Founders CBS 2017 Release

I think the beer just became too over-hyped, also in 2017 people expect to be knocked over the head with adjuncts. So if it says maple, people expect it to taste like you just poured 2 oz of pure maple syrup into your beer.

Anyway, I have had both the 2011 and 2014 batches before. 2011 from the bottle, and after it was almost 2 years old. Very good barrel aged stout, almost no maple, still some coffee. Very enjoyable but light on the adjuncts after aging.

2014 - Draft at Dark Lord Day, so of course I had been drinking crazy adjunct stouts all day already. However it was a great pour, lots of coffee, sweet maple, it was delicious. It was also at DLD, so take that for what it's worth.

2017 - Full pour on draft. Ok a bit thin by today's standards but that wasn't an issue. It actually came off as a bit too sweet to me, which I assumed was from the maple. I could have used more coffee. Let it warm to see how it changed, but it didn't change that much. Good beer, the flavors are there.

I think people's expectations are just too great because of the mythical status it took on after only being bottled once, and the rarity of those 2011 bottles. A maple coffee stout is nothing special in 2017, we are flooded with maple coffee stouts.

It's a good beer, but don't go crazy standing in line or trading your whalez for it. I'm glad I got a bottle, I am also glad I didn't hunt for more.

 

bro they were all over, you just had to take a sick day that friday to buy it

 

Sick day, or wander around like a hobo instead of doing your job.

(I did the latter)

 

It was a coffee break, damnit! Just because there was some (barrels that previously held) maple syrup involved changes nothing!

 

If CBS was MBS (Madagascar Breakfast Stout) and chock full of 'nilla, I'm guessing that 12/1/2017 would have been declared a holiday in the Windy City.

 

I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm glad it doesn't have vanilla in it. I absolutely love vanilla stouts, but I like CBS for exactly what it is.

 

:::whoosh:::

There was a joke hidden in there, just sayin'

 

For any peeps in Jackson county. A little shop rite in Grass Lake has it tonight. 2/per.

 

You nailed it, in 2012 this beer was ahead of its time, since the there's prob been 50+ amazing imperial stout variants that delivered. We have been spoiled and forget who set the bar. I loved this new release but realized we should be frigging greatful for the amazing beer we can get 365 sitting on a store shelf. Party on dudes

 

I feel like less of a crazy person having read some of the responses on this thread. I had a pour of it yesterday at Founders when I stopped by to pick up my bottles and while I'm not one to rely too much on comparing beers that I drank years apart, I thought it tasted pretty much like I remember the 2014 batch tasting. Never tried the 2011 version.

But I will say this: the temperature of this beer is critical and immediately after mine was poured, it was too cold and all the subtlety and balance that is part of CBS was muted/masked. So I made a point to cup my glass in my hand and get it warmer before drinking it, and once I did, it had that "sticky" sort of taste that I expected.

I have a feeling that at least *some* of the people who are complaining about this batch probably consumed theirs too cold. It makes a noticeable difference.

Sidebar: I found the same thing with BA Sumatra Mountain Brown--at pour temperature, it was difficult to distinguish it from the non-BA version. But as it warmed, the complexity came out.

 

I feel like this can be attributed to beer reviews on YouTube. I won't name any but there are a few that mainly concentrate on bigger "whales". The review consists of a lot of reading the adjuncts then constantly referring to them. The nose... oh my maple for days... the taste... coats my mouth for days.

Then your average beer nerd finally gets their hands on the beer (cbs) and does not get the "for days" nose or taste and puts the beer on blast

 

I barley got any maple at all when I had my first ever CBS yesterday... Had it on a clean palate, no other beers before/after and spent nearly an hour sipping on it, taking detailed tasting notes to the best of my ability.

Lots of coffee and roasty malt, with a decent sweetness. No maple on the nose, very faint maple on the finish. Bourbon/oak notes were there, not too much or little. Really fantastic BBA Coffee Stout, for sure! However, the hype is just that... hype. Plenty of other fantastic coffee stouts available similar, or better than CBS. I got two bottles and probably won't go hunting for more, honestly. I plan to age the other one a few months to mellow the coffee and roast a bit, I think it will get a bit better.

 

People need to remember that CBS is aged in barrels that previously held maple syrup, it does not have maple syrup added... it’s going to be subtle and anyone expecting a maple bomb is going to be disappointed.

 

Having my first ever CBS right now and I think you've summed it up pretty well. This is noticeably sweeter than I remember KBS being (only had that in '16). No problem with the viscosity either: not chewy but definitely not water-thin either. Cheers y'all!

 

First time going to Founder’s on an event weekend and it was quite entertaining. People upset and arguing over chairs. An abundance of familys with children (well behaved) but taking up whole large tables with all their gear while groups of people had to stand around. Store lines were long and slow. The only line that wasn’t long was the cbs bottle pick up which had no line at all. Founders parking lot gate broke so cars were backed up around the lot and no one could leave. I wish they had pick up days during the middle of the week, like KBS, to spread out the hoards a little bit.

 

We all need to keep in mind the people who just have shit palates to begin with... Some of you need to just stick to your bread and butter and go back to Popov and lemonade... Save the time and money and the rest of us hearing how you can't taste the subtleties in different beers... sorry just coming off a few beers at Founder's lol

 

Its interesting to see such a generational divide over this. All of the new beer guys are complaining that it isn't pastry enough because they need their palates blasted and all of the old heads are overprotective of an famous whale so they don't feel left behind.

 

You either die a hero or live to become a villain

 

As a founding member of the Shit-Palate Club I'll see you in line for Bread-and-Butter Vodka-Barrel Lemonade Stout next year. That's what barrel-aged series #4 is, right?

 

I couldn't agree more. It was all about temp. I was very pleased when cupped and warmed up some on draft. Haven't tried bottle yet.