KBS
Founders Brewing Company

KBSKBS
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From:
Founders Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #19
ABV:
12%
Score:
100
Ranked #59
Avg:
4.6 | pDev: 8.7%
Reviews:
3,633
Ratings:
14,168
Status:
Active
Rated:
Tuesday at 01:12 AM
Added:
Dec 13, 2004
Wants:
  4,608
Gots:
  7,310
What we’ve got here is an imperial stout brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates, then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year to make sure wonderful bourbon undertones come through in the finish. Makes your taste buds squeal with delight.

KBS stands for "Kentucky Breakfast Stout"

ABV varies by batch.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LambicPentameter:
Photo of LambicPentameter
Reviewed by LambicPentameter from Nebraska

4.27/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Enjoyed out of a 12 oz brown bottle that I was luckily able to procure from the madhouse that was the Founders tap takeover event at Bier Station in Kansas City on July 1st. I must caveat my review by saying that I'm reviewing based on only a 6 oz pour, as I couldn't bring myself not to share with my two buddies who weren't so lucky in getting their hands on a bottle at the event. Poured into a small, tumbler-shaped 8 oz tasting glass.

Appearance - Like looking into a black hole, with the viscous inky liquid seeming to move in slow motion when sloshed. The head is fairly sparse, with an--at best--one finger mocha colored head that dissipates to a bubbly layer of foam on top of the liquid, about a quarter finger thick. Some larger bubbles are interspersed. Just what I would expect from an enormous barrel-aged imperial stout.

Smell - A symphony of coffee, bittersweet chocolate, roasted malt, and bourbon, with undertones of oaky vanilla and some alcoholic esters hinting at how much of a wallop the taste is going to pack. I also detect a bit of sweetness, much like what you might expect from a milk stout. A delicious smelling beer--here's hoping the flavor lives up to it.

Taste - Here, the booze is more present than in the aroma, which was dominated by the espresso and cocoa nib notes. Now, the bourbon is very much on display, being complimented by the softer profiles of the oak and vanilla. Not to worry, however, as the traditional stout profiles make their presence known and prevent this from becoming an unbalanced whiskey bomb. I think I prefer the smell better, but the taste is definitely quite good.

Mouthfeel - Viscous and thick, like drinking a boozy beer milkshake. Carbonation is fairly low, but actually not as low as some BA beers that I've had. There's enough of it to provide a bit of a bite to the otherwise thick beverage. Finish is semi-sweet, from the chocolate and oak.

Overall, a beer that certainly lives up to the hype. I think personally, I prefer the standard FBS to this modified version, but that's mostly an individual taste issue than anything else. And since this one is so damn hard to get hands on, I imagine I will continue to drink FBS to get my imperial stout fix from Founders.
Jul 22, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of nwalke16
Reviewed by nwalke16 from Michigan

4.61/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
I do like this beer a great deal. I haven't had it in awhile, but in 2018 I remember thoroughly enjoying this brew. It had all the right aging, balance, dark coffee/chocolate flavored malt, and hidden alcohol. So, it is definitely at my top 5 stouts I've had of all time.
Tuesday at 01:12 AM
 
Rated: 4.79 by Tbone10 from Wisconsin

Sunday at 08:23 PM
Photo of DumbRunner26
Reviewed by DumbRunner26 from North Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
This is the standard imo of my favorite beer style. It checks all the boxes of a great Imperial Stout. Thick and dark with a tan head. Aroma so satisfying that it takes effort to pull your nose away from the glass. But you do bc you know of the party that awaits your tastebuds. This is one of the most delicious beers I’ve ever had period, any style. A dessert in a bottle. I would drink these every day with every meal. But I don’t, bc my liver would hate me.
Mar 04, 2024
Photo of Paradox1000
Rated by Paradox1000 from Florida

4.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Excellent flavorful deserving of high rating.
Mar 03, 2024
Photo of DimlyLitQuonsetHut
Reviewed by DimlyLitQuonsetHut from Virginia

3.09/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
The booziest stout I've ever had, and I've had plenty with higher ABV. Nice complexity. Brownie and vanilla notes. Very solid but not especially impressive. Breakfast Stout is better and much cheaper. Must have been amazing when it first came out, but today it falls behind.
Feb 28, 2024
 
Rated: 4.83 by Jacob313 from Michigan

Feb 22, 2024
 
Rated: 5 by RBorsato from Virginia

Feb 17, 2024
 
Rated: 4.81 by ToshT2M from Rhode Island

Feb 03, 2024
 
Rated: 3.63 by SeanP99 from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2024
 
Rated: 3.28 by RoyalKaiju from Kentucky

Jan 07, 2024
Photo of Lifsabch
Reviewed by Lifsabch from Maine

5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Pleasantly surprised to (finally) find this in my local grocery store. Nothing beats sipping a good stout during the holidays in Maine. This one lives up to the hype.
Dec 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4.87 by chlilley from Missouri

Dec 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.95 by averageninjaface from Alaska

Dec 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.63 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.59 by Nyoder

Nov 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.64 by Zappa999 from Michigan

Nov 24, 2023
 
 
Rated: 4.49 by TreyJ88

Nov 24, 2023
KBS from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating: 100 out of 100 with 14168 ratings