Founders "KBS" Bourbon Barrel Stout (Revisit)

What am I doing? This beer was already reviewed, and it got a perfect 5.0/5. I only revisit beers that have been unfairly criticized for some reason, right? Well, this one is an odd duck. I loved this beer when I got it first, and it was really hard to get for some reason. Since then, KBS has flowed across the land like a thick, black flood, and I had one of the newer ones. And now, I'm reviewing this 12.3%ABV beverage (notable that the previous one was 11.8%) to see what changed.

The beer pours like relatively uncarbonated syrup. The tan head barely ekes out, and it scatters across the top of the beer when it does. The aroma is coffee, scorched oats, and an air of booze. It's definitely more coffee-heavy than I remember, and that's generally not a good thing. I remember the previous entry being nutty and chocolately, but this is not that.

First sip is definitely more coffee than I remember, but it still has a lovely toasted oat, nuttiness, and the lingering liquor heaviness. The problem is that the coffee is really too heavy. I'm wondering if they didn't leave the beer in the barrels long enough to let the coffee leak out and the wood to seep in. But, I'm no brewer - I just drink the beer and write it up.

Tip-in is coffee beans right off the bat with syrup thickness and a bit of toastiness. The middle comes with a sudden carbonation burn over the coffee, toasted oats, nuts, and brown liquor. The finish is coffee bitterness with more nuts.

Bottom Line: They went and messed it up.

0.5/5