Bolt Cutter
Founders Brewing Company

Bolt CutterBolt Cutter
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Founders Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
15%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.05 | pDev: 12.1%
Reviews:
247
Ratings:
1,361
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 24, 2021
Added:
Nov 03, 2012
Wants:
  215
Gots:
  666
Bolt Cutter is a cellarable barley wine with an ABV of 15%. Dry-hopped with a mountain of Cascade hops, it’s balanced by a malty sweetness and spicy complexity, resulting from barrel aging some of it in bourbon barrels, some in maple syrup-bourbon barrels and some not at all (standard fermentation only). We’ve allowed the beer to mature in bottles and kegs since July so that it would be perfect for its release next month. Bolt Cutter pours a deep copper color and is best sampled at different temperatures to allow the flavors to unfold.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bobhits:
Photo of bobhits
Reviewed by bobhits from Kentucky

3.2/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Pours a dense protein and yeast infused body with dark ruby and orange coloring. Given a good forced pour it produces a nice inch or so of head in my founder snifter, but it doesn't last or provide lacing. There are some huge alcohol legs that show what is left of the carbonation. Given the alcohol none of this is surprising.

Given the size of this beer the aroma is a bit subtle. There's a tone of caramel sugars with nice American hop aromas (I get a stone like centennial (SP?) hope aroma though there's something else that leads me to believe I might be off on this or there's another hop I should be picking up). Finishing out there's a good bit of sweet sugars with vanilla notes that are coming from the oak aging. I don't get straight bourbon here, but the oak and vanilla are there.

Deep caramel malt is accented by vanilla notes from oak aging. Bolt Cutter mixes the sugary flavor with a nice bit of a bittering hops and a hint of an alcohol finish. Given the 15% abv. there is far less of a bite from alcohol than I had expected. Founders has for some reason decided that anything in a 750 ml should be as sweet and sugary as possible. This one is a lot less over the top than their others (fake sugar infused hazel nut coffee, maple syrup mixed in coffee and bourbon, over the top sugary barely wine aged in sugar infused maple barrels, or a super sugary fruit beer), but make no mistake this is a sugary sweet beer. While there is a good effort to balance the beer with hops it doesn't make it there. This beer is much like their standard barley wine with oak and vanilla added in.

I'm not sure how to score this. 15% is rather subtle. The carbonation is very good for the alcohol levels and there's still a bit of an alcohol bite left here. This beer is not overly dense or thick so don't expect the thick syrupy smooth mouth feel of some of the great English Barely Wines (JW Lee I'm talking about you). The final verdict is this is good, but not great in this regard.

Bolt Cutter comes in at nearly 23 a bottle here in Kentucky after tax. I have a bottle to age and see if this one ages well (what 3-5 years? Really let me know how long I should age this one, PM me darn it!). Ultimately this is very good beer, but it is sold in the wrong format (nobody needs 750 ml of this and it is hard to review with company) and it never really mixes into a full beer. There's too much sugar to go with the bite. It isn't clean flavored and it is so freaking big. This beer just doesn't come together in the end. Don't get me wrong, this isn't bad, it isn't something to be insulted, but it isn't worth the money and if I didn't have another bottle I'd not even consider buying it again.
Jan 12, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of BeardedWalrus
Reviewed by BeardedWalrus from North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottled in 2012, poured into a brandy snifter. Color is a beautiful mahogany brown, with some burnt orange in direct light. Nose is big and sweet, lots of brown sugar and maple. Taste is similar, with sweet caramel, toffee, and oak notes delivering a delicious experience. The feel is slick and sweet, with with a relatively mild body that makes it surprisingly drinkable at 15% abv. Overall, it's another great brew from Founders, and i count myself lucky for having gotten a bottle.
Mar 24, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigred89 from Maryland

Oct 25, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by jschott75 from Illinois

Oct 17, 2020
Photo of SFC21
Reviewed by SFC21 from Florida

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottled in 2012, so just about 8 years of sleep on this big guy.

Look is rusty/copper body that still has some carbonation left. Nose is butterscotch, dark bread, and sweet potato. The nose barely carries over to the taste, though, as the hops and 15% ABV takes over. A lot of bourbon notes, overripe orange, big, earthy hops and a slightly medicinal finish. Pretty smooth and not a lot of heat considering the ABV. I cellared this one as the initial reviews in 2012 said it was too hot and needed time. I'm glad I did, this aged really well.
Aug 13, 2020
Photo of TreyIsWilson
Reviewed by TreyIsWilson from Michigan

4.19/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A - Pours a clear amber with a thin off white head. Light amount of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is caramel, oak and bourbon.

T - The taste is toffee, caramel, grapefruit rind, oak, piney hops and bourbon.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Sticky mouthfeel with a dry mouthfeel.

O - After 7 years this is still a big bad beer. The flavors are pretty well rounded with a big boozy finish.
Dec 22, 2019
Photo of Joe_Tool
Reviewed by Joe_Tool from New Jersey

4.09/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Let this one sit. Got a case of it back when they were making it. A bunch of my good friends took some off of me so I didn't have to tell the wife I spent $220 on a case of beer. I said let them sit for 5 years as it was horrible then. It improved a lot but was a bit of a disappointment. Still hot and cloying. If you still have one, wait. It's not worth cracking it yet. It may never get there but it certainly isn't yet.
Jun 16, 2019
Photo of dafla67
Reviewed by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Just drank a bottle last week (March 2019). Simply awesome. Pour a murky amber. Aroma of pine, bourbon & malt. Tastes so smooth even after 7 years. Full bodies. I am a Barleywine fan and this is one of my all time favorites. Needs to come out of retirement, more so then a third year in a row of CBS (and I really like CBS as well).
Apr 04, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottled 2012; drank 2/27/14.

Murky bright orange hue.

Bright white head; minimal lace.

Thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Oak, caramel, smoke & grapefruit flavor; age hasn't harmed this sturdy monster one bit.
Feb 19, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Feb 17, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Jan 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by heysuz from Indiana

Jan 05, 2019
 
Rated: 3.67 by hopkrid from Florida

Oct 07, 2018
Photo of GregBarleycorn13
Reviewed by GregBarleycorn13 from New York

4.66/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Had in the cellar the last 6 years. I can't remember a better barleywine I've had in a long time. Still a great aroma and taste was all that a barleywine should be. Even after six years. Too bad it's not being made anymore.
Mar 25, 2018
 
Rated: 3.81 by Warren2621 from Indiana

Feb 25, 2018
 
Rated: 3.93 by Futbolmanby from Michigan

Feb 16, 2018
Photo of Davepoolesque
Reviewed by Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bottled in 2012, 15th Anniversary Ale. Another one of the first beers I ticked away in my "cellar". This must have been a beast back in the day. Pine, chocolate, caramel, toffee and oak. Medium bodied. Still lots of pine resin, dry bitterness. Eh, Big American Barleywines aren't really my bag. This is still going strong. Could probably easily age another 5 years.
Jan 19, 2018
 
Rated: 4.38 by liquorpig from Massachusetts

Jan 06, 2018
 
Rated: 4.1 by MrZach76 from Pennsylvania

Dec 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by Mikexw from New York

Dec 01, 2017
Bolt Cutter from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 1361 ratings