Founders CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)
1 log on Brewskipotatoes
Tasting Notes
The aroma leads with maple syrup, bourbon oak, and roasted coffee, with a deep layer of dark chocolate underneath. On the palate it's dense and viscous — think espresso brownie soaked in barrel char, with waves of vanilla and dried fruit pulling through the middle. The body is full and almost chewy, coating the mouth without turning cloying. The finish is long and warming, with the bourbon heat and bitter roast lingering well past the swallow.
About the Brewery
Founders Brewing is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded in 1997. They built their reputation on big, assertive beers — KBS, Dirty Bastard, and All Day IPA are cornerstones of their lineup — and they've maintained serious credibility in the craft scene despite scaling considerably. Their barrel-aging program, anchored by Kentucky Breakfast Stout and its variants, remains among the most respected in American brewing.
Food Pairings
A wedge of aged gouda works well because the cheese's caramel nuttiness mirrors the barrel and maple notes without fighting them. Dark chocolate with 70% or higher cacao echoes the roast while cutting through the sweetness. Pecan pie or bread pudding with bourbon sauce leans into the dessert register this beer already occupies. If you want something savory, smoked brisket holds its own against the intensity — the char in the meat rhymes with the roasted malt.
Style Guide
American Double or Imperial Stout is essentially a stout pushed to its logical extreme — grain bills are massive, roasted malts dominate, and ABV typically runs from 8% into the low teens. The style originated as an American craft interpretation of English imperial stouts, but brewers here leaned harder into coffee, chocolate, and barrel aging rather than the dried-fruit and molasses notes of the British tradition. What separates it from a standard stout is sheer density: more bitterness, more sweetness, more body, more heat. Barrel-aged versions like this one layer bourbon, vanilla, and oak on top of that foundation.