Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout

My Quarry

Beer:  Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)

Brewery:  Founders

Date: February 21st, 2014

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 11.2%

Similar To:  Founders Breakfast Stout (shockingly enough), Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti 

Description:
It would be fair to say that I've been hunting for this one for a long time.  Thankfully, I've got a good friend in Michigan who's eagle-eyed when it comes to tracking them down.  When he visited Chicago earlier this year, we hit a couple of South Side mainstays, one in Flossmoor and one in Blue Island, both of which provided me with some excellent fodder for my musings.  Overshadowed by the beers which we enjoyed that evening was the ostensible purpose for his visit, to swap beers on our wish lists, the most ballyhooed of which was Founders KBS, their acclaimed Imperial Stout released each April to much fanfare. 

First Impression:
Pours dark brown with a thin dark brown head, dissipating almost immediately.

Smell:
Coffee, bourbon, vanilla (but not very sweet), and roasted malt.  Pleasantly smoky.  Even without knowing the ABV off the top of my head, this smells powerful.

Taste:
There is a *lot* going on here.  Strong, bitter coffee and bourbon right up front, followed by chocolate, vanilla, and a smoky, bitter finish.  Comes on like a Breakfast Stout's big brother who spends his nights lifting and blowing through boxes of cigars in the garage.  I had to taste this one several times to pick out all of the subtle nuances.  About halfway through, I picked up some maple and port notes, and the alcohol finish became more pronounced.

On the Palate:
Medium bodied, not as thick as I would have expected for something with so much kick.  Quite warming going down.

Why You'll like It:
An imperial stout lover's dream.  After appreciating the bourbon and mocha, you'll want to savor this one and all of its subtleties.

...and why You won't:
This is a rewarding but very challenging beer.  Its robust flavors and bitterness may drive off anyone who's not a fan of the style.

In Closing...:
When you hype up a beer in your mind for so long, it's almost impossible for that beer to be anything other than disappointing when you finally try it.  Not so, here.  KBS was exceptional, though I'd prefer not to wait another 6 years to have my next one.  My only regret is that I probably won't get to try one from this batch after cellaring for another 9-12 months.  Would have loved to see how that broad spectrum of flavors matured.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars (out of 5)