CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)
Founders Brewing Company

CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)
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From:
Founders Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #16
ABV:
11.7%
Score:
100
Ranked #38
Avg:
4.64 | pDev: 8.19%
Reviews:
1,637
Ratings:
6,786
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 09, 2024
Added:
Feb 01, 2009
Wants:
  4,542
Gots:
  1,864
The legendary CBS returns! CBS is a bold imperial stout featuring chocolate and coffee that has aged in bourbon barrels with maple syrup. The sweet, but balanced, aromas of maple syrup and chocolate fill the air, while notes of toasted oak and vanilla become more profound with every sip – melding together in what can only be described as a transcendent drinking experience.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Blackboardbrewing:
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Reviewed by Blackboardbrewing from Minnesota

4.91/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
The infamous CBS makes it's return. Having had bottles of this in 2011 and not buying to the hype, I had to see what the 2014/15 batch was all about. Multiple pours at the Happy Gnome.

A: Pours a very dark brownish-black, a thin, creamy, off white laced head maybe a mm tall hovers around the edges of the glass. Not 100% opaque/5W-30 consistency like I like them.

S: When first served it's loads of cold pressed coffee. About as fresh as it gets for coffee aroma. As it warms, what a beautiful balanced beer, my goodness. . Awesome smelling stuff. Maple, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, damn.

T: After it finally warmed up, I see what the hype is about. It's apples to oranges with KBBS, but man, this is one of the best BA maple/coffee stouts around. Rich velvety chocolates coats the mouth, a surge of maple caresses the tongue, finishes balanced and with just enough vanilla barrel notes (slightly tannic/oaky) to let you know it was BA.

F: Although I don't LOVE the mouthfeel, it's quaffable enough to enjoy a second and a third pour without feeling full to the point where you want to just take a nap. If this had the mouthfeel of FIS, would just about be perfect.

O: I almost skipped this tapping knowing it was going to be a mess. However, the folks at the Gnome handled this perfectly. And, this is about as close to perfect gets, with well you know not being such. I was surprised by how balanced it was. I could drink this daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Please bottle again.
Feb 05, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.6 by soarinsteven from Illinois

Mar 09, 2024
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Rated by moysauce from Illinois

4.58/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2018 vintage, review from my untappd
Mar 06, 2024
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

4.23/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours a completely dark color with a massive dark tan head that pillows and lingers. (4.25)

Aroma: Strong aromas of cocoa, coffee, bittersweet notes upfront. Balanced and complex. (4.25)

Flavor: Strong flavors of cocoa and chocolate upfront that balance with coffee. Then a sweet and rich chocolate, bourbon, and maple flavor follow. Sweet with a mild coffee roast off the finish. (4.25)

Feel: Heavier-bodied, strong carbonation. Mild roast. Smooth, heavy, but balanced and not too sweet. (4.00)

Overall: First try at this World-Class rated Stout. Founders doesn't make bad ones so have high expectations. The pour is beautiful. Aromas are spot on. Chocolate, coffee, yet with a complexity you can't describe. Backs it up on the flavor with the addition of some maple, honey, and bourbon sweetness. Still complex with a balanced finish. Not sure why they held this one back and why it's not easy to find, but this could easily be an annual release. I've learned to try every stout from Founders without question. (Rating: 4.23)
Feb 23, 2024
Photo of NickSMpls
Reviewed by NickSMpls from Washington

4.62/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Deep, rich pour. Nose is maple and bourbon, chocolate. First sip brings up the coffee and bourbon, dark chocolate follows close behind. Long finish. It's beer heaven.
Feb 15, 2024
Photo of tt100
Reviewed by tt100 from Ohio

4.64/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
I always find it hard to believe they can make this taste aged when it's freshly bottled. Years ago the maple would be strong unless you waited on it. The last few years the maple is perfectly blended. Magical...
Feb 08, 2024
Photo of Cdriver0414
Reviewed by Cdriver0414 from Kentucky

5/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I don't know what to say about this vmbeer that isn't already known. Founders makes some amazing stouts and this is one of their best. I cannot recommend it enough.
Feb 07, 2024
Photo of PaulMayer
Reviewed by PaulMayer from Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
This is sublime. I lack the experience or vocabulary to call myself a connoisseur or expert rater of beers, but at the moment I’m drinking this, it could be the most delicious beer I’ve ever had, even better than the Belgian quads I love so much. And when you get right down to it, any beer — or any food, any experience — that is this transcendentally satisfying deserves to be thought of as one of the best.
Jan 29, 2024
 
Rated: 4.79 by BLVBBERGIXLL from Arizona

Jan 13, 2024
 
Rated: 4.9 by SeanP99 from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2024
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Reviewed by highdesertdrinker from Arizona

4.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a deep brown with ample tan head. It smell like chocolate, dark malts, maple. The taste is chocolate, maple, a little coffee, some wood, barrel, a little dry with some hops.
One of my favorite beers and certainly stouts and it is a smooth beverage that is dangerous drinkable, cheers!
Jan 07, 2024
Photo of LeRose
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts

4.67/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
This is a 2018 vintage bottle.

Pours opaque dark brown to black but with red and amber highlights on the edges when held up to light. Hefty khaki head that persists, falls to a modest cap, but foam coats the glass beautifully.

The aroma is great, but maybe subdued by age. Coffee and sweet chocolate, bourbon barrel and vanilla, base stout and very faint maple as if warms up.

Taste - coffee, chocolate on the sweeter side, just a touch of bourbon, some vanilla and the maple shows up late but blends jn smoothly. All on top of roasty base grains and the OG stout. Superb, smoothly integrated.

Feel is thick but not syrupy or sticky. It's not highly carbonated. Luxurious and smooth.

Tremendous beer - not much more thst one can say about it.
Jan 02, 2024
 
Rated: 4.34 by sewerchewer from New York

Dec 31, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by Oktoberfest from Ohio

Dec 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.53 by guzzleacoldone from Ohio

Dec 16, 2023
Photo of FRANKHAZE
Rated by FRANKHAZE from Florida

2.5/5  rDev -46.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
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.
Dec 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.88 by BeerJesus from South Carolina

Dec 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.74 by RalphStanley34 from French Polynesia

Nov 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.9 by AlvinLin from New York

Nov 25, 2023
CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout) from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating: 100 out of 100 with 6786 ratings