Ölbeat 010: Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale

Brewery: Founders Brewing Company 
Country: United States
Style: Old Ale
Abv: 9,8 %
@RateBeer

Despite the name not a curmudgeon brew...

Founders Brewing Company is a craft brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. The brewery was founded in 1997 by Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens - two college graduates. As a winner of multiple brewery and beer awards and constantly high in worldwide brewery ranks (e.g. in 2013 Ratebeer's 3rd best brewery of all time) one expects special quality from the beer. Having tasted All Day IPA, Pale Ale and Centennial IPA before it was time to step out of the comfort zone and try something different.

What about the beer?
Colour is amber red with just noticable beige head. Aroma has a gentle scent of sweet smooth bourbon whiskey. Taste starts with molasses-driven sweetness of caramel malts. A layer of American bourbon taste with oak, vanilla and toffee - reminds me of Maker's Mark - spreads quickly into mouth. Palate and aftertaste add mild hops to the picture and in the finish there's a nice warming feeling of alcohol.

It seems that the oak-aging has rounded the sweet edge of the molasses and added the bourbon-like twist to the experience. The result is a smooth and balanced brew with complexity and unpredictability. Old ale is not an everyday beer style, and surely Curmudgeon is not - because of its rare excellence - a beer for every day.

Ölbeat

Since the beer made me feel good from the first sip, I put the feeling in front and settle for this classic:

The Doobie Brothers: Long Train Runnin' (YouTube)

From the 1973 album The Captain and Me, the song was written by the band's singer-guitarist Tom Johnston. Known for it's catchy guitar-bass line it was played by the band for three years before being recorded. The song's music was easily put together but the building the lyrics took some years: before the recording the band named it e.g. 'Osborne' and 'Parliament' and Johnston sang the lyrics that came into his head. Even the final lyrics were written quickly in a bathroom, and according to Johnston have no deeper meaning. But do you really need something deeper than: "Without love, where would you be right now?" With Curmudgeon Old Ale, I didn't.