Curmudgeon
Founders Brewing Company

CurmudgeonCurmudgeon
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From:
Founders Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Old Ale
Ranked #24
ABV:
9.8%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,088
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 10.42%
Reviews:
1,355
Ratings:
4,869
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 11, 2023
Added:
Aug 31, 2005
Wants:
  241
Gots:
  1,184
Think classic seafaring ports, local pubs and weathered old fishermen. This old ale is brewed with molasses and an insane focus on the malt bill. Then Oak-Aged. The result is a rich, malty delight that's deceptively smooth and drinkable.

50 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BuckeyeNation:
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Murky melted toffee with blurry orange and amber edges. The pour resulted in scant head formation, just one finger of brown sugar colored cream that doesn't look as though it's interested in leaving much lace. That's okay, the beer itself more than makes up for it.

I like the nose, but it could be deeper and more complex. Maybe warming will help open things up a little. I smell earthy caramel, dark fruit and a hint of cocoa. I've read that the 2006 vintage (this bottle) was aged in bourbon barrels. Unless something changes on the palate, I have my doubts about the barrel-aged bona fides of this batch.

Thankfully, Curmudgeon takes on more of a winning personality on the taste buds. I was beginning to think that Founders lost their touch for brewing great beer. No worries on that front. I love what I'm tasting at this point and should be blown away once the slight chill is lost. It tastes like one of those ales that likes to be at or near room temperature.

A prodigious amount of caramel malt is present, resulting in a 'sticky toffee pudding' flavor the likes of which I've rarely encounted. Accessory flavors include dark rum-soaked raisins and dark brown sugar-crusted bitter orange peel. What a fantastic confluence of sweet and bitter. Sweet wins handily, by the way.

Alcohol is beautifully integrated, while still providing a power and a presence that all old ales (the good ones anyway) need to have. I'm still reminded of rich, mellow dark rum, but thanks to the caramelized sugar and vanilla notes, I'm no longer scoffing at the possibility that this bottle is from one of the bourbon barrel-aged batches. Say that five times fast.

The mouthfeel is dangerously close to perfection. I've had bigger old ales and I've had sticker old ales, but I've haven't had too many that possessed this combination of size, smoothness and silkiness. This stuff is so easy to drink that I've almost drained the entire bottle when I thought I was only halfway through.

Curmudgeon is yet another outstanding beer from Michigan's best brewery (sorry Mr. Bell). There are very few beer artisans who nail each and every style like these guys do. That's why they're on my list of 'Top-10 American Craft Breweries' and will be for the foreseeable future. If you want a delicous old ale that is pretty close to the gold standard for the style, seek this one out.
Sep 02, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.99 by not2quick from Missouri

Nov 11, 2023
Photo of Lanoke12
Reviewed by Lanoke12 from Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This beer ages well and is one of my favorite examples on the old age style. A perfect beer for the colder months with gentle warming alcohol. Very smooth for the ABV.
Oct 31, 2023
 
Rated: 3.69 by TheIPAHunter from California

Oct 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.56 by Rollmeaway2loadout from Illinois

Apr 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by micada from New York

Apr 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4.16 by SoundMakesSense from Indiana

Mar 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by carolinabeerguy from North Carolina

Jan 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by Sinister from New York

Jul 02, 2022
 
Rated: 4.16 by Blogjackets from Ohio

Apr 08, 2022
Photo of 86sportster883
Reviewed by 86sportster883 from Maryland

4.12/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A 2016 version, poured out of a 32oz crowler that I picked up @ SLL in Sept. 21. I’ve always enjoyed this beer fresh and cold, but leaving this beer out and sipping my way through it was great for exposing the beer’s full spectrum of aromas and flavors. This is one of the most inviting beers, if based on looks alone - a beautifully clear deep amber body is capped with a dense light tan head that clings to the glass as it slowly recedes. Note that the last of the crowler poured a bit murkier and more caramel colored than amber. The aromas are initially dominated by a mix of over ripe orchard fruits and darker, sweet, dried fruits on a raisin toast-like malt base. There is a hint of vanilla and a good dose of other oak-barrel, bourbon-like alcohol flavors to stiffly balance this beers rich base. As it warms, there’s nutty/hazelnut, caramel and toffee notes that come forward in the taste. If there’s a moment where the hops shine, it’s mid-finish where they come across as mildly herbal and lightly spicy. Medium to full-bodied with just enough carbonation and abv to keep the beer from coming across as too heavy. I haven’t had many old ales as of late, and the [English] one’s I remember were quite different. Overall, for someone who really likes big, complex, aged ales - this beer is a standout.
Dec 21, 2021
 
Rated: 4.24 by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

Oct 13, 2021
 
Rated: 4.1 by Taenim from Maine

Aug 27, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by akk14 from Illinois

Aug 25, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Burg from New Hampshire

May 05, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
355 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgaard. ABV is 9.8%. 50 IBU. Cloudy brown colour, low beige head of poor retention. Sweetish malty aroma, notes of caramel and oak, hints of dark dried fruits and alcohol. Not as sweet flavour as I feared, malty and oaky, caramel and dried figs, well balanced with the hops, a nice bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. Would buy again.
Apr 16, 2021
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Just about as beautiful a brew can be. A request for a pint came from a tap, in a clear glass vessel. The color is a dark copper, bright, yet not translucent. The head is just barely biege, enduring and contributes to some wonderful glass lacing. The aroma is malty, almost stout-like malty. This is also good inside the mouth. It's rich, sweet, smooth and malty. But that's not all. Molasses and hops bring an earthiness that, without being bitter, enhance what would make a good ale, like a Wee Heavy Scottish Ale. The almost 10% ABV is unnoticed. That it's on the heavy side is a good thing, for any lighter, it would go down too quickly for the overall welfare of its consumer. Overall, complexly excellent.
Apr 16, 2021
 
Rated: 3.9 by csmrx7 from Canada (AB)

Dec 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.06 by Insomniac from Canada (ON)

Nov 12, 2020
 
Rated: 4.3 by Archfiend from Illinois

Oct 03, 2020
Curmudgeon from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 4869 ratings