Bottle Shop Series #1: Nemesis
Founders Brewing Company

Bottle Shop Series #1: NemesisBottle Shop Series #1: Nemesis
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From:
Founders Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
Ranked #102
ABV:
11.2%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,184
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 7.6%
Reviews:
126
Ratings:
267
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 08, 2024
Added:
Dec 10, 2020
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  12
What’s your Nemesis? Ours is a barleywine-style ale brewed with roasted malts and no shortage of hops for a pleasantly bitter, booming flavor. Pouring with a slight and subtle mahogany hue and a multitude of flavors that melt on your tongue – this is one Nemesis you’ll feel good about keeping around.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by trevormajor:
Photo of trevormajor
Reviewed by trevormajor from Ohio

4.27/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 oz bottle, born on 3/9/21, poured into a Founders snifter at 55 degrees F:
L - dark brown with a hazelnut head; looks like a stout
S - biscuit, toffee
T - caramel, toffee
F - thick mouthfeel with minimal carbonation
O - very nice, hoppy like an American barleywine
Jun 26, 2022
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.44 by Jacob313 from Michigan

Mar 08, 2024
 
Rated: 4.05 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Oct 14, 2023
 
Rated: 3.95 by RickS95 from Indiana

Sep 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.34 by HungarianCount from California

Aug 05, 2023
Photo of TreyIsWilson
Reviewed by TreyIsWilson from Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A - Pours a deep dark brown with a one finger tan head. Light amount of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is piney hops, grapefruit, brown sugar and tobacco.

T - The taste is dark chocolate, grapefruit, vanilla, molasses, plums, charred malts and a big kick of piney hops in the finish.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft slick finish.

O - Solid.
Jul 14, 2023
 
Rated: 4.22 by donspublic from Texas

Jun 20, 2023
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle at brewers Haven. Medium brown, bubbly head. Aroma is malty, tobacco, leather. Taste mirrors the aroma, stays on target for a Barleywine. Not over the top, more classic English style.
Jun 03, 2023
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.09/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled 3/9/21, had 7/21/21.

Pours a semi opaque darker amber, with a one and a half inch foamy head with great retention and a decent amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of caramel, malt, dates, brown sugar, some cherries, light citrus and pine, light cocoa. Flavors are a little more expansive- caramel, pine, malt, grapefruit, dates, toffee, brown sugar, faint cherries. Has a decent amount of hop bitterness at first, but fades as it warms. Has a sweet note to it. Smooth, dry, a very good medium body, well carbonated.

Many expressive aromas and flavors, although the nose doesn’t really hint at the big hop bite up front in the taste. This is best when fully warmed. Very enjoyable.
May 17, 2023
Photo of JLK7299
Reviewed by JLK7299 from North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
My wife picked this one up a while back and we just cracked it. It’s good. Maybe the most hoppy Barleywine that I’ve experienced though. Barleywine is life.
Mar 11, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Johncnh from New Hampshire

Feb 26, 2023
Photo of KaBoots
Reviewed by KaBoots from Florida

4.34/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Popped the top on 20230224. Bottle date reads 20210309. Just a beautiful malty beast. If you're looking for an amazing English style Barleywine, this is it. They claim there is no shortage of hops but I find it remarkably well balanced. Lightly sweet, still a pretty pronounced head that fades to lacing on the edge. All in all, a phenomenal beer I would love to find again.
Feb 25, 2023
Photo of PapaGoose03
Reviewed by PapaGoose03 from Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottled March, 2021. The hops are noticeable like an American Barleywine, and the barrel character is a little stronger than the bourbon, which I'd prefer it be the other way around, but it's a very good beer.
Jan 08, 2023
Photo of mvanaskie13
Reviewed by mvanaskie13 from Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into tulip chalice: color is dark amber or nearly brown, head is light tan and presents 1/4 inch thick.

Smell is deep malt, biscuit, toffee, caramel, cacao, very light roast, moderate hoppy backing.

Taste is similar with big malt notes of caramel, toffee, cacao, biscuit, dark fruit, moderate hoppiness with earthy notes; no real booziness.

Mouthfeel is lower carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness, light drying.

Overall a nice slightly roasty/chocolately barleywine style ale with a pronounced hoppy flavor/bite.
Dec 17, 2022
Photo of krh
Reviewed by krh from Illinois

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Finished off the last of the 2021 4-pack. Think it mellowed as it aged. A nice mix of flavors, though lacking the barrel aged profile I prefer. 1 bottle is enough for a session, though I won't seek this out again.
Nov 06, 2022
Photo of tzbel013
Reviewed by tzbel013 from Tennessee

4.85/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
With the sad absence of Lagunitas' Brown Shugga, I found this beautiful concoction from Founders and glad I did. It pours a hazy mahogany red with literally no head. The hoppy notes become immediately apparent on the nose but don't overpower the heavy maltiness of the brew. Surprisingly the 11.2% alcohol is very well hidden so it is definitely a sipper. This is truly one of the best of it's style and now my go to option.
Oct 20, 2022
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 oz bottle with a bottling date of 3-8-2021 served in a Belgian snifter. Revisited with same vintage in January 2023

Appearance. A well proportioned [thin and weak in 2023) semi-durable beige head lies over an essentially black and opaque body.

Moderately boozy feel and flavor with the ABV more hidden in the aroma. The relatively high hop load is also largely hidden in the aroma but can't be missed in the flavor. Hops were tamer and the flavor was more harmonious after some aging.

Feel. Smooth, full body with little alcohol harshness given an ABV over 10%.
Aug 01, 2022
 
Rated: 3.87 by einman from Minnesota

Jul 24, 2022
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

3.94/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From recollection... I will look for another bottle, and I'm sure I've seen one recently. Should've reviewed it at the one and only time I've tried this, shortly after it was released in NJ. My lasting impression was that this was unlike any American-style barleywine I've tried. I'm surprised this isn't catergorized under American Strong Ale or something of the like... Take what you know about barleywine and kind of chuck it away. This had an undeniable dark dried fruit -slash- near port/PX sweetish vinous foundation to it. Any caramel or dank citrus-pine hop flavors were rather buried or deeply-woven in, if at all present. Sans spice, it could've been mistaken for a sort of Firestone Walker barrel-aged anniversary blend (but not as distinct and signature in its barrel character)... Zooming out to about a year and a half after its initial run, I think it's maybe prime time for me to try it again, see how it's evolved. Definitely an oddball. [14 Jul 2022] ... tried this again yesterday and what stood out is that, yes, it's pretty much an American Barleywine, fruity, bitter, and all, but certainly with some darkish, GORP overtones [18 Jul 2022] (1933)
Jul 14, 2022
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Black in color with minimal light penetration. There’s a fingernail of brown around the rim and covering three quarters of the top. Light lacing is present. The aroma is of a plethora of dark malt and a touch of smoke. I’m tasting dark roasted malt. The mouth is thick and sticky.
Jul 10, 2022
Bottle Shop Series #1: Nemesis from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 267 ratings