Review: Founders Breakfast Stout

8.3% ABV

25 IBUs

Continuing with my reviews of the 24 beers hand-selected by Eric Trimmer of Trouble Brewing as part of Beer Appreciation 102.

Aroma:  Espresso and bittersweet chocolate.  A faint but detectable alcoholic note.  

Appearance:  As dark and black as a forbidding winter night.  Caramel colored head that drops quickly but lingers as a thin cap.  Surprisingly little lace on the glass.  

Flavor:  This is a complex beer; firm bitterness from the roasted grain and coffee, powdery finish from the bittersweet chocolate.  A generous measure of oats reveals itself in a silkiness that coats the mouth and allows the coffee and roastiness to linger on the palate.   Slight alcohol bite that compliments rather than clashes.  

Mouthfeel:  Silky and full-bodied with some heaviness on the tongue.  Warmth builds, and concludes with a drying, powdery finish.

General Impression:  Another sipper.  At 8.3%, this is hardly a sessionable stout.