Founders Breakfast Stout - Needs time ?

Coffee is going to fade quickly in any big stout. Even 2 months and this beer mellows out quite a bit. I prefer it fresh- by 3-4 months I'm unable to pick up any coffee at all.

 

For an espresso drinker, the coffee flavor is out of this world. Drink it fresh!!!

 

Ive noticed the same thing actually you're not nuts. Noticed a lot of booze when fresh. I let them sit for a month or so. Not too long cause coffee does fade. But I find the taste is at its peak then. Although I could be crazy of course.

 

Best rule: To each his (her) own. If you like it more mellow, let it sit for a few months. If you're an espresso freak, drink fresh!

 

Fresh and with age FBS is awesome. For my personal taste, I prefer it with some age.

 

I don't know if I agree with this...I recently had 2012 BCBCS and the coffee was still very present and it was very delicious. Perhaps it wasn't as strong as when it was released, but you could most definitely taste the coffee front and center. Perhaps FBS is different in that regard but I find it hard to believe that all coffee flavors would just disappear after 3-4 months.

 

I have a '12 BCBS waiting for a bottle share, I'll have to taste that one and see how it goes. I drink a ton of strong black coffee on a daily basis so it usually takes some extra umph for me to pick it out in a stout. Every bottle of FBS I've ever had just tastes like a roasty stout to me- not sure what coffee they use but I'm assuming it's not a huge dark roast or if it is, they don't use a ton of it.

 

What did you eat the day before you enjoyed your FBS? Your taste buds can be thrown off sometimes depending on what you have ingested that day. Even up to 12 hours.

 

As someone who likes coffee (hence me buying a coffee stout) I am finding these 4-day old FBS to be awesome!

Oh, and as someone who drinks a pot of black coffee every morning, they definitely don't taste like burnt coffee.

Give it another go I say.

 

Kona and Sumatra :-)

 

Wow. Those are pretty distinct and strong coffees, I'm amazed that I've never picked them out before. Then again, I also haven't really picked up on the chocolate either. Sounds like I need to run out and get a fresh 4-pack and re-calibrate my palate. Maybe with a waffle brunch before watching football tomorrow. Sucks to be me!

 

I just had my first fresh 2014 FBS of the year tonight and it was great. I think the coffee taste is better when fresh. I also have 2012 and 2013 FBS and although it does lose some of its coffee flavor, it's not a dramatic difference and the smoothness of the 2012 is amazing! I love FBS (almost as much as KBS) and am so grateful that it is plentiful at my local store. I agree with earlier posts, maybe your taste buds were off or possibly a bad bottle.

 

I'm still waiting... When FBS makes it to Chicagoland, I'd be happy to chime in on this conversation. I can't believe that it hasn't hit the shelves of any of my local stops yet...

 

Founders starting distributing to my state in 2012. I bought a case of this beer that year, and last year, and yet I haven't been able to bring myself to age a bottle. If it's got coffee in it, and the alcohol isn't at all noticeable when drinking it fresh, I don't see any point in aging it. That's just my personal preference.

 

You're correct that the '14 sucks. Bad year for FBS. Unless you've drank a couple hoppy beers first it tastes like a burnt foldgers coffee/booze bomb.

 

The quality and intensity of coffee flavor diminishes quicker than hops. FBS fresh is an absolutely incredible beer. Slightly less fresh it is near great, and very good when aged. This beer is always a pleasure to drink, but a treat when fresh.

 

Always best fresh. Same goes for KBS.

 

Had a 2pk from last year drop on my lap from a colleague. He didn't like them so I inherited them. Will try this year versus this year's batch and report back!!!