Founders Breakfast Stout
12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a thick, oily black, no highlights, with a dense and foamy medium tan head that leaves nice sticky lacing. Aromas of dark chocolate, roasty coffee, earthy/leafy hops, and a touch of smoke. Chocolate turns sweeter on the palate--not quite milk chocolate, but not quite dark chocolate--with a rather intense bitterness that seems to be the combination of hops and roasted coffee, with just a touch of bittersweet citrus zest on the finish. Complex, with layers of flavor that meld together wonderfully. A moderate mineral quality reduces the score just a touch. Smooth and creamy on the palate with just a touch of bite, chalky and drying on the finish. In fact, the dryness brings the mouthfeel score down a bit--I'd rather it be more oily and thick--but it helps drinkability. Medium to heavy in body. A fantastic beer, and one that certainly deserves the hype it gets.