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The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Craft beer phenom elusive, worth the quest

Beer. 

Every Wisconsinite is familiar with this most delicious of beverages. However, since 1979 and the rebirth of Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, a subculture of more selective beer drinkers have been rebelling against the monopoly of such brewing giants as Anheuser-Busch (now owned by the even larger conglomerate InBev), MillerCoors and Pabst. This subculture has grown exponentially over the last few years, and the beer landscape is much improved thanks to this emergence of what has become known variably as craft beer, microbrews or, to some, “good beer.” While the actual quality of beer is clearly subjective, craft beer prides itself on being more flavorful than the typical American adjunct lager (a style into which falls AB-InBev, MillerCoors, Pabst and most other big name brewers). There is a whole world of beer out there apart from the Natty Light and Keystone that is the mainstay of the typical college student’s house and certainly worth exploring.

Once a new craft drinker has traversed down the rabbit hole far enough, he or she is sure to stumble upon Michigan’s Founders Brewing Company, which, thankfully, distributes to Wisconsin. Michigan is known throughout the craft beer world as a hotbed of high quality brewers, and Founders (of Grand Rapids) leads the charge along with Bells Brewing (out of Comstock and Kalamazoo). 

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Perhaps Founders’ most sought-after release is its Kentucky Breakfast Stout, known and labeled as KBS. KBS is an imperial stout, meaning that it has flavors ranging from chocolate to coffee to dark fruits such as figs, raisins and cherries. It is an incredibly complex beer style, and Founders takes an already impressive recipe and adds actual chocolate and coffee to the brewing process. Then, as is currently “en vogue” in the world of craft beer, the company places the beer in used bourbon barrels for a year to age. 

All of this creates a jaw-droppingly complex beer that weighs in at a hefty 11.2% alcohol by volume. While this beer is released once a year in very limited quantities and costs roughly $20 per four-pack, its rarity and ever-increasing buzz makes it difficult to even amass four bottles, as many stores limit sales to as little as one bottle per customer. April 2, 2013 was the day that the 2013 vintage of KBS hit Madison; what follows is one beer enthusiast’s experience on that fateful day.

Hunting down the elusive KBS is not for the faint of heart. It takes dedication, perseverance, deep pockets and sometimes, a whole lot of luck. 

Unfortunately for those among us who have jobs or class, some stores (Hy-Vee and Woodman’s East) made their stock available at 9:30 a.m. These stores were allotted two cases each and sold out within mere hours because each allowed a four-pack per customer. 

Other stores were more restrained in time of sale and allotment per person. Jenifer Street Market and Star Liquor began selling around lunchtime, making it easier for the working class to attain the coveted liquid. Jenifer Street Market sold KBS as four-packs, but Star Liquor allowed only two bottles per customer. Still others waited even longer to release their stock. Woodman’s West and Steve’s Liquor on University waited until 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. respectively, allowing those who could not get away from work at lunch to have a chance. Each allowed only two bottles per person as well. Other stores, such as Riley’s Wines of the World and Steve’s Liquor on McKee Road, required prospective KBS customers to sign up for a lottery to gain the chance to purchase the bourbon-y goodness.

Discovering all of this information took footwork, phone calls and communication through one of the craft beer world’s premier websites, BeerAdvocate.com. Many of the website’s Madison visitors worked together to relay as much knowledge as possible in order to allow everyone a fair shot at getting at least a bottle of KBS, and by the look of the KBS-centered thread at the end of the day, many were successful in their quest.

To an outsider, this all may seem a bit crazy for something as seemingly trivial as a beer, but once converted to the culture, it is hard not to see the allure of the rarer beers that craft brewing has to offer. The chase is part of the fun, but in the end the question remains: is KBS (and other beers of similar pedigree) worth it? Does the liquid inside the oh-so-alluring bottle live up to the hype? The short answer is, “Yes.” The long answer is detailed in my own review of Founders KBS:

Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (2013)

Appearance: Truly a beer that needs no introduction to craft drinkers, KBS pours like a typical imperial stout: massive, viscous, syrupy, black as night (but with a surprising bit of deep ruby around the edges not unlike Coke) and with a small and evanescent, deep caramel head. A bit more head would have been nice, but it is seldom found in imperial stouts. There is some lacing, but much of that is destroyed in the flood of alcohol legs that adorn this beer. At 11.2% ABV this should come as no surprise. This is done perfectly to style, which is exactly what drinkers have come to expect from Founders. 4.5/5

Aroma: There is almost too much to describe here. Chocolate, coffee and tasty roasted malts are the first to hit, but they are simultaneously supported and usurped by the oak and bourbon characters from the barrel aging. Beneath those first levels of aroma hides vanilla character (again from the barrel) and a pleasing cherry/dark fruit aroma. There is sweetness, bitterness, alcohol and simply everything one can ask for from a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, let alone a beer in general. 5/5

Taste: Espresso and dark chocolates lead the charge, as in the nose, but, again, the barrel character is only a step behind, and it hits hard, though not in a bad, “hot” way, but rather in a more supportive role than in the nose. The vanilla from the barrels kind of steals the show, but the chocolate roastiness never fully fades away. Caramel, cola, cherries and dark fruits also come through more as the beer warms, but they are never on the frontlines with the coffee, chocolate and bourbon. The balance here is truly incredible, and it makes for a ludicrously drinkable beer at this ABV. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Again, the drinkability of the beer is what stands out. There is no mistaking this beer for a summer day quaffer, but it is also not a heavy, sludgy stout bomb either. The carbonation is surprisingly strong for the style, which contributes to the silky smooth way the liquid goes down. The mouthfeel itself is at the low end of thick, and is honestly perfect. The drinkability of this beer sets it in a bit of a different playing field than other stouts, not necessarily better, but just different. 5/5

Overall: Easily (and unsurprisingly) worth the hype. KBS is everything you might have heard it is. It is worth the day off work that people take to hunt it. It is worth $20 per four-pack and it is worth the race to the liquor stores in a fifty-mile radius around you. Nearly everything about this beer is perfect. This is the first bottle I have ever had of it, and it was absolutely worth the wait. It is worth trading for if you missed it this year. Bottom line, as mentioned way too much in this summary: KBS is worth it, whatever “it” may be to you. 19.5/20

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