Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

750mL bottle pours deep clear amber with tall dark tan head. The aroma is all over the place initially with boozy heat giving way to vanilla, sweet bourbon, molasses and then an odd mix of pine hops and sweet malts. The taste is bold with vanilla and bourbon and surrounded by thin rings of molasses and pine hop bitterness. It gets a bit more molasses but bold firm sweet bourbon booze quickly overshadows it. With all the cool flavors the beer aspect of this drink has; it is a shame too much barrel time has pretty much wiped them out. Way way too barrel forward and when I think about all the rich beer flavors I’m missing and all the potential this beer has with less barrel time it makes me weep and angry all at the same time. Ok, let me put my purse down and grab a tissue so I can have a good cry.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Bottle at Anchorage tasting: Poured a mahogany brown with lightened red edges, light bubble brown head. Sticky maple, vanilla, fruit, bourbon fills and remains in the nose. Taste is sweet maple/molasses, dark fruit, vanilla, winey/bourbon alcohol mix. Finish is sweet sticky.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Pours clear sepia with a thick and lasting buff head. Aroma yields sharp bourbon, roast malt, woody, and subtle maple syrup tones. Flavor features bourbon, roast malt, maple, woody, subtle molasses - and an alcohol bite that will remind you this is a hi-grav! Drink it slowly and on a full stomach! Texture presents OK body and perky fizz. Every curmudgeon has to have a "better half."