KOTBR #22: Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout

For Review #22, the Knights of the Beer Roundtable convened at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill to try out the limited-production Founders Brewery Kentucky Breakfast Bourbon Aged Stout. (Say that three times fast.)

Jason started off by insulting Chris and praising the beer simultaneously, which is no easy task. He praised the chameleon-like qualities of the stout before giving it a big thumbs up and a 5 mug rating:

This beer showed me that while I have been hopping on hops a lot recently, myroots are in the maltier beers. And bourbon stouts still rank as my favorite beer variety. I'm reluctant to give this beer a 5 mug rating simply because I have not tried every single beer in the world and there is a chance that there is a better beer out there. But I'm going to do that anyway, because I could not imagine a better beer.

Mike followed up with a nod to our excellent bartender, Hans, and delved into the qualities of the beer (and a 3.5 mug rating):

Hans (our bartender) had warned us that this stout was unlike others in that it was better a little colder, and I'd agree with him. But then again, I much prefer the taste of coffee to bourbon. Because this was such an interesting and transformative beer, I'd give the Founders Kentucky Breakfast Bourbon Aged Stout a 3.5 mug rating.

Jim complimented Brian, the owner, and commented on availability before he echoed Jason’s earlier sentiments with a 5 mug rating:

I'm on precisely the same page as Jason with this beer. I would add only that, as the beer warmed, I detected some hazelnut notes in the flavor.Kentucky Breakfast Stout was a thoroughly delicious beer. I give it the Hoosier Beer Geek seal of special approval: 5 mugs.

And Kelly discussed her love/hate relationship with the stout before she rated it 4 mugs:

Jason mentioned how fascinated he was with the complexities of the beer, and I’m in total agreement. Especially since just ten minutes after I loved the beer…I haaaaaaated it! I let it get just a little too warm, and the last few sips of the beer were like chugging straight Kentucky bourbon. I think my eyes might have rolled back in my head a little. I give the beer 4 solid mugs and a couple of aspirin for good measure.

If this is for breakfast, imagine what's for lunch!

I’m not easily overwhelmed when I sample a good beer. My favorite brews are typically pretty complex, especially since I’ve been pulled along for the KOTBR “We Love Hops, Yes We Do!” ride. But the Founders Brewery Kentucky Breakfast Stout that we sampled recently at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill knocked me for one hell of a loop…and I still don’t think my taste buds have recovered.

As the other Beer Geeks have noted the beer pours thick, somewhere in between really strong coffee and motor oil, with just a tiny hint of a beige-ish smudge at the top of the glass. I could smell the roasted vanilla coffee before I even picked up the bottle to pour, and sipping it cold was like sipping the iced espresso that is my daily lifeblood. Good, but a little, well, overwhelming.

Flash forward to about 20 minutes later, and the espresso had given way to a smooth, incredibly rich caramel coffee flavor, with the spicy sweetness of the bourbon starting to come through. Oh, how lovely this beer is at the perfect temperature! Beautiful! Perfect! I think I was grinning into my glass. But wait…

Jason mentioned how fascinated he was with the complexities of the beer, and I’m in total agreement. Especially since just ten minutes after I loved the beer…I haaaaaaated it! I let it get just a little too warm, and the last few sips of the beer were like chugging straight Kentucky bourbon. I think my eyes might have rolled back in my head a little.

Now, I don’t know if it was the food (excellent, spicy and plentiful), the service (attentive and helpful), the conversation (I think at one point we went from talking about kosher meat preparation to David Beckham in one sentence) or the beer itself (an amazing transformation), but by the end of the evening, my head was spinning like a top—in a good way, of course.

I give the beer four solid mugs and a couple of aspirin for good measure.

This is not a public service announcement | Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout @ Hot Shotz

I like to think that Hoosier Beer Geek performs a public service. After all, we tell you about beers that we think are worth trying and buying.

But I'm not sure we that performed a public service with this review. As HBG reader Rodney noted, Founders Brewery's Kentucky Breakfast Stout is almost impossible to get a hold of. We drank the last six of them at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill, and I don't know of any other establishments in town that currently carry it. A search on World Class Beverage's handy dandy beer finder yielded no results for Indiana. Therefore, in the end, we reviewed a beer that you won't be able to drink if you live in Indiana. So much for public service. And my apologies to Chris for reviewing, in his absence, a beer that I know he would love.

Like my cohorts, I left with a very favorable impression of Hot Shotz. I didn't try any of the grub, so I can't give you my thoughts on that. But barkeep Hans and owner Brian Graham really know their beer. So if you're looking to leap into the craft beer thing, these two gentlemen would be fantastic guides. Plus, any bar that's willing to turn on a soccer game for me on the television (as Brian did) deserves extra praise. In short, give the place a visit, especially if you're a Northsider. You won't be disappointed.

As for the Kentucky Breakfast Stout, if this is the typical day-opening beverage for Kentuckians, then I'm moving to Louisville (or would that be to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Founders Brewery is located?). I'm on precisely the same page as Jason with this beer. I would add only that, as the beer warmed, I detected some hazelnut notes in the flavor.

Kentucky Breakfast Stout was a thoroughly delicious beer. I give it the Hoosier Beer Geek seal of special approval: 5 mugs.

This ain't the the breakfast of champions

Last evening the Beer Geeks convened at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill, and were fortunate enough to get to sample Founders Kentucky Breakfast Bourbon Aged Stout. Our bartender Hans explained that the Breakfast Stout was a limited production beer, acquired on a road trip to the Founders Brewery - definitely a beer brought to Indy based on dedication to the craft, and right up our alley.

The KBBA Stout is 10% Alcohol by Volume (ABV), and ran $10 a bottle - a high enough price to scare me away from it if I were drinking without the rest of the geeks. But when we're doing a roundtable, we generally don't look at prices until afterwards.

The stout poured like cough syrup, and had the same dark color as motor oil. Despite having no head, it left a slight film on the glass when swirled. The nose gave off a smell of used coffee grounds, with a sweet sort of sting - no real "beer smell" at all, and a tiny hint of bourbon. Once in the mouth, the bourbon sting comes out a little bit more, but the overwhelming characteristic is the dark coffee taste - a taste that stays in your mouth long after you've swallowed your beer.

As the beer warmed up, the 10% ABV became more apparent - slowly at first. Given a minute or two more, the alcohol taste almost explosively jumped out to a level that was almost overwhelming. The coffee taste, which was so prevalent to begin, faded completely, leaving only the taste of bourbon.

Hans (our bartender) had warned us that this stout was unlike others in that it was better a little colder, and I'd agree with him. But then again, I much prefer the taste of coffee to bourbon. Because this was such an interesting and transformative beer, I'd give the Founders Kentucky Breakfast Bourbon Aged Stout a 3.5 mug rating. Was it worth $10? I'm not so sure. Luckily I had split the bottle with Gina.

As for Hot Shotz, I'd definitely recommend the place. They feature an extensive but not overwhelming beer menu, foods created with recipes based in beer, and a dedication to bringing unusual beers to Indy. In addition, they were showing the Tour de France when we arrived, which automatically earns them bonus points in my book. It's a prime location for Northside Beer-loving Colts fans - because as owner Brian Graham explained - you don't have to sacrifice on any detail of the experience at at Hot Shotz. They've got plenty of TVs, a great beer list, and a nice menu.

As much as I enjoy my experiences at Shallos on the southside, after 4 weekend visits I've pretty much explored the entire menu. Although Shallos offers 4 types of chicken sandwich, they're all just chicken sandwiches. Hot Shotz' does a better job by offering a menu has a lot of variety - everything from teriyaki kabobs to elephant ears. It's the type of restaurant any beer loving Hoosier should embrace, especially with ownership so dedicated to the cause.

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I often wonder if some of our readers read my reviews and think "what a waste of fantastic beer!". I know that the Breakfast Stout is highly rated by pretty much everyone... and I hate that I didn't find it to be the fantastic treat that most do. All I can say is that I know what I like; this wasn't it.

A beer so good, you'd marry your Tennessee cousin for it

When it comes to finding great beers, it is always best to talk to your bartender, waiter, waitress, or, as in our case, the restaurant/bar owner. Our latest KOTBR review was held at Hot Shotz on 96th Street and is owned by Brian Graham. We had heard from many sources that Brian has an incredible beer list, and those sources are correct.

There are 10 taps flowing at Hot Shotz, and not a single one is dedicated to the mass brews (Bud, Miller, Coors) or the mass brews disguised as micro brews (Blue Moon, Killians). Current beers on tap include: Brooklyn Lager, Founders Pale Ale, Solstice Wit, Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, Mad Hatter IPA, Hop Juice, Ellie's Brown, Tres Blueberry Stout, Houblon Chouffe, and Raspberry Framboise. This incredible offering is followed with a bottle list of 60 or more varieties.

Being on a converted hop head on hop kick suffering hop rage (kinda like roid rage, but involves more drinking and less working out), I decided to go with the Hop Juice from Two Brothers Brewing Company. It doesn't have the crisp fruit taste that Hopslam has, but it is so Cambell's Soup (mmmm, mmmm good).

Having reviewed a lot of beers in the hoppy category recently, the Knights elected to review a stout or porter this time around. And the number of beers to select from were great. This is where it pays to ask people in the know.

I asked Brian if he could recommend a beer, and he said, "Well, we have a couple not on the menu." He mentioned Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout, and we were sold. And after we were done, they were sold out. So sorry for the rest of ya.

We have reviewed bourbon stouts in the past. I was all over Barley Island's take on it. But Founder's version is the Colonel Sanders of bourbon stouts. Lip smakin', toe tappin', finger lickin' good.

The beer pours out black as night and looks to be as thick as molasses. It poured with almost no head, just leaving a dark tan ring around the top. Stouts often have hints of coffee. This beer reeked of coffee. Starbucks only wished they could smell this good.

To drink it while cold is like drinking a cup of strong cold coffee, and it was bitterly cold, with an emphasis on bitter. This is definitely a beer that gets better as it warms up.

And as it warms up, the coffee bitters give way to caramel, toffee, and other roasted scents. The taste mellows. And as it continues to warm, the bourbon flavors really begin to stand out.

The complexities of the beer's characteristics are fascinating. It's the type of beer that could please many varied tastebuds. If you love the bitterness of coffee, drink it while cold. If you love the taste of bourbon, drink it at room temperature. If want a mix of both, drink it at a temperature somewhere between.

This beer showed me that while I have been hopping on hops a lot recently, my roots are in the maltier beers. And bourbon stouts still rank as my favorite beer variety. I'm reluctant to give this beer a 5 mug rating simply because I have not tried every single beer in the world and there is a chance that there is a better beer out there. But I'm going to do that anyway, because I could not imagine a better beer.