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Foundation Brewing Company

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From:
Foundation Brewing Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #290
ABV:
10%
Score:
91
Ranked #6,194
Avg:
4.11 | pDev: 8.52%
Reviews:
37
Ratings:
140
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 08, 2023
Added:
Mar 07, 2015
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  38
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jlindros:
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
Canning date has like 4 prints over each other, so can't tell, but it should be fresh

Pours a large fluffy foamy 1+ finger mocha head that fades at a med pace, a quite a bit of soapy sticky lacing, pretty much pitch black and decent legs

Nose a fair amount of roasted malts, roasted barley, biscuity toffee, caramel, baking spices, a bit of roasted coffee, a little nutty and a little fudgey, a touch of chewy nougat, and mild cocoa

Taste brings lots of biscuity bready doughy malt, creamy oats, toasted grain, stale cracker, some cocoa and dark chocolate, into roasted malts, big roast and some acrid bitter notes, char, etc, a bit smokey even, with big burnt coffee, molasses and caramel with toasted brown malts, a bit nutty again, as well as biscuity cookie notes, touch of spices again, some spicy earthy hops mixed in the middle, quite bitter between the spicy hops and roasted barley bitterness, nougaty center. Finishes a bit drier, a touch of warming alcohol, big roast and spicy bitterness lingering, acrid roast.

Mouth is fuller bod, rich a bit creamy, thick and chewy, bitter acrid and astringent, fluffy carbonation, very little alcohol

Overall not quite my cup of tea for an imperial stout, way too roasty acrid and bitter, and on top of that it calls itself a Russian Imperial Stout, and it starts that way with the big roasted malts etc, but where are the dark fruits? I do like the chocolate and fudgey notes, as well as mild baking spices and bready biscuity malts, etc, and alcohol is hidden well.
Dec 08, 2017
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.95 by MikeVTMA from Massachusetts

Dec 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.04 by Taenim from Maine

Jun 28, 2023
Photo of ryan1788a5
Reviewed by ryan1788a5 from Massachusetts

4.14/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
16oz can in a snifter.

A: Pitch black pour, three fingers of light brown head. Awesome retention, tons of sticky and clumpy lacing.

S: Heavy roast. French roast coffee, char and soot. But of jerky. Smoke. Bakers chocolate and a fab of black strap molasses. Plenty of earthy, oily, green, and piney hops.

T: Black strap molasses and fudge sauce up front, but the experience quickly dries as a ton of roasted malt character envelops the palate. Woody, smokey, char, French roast. Bakers chocolate. Big wave of earthy hops. Decently bitter,oily, piney. Lingering finish of green hops and heavy roast.

M: Hefty body. Weighty, but not sludgey. Creamy and silky texture. Faintest bit of hop grit. Prickling carbonation.

O: A fairly classic American imperial stout. Plenty of American hop character. It strikes a nice balance in that it has heft and body, but remains off dry and fairly drinkable relative to the size.
May 01, 2023
Photo of StephenisDunks
Reviewed by StephenisDunks

4.07/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
L: very dark brown/black with a good amount of tan root beer like head. Lacing is also very good.

S: grains and bakers chocolate with some hops.

T: strong and bitter bakers chocolate along with cereal like grains. Has a very boozy finish.

F: a good amount of body and plenty of velvetiness.

O: This is easily the best stout that I've recently tried and reminds me of why this style is so enjoyable.
Apr 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.38 by Holbycomp from Maine

Feb 26, 2023
Photo of BBThunderbolt
Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati

3.09/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thanks to Roy_Hobbs for this one, from his massive NBS BIF #15 punches. 16oz can (date barely readable, maybe 4/4/14, maybe something else, but, hey! the cutesy little saying printed above the date and time is readable, so that's something. Right?) poured into 16oz tulip. Poured the expected solid black of the style with well over an inch of dark tan head that had good retention and light-moderate lacing.

The aroma was, as expected, full of roast and had some light chocolate. with some solid base grains, and a bit of an alcohol scent.

Similar on the tongue, with the alcohol being notably stronger, the roast bordering on burnt coffee, and the chocolate being muted.

The body was fairly typical for the style, perhaps a touch lighter than average, was a bit coarse due to the strong roast, and had a dry finish.

Drinkability was a bit of a chore, mostly due to the harshness of the roast and alcohol burn.

Overall, a fairly solid enough brew, but not one that really stands out from the pack. Still, probably worth a shot if you see it.
Apr 22, 2022
 
Rated: 4.17 by Budlum from Maryland

Dec 04, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Nov 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4.04 by DrStiffington from New Jersey

Nov 06, 2021
Photo of tradershmulie
Rated by tradershmulie from Connecticut

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Solid decent RIS - nothing exceptional, but certainly tasted good.
Jul 25, 2021
Photo of LeRose
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts

3.49/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
It pours black like used motor oil, but looks a bit "thin" for the style. There is a decent cocoa head that ends up as a ring and a couple of floating continents.

The smell is quite forward with bittersweet chocolate and it seems overly acrid - like old, burnt, coffee. Fruit brightens things just a little, and weirdly I am getting strawberry???

The flavor is bold, but it misses the mark. Big chocolate and coffee that reinforces the impression from the smell - it's a very strong burnt coffee note that is too acrid for my taste. There is some sweetness, and definitely a fruity ester of some kind that's striking me as generic berry. Massive bitter hit on the back end, and it nears or exceeds the unpleasant threshold in terms of that burnt coffee note.

Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Astringent. It lacks the luxuriant, decadent mouthfeel I have experience in other beers of the style. While it is 10% ABV, it's nowhere to be found.

The beert did improve slightly on warming, but in my opinion it misses the mark for the style. It may improve with some age - hopefully it calms down, but there's also a possibility the unpleasant notes just get worse. I am apparently in the minority here thinking this beer misses the mark.
May 03, 2021
 
Rated: 4.14 by DruC4 from Michigan

Apr 12, 2020
 
Photo of keithmurray
Reviewed by keithmurray from Connecticut

4.06/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - dark mahogany body with tan head

Smell - roasted malts, black licorice, dark chocolate

Taste - much like the smell - dark chocolate, black licorice, roasted malts

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium carbonation, roasty feel upfront, slightly sweet on the back end, hint of ash

Overall - solid RIS here, hits all the notes that one would want - dark chocolate, solid mouthfeel, no booze on the taste profile. Worth a shot if you like the style.

Price Point - $4.49/16 oz can
Feb 01, 2020
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
16 ounce can into snifter, canned on 11/12/2019. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rockjy khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, raisin, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, wood, citrus peel/rind, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/brown/bready malts and light-moderate citrus/earthy hops and fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, raisin, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, wood, citrus peel/rind, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark bread/crust, licorice, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, wood, citrus peel/rind, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/brown/bready malts and light-moderate citrus/earthy hops and fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome hop/char bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/chalky/resinous mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 10% after the finish. Overall this is an amazing Russian imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/brown/bready malts and light-moderate citrus/earthy hops and fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the ABV, with the modestly bitter/resinous/charred/drying finish. Great soft/silky feel, not overly bitter/charred. Amazing balance of rich English malts and citrus/earthy C hops; with restrained fruity English yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering hop/char bitter dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazingly spot on English style example.
Jan 10, 2020
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Sampling a cellar temp 16 oz can poured into my snifter.
THe beer pours a dark mahogany color with creamy beige head foaming up about 3 cm even with a gentle pour. The pour stream from the can appears lighter than the dark color that rests in my glass after the can is emptied.
Creamy head fades to a sturdy surface layer and leave tight lacing after each sip.

Aroma is lots of dark chocolate, high cacao % type stuff. Gives a bit of roasted note, but not from coffee definitely a chocolate powder note. I also get a little bit of grassy hop character mixed in for balance, and not really any hint of the ABV or boozy notes here on the nose.
First sip reveals a smooth textured medium bodied beer. The carbonation is not assertive and caresses my palate during each sip and swallow. Physical traits make this a beer that is easy to drink, even at 10%.

Flavor is similar to nose, with chocolate dominating the profile. ALthough there is still some diversity as the up front taste is fairly sweet and more like hot chocolate or a candy bar, but this quickly gets overtaken by dark rich chcocolate that lingers with a bit of a dry bite on each swallow. I also get a little bit of dark fruit in the middle, but the hops are absent and the ABV is well hidden.

A nice Imperial Stout that I am enjoying and glad to have a few more cans in the cellar. Nice core beer in an era where adjuncts and BA brews dominate the hype machine. Worth tracking down.
Jan 06, 2020
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Even with a vigorous pour, the head is small, settling to rim bubbles. Dark brown color, naturally, but a touch of light does penetrate the center of the glass.

The smell reminds me of a Black Forest Cake with cherries. No notable coffee, just luscious, decadent, and rich chocolate.

The taste mimics the smell, although the body belies the richness promised. The carbonation is muted which helps retain the mouthfeel of an RIS. Despite the 10% abv, there's little alcohol warmth, even in the swallow. The taste starts off like semisweet chocolate nibs. The finish increases the bitterness dramatically with the black patent malt kicking in with the hops. Long aftertaste. Despite the strength, this is a relatively easy-to-drink stout. It's deceptively smooth.
Dec 20, 2019
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

3.99/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from the can into a snifter glass. Canned 11/12/2019. Back in Black!!

Deep rich pouring stout, with an excellent uniform dark walnut brown nearly black body color. Creamy forming head, three fingers rich with a light tan appearance. Soft top and small swiss chesse like bubbles round out with slow settling and very good retention. Real nice looking stout.

Very impressive aroma. Thick sensing rich whipped up bitter dark chocolate on the nose. A faint almost berry/strawberry ester perhaps as well, coupled with sweet sensations of soft vanilla, and a warming almost clove like spice. Real impressive.

Palate takes things to some more familiar if not as impressive territory. Great accent on charing on this brew. Deep and light bodied roast, coupled with a real big carbon and charcoal flavor. Hits with bitter char on the end, and some matching berry fruit. Lots of lingering astringency though, pushing it into some real strong lingering black licorice flavors, and an almost steely presence. Runs a bit boozy hot slightly too.

A very impressive stout, but is a bit too aggressive and just a little overly bitter. Still drinks very well but may not be for everybody. Gets better as it settles down and warms up a bit.
Dec 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Mickt465 from New Hampshire

Nov 16, 2019
Forge from Foundation Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 140 ratings