Doom
Founders Brewing Company

2019 vint - 12 oz bottle, chill pour into a snifter.
Dense. Stimulates the senses. Strong. Instabuzz.
A fantastic barrel aged giant of a beer. Wish it would come around again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After being cellared for two year this beer definitely mellows. It's still pretty boozy, but solid. Notes of vanilla and oak and definitely a high ABV.

 

DATE: June 18, 2019... OCCASION: a monster evening of moving stuff to storage, with a huge shout-out to Dad, Uncle Joe, and Matt--with a lot of work by Shan too! This one has sat for about a year... GLASSWARE: Maudite snifter... pours a nearly opaque orange brown amber body, lively enough despite its doom-laden 12.4% ABV... given that number, its head is amazing retentive, holding a half-finger of white bubble clusters that ring the glass unevenly... the bouquet is an explosion of sharp flowers, candied brown sugars, deep whiskey hints, herb garden, light resin, earthy citrus--pomegranate, orange, and mango--and some malty aspects like caramel and rye sneak in as well... a wealth of aromas, but it returns to a stiff DIPA hoppiness... murky, dense and extremely resinous... this sips smoothly, thick and buttery--that characteristic bourbon dryness late, and its heft is disguised, cloaked in a body that presents like an IPA--dangerous and seductive... as this drinks, the bourbon gains in its profile, buttery, grainy, and sweet... it begins to dominate past the hops, but the combination weds well regardless--the citrus shines through, and the resin drips with a thickness that hols long after the sip finishes... this is a beer worth cherishing slowly, with butterscotch and fruity esters mingling sweetly... slightly nutty, with strong vanilla, and this is a great way to end a Tuesday... would seek this out on tap when Liquor Factory next has it available...

 

2017 vintage; on-tap at The Malted Barley, Westerly, RI

Pours a gorgeous, clear, deep golden orange-amber capped with a persistent head of off-white foam; a heavy smattering of thick, soapy lacing coats the glass while a dense collar of foam cling holds tightly through the final sip.

Aroma shows an eclectic combo of prominent vanilla and bourbon welcoming herbal hops and citrus peel almost effortlessly into the fold, well-integrated hints of smoky barrel and tinges of caramel and flambeed orange for further depth and contrast; potency and detail keeps pulling me back for more nosing.

Taste shows the bourbon and vanilla toning themselves down just a bit, allowing more caramel, grapefruit, dank candied orange, oaky barrel, and honeycomb through at varying intensities; impressive mixture of hoppy citrus and sweet barrel tones continue to meet in the middle for harmonious results in the palate.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, and capped with an excellent booziness; sticky at first, but dries out quickly and evenly along the palate; faint hoppy bitterness/oaky grit appears on the finish, allowing a subtle boozy/hoppy character to continue developing calmly even after the swallow.

I can't shake the feeling I came across this beer at its apex in both age and serving format (~2 years old and on-tap); I'm thinking it would be much boozier and possibly unhinged fresh out of a bottle. That bit of unwarranted pessimism aside, what I've presently got in front of me is a ridiculous collision of barrel and big-time DIPA, no doubt aided by 2 years aging, but nevertheless resulting in a great warming type of beer; the booze is so well integrated as to be present but unobtrusive; whatever it is (maybe due to the aging), it's resulted in an impressive brew straddling beautifully the fine line between two contrasting profiles.

 

Murky golden color.

White head; nice lacing.

Bitter oak nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Blast of oak & bourbon up front, hint of citrus. Too much bourbon for me but this is complex and different.