REVIEW: Founders Mango Magnifico Con Calor

I'm pretty excited for this one. Mango Magnifico Con Calor, a 10% ABV beer brewed with mango and habanero, and the newest entry into Founders' much lauded backstage series. This is the first backstage series beer I've been able to get onto the blog. Unfortunately a whole lot of them we can't get here in Ohio because of the asinine law that disallows any beer over 12% ABV. That's probably why the only backstage beers I've had (Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Doom, and Bolt Cutter) I all drank at the Beer Trappe in Lexington. Anyway, all of these beers are brewed in very small quantities and thus, highly sought after. I've been really impressed with all of the backstage beers I've had so I'm very pumped to give this one a try. To the beer!

REVIEW: Founders Double Trouble

Every so often, I need to get back to my craft beer drinking roots. For me, those roots are an outlandishly big imperial IPA. Now, the big imperial IPA doesn't hold quite the sway over me that it once did. I've only looked at two in the last couple of months. I still love them, but my tastes have changed in the year and a half or so that I've been talking about beer on this blog. I've come to appreciate a subtle hand and a more delicate flavor profile. But there are still times when I want something big and bold. Enter today's 86 IBU, 9.4% ABV beast. Double Trouble from the always excellent Founders Brewing. To the beer!

REVIEW: Founders Curmudgeon

I'm taking a little break from the spring seasonals and lighter fare to take a look at a Founders Curmudgeon. A 9.8% ABV, 50 IBU old ale brewed with molasses and oak aged.Founders is one of my favorite breweries and I'm quite sorry to admit that it's been over six months since I've enjoyed one of their beers here on the blog (that was the delightful Breakfast Stout for those of you keeping score at home). I don't believe I've tried Curmudgeon before so I'm excited to get into it. To the beer!

REVIEW: Founders Breakfast Stout

Beer drinkers in the know will be familiar with this one. Even if they've never had Breakfast Stout, they know of Breakfast Stout. It's one of the most well regarded imperial stouts in the world. And as we will soon see, for good reason. Also, adding to the mystique of the Breakfast Stout are the rarer varieties, the Kentucky Breakfast Stout and the Canadian Breakfast Stout. Aged in bourbon barrels and bourbon barrels that contained pure maple syrup just prior respectively. I've only had the KBS once, and have never been lucky enough to sample the CBS. Hopefully we'll see those on the blog one of these days. But today we're dealing with the standard Breakfast Stout. Brewed with flaked oats, bitter and imported chocolate, Sumatra and Kona coffee and checking in at 60 IBUs and 8.3% ABV. This should be fun. To the beer!

REVIEW: Founders/ Green Flash Linchpin

We've looked at hybrid IPAs lately. Green Flash's Hop Head Red and Heavy Seas Dubbel Cannon, a red IPA and a Belgian IPA respectively, were both quite tasty. Flying Dog's Wildeman, a farmhouse IPA, not so much. Today's beer is a hybrid between an IPA and a Belgian style witbier. I'm expecting something creamy, fruity, maybe a little funky with a big American IPA hop punch. Should be delightful. Plus with the likes of Green Flash and Founders at the helm, this ought to be pretty tasty! To the beer!

REVIEW: Founders Devil Dancer

Today's beer has been recommended to me by a couple of readers. Founders Devil Dancer, what Founders refers to as a triple IPA. In the world of beer double and imperial usually mean the same thing. It usually means that a beer is bigger, bolder, higher in alcohol, and higher in flavor. But when a brewer bumps it up from double to triple? This must be something intense. I was able to find a very fresh bottle of this recently, it was bottled just over a month ago! One thing though. This beer is not cheap. A four pack of this beer will run you well over $20. There's a good reason for this price though. Devil Dancer clocks in at 112 IBUs and 12% ABV and it's dry hopped with a ludicrous 10 different hop varieties. I can't wait to see what I'm getting into here. To the beer!

REVIEW: Founders Porter

Time for my second review from the great Founders Brewing out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. I did a quick review of their new All Day IPA which I really enjoyed. If you missed that one, it can be found here. There's some debate in the craft beer community on the real difference between a porter and a stout. I'm not even really sure how to differentiate the two. The two styles both originated in England in the 18th century. Originally stouts were stronger versions of porters. Today those lines are often very blurred. There isn't really a discernible difference between a lot of stouts and porters. I've had plenty of big strong porters and plenty of lighter bodied stouts. All I know is that I quite enjoy drinking both. Enough of my yammering, to the beer!

Beer Week Pint Night With Left Hand, Founders, and Mouco

Folks, I'll be honest with you. I had an entirely different post lined up for today. I reviewed a very tasty beer the other night and I was all set to post it for you. It appears that life had other plans. Don't worry, you'll see the review eventually, this is way cooler.

I usually spend every Thursday night at the Cock and Bull English Pub in Hyde Park. It's one of my favorite beer bars in Cincinnati. They always have a fantastic craft beer list (60 taps!) and great food (Their fish and chips are the best in the city, hands down). Thursday is pint night. My friends and I always meet up, grab a beer or two, and head home with the glass. I have amassed quite the collection over the past few months. Tonight was something special though. As a part of Cincinnati Beer Week the Cock and Bull brought in the big guns: Left Hand, Founders, and some of the best cheese I've ever had from a cheese company in Colorado called Mouco.