Have you had a chance to try one of the country’s most hyped beer releases? Next Tuesday, February 26, join PorchDrinking.com and Alamo Drafthouse Littleton for a special tapping of the 2019 vintage of Founders Brewing’s CBS, Canadian Breakfast Stout, along with a Founders tap takeover featuring more from the Grand Rapids-based brewery.

Taking place at the Glass Half Full Bar inside Alamo Drafthouse’s Littleton location, the Founders team will be on hand pouring CBS, Breakfast Stout, All Day IPA, and Solid Gold Craft Lager on Tuesday, February 26 from 6-9pm.

For those unfamiliar with CBS, we begin with KBS, Founders’ Kentucky Breakfast Stout, which is a bourbon barrel-aged imperial chocolate coffee stout that first debuted in the Founders Brewing taproom back in 2003 as the brainchild of then head brewer Nathan Walser, and now head brewer Jeremy Kosmicki. As a pioneer of early barrel-aged stouts, KBS has grown in popularity through the years and in 2011 KBS saw a new iteration when brewers introduced the beer to bourbon barrels that had previously aged maple syrup. The result was the highly sought after CBS. Upon receiving rabid fanfare, CBS returned last year and has since been re-released once again.

Here were our tasting notes from this years 2019 Founders CBS from writer Taylor Laabs:

Aroma

Drinking this on a rainy Saturday was a good idea. On first sniff, I got huge notes of coffee and barrel, as the maple bourbon barrels CBS was aged in really stand up tall. With a bit of movement in the glass, you’re able to also pick up some rich chocolate notes as the maple syrup remains hidden beneath.

Taste

Balance, balance, balance. Having a stout, no less an imperial version, that can confidently carry three to four flavors at one time is impressive and is a testament to the expertise of Founders’ barrel brewing crew. This beer feels much more complex than the 2017 version, primarily because the maple syrup doesn’t dominate. Instead, you immediately pick up big notes of the bourbon barrel flavor, which kind of serves as a delivery vehicle for the roasted coffee and dark chocolate notes, which come in strong afterwards. The barrel is definitely the backbone of the beer and keeps you cognizant that this beer is 11.7%. That said, the beer definitely evolves as the drinking experience wears on. While I struggled to find the maple syrup notes at first, once you let this one warm, you get the subtle creaminess of the maple syrup on the backend of your sip. That added sweetness makes it a really delicious beer as it is well presented yet restrained by the barrel, so it doesn’t become overwhelmingly decadent.

Verdict

I enjoyed last year’s version of CBS but this year’s version blew me away. The barrel-aged and pastry stout market is rapidly expanding and increasingly competitive, yet 2018 CBS is able to find a nice niche for itself in between both. It expertly hits the high notes of maple and chocolate but keeps itself balanced with the bourbon and coffee. I highly recommend you try to get your hands on a bottle as it is a great creation by Founders.

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