Founders Brewing Cos Canadian Breakfast Stout (2017 ed.) - Review By: @Robyn_Seto
Founders Brewing Company produces a delightful beer called Canadian Breakfast Stout (or CBS for short). This was a long-coveted beer by fans of Founders. It was first produced when brewers came upon bourbon barrels that once contained maple syrup. Part of their Barrel Aged Series, Founders takes their base Breakfast Stout which is brewed with coffee and chocolate and ages it in maple barrels. Their Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) is essentially the same based beer but aged in bourbon barrels. First brewed in 2010, the second batch of bottled CBS was released in 2011 and was not sold in bottles again until 2017. Founders bottled this stout again in 2018, and as of 2019 production of CBS has been discontinued.
My particular beer is from 2017, when beer enthusiasts were clamoring to get their hands on one of these bad boys. Stowed safely in the darkness of the beer fridge, this beer has taken on quite a different flavor structure from a fresh one. Despite sitting at a hefty 11.7% ABV, the boozy alcohol aromas and flavors are virtually gone. The flavors are much milder and more cohesive. The woody notes of maple have mostly faded away to a pleasant sweetness. The coffee richness has held on but is now a slight whisper of roasty bitterness. A pleasant blend, a little like a pastry. It has a faint aroma of a sweet stout, but is not cloying. Thin viscosity but still coats the tongue. Dries with a bittersweet end like a fancy dark coffee. Let this beer warm closer to room temperature before drinking to allow full spectrum of flavors.
While this beer is now discontinued, but due to the size and price ($25 USD average) it has stuck around the shelves of many a BevMo. I still see a few when I’m out and about. It’s delightful when aged, but I feel like perhaps three years was a tad too long because a lot of the maple flavor has faded. I would say the sweet spot is probably one and half to two years.
4/5 Burps
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