

Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale) - Founders Brewing Company

Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale)Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale)

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2,672 Ratings
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Ratings: 2672
Reviews: 1026
rAvg: 4.01
pDev: 11.22%

Brewed by:
Founders Brewing Company visit their website
Michigan, United States

Style | ABV
Old Ale |  9.80% ABV

Availability: Rotating

Notes/Commercial Description:
50 IBU
Old ale brewed with molasses and oak-aged.

Beer: Ratings & Reviews
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Ratings: 2,672 | Reviews: 1,026 | Show All Ratings:
Photo of ultralarry2006


1.18/5  rDev -70.6%

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle. Left a slight head that quickly dissappeared into just a ring at the edges. Body was medium brown.

Smell - bourbon, it actually smells like I've poured a glass of bourbon, not beer. It's really bad for me so far. Some diacetyl as well ( which I sort of expected, but not the bourbon ) .

Taste - bourbon, some diacetyl, more bourbon. Aftertaste of bourbon.

Mouthfeel - full, not smooth, low carbonation, alcohol astringency.

Drinkability - not at all. I do not like bourbon.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2006 20:38:54 | More by ultralarry2006
Photo of mattcrill


1.2/5  rDev -70.1%

Stubby brown twist-off bottle. No useful label information.

Aroma: Bourbon, oak, and alcohol...this could be ugly for me.

Appearance: Cloudy brick red pour with a thin wispy white head. The head quickly fades to a perfect ring around the glass.

Flavor: Vanilla bean and oak. Gimme a break. No malts, hops, or anything that resembles a beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with light carbonation.

Overall impression: Drain pour. Glad I bought a single. Would someone please STOP the barrel-aging, over-oaked, over-bourboned silliness??? It's tired and it does nothing to showcase a brewer's talent or anything that fine beer ingredients can provide in terms of flavor. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2006 20:11:36 | More by mattcrill
Photo of B967ierhunter177


1.35/5  rDev -66.3%

This beer pours a very cloudy copper with no head or lace. The aroma is of grapefruit, caramel, and bread crust. The flavor leads with a bitter grapefruit smack, like an IPA, followed through with a cloying, sticky sweet caramel with a medicinal warmth in the finish. The mouthfeel is sticky and sickeningly sweet. Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale) is a disappointing beer, not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 23:06:48 | More by B967ierhunter177
Photo of Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

1.55/5  rDev -61.3%

Bottle: Poured a deep cloudy brown color ale with a small foamy head with small rings of lacing. Aroma is super sweet, almost disgustingly so with some notes of alcohol. Taste is a huge mess between some intense sweetness, oily texture with some cloying notes of alcohol. I couldnt find anything close to old ale but more of an American barleywine with some unbalance feature. I usually love product from this brewery but this beer did not profit from barrel-aging.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2007 21:36:26 | More by Phyl21ca
Photo of wardough


2.03/5  rDev -49.4%

As a fellow Michigander, I was disappointed by this beer. Founders makes some great beers, so this must be an anomaly. It poured a beautiful dark amber into my glass. It poured very dense, almost like syrup, which is very inviting. It foams up to 1 finger then dissipates down to a light, white lacing. Smells is of vanilla and raw coconut. The coconut flavor overwhelms the smell of the beer. Taste is a little better. Hops, then raw coconut and vanilla, followed by a heavy alcohol finish. Mouthfeel is heavy, but lightly carbonated. The coconut flavor of the beer was so strong that this beer is not drinkable. Perhaps this would be alot better if it were better balanced.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2007 03:13:32 | More by wardough
Photo of Arbitrator


2.1/5  rDev -47.6%







Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 07:58:32 | More by Arbitrator
Photo of bobhits


2.13/5  rDev -46.9%

cloudy thick dark amber. LARGE pieces of debree. Thin off white head.

Strong alcohol and malt explosion in the nose.

One dimensional beer. Strong malty flavor, carmel, off tasting candy, some hops in there just barely. Barrel aging can be great, but this one looses flavor and lacks complexity.

The mouth needs more carbonation, and well the flavor just doesn't ask to be consumed. The alcohol kicks fairly hard and doesn't work well for me.

This beer just either needs age or just is a rare strike for founders. I think most beer lovers will enjoy this beer, but it's just not up to par.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 22:34:52 | More by bobhits
Photo of mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

2.17/5  rDev -45.9%

A - Pours an opaque dark sienna color with absolutely no head. If I really excite the beer - and I mean practically stick this sucker ion a paint shaker, then I get about a half finger of head. It will leave tiny specks of lacing on the glass.

S - Oak, butter, caramel malt, alcohol and vanilla - in that order.

T - A smokey sweet bourbon oak flavor meshed with a caramel malt. These have a lot of buttery diacetyl and a fair amount alcohol underneath.

M - Very thick, a little harsh and actually a little parching. (Can something be a little parching?) It has a buttery texture that coats my mouth with a film.

D - I'm not a fan, but it is something I can handle. It isn't a terribly unpleasant experience either. It just isn't for me. I won't have this again. The closest beer I can think to compare this to is Avery's Samael's Oak Aged Ale. This doesn't come close in pleasantness though, it lacks all the pleasant fruit flavors and has a shitload of butter. It also reminds me a bit of Weyerbacher's Prophecy, but not as offensive, at least in my opnion anyway. This is just way too buttery throughout. If you like drinking bourbon butter, then drink this. Otherwise avoid it.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2006 05:29:15 | More by mrasskicktastic
Photo of ibbjamin


2.25/5  rDev -43.9%

Paid $3.49 for a 12oz bottle from Discount Liquor in Milwaukee, WI. I pour into a snifter to review.

A thick brownish orange elixir pours from the bottle. No head or carbonation.

Bourbon-like boozy nose with candied raisin, oak and caramel malt. Has an organic earthiness to it and even some slight butterscotch hints.

Taste is more reminiscent of a boozy barleywine than an old ale. A bit hot from the alcohol which is poorly hidden. Fermented dark fruits, bourbon, oak some caramel malt.

Almost no carbonation detected in the mouth. Medium-full body with an almost chewy texture and long finish.

Even taken as a boozy sipper, it really is not all that great. If I wanted to sip on booze, I'd go for some fine bourbon on the rocks, not a boozy old ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2009 02:06:27 | More by ibbjamin
Photo of CaptJackHarkness

New York

2.5/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2

From twelve ounce bottle states bottled 04/13/12.

This beer is a New style for me and I was not sure what to expect. Also, from the date, perhaps too old old ale! That said,
Aroma was a boozy, sweet caramel. Poured headless , cloudy ruddy body. Holding to light shows floating particulates. Taste is alcoholic and bitter/acidic. Overall : Nasty!

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2014 05:21:40 | More by CaptJackHarkness
Photo of Murchmac


2.53/5  rDev -36.9%

Thanks to zealot for this suprise beer in a trade, I think.

Pours a thick Honey Brown with lots of floaties in this bottle. Didn't know or look out to see sediment.

Smells like an old ale but kinda boozy. Like the drunk at the bus stop.

This might not be fair because all those yeasty floaties are giving it a very bitter taste??!! Not too good in my book.

I think this might not be too fair because the beer may have been poured wrong, but good beer should be idiotproof. The more I drink the worse it gets, so it might not be me. No soup for you!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2009 04:50:01 | More by Murchmac
Photo of Steasy66


2.53/5  rDev -36.9%

Half a 12oz bottle into a small snifter

A- Deep garnet, zero head
S- Smells like a European macro-lager, really surprising for a beer this big.
T- Starts sweet, finishes crisp, a bit of vanilla in the middle. Not bad, just nothing noteworthy here.
M- Fairly thick, good carbonation
O- This beer is just bland. A big surprise from such a great brewery. I had a 3 year old version of this a few weeks back and thought it was terribly bland but figured it was past its prime. Its a bit better fresh, but not much.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 05:50:12 | More by Steasy66
Photo of BlindPig


2.55/5  rDev -36.4%

A- Thin off white head. Cloudy brown body with a bit of amber in it. Basically no lacing.
S- Strong alcohol. Almost like perfume. Some rich fruits and other rich smells. Can't really pin point it since it's not a pleasant smell at all.
T- The taste really follows the smell. Not in a bad way. Light alcohol. Has the perfume taste. It's really different and not to good.
M- Medium to full body very light carbonation.
D- Don't like this at all and don't see me making it all the way through.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2006 07:14:10 | More by BlindPig
Photo of Minkybut


2.55/5  rDev -36.4%

I poured this awful beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was the color of gasoline. The beer poured with no head at all. The beer smelled sour and had a sour taste that was not pleasant at all. Little bit of a burn to it and earthy tasting. I will not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2009 22:29:19 | More by Minkybut
Photo of dedrinker


2.55/5  rDev -36.4%

Dark amber color. I smelled like caramel and cocoa butter.

The flavor was a mash up of Nutella, vanilla, cheap milk chocolate and caramel, more cocoa butter, macadamia nuts etc.

Full bodied, and the finish just kept bringing on the flaver mentioned above to make a beer that I had to dump out.

the over all impression was one of numerous artificial flavors.

I bought two bottles, and I refuse to touch the other one.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2010 05:25:19 | More by dedrinker
Photo of wheelinshirt


2.6/5  rDev -35.2%

Excited to try this one for a while, not really sure what to expect. Picked it up at Abe's for $3 or so, poured into a pint glass.

Less dark than i was expecting, it looks like a mahogany color with lots of little tiny sediment particles, some visible carbonation and a modest light tan head that receded to a thin covering and left hole sections of the glass covered in solid lace.

Smell is boozy and full of sweet dark malts, some dark ripe fruit, some toffee notes. Pretty nice mix.

But here is where things start to turn ugly. The taste is immediately boozy and sweet, as expected, but the bitter roasted malts don't seem to meld very well with the sugar and alcohol. Also, the burnt toffee (i think that is how i would describe that) taste is pretty upfront and not really to my liking.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Pretty damn good, actually.

Drinkability is severely limited by the combination of flavors that I didn't particularly enjoy. Someone else, though, might have this same beer and absolutely love it. Definately interesting, i might even pick one up to age it for a couple years, but, fresh at least, it isn't really for me.

EDIT: as i got down about halfway and it had warmed enough it basically just started to taste like rum. Had to pour it out because it wasn't worth trying to choke down. Only the second or third time I have had to pour beer out. Very disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2008 04:42:50 | More by wheelinshirt
Photo of corby112


2.6/5  rDev -35.2%





Serving type: bottle

09-04-2009 06:55:14 | More by corby112
Photo of dino213aa


2.63/5  rDev -34.4%

Since I have no authority to speak on what an "old ale" should taste like, consider this a mild observation.

A: an attractive clear, burnished wood glow that fades golden near the edges. minimal lacing.

S: licorice, roasted malts, bourbon

T&M&D: This beer has a strong, bourbon like flavor that will smash you in the balls and give you a good talking too (especially at 9.8%ABV). Because of the strength of this ale- both in flavor and ABV, I can't imagine drinking more that one.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2009 20:43:24 | More by dino213aa
Photo of cokes


2.65/5  rDev -33.9%

Rusty peach-brown colored with little head development or lacing and loads of suspended particles.
The nose brings dry toffee, apricot, pineapple. But these are all muted by the papery, peppery oak. This also brings sub-bourbon notes of vanilla cream, butter, and hazelnuts. Muted is the key word, as paper/wood/oak and grain booze are the two major aromas, everything else is fleeting, indistinct, and ephemeral.
Caramel shows up more in the mouth, along with walnuts, and peanut skins. Oak brings burnt butter, vanilla, and bourbon-esque black cherry. But once again, the flavor profile thins immediately. Oak is more responsible for paper and bland pepperiness. Booze is notable, and seems to suggest sherry, but is equally devoid of gumption. Late black tea and cigarette ash notes.
Full bodied, lowly carbonation. So, basically how an Old Ale should be. I wish this was the norm rather than the exception.
I feel like I'm drinking this through a flavor-filter. A 9+% oak aged Old Ale, and all I can experience is paper, water-logged butter-caramel, and grain alcohol. It's like that very last, weakest sip of a Beam of the rocks.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 10:08:37 | More by cokes
Photo of jsh420


2.68/5  rDev -33.2%

bottled 3/5/09

pours dark clear amber with small white/tan head that fades fast with no lacing

smell is all sweet candy carmel and alcohol - i could tell this was going to be a hot one

taste - i picked up some banana carmel and too much booze

mouthfeel was good light carbonation but not flat - body is on the a tad heavy and sticky

drinkability - not good this one need to sit a while

overall this beer is nowhere close to fresh old stock (which i love) but time might be on this ones side - i will check back in a year

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2009 03:29:18 | More by jsh420
Photo of ThisWangsChung


2.7/5  rDev -32.7%

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Pours a burnt sienna color with huge, oily-looking chunks of sediment plopping down into the glass. That plus very little head means this is one ugly-ass beer - almost to the point where I'm afraid to sip it.

S: Quite strong with molasses, mint, and caramel, while darker fruits help augment the malt backbone. Pretty nice smelling, and a lot more promising than the look of the beer.

T: The flavor is hard to describe. The first sip is loaded with caramel, dark fruit, brown sugar, and a little finishing booze; a few sips later, the profile changes to that of slightly burnt pumpernickel bread. Not as sweet as I expected, probably due to the age of the bottle and the yeast eating some of the sugar - despite that, it's still a bit cough syrup-y at times. Kind of boozy, also. Just a weird, strange beer, one that I'm struggling to finish.

M: Thickly textured, with tannins helping to neutralize the finish somewhat. Nice creaminess to start, before the body itself finishes slightly coarse and sticky. Rather boozy feeling on the throat in particular.

O: Meh. In fairness, this is not a good late afternoon kind of beer, but I still found it rather mediocre despite that. A rare misfire from Founders, but it's not completely irredeemable.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 22:13:16 | More by ThisWangsChung
Photo of DeltaGolfSierra


2.75/5  rDev -31.4%

Color is a rather unattractive orange-brown, and the lack of any head or lacing doesn't help the appearance. Scents of dark fruits and molasses are nice if a bit weak, and there's a bit of a boozy smell too. Caramel and molasses are up front in the taste, with a punch of booziness in the finish that I don't find particularly pleasant. High pucker factor and plenty of burn going down the throat. This is not one of Founder's better offerings.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 01:13:14 | More by DeltaGolfSierra
Photo of falloutsnow


2.75/5  rDev -31.4%

From: Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: None on bottle, spring 2013 release
Glass: Founders snifter

Founders' Curmudgeon is a rather disappointing old ale, featuring a good, but fairly uncomplicated dark brown caramel-like sweetness with a bit of oak, both of which are rather quickly subsumed by the ethanol content of the beer. The alcohol becomes excessively apparent with warmth, detracting from the overall experience and enjoyment of this beer. I find myself asking, "was this intentional, or just a too-hot and quick fermentation/bottling/shipping schedule?" Founders suggests that this beer is "deceptively smooth and drinkable," on the 4-pack, but I'd heartily disagree. Nowhere near comparable to the effortless smoothness (that is, non-ethanol-detectable) and more complex flavors in, say, Hair of the Dog releases. Not one I'd pick up again.

Pours a 0.5cm tall head of beige-colored, small-sized bubbles, with below average retention of about twenty seconds, barely enough time to register that the head looked a bit frothy. The head fades to a thin ring around the glass, and leaves good lacing, a more than moderate number of large dots cling to the glass' sides. Beer's body is a dark golden orange color, almost brown, with reddish highlights; light brings out brighter golden orange hues with yellow highlights. Carbonation visible through the slightly hazy (20-30% opacity) body, low in number and moderate in activity.

Aroma of fairly heavy caramel-like sweetness, ethanol, and oak, only moderately robust, not nearly as expressive or complex as I was hoping.

The most notable flavors of the beer are heavy/syrupy brown caramel-like sweetness, a touch of toasted bread and oak, and big ethanol, which becomes more apparent the longer the sip lasts in the mouth. The front of the palate tastes moderate oak, medium-strong brown caramel-like sweetness, and light ethanol. Mid-palate detects flavors of strong ethanol, heavy/syrupy brown caramel-like sweetness, a touch of toasted bread and oak, but the somewhat harsh ethanol largely steamrolls the other flavors. Back of palate is largely of heavy/syrupy brown caramel-like sweetness with a bit of oak, which is quite pleasant, but then the ethanol largely obscures this with its flavor and heat. Aftertaste is primarily of ethanol, with a bit of light caramel sweetness hidden in the background.

Beer's body is medium-heavy, with carbonation of medium-low intensity, resulting in a lightly foamy (1/4), mostly smooth (3/4) mouthfeel that is appropriate for sipping a beer of this style. Unfortunately, ethanol is easily felt as heat in the nostrils and across the palate, and as a burning sensation on the throat. Though "only" 9.8% ABV, this feels like a much stronger beer; ethanol not well-hidden. Closes dry, with heavy stickiness lingering on the palate and lips.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2014 04:09:35 | More by falloutsnow
Photo of jwhawkins81


2.78/5  rDev -30.7%

Sampled Fresh

Aroma - Way sweet smell with no noticeable hop characteristics.

Appearance - Cloudy reddish brown with no I mean no carbonation.

Taste - Sweet cherries and then the bite of alcohol. This beer really needs to be shipped and also needs to hit the tip of your tongue. I got some raisin flavors near the end.

Mouthfeel - Not a light beer. Without carbonation this beer just lays there.

Drinkability - I can't imagine drinking more than one of these at a time. I hope this beers improves over the next three years in my cellar.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2009 16:54:13 | More by jwhawkins81
Photo of kohoutek


2.8/5  rDev -30.2%

Pours a deep ruddy amber without filtration. This bottle sat for three days in the fridge and it is still very cloudy. Head is light caramel in color with a short life and little persistent lace.

The aroma is wild: overoaked, over bourboned, malty, wheaty sweetness with a touch of fresh morning urine. Where is the piss coming from and why won't it leave?

The beer is large, sweet and boozy with an oakiness that would make a late 90's Cali-Chardonnay jealous. This is an oak bomb!
Butter, Bourbon and a sweet malty mess.

Mouthfeel: Well, for a 9.3% beer, I would understand sweet, but everything about this beer is over the top. Bittering hops perform like an underly confident supporting actor in the middle school production. They try, but they cannot step up to the immensly expulsive and overconfident quickly maturing and painfully overcompensating female lead(s).

After 20 min of swirling and smelling the urine is beginning to subside but the bourbon sweetness is increasing.

Edit: I stopped swirling for two minutes and the urine is back.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2006 21:56:53 | More by kohoutek
Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale) from Founders Brewing Company
90 out of 100 based on 2,672 ratings.