Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout

Thursday April 1st brought us the opportunity to enjoy a 2 year vertical of the highly acclaimed Founders KBS. The tasting was hosted at The Flying Saucer in Raleigh, and featured both 2009 and 2010 versions of Founders bourbon barrel imperial stout. According to the brewers this beer is has "massive amounts of coffee and chocolate". It is then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels to add even more taste and complexity.

Both beers looked almost identical in the glass, a dark black, with a thin, light mocha colored head. The smell is intense chocolate and a touch of coffee, I was surprised at the lack of roast or coffee notes in the nose.

Tasting them though, the beers differ a good bit. The 2009 is much smoother, with much better balance between all the flavors. You definitely get a little bit of bourbony oak, but the chocolate is what stands out. The sweetness masks most of the coffee in my opinion. The mouthfeel of the 2009 is a bit creamier and thicker than the 2010, which adds to the experience.

The 2010 version is way too fresh, with just an explosion of flavors and tastes that does not meld well together. You can tell it's the same beer, but very harsh around the edges. This is really a beer that you must force yourself to age. I think the 2009 version was even a bit hot with alcohol, and would be really curious to try a larger vertical that left out the current year's version.