Founders says:
“The 2010 release of Nemesis is best described by our brewing team as ‘a dark barley wine that pours black with a subtle mahogany hue. Brewed with 5 malts and no shortage of hops for a pleasantly bitter booming flavor. Roasty and toasty with a multitude of tastes that melts on your tongue.’”
Founders Nemesis 2010
American Barleywine, 12% ABV
Sayeth the Guys:
Karl: Ryan really primed my pump with this years Nemesis – he had one previous to this, my first shot at a Nemesis, and he claimed this would leap into my personal Top 5 Beers Ever list. (Which, as we figured out, would make a great future post. Keep ‘em peeled.) While I can’t say for sure where it’ll land in the iconography of my Beer Journey, Founders really nailed it down with this one.
This black (hearted) Barleywine pours brownish-black with a light mocha oil slick of a head, and immediately the smell of Roasted Everything filled the room. So roasted it almost smoked, the Nemesis nose was heavy with dark malts, followed up with just a tap of hops on the front of the face. There’s a lot going on here, which follows through in the taste.
My question for Founders is this: Where the hell did that bourbon flavor come from ? You didn’t mention anything about that! (And could you imagine a bourbon barrel Nemesis? Be still, my heart.) Yes, heavy booze and bourbon in the first second and then a rush of roasted malts, toffee, maybe some peanut butter flavors as you count to two and three, and following that a tidal wave of hops rushes through. An amazing flow of taste in one sip, this beer is heavy, complex, overwhelming and holyshitawesome.
The Nemesis continues to change almost minute by minute. Give it a bit and out comes a touch of tart citrus from the hops as it opens. Another few ticks of the clock, and the malty roasted-ness returns with a bit of chocolate along with it. Then, more cocoa and a touch of maple. Even the body develops a little more heft and syrup characteristics. In my notes I wrote that “this beer makes me feel like I need a cigarette afterwards.” Then, “I think I’m starting to see through time.”
Obviously I give high marks to the Nemesis (partly because I’m afraid if I don’t it might come over and kick my ass), but that night, I said to Ryan that I wasn’t sure if it was a top five. Rehashing my thoughts, I’m starting to rethink that.
Ryan: Every once in a while we come across a beer that we nurse in our beer tastings. The two instances that immediately spring to mind are Dark Horse’s 3 Guy Off The Scaley Barleywine and New Glarus’ Unplugged Iced Barleywine. On both occasions this beer was so hot and boozy that we couldn’t drink it very fast because, well, it was kind of hard to get down. Founders Nemesis 2010 was another beer that we nursed but this time it is because we wanted to take our time and see how it opened up and developed. And boy did this one open up.
This is billed, essentially, as a black barleywine. So I was expecting a hoppy, malty, roasty mess of a beer. What I got was a hoppy, malty, roasty, smooth, fantastic, greatestbeerever – beer.
Nemesis poured black as can be with a HUGE roasted nose spilling from the barleywine glass and the bottle. Push past the roasted malts and you get some hops and little bit of booze but mostly roasted, toasted goodness. Take a sip and you get more of the roasted & toasted malts served up in a hop sandwich. The beer opens with a rush of bitter hops, followed by caramel and toffee, finishing with more hops.
If you let it warm, and we certainly advocate that, magical things will happen. As it opens up the hops become more pronounced and take on a citrusy profile with nice splashes of orange peel and blood oranges. The flavors are very sharp. The roasted aspects mellow out a bit too making for a phenomenally enjoyable beer. This is remarkably smooth a little syrupy and definitely one too sip on and enjoy.
In 2010 three guys with an unrelenting respect for beer brewed by passionate people took to the interwebs to trumpet their love for beer, craft or otherwise. Today they bring you beer reviews from their personal cellar, beer news from Illinois and across the Midwest and act as a beacon for those who love both beer and politics.
Also Of Interest...
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- Review: Half Acre Ginger Twin India Red Ale
- Review: Victory Old Horizontal
- Review: Stone 2007 Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale
- From The Cellar: Stone Old Guardian 3-Year Vertical 2008-2010
