{"id":24972,"date":"2017-12-05T12:00:37","date_gmt":"2017-12-05T18:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=24972"},"modified":"2023-10-20T08:35:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T13:35:42","slug":"founders-cbs-release-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/founders-cbs-release-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Surviving Arguably the Most Anticipated Beer Release of the Year: Founders CBS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout proves to be hype-worthy, without the lines.<\/i><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Craft Beer Hype Train, having done its thing across Chicago on Black Friday, is firmly parked in Grand Rapids throughout this weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last weekend Founders<\/a> <\/strong>kicked off the release for their Canadian Breakfast Stout <\/strong>for the first time since 2011, with a second round this Friday through Sunday. And that Hype Train only gained momentum when the Detroit Free Press<\/strong><\/a> called it \u201cperhaps the most-anticipated beer event, ever, in Michigan.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

E-V-E-R.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the good thing \u2013 with Founders making it a ticketed event and spreading out the bottle pick-ups over six days in two weekends, there is nothing like the \u201cMess On Marcey\u201d that we saw with Binny\u2019s Bourbon County Stout release. No early-morning wake-ups, no bonfires, no six-hour lines \u2013 in fact, no line at all – and one of the easiest bottle pick-up processes you\u2019ll find. Even better, CBS seems to be in relative abundance at Grand Rapids-area party stores, without the price gouging that often becomes the norm around these hyped releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a visit for bottle pick-ups last weekend, we\u2019ve put together some pointers for those heading up this weekend, which is the last weekend to pick up bottles. It\u2019s an easy drive and even if you didn\u2019t get a ticket for CBS, it\u2019s worth getting a hall pass for the day and jumping in the car with a buddy who did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But first: the beer itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it\u2019s possible, Founders CBS is remarkably light for an 11.7% imperial stout. While it appears motor oil black, it\u2019s a smooth and light and not at all what you\u2019d expect. The roastiness of the coffee and sweet touch of chocolate that are blended in during the brewing process are both noticeable, as is the aging in bourbon barrels. Each of those come through on the nose, as well, as it\u2019s well-balanced, with nothing overpowering. It\u2019s not too sweet and shows no signs of the double-digit ABV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What isn\u2019t immediately apparent, when sipping it fresh from the tap, is the Michigan maple syrup that had previously been in those bourbon barrels. But then it warms. And that maple syrup emerges just enough to remind you that Founders CBS isn\u2019t<\/em> your ordinary stout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among those gathered on Founders’ outdoor patio (the outdoor-friendly weather being a bonus to going last weekend), opinions ranged from \u201cthat\u2019s mind-blowingly good\u201d to \u201cit\u2019s good, but\u2026\u201d That\u2019s the thing about hype, I suppose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last time the Craft Beer Hype Train barreled through Grand Rapids was around Founders’ release of KBS, so our group shared a bottle of that to compare to the two pours of Founders CBS we enjoyed. Interestingly, that\u2019s what helped push CBS over the top for me \u2013 for as good of a stout as KBS is, CBS was noticeably better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some say CBS even reminds them of a maple version of KBS. Either way, it took trying a favorite stout like KBS to really drive home CBS\u2019s strengths. And there are many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few final notes from our weekend visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n