The beasts
The specifications
| Founders Imperial Stout | Bell's Expedition Stout | |
| Style | Russian Imperial Stout | Russian Imperial Stout |
| Brewery | Founders Brewing Co. | Bell's Brewery, Inc. |
| ABV | 10.5% | 10.5% |
| OG | ? | 1.11 |
| IBUs | 90 | ? |
| Bottled | 11/27/2009 | 11/11/2009 (Batch # 9435) |
| Sampled | 12/28/2010; 12 oz bottle poured into a 25 oz snifter. | 12/28/2010; 12 oz bottle poured into an imperial pint glass. |
| Other notes | Available January | Winter seasonal. Shelf life: "Unlimited" |
Bell's & Founders, both from Michigan, are my favorite and most respected breweries, more so than the local Surly. I like the facts that both of them make kickass beer, obviously; use smaller format packaging at great prices; don't seem to create any hype around their product; distribute in decent amounts; make a wide variety of styles... I could go on and on.
Among the beer geeks, Bell's gets a lot of buzz for its IPAs Two Hearted and Hopslam while Founders is, arguably, best known for its Breakfast and Kentucky Breakfast Stouts. Of course, both breweries have their limited, draft only beers that earn them a lot of respect: Canadian Breakfast Stout (Founders) and Bell's Bourbon Barrel Aged Expedition Stout/Double Cream Stout Blend (now known as Black Note). Flagships & limited stuff aside, these breweries also make beers that are less talked about but are killers in their own right - Founders Centennial IPA (no one talks about Founders non-Breakfast beers!); Founders Imperial Stout; and Bell's Expedition Stout, among others. The latter two are among the best Russian Imperial Stouts I have ever had, and I have had a lot. I was lucky enough to have a bottle of each with some age on them with a few bottles to age further when I decided to do a side-by-side tasting (again) with my buddy.
Both pour thick and tar black with excellently formed very very dark brown heads. The head retention is great and the lacing is fantastic too. Not many beers lace the snifter in the picture above and the retention/lacing on Founders Imperial Stout was noticeably inferior, precisely because of the glass used. Regardless, these two stouts look just as good as any other, or better!
Molasses, sweet alcohol, roast, and massive coffee notes stand out in Founders while molasses, fruity-floral, and tart notes rule Expedition. It should be noted that the coffee in Founders Imperial, although strong, is nowhere as strong as in the Breakfast series. Also, while coffee is present in Expedition, it's crushed by a dark tartness.
In my last review of Expedition, I noted that it was "oddly rough and bitter". It was perhaps because of improper (too cold) cellaring conditions on that one, but this bottle is silky and very very smooth, although it's still not as awesome as Expedition on cask! Very rich and sweet with a robust roasty finish, the only flaw in Expedition is the excessive prune-cherry character that borders on sour.
Founders Imperial Stout is a lot more coffee forward; even though less acidic than Expedition, the acidity seems very bright & coffee-like. This one seems more bitter while on the palate, whereas Expedition seems more bitter (from roast?) in the finish. Certainly smoother than Expedition at this age.
The mouthfeel on both beers is, well, silky. Carbonation is appropriately low; both are full of roast but still not harsh; both finish sweet but can't be called cloying over reasonable serving size; and both are warming. Expedition has a bigger body without doubt, although none could dominate the other entirely. In my memory, fresh Founders Imperial is more coffee forward and in that sense it has aged for worse while Expedition has certainly benefited, losing its roughness.
In my last review of Expedition, I noted that it was "oddly rough and bitter". It was perhaps because of improper (too cold) cellaring conditions on that one, but this bottle is silky and very very smooth, although it's still not as awesome as Expedition on cask! Very rich and sweet with a robust roasty finish, the only flaw in Expedition is the excessive prune-cherry character that borders on sour.
Founders Imperial Stout is a lot more coffee forward; even though less acidic than Expedition, the acidity seems very bright & coffee-like. This one seems more bitter while on the palate, whereas Expedition seems more bitter (from roast?) in the finish. Certainly smoother than Expedition at this age.
The mouthfeel on both beers is, well, silky. Carbonation is appropriately low; both are full of roast but still not harsh; both finish sweet but can't be called cloying over reasonable serving size; and both are warming. Expedition has a bigger body without doubt, although none could dominate the other entirely. In my memory, fresh Founders Imperial is more coffee forward and in that sense it has aged for worse while Expedition has certainly benefited, losing its roughness.
Overall, two excellent stouts and it's tough to choose: I'll have both!
| Founders Imperial Stout | Bell's Expedition Stout | |
| Appearance | 5 | 5 |
| Aroma | 4 | 4 |
| Taste | 4 | 4 |
| Mouthfeel | 5 | 5 |
| Drinkability | 4.5 | 4.5 |
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