Founders Breakfast Stout

Who doesn’t love coffee and chocolate — and in his or her beer, to boot? Founders Brewing Company bet a lot of people do, and as a result its Breakfast Stout is a massive success. Long a favorite brewery of beer aficionados, the Grand Rapids, Michigan brewery recently decided to distribute in the New York metropolitan area. Whether we finally broke Founders’ resolve or capacity finally allowed it, I’m excited to see their lineup here: initially we are primed to see the Pale Ale, Centennial India Pale Ale, Double Trouble Imperial IPA (the spring release), and Porter. The Breakfast Stout might be around, still, or you may have to wait until autumn — or travel to other states that have had Founders distribution longer than New York.

Breakfast Stout was, at one time, a widely sought-out beer by those in the “beer community”, or at least the subset that insists on tasting every beer in existence without traveling to areas that could legally retail it. It’s generally only sold in fall and early winter, but I’ve seen it on shelves as late as spring. Breakfast Stout is a strong beer, at 8.3% alcohol by volume, and its flavors are fairly strong as well, so it’s a prime candidate for a little aging to see how those components mesh over time. Founders describes it as a “double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout”, as accurate a description of the “style” as you’ll find.

There’s also a version aged in bourbon barrels, called Kentucky Breakfast Stout. It’s released only in March, and as it’s more expensive and reeks of booze, it doesn’t really do anything for me. I’m partial to the regular version, but if you’re a fan of such beer tricks, it’s worth finding.

The regular Founders Breakfast Stout pours extremely dark brown, virtually opaque, topped with a thin cocoa-brown head. I couldn’t kick up much more head than this, expected for such big stouts that aren’t highly carbonated. The aroma is pretty much completely coffee, with hints of milk chocolate — on the sweet side, not bitter.

The flavors of, yes, that strong coffee and the chocolate combine with a bit of roasted barley, and a considerable alcoholic bite — but it works here. The thick, oily mouthfeel mitigates the sharp hoppiness ever-present as bitterness, but thankfully not flavor, so the Breakfast Stout simply tastes like the label’s components. Granted, the finish features the hops and the roasted barley competing for the right to scrape your throat on the way down, but otherwise stay complementary. Overall, while this beer can get a little harsh, the Breakfast Stout is a sound choice for a non-poundable beer.

My four-pack of Breakfast Stout retailed for $12 at Table & Vine in Springfield, Mass. When Whole Foods here decides to sell this, it will cost more, but it’s truly worth drinking a couple and aging a couple. Look for more Founders beer at good bars around the city, and don’t be surprised if you see a special keg of Breakfast Stout before September!