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Curmudgeon
Founders Brewing Company
- From:
- Founders Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- Old Ale
Ranked #24 - ABV:
- 9.8%
- Score:
- 90
Ranked #9,075 - Avg:
- 4.03 | pDev: 10.42%
- Reviews:
- 1,355
- Ratings:
- 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
50 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by kingmaker:
Reviewed by kingmaker from Louisiana
4.71/5 rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.71/5 rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
A: Magohany through and through with a khaki head which dissipates to a thin crown around the glass with some remaining to cover the exposed beer as a thin sheen
S: WOW. This is what I expect of an old ale. Sweet malts, hops, some caramel, the alcohol is completely absent. There's oak but honestly I'd probably miss it in between the malt and hop if I didn't know oak's intricacies.
T: The malt overtakes the hops by far. Rich malts followed by the oak and quickly behind that is the molasses, giving almost a toffee flavor. Again, no alcohol, even subtlety.
M: Medium, bordering on full with good carbonation. Very smooth and lingers on the tongue well after its gone.
O: I'm going to have to hide the other 3 bottles before I drink them warm. This was a great beer, highly complex with the addition of the oak. I'm disappointed that I let this one slip into the fold when I was the the NYC craft beerfest a couple weeks ago and instead focused solely on the KBS so much so that the server knew my name. This beer is an understated powerhouse.
Apr 10, 2013S: WOW. This is what I expect of an old ale. Sweet malts, hops, some caramel, the alcohol is completely absent. There's oak but honestly I'd probably miss it in between the malt and hop if I didn't know oak's intricacies.
T: The malt overtakes the hops by far. Rich malts followed by the oak and quickly behind that is the molasses, giving almost a toffee flavor. Again, no alcohol, even subtlety.
M: Medium, bordering on full with good carbonation. Very smooth and lingers on the tongue well after its gone.
O: I'm going to have to hide the other 3 bottles before I drink them warm. This was a great beer, highly complex with the addition of the oak. I'm disappointed that I let this one slip into the fold when I was the the NYC craft beerfest a couple weeks ago and instead focused solely on the KBS so much so that the server knew my name. This beer is an understated powerhouse.
More User Ratings:
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
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, 2023Reviewed by 86sportster883 from Maryland
4.12/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
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, 2021Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.83/5 rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
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, 2021Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania
4.5/5 rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
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
Curmudgeon from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating:
90 out of
100 with
4869 ratings
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