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:
3,632
Ratings:
14,166
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 04, 2024
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 sjones5045:
Photo of sjones5045
Reviewed by sjones5045 from Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Well, this is about as perfect as you can get. Founders perfected the bourbon barrel beer with this. It pours jet black with a minimal brownish head that fades quickly. Unless a stout is hopped up on nitro I guess this is par for the course. The appearance is probable the only thing regular about this beer.

The smell is crazy with tons of chocolate and sweet bourbon that hits you early. As the beer breaths it remains the same. Almost smells like a dessert beer.

The taste is heaven in a glass. The chocolate gets you first, then a bit of vanilla with a great bourbon sweetness that is consistent and bold. Smooth and silky are the words that come to mind while drinking this. The alcohol is pretty well hidden, but there is enough there to give a nice burn in the throat.

Honestly, I think I appreciate this beer more as I've tried so many others. I feel that all the other bourbon stouts hit you with tons of bourbon taste upfront. And what separates this from the others is that somehow Founders creates a very even taste all the way through. When drinking the other top bourbon stouts it seems like it all hits you at once rather than creating a unique balanced flavor. There may not be a wide variety of flavors here, but the ones that are here are so craft-fully blended and there really isn't another beer I've tried that can accomplish this. World class, and this is the reigning champion of the beer world as far as I'm concerned. If you really separate yourself from the hype and concentrate on the beer, I defy anyone to find a bourbon beer as well balanced as this. It's worth the drive to Michigan for the release every year.
Jan 01, 2013
More User Ratings:
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
 
Rated: 4.32 by BeerKegger

Nov 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.54 by cabsandking from Ohio

Nov 15, 2023
KBS from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating: 100 out of 100 with 14166 ratings