone).  The beer's backbone is phenomenal!  Espresso beans, dark vanilla, alcohol warmth, darkly roasted chocolate malt, oatmeal's creamy sweetness, rich bits of caramel, and a subtle alcohol warmth.  You could let this sit in your mouth for an extended period of time with no complaints.  Not because the flavor is changing and transitioning, but because it is delicious!  Heck, they even throw in a hint or two of black licorice for good measure.  The finish shows a mocha blend of the chocolaty malt and the coffee beans, then proceeds to combine that with the oatmeal.  Gorgeous.  If that was not enough it also includes a sharp hop bitter after a brief, yet distinct moment.  The finish is a peppery hop bitter along the sides of the tongue, but primarily features breaths full of alcohol warmth and coffee.  This is a powerhouse stout and not for the faint of taste.

Mouthfeel 5/5
I was initially looking to deduct a point for the "barely existant" level of carbonation.  The almost imperceptible bubbles could have perhaps used a bit of company, but as it is their lack of presence was not distracting.  Warmth is present, but not completely absent nor overwhelming; quite a feat in a 10.9% ABV beer.  Creaminess is abundant, but the body is not as heavy as I would expect considering this beer's other feats.  It could be categorized as "medium heavy."

Overall Impression 10/10
If you enjoy stouts, this beer will bowl you over.  From the nose to the flavor to the appearance, everything in this beer borders on ridiculously good.  You want imperial?  They've got your imperial right here.  Good gracious!

Total 49/50
This is an extreme beer for the extreme beer drinker.  Gargantuan taste, lots of alcohol, rare and/or unusual ingredients, expensive, and delicious.  This is a sipper, but gladly so.  I can't imagine tearing through a portion of this size as it would result in my immediate and glaring disappointment.  This is my first beer from Mikkeller and I can guarantee that it will not be my last.  If you can find it (and enjoy big ass stouts), you should buy it.  Not only will you not regret it, but it is worth every penny.  I don't know how else to end this except... wow.  Pinty would be proud.