Underground Mountain Brown
Founders Brewing Company
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- Brown Ale - American
Ranked #1 - ABV:
- 11.9%
- Score:
- 96
Ranked #553 - Avg:
- 4.37 | pDev: 7.09%
- Reviews:
- 224
- Ratings:
- From:
- Founders Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Avail:
- Rotating/Seasonal
- Wants
- 67
- Gots
- 67
SCORE
96
World-Class
96
World-Class
Notes:
Barrel-Aged Sumatra Mountain Brown
Underground Mountain Brown is the harmonious drinking experience only achieved when our imperial brown ale, earthy Sumatra coffee and a year aging in caves below Grand Rapids comes together. A team of malts complement the bold sumatra coffee perfectly, while time spent immersed in oak creates layers of depth and complexity. A celebration of the barrel, the bean and everything in between.
30 IBU
Underground Mountain Brown is the harmonious drinking experience only achieved when our imperial brown ale, earthy Sumatra coffee and a year aging in caves below Grand Rapids comes together. A team of malts complement the bold sumatra coffee perfectly, while time spent immersed in oak creates layers of depth and complexity. A celebration of the barrel, the bean and everything in between.
30 IBU
Reviews: 224
| Ratings: 679
| Log in to view all ratings and sort
Reviews by travolta:
travolta from California
4.46/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Dec 08, 2019
4.46/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Dec 08, 2019
More User Reviews:
TheSixthRing from California
4.37/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From tasting notes 10/20/17
Had on-tap at Founders in Grand Rapids, MI
Appearance - Served in an oversized snifter, near black with cola brown edging. Mostly barren surface with an island of suds in the center and a thin ring around the edge if the glass. Fair lacing consists of broken lines and slotting.
Smell - As with the OG, the BA has an enticing aroma. Roasted coffee, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, oak and underlying bourbon booziness.
Taste - Follows the nose. Coffee, chocolate, caramel and some bourbon qualities upfront. Bourbon holds firm throughout, adding vanilla and oak before a hint of heat bites in the chocolatey finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with light tingly carbonation. Creamy upfront before turning a dry, slightly boozy finish.
Overall - Equally as impressive as the OG Sumatra. The BA process just adds another layer of goodness. Highly recommended if you're ever by the brewery. Hopefully they decide to add it to their Barrel Project series at some point.
May 26, 2018
4.37/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From tasting notes 10/20/17
Had on-tap at Founders in Grand Rapids, MI
Appearance - Served in an oversized snifter, near black with cola brown edging. Mostly barren surface with an island of suds in the center and a thin ring around the edge if the glass. Fair lacing consists of broken lines and slotting.
Smell - As with the OG, the BA has an enticing aroma. Roasted coffee, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, oak and underlying bourbon booziness.
Taste - Follows the nose. Coffee, chocolate, caramel and some bourbon qualities upfront. Bourbon holds firm throughout, adding vanilla and oak before a hint of heat bites in the chocolatey finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with light tingly carbonation. Creamy upfront before turning a dry, slightly boozy finish.
Overall - Equally as impressive as the OG Sumatra. The BA process just adds another layer of goodness. Highly recommended if you're ever by the brewery. Hopefully they decide to add it to their Barrel Project series at some point.
May 26, 2018
flyerzrule from California
4.6/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Bottled 7/29/2019. Pours dark mahogany with thin tan head. Smells like milk chocolate with hints of vanilla and a faint wood character as the beer warms. Taste of sweet milk chocolate up front but quickly balanced by a nice roastiness from the coffee as well as notes of bourbon, vanilla, and wood. Since this is brown ale, mouthfeel is a bit lighter than an imperial stout, but not too light to make it thin. Overall, very enjoyable.
Dec 15, 2019
4.6/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Bottled 7/29/2019. Pours dark mahogany with thin tan head. Smells like milk chocolate with hints of vanilla and a faint wood character as the beer warms. Taste of sweet milk chocolate up front but quickly balanced by a nice roastiness from the coffee as well as notes of bourbon, vanilla, and wood. Since this is brown ale, mouthfeel is a bit lighter than an imperial stout, but not too light to make it thin. Overall, very enjoyable.
Dec 15, 2019
Snowcrash000 from Germany
4.24/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a cloudy, deep, dark mahogany coloration with an amber hue when held up to the light and a medium, fluffy head. Smells absolutely intoxicating of roasted, slightly caramelly malt, dark, roasted coffee, milk chocolate, vanilla bourbon and oak. Taste follows the nose, with an excellent balance of of strong notes of roasted malt, coffee and bourbon, as well as some toffee, milk chocolate and lighter notes of vanilla, with just a hint of licorice and oak. Finishes with a medium bitterness and some coffee, chocolate and bourbon lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a medium/rich body and medium carbonation.
This is quite heavy on the roasted, bitter notes, which I quite enjoy, but also has a bit of a sharp boozy edge to it, which I enjoy a lot less but really isn't too bad. All in all a well-balanced and quite enjoyable brew that I had perhaps slightly higher expectations of though. While the interplay of roasted, bitter malt, coffee and slightly sweet toffee and chocolate notes works out quite well and there is quite a nice, perhaps slightly overdone, barrel-presence here, it's just a tad lacking in depth and richness in my personal opinion. An excellent example of the style, but not quite amazing and soesn't quite compare to Firestone Walker's Bravo.
Dec 15, 2019
4.24/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a cloudy, deep, dark mahogany coloration with an amber hue when held up to the light and a medium, fluffy head. Smells absolutely intoxicating of roasted, slightly caramelly malt, dark, roasted coffee, milk chocolate, vanilla bourbon and oak. Taste follows the nose, with an excellent balance of of strong notes of roasted malt, coffee and bourbon, as well as some toffee, milk chocolate and lighter notes of vanilla, with just a hint of licorice and oak. Finishes with a medium bitterness and some coffee, chocolate and bourbon lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a medium/rich body and medium carbonation.
This is quite heavy on the roasted, bitter notes, which I quite enjoy, but also has a bit of a sharp boozy edge to it, which I enjoy a lot less but really isn't too bad. All in all a well-balanced and quite enjoyable brew that I had perhaps slightly higher expectations of though. While the interplay of roasted, bitter malt, coffee and slightly sweet toffee and chocolate notes works out quite well and there is quite a nice, perhaps slightly overdone, barrel-presence here, it's just a tad lacking in depth and richness in my personal opinion. An excellent example of the style, but not quite amazing and soesn't quite compare to Firestone Walker's Bravo.
Dec 15, 2019
bowzer4birdie from Illinois
4.87/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Oct 21, 2019
4.87/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Oct 21, 2019
rodlavers from Maryland
3.93/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Sep 22, 2019
3.93/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Sep 22, 2019
fthegiants from California
4.4/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 01, 2019
4.4/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 01, 2019
StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama
4.02/5 rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Oct 06, 2019
4.02/5 rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Oct 06, 2019
kramacam from Kentucky
4.38/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Oct 15, 2020
4.38/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Oct 15, 2020
Scottsbeer from Florida
4.48/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Sep 13, 2019
4.48/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Sep 13, 2019
davidsonte2 from Washington
4.15/5 rDev -5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Oct 26, 2019
4.15/5 rDev -5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Oct 26, 2019
beergoot from Colorado
4.35/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Mahogany brown body; clear; thick and sculpted head; sticky rings and sheets of foam inside the glass. Prominent coffee waft crosses the nostrils; roasted and charred grain notes with a touch of roasted nuts. Coffee, mocha, and toffee sum up the flavor; gently sweet with a bold bitterness; chocolate. Medium-heavy body; smooth with a gentle abrasiveness; generous residual sugar presence with a noticeable dryness at the finish.
This beer brings on an incredible and thoroughly enjoyable brown ale and coffee experience. You'll experience some excellent depth and complexity here, a fine blend of sugary and sweet malts, rich and bold coffee flavors, with a thick and creamy body. Damn fine...
Sep 13, 2019
4.35/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Mahogany brown body; clear; thick and sculpted head; sticky rings and sheets of foam inside the glass. Prominent coffee waft crosses the nostrils; roasted and charred grain notes with a touch of roasted nuts. Coffee, mocha, and toffee sum up the flavor; gently sweet with a bold bitterness; chocolate. Medium-heavy body; smooth with a gentle abrasiveness; generous residual sugar presence with a noticeable dryness at the finish.
This beer brings on an incredible and thoroughly enjoyable brown ale and coffee experience. You'll experience some excellent depth and complexity here, a fine blend of sugary and sweet malts, rich and bold coffee flavors, with a thick and creamy body. Damn fine...
Sep 13, 2019
mmilyko from Nevada
4.25/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Always very happy to find a Founders beer on the shelf that I've never had before, and even happier of it's a barrel-aged
offering. After years of sampling beers from this Michigan brewer, I'm convinced they are the new world barrel aging masters. A little sharper than a b/a stout, a little smoother than a whiskey b/a, this one is very balanced and smooth, not to mention delicious. Thank you yet once again Founders.
Oct 24, 2019
4.25/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Always very happy to find a Founders beer on the shelf that I've never had before, and even happier of it's a barrel-aged
offering. After years of sampling beers from this Michigan brewer, I'm convinced they are the new world barrel aging masters. A little sharper than a b/a stout, a little smoother than a whiskey b/a, this one is very balanced and smooth, not to mention delicious. Thank you yet once again Founders.
Oct 24, 2019
dafla67 from Pennsylvania
4.6/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 06, 2019
4.6/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 06, 2019
MickeyHops from California
4.43/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 28, 2019
4.43/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 28, 2019
Suds from Missouri
4.46/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I used to love brown ales in the 1990's, but the style seems to have been forgotten. I'm so glad to have found a tasty, enjoyable, engaging version of the style. The beer is a dark brown, yielding some amber hues only when held to the light. There is a slim off-white head. The aroma has lots of malt, caramel, and some nut notes. The taste is medium-dry with some bitterness and malt notes. Full in body and very rewarding. I loved this one.
Sep 30, 2019
4.46/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I used to love brown ales in the 1990's, but the style seems to have been forgotten. I'm so glad to have found a tasty, enjoyable, engaging version of the style. The beer is a dark brown, yielding some amber hues only when held to the light. There is a slim off-white head. The aroma has lots of malt, caramel, and some nut notes. The taste is medium-dry with some bitterness and malt notes. Full in body and very rewarding. I loved this one.
Sep 30, 2019
Darkmagus82 from Texas
4.4/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from bottle into a snifter
Appearance – Appropriately the beer pours a coffee colored dark brown with a head of tan colored foam. The head has a great level of retention, very slowly fading over time to leave a ton of thick foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is big, sweet, and woody. There is a huge caramel and molasses smell that is matched by a roasted malt and a big showing of coffee. Along with these aromas comes some oak aromas and a decent showing of a ice boozy bourbon smell. The beer smells like a sweet mild brew of coffee with a couple shots of bourbon mixed within. Delicious!!
Taste – huge malty tastes of roasted malt and coffee great the tongue along with some sweeter flavors of caramel and molasses balancing them out, and producing a nice base flavor for the beer. While light upfront, the bourbon flavor really begins to amp up as the taste moves forward on the tongue, getting quite delightfully boozy more toward the finish of the taste. At the same time some oak and char along with an earthy hop also comes to the taste accentuating the bourbon flavors quite well. While so, more caramel and a bit of an almost creamy like taste come to the tongue and leave one with a robust boozy roasted coffee flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is somewhat chewy with a carbonation level that is lower. The lower carbonation accentuates the chewy and thicker feel and really allows the big boozy and sweet coffee flavors to be savored.
Overall – This is one big and robust sipper for sure. Dark, sweet and very robust. A very nice nightcap on a cool fall day!!
Oct 07, 2019
4.4/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from bottle into a snifter
Appearance – Appropriately the beer pours a coffee colored dark brown with a head of tan colored foam. The head has a great level of retention, very slowly fading over time to leave a ton of thick foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is big, sweet, and woody. There is a huge caramel and molasses smell that is matched by a roasted malt and a big showing of coffee. Along with these aromas comes some oak aromas and a decent showing of a ice boozy bourbon smell. The beer smells like a sweet mild brew of coffee with a couple shots of bourbon mixed within. Delicious!!
Taste – huge malty tastes of roasted malt and coffee great the tongue along with some sweeter flavors of caramel and molasses balancing them out, and producing a nice base flavor for the beer. While light upfront, the bourbon flavor really begins to amp up as the taste moves forward on the tongue, getting quite delightfully boozy more toward the finish of the taste. At the same time some oak and char along with an earthy hop also comes to the taste accentuating the bourbon flavors quite well. While so, more caramel and a bit of an almost creamy like taste come to the tongue and leave one with a robust boozy roasted coffee flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is somewhat chewy with a carbonation level that is lower. The lower carbonation accentuates the chewy and thicker feel and really allows the big boozy and sweet coffee flavors to be savored.
Overall – This is one big and robust sipper for sure. Dark, sweet and very robust. A very nice nightcap on a cool fall day!!
Oct 07, 2019
ronniebruner from Arizona
2.6/5 rDev -40.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.75
Mar 13, 2020
2.6/5 rDev -40.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.75
Mar 13, 2020
von_kaiser from Connecticut
4.25/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Sep 13, 2019
4.25/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Sep 13, 2019
Patches826 from Massachusetts
4.25/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dec 12, 2019
4.25/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dec 12, 2019
BEER88 from Washington
4.25/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jan 01, 2020
4.25/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jan 01, 2020
Budlum from Maryland
4.49/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 02, 2019
4.49/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 02, 2019
HungarianCount from California
4.52/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Oct 14, 2019
4.52/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Oct 14, 2019
JakerLou from New Hampshire
4.46/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Aug 31, 2019
4.46/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Aug 31, 2019
jrpapajcik from Illinois
4.64/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
At home from the bottle.
Sep 15, 2019
4.64/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
At home from the bottle.
Sep 15, 2019
Underground Mountain Brown from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating:
96 out of
100 with
679 ratings
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