CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)
Founders Brewing Company

KBS is superior in all aspects and costs about 10$ less than a CBS 4-pack.. makes absolutely no sense to purchase this beer. KBS > CBS.

 

 

 

 

 

Damn!!!

 

 

A 2018 Release bottled on 10.16.18 opened two days before its fifth birthday.

Pours very dark brown, verging on black, and nearly opaque. More head than anticipated at this age. Dark tan head that dissipates fairly quickly. Thin but persistent lacing and legs.

Initially strong aromas of chocolate and coffee, but as the brew warms, maple, bourbon, vanilla, dark fruit, leather, and tobacco all gradually manifest. Additional warming yields anise.

Five years of aging have rounded off all of the edges of this brew in a very good way. Chocolate, coffee, maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, white pepper, oak, cherries, and anise are all separately discerned, but smoothly melded. One of the smoothest barrel aged brews I've ever had.

Nearly-chewy big-beer body, but not sticky in any way. The ABV is only noticed as warmth and a tingle on the tip of the tongue.

Definitely an all-time great, and a poster-child for the benefits of aging.

 

 

 

 

 

Had the pleasure of sharing a 2018 bomber with my son. Poured nice and dark. Aromatic to the core with all the notes mentioned herein. Was a tad worried it was aged 5 years but it was the perfect age for us.

 

 

Bottled on 9/25/19, consumed on 6/27/23. Served and consumed starting at 45 F and warming to close to room temperature.

Look: Deep, dark brown, almost (but not quite) black. Thin chocolate colored head, but more than I expected for a four year old bottle.

Smell: Maple and chocolate and immediately obvious, with noticeable bourbon as well. Little to no coffee.

Taste: The strong maple sweetness and the bourbon are noticeable first. Some chocolate is there, but very little coffee except for some bitterness in the aftertaste. The lack of an overwhelming coffee taste works well here, as it lets the maple and bourbon shine but provides just enough bitterness to offset the maple sweetness.

Feel: Silky and smooth with a moderate bite on the back end. The 11.3% ABV is more noticeable in the feel that the taste. Warmth and a mild sting from the alcohol are both present, but not in overwhelming amounts.

Overall: this is a world-class beer for good reasons. This is my very last bottle, so unless Founders re-releases it in the future I'll just say CBS will forever be one of the absolute best barrel aged stouts I have ever had the pleasure of sampling.