Nevermind that I haven't ever ventured further East than family trips to New Mexico and Texas when I was 7 or 8 years old, but here is a beer that lets me experience the state of Kentucky at its finest. The fact that it's made in Michigan you can just ignore. This beer is the Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, which I've been holding onto for a year and a half or so now. Maybe I was scared to drink it, figuring that so many imperial stouts have let me down in the past- making me decide that for the most part this style just isn't for me. What I've also realized is there are a few imperial stouts that are crafted truly well for my tastes. Founders' regular Breakfast Stout is one of those. I love it. So I was really hoping their Kentucky Breakfast Stout would buck the trend of bad to very average imperial stouts set by Dark Lord, Jah-Va, and others.
Kentucky Breakfast Stout pours as seen in the photo into my mug. There's no mistaking that this is one viscous brew while pouring. The initial smell is boozy, the bourbon/wood character is noticeable, but even more so is the coffee and bittersweet dark chocolate. The taste mirrors that. Coffee dominates, as it should, but there's a nice bit of chocolate and wood flavor, all the while having that roasted coffee bitterness. The soy flavors of stouts that I hate so much are limited in this. The licorice or anise flavors that can be way overdone are non-existent. This is a good stout. Founders has done a remarkable job of finding great flavor combination of roast and chocolate in their big stouts to make them enjoyable. At 10% ABV, Kentucky Breakfast Stout might qualify as a sipper, but it goes down pretty easy, especially in the morning.
My BeerAdvocate Score
Appearance: 4
Aroma: 4
Taste: 4.5
Mouthfeel: 4
Drinkability: 4
Overall: 4.2 / A-
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, For Breakfast
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
Steve, can't comment on Kentucky Breakfast, but I think you would like Ten Fidy and Green Flash Double Stout. Both avoid the syrupy, viscous mess that I can't deal with in many stouts.
I split a can of Ten Fidy 3 ways with some friends and in that small sample I didn't care for it a whole lot. It wasn't the worst ever (like Dark Lord), but I wouldn't have really wanted it again. That was towards the end of a tasting lineup though, so I might need to try it again just by itself.
I've been meaning to pick up a bottle of that GF Double Stout so I'll probably go ahead and take that plunge based on your recommendation.
I remember having KBS on tap at the Founders Brewery and suffering through it. I decided to buy a few bottles this past release and it was a completely different experience for me. I loved it so. I'm saving the last one for a blind stout tasting I'm hosting next month.
Post a Comment