Ranking Founder's BSs

Absolutely, can’t tell you how many stouts I’ve come across recently that were so sweet they were barely drinkable. This pastry stout trend needs to go.

 

1. CBS (4.75)
2. Maple Mackinac Fudge (4.5)
3. Original KBS (4.5)
4. Breakfast Stout (4.25)
5. Espresso KBS (4.25)

I enjoy all of them quite a bit, as evidenced by the scores. I am not sure the standard Breakfast Stout should be compared because it is a quite different base beer and abv, but I did anyway.

 

Espresso
Maple Fudge
KBS
Original Breakfast Stout
CBS (This is controversial but I have had great years and bad years with this beer. Due to the inconsistently I rate it last.

It is also worth mentioning I have has delicious CBS on draft but the bomber I bought the same year was a maple bomb.

They use different base beers in their BA series? I thought standard FBS was was the base beer

 

Top Founders BSes

1. Closing its Detroit taproom in transparent attempt to silence employee complaints over racism
2. Hiring a “Diversity Director” and then ignoring her recommendations to the point that she publicly resigns
3. Lizard of Koz

 

I just had KBS for the first time on Saturday, and now I can be obsessed with finding the variations on the theme. I do have a bottle of CBS that is next on the list. The OG KBS was by far the best beer I have had in a while, and trying to rank them seems like dancing on the head of a pin - doesn't seem like there's much difference in "score". Personal preferences may differ, making it more of a what variant one likes best kind of situation, which I think is the original intent of the question. I wish I could play more here, but for some reason I have been sitting on the KBS and the lone bottle of CBS that I do have thinking they were "special occasion" beers...and I have not grabbed the Espresso variant even though it is pretty readily available.

I agree @bsp77 - the regular KBS is a damned fine beer in it's own right, but it isn't in the direct family - more like a cousin.

 

KBS is the base beer for original, Espresso, Maple Fudge and I believe CBS as well. The standard Breakfast Stout is a different base beer.

 

TIL, thanks

 

We have a winner!!

 

Really surprised to see Breakfast Stout ranked last or close to last by everyone. I'm always slightly disappointed every time I have CBS or KBS, given the hype (or past hype) and I'm a big fan of barrel aged stuff. Breakfast Stout is another story - always blown away and tell myself I need to buy more.

 

What is Devil's Cut KBS? Never heard of that...

 

I rank them:

1. KBS
1. CBS
3. Maple Mackinaw Fudge KBS
4. Espresso KBS
4. FBS

I’ve had KBS and CBS on tap, from 750 ml bottles, 12 oz bottles, fresh and aged. Both have always been fantastic. Always.

 

1. CBS (2016) 4.5 / 4.25 / 4.75 / 4.5 / 4.5
2. KBS Espresso 4.25 / 4.25 / 4.25 / 4.0 / 4.0
3. Lizard of Koz 4.0 / 3.5 / 4.25 / 4.25 / 4.25
4. KBS (2015) 4.0 / 3.75 / 4.0 / 3.75 / 4.0
5. FBS (2017) 3.5 / 2.75 / 3.25 / 3.0 / 3.25

May pick up MMF this week. They make good stouts, glad they moved away from bombers. Had a Lizard of Koz this year and would have rated higher than my original rating, would buy again if I came across.

For those who like a good oatmeal stout, pick up Revolution’s Deth’s Tar if you have a chance, BA and most excellent.

 

1. FBS
2. Espresso
3. CBS
4. KBS
Haven't had the fudge yet. Never been that impressed with KBS or CBS. Espresso was quite good. FBS is the only one that I consider a truly outstanding beer when it is fresh and the coffee is actually prominent.

 

Per what I’ve read on the Founders site and elsewhere, KBS / CBS / KBS-E / KBS-MMF have the same base, whereas FBS and LOK have different bases.

Founders puts out good to excellent stouts, but I would take 4Giants, Doom Double Barrel IPA, and Underground Mountain over all of their stouts except possibly 2016 CBS (I do like later versions, but not as much).

If I could only have one Founders beer, I would definitely take Blushing Monk overall any other Founders beer among the couple dozen I’ve tried.

 

I have only had kbs and cbs. So I guess I’m not much he’ll here but I’ll say cbs is one of my favorite dark barrel aged beers ever. Especially when it went to four packs.

Kane is the only place near us that uses maple well and but there bottles would equate to 60$ four packs so yea gimme CBS all day for my barrel syrupy fix.

 

That is my understanding as well. KBS, CBS and the KBS variants all use the same base beer which is an imperial version of FBS. Lizard of Koz was a unique recipe.

 

15.2% ABV variant of KBS aged for 2 years in a single bourbon barrel?

That doesn’t sound awful at all.