Founders - KBS

Tonights review is of one of my bottles that has been aging in my cellar/fridge for close to 6 months.  Founders KBS stands for Kentucky Breakfast Stout.  The Kentucky portion of this brew is clearly accentuated through its label.  It reminds me of the kind of label you would find on a bottle of "Cure-all" those traveling salesmen would pitch in the old west.

The stats on this brew don't lend themselves to the breakfast stout, or sweet stout style.  This is definitely more of a Russian Imperial Stout brewed with a heavy dose of chocolate and espresso.  At 11.2% ABV and 70 IBUs I don't think there is much of an argument there.  The brew is aged in bourbon barrels for an entire year before being packaged for delivery.  Expect plenty of that bourbon flavor to permeate the beer with that amount of time in the cellar.

Deep, dark brown with a minimal tan head.  This viscous dark beverage taunts you straight out of the bottle.  The smokey bourbon characteristics are the primary show with bittersweet chocolate and coffee tones offering their services as backups.  Although, as soon as you take your first sip, those backups take the main stage.  Plenty of chocolate and coffee show up alongside the bourbon.  Bits of vanilla join in to add some welcomed complexity.  The alcohol is present but mostly in a soothing warmth.  Not much unlike what you would find with a nicely aged scotch or bourbon.  Once it warms, though, the warmth starts to get a little hot.

Overall - This was certainly tasty.  I would have liked a bit more complexity and maybe a slightly lower ABV to help cut a little of the heat.  But that's just me being picky.  I enjoyed this brew a great deal.  Anyone who liked Goose Islands Bourbon County Stout would love this.  Find a four pack when its available during the winter time!