Brewery: Founders
Beer: Breakfast Stout
Style: Double Chocolate Stout, Coffee Stout, Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 8.3%
IBU: 60
Appearance:
Goose Island**edited does not claim that their Bourbon County Stout may be the darkest beer of all time, they claim it is as dark as a black hole, but this may give it a run for the money in darkness. The Breakfast Stout is pure black with a chocolate finger of foam head sitting atop of it. The label for this beer is also amazing, it creeps me out. Click on the picture to enlarge it.
Aroma:
The first smell leads to huge coffee notes, pretty much like opening a can ground coffee. After that you can start to pull some of the chocolate malts which remind me of powder chocolate.
Taste:
Wow! That is amazing. It is like somebody brewed a deliciously whipped coffee with a hint of chocolate. I feel like I am drinking Irish coffee and not beer. It also has a delicate balance of hops the seem to blend with the heat of the alcohol and surround the outside of your tongue giving you a little bitterness which I feel helps hide the 8.3% ABV. There is an incredible smokiness / astringency to it on the finish long after the beer has left your mouth. Kind of like you are sucking on a peice of spent charcoal.
Palate:
A perfect example of an oatmeal stout. Perfectly full and smooth.
Overall
One of my favorite stouts to date. It has all the flavor and body of a great stout, and it has an ability to kick your butt without you realizing it has been kicked. The lower alcohol content is a real nice touch as opposed to other double or imperial stouts that I have had that are 12 -15% ABV and can bring too much heat.
Score:
94/100
Hi, on the record, I don’t believe we have claimed that BCS is the darkest beer.
Cheers
Greg
Greg,
Thanks for coming to the site. I appreciate the comment.
Not technically claimed no, but described as black hole like and it doesn’t get much darker than that.
Adam
PS I am kind of giddy about someone from Goose commenting on my site. Thanks
THIS IS A AMAZING OATMEAL STOUT! FOUNDERS HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF BREWING THIS ONE. LOVED THE CHOCOLATE COFFEE EXPLOSION. THE SMOKEY FINISH IS JUST ENOUGH,NOT OVER POWERING.
It is good, but you don’t have to yell at us.
This is certainly an incredible brew. I’ve tried other stouts and porters claiming to have a coffee taste/finish, but the effect has never necessarily been there (it either tastes like alcohol that contains coffee, or worse, burnt wood). This, on the other hand, delivers on a promise it never really made, with several notes of finish that get more interesting in the seconds after you ingest. Founder’s makes some pretty complex stuff though, and in those terms, this is a pretty good starting point to some of their more ‘challenging’ selections.
MY final score: 92/100 (I would have gone as high as 97 on this, but I’m docking them 5 for only providing a 4-pack when I want to take home at least 6. Step it up, Founder’s!!)
I am going to have to try this one. Where did you get it and how much. I love stouts especially the coffe and or Chocolate ones.
Jason,
It was $11.00 a four pack at Wiseguys.
Adam
9.99 at Portage Liquors (shameless plug).
Chris,
I am serious about talking to your boss to see if he would be interested in sponsoring some of these beer reviews. I would be very easy for me to add this post was sponsored by: Portage Liqours on blah and blah.