So let’s skip to the end – this is an awesome beer. I love it. As you may know, I’m a little over focused on bourbon barrel aged beers right now, and this puppy delivers as well as any brew out there. The thing I don’t get is the name…
Founders Old Curmudgeon Ale pours a dark copper with a thin head that doesn’t care to stick around. It lures you in with the heady aroma of dates and caramel and vanilla and bourbon. The taste is symphony of sweet maltiness that carries through the flavors of the nose and adds brown sugar, smokey oak and finishes with just the right amount of booziness.
Blah, blah, blah. If you’ve had a bourbon barrel aged ale before, then these descriptors are nothing new to you. But the trick here is that this beer manages to balance them all perfectly (at least for me). It’s not ground breaking, but it’s spot on. Masterful. Every sip I took went directly to the pleasure center of my brain – it’s a joy to behold. My affinity for this beer got me thinking about its name.
We’ve all run into a curmudgeon or two in our time, and the chap on the label seems to fit the bill. Who’d want to hang out with him? Thing is, a curmudgeon (especially an old one) always makes you pay for being in their presence. They try their damnedest to find a way to annoy you and then needle you to the point of exasperation. It’s how a curmudgeon finds emotional satisfaction – sad but true.
But this beer is the polar opposite of that. They should have called it Loyal Golden Retriever or Hot Girlfriend Who Cooks Well, because it’s something that you can love unconditionally and want to snuggle up with time after time. That’s typically not something anyone would say about an Old Curmudgeon. See how stupid the name is? 😉
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
This stuff sounds awesome, and the picture looks great too. The color of the brew is intriguing to me. I always think of bourbon barrel aged beers as inky black. Put some of this in a case if you ever send me a case…
I plan on it. I’m hoping to get a box off this weekend. I just hope I don’t pull it out of the box at the last second. I’ll be sad to see it go…
Founders makes some really good beers. Try their Breakfast Stout! I think they like the creepy labels, but it works. I hope to be an old Curmudgeon, someday so go easy on the trash talk!
Ha ha, Scott. I think you’re well on your way! 🙂
I’ve had their Breakfast Stout and their Harvest Ale and both were really good. Also, their Backwoods Bastard was stellar, but is a seasonal that got snapped up. I’m going to have to try them all, but these guys get it. Makes me realize how much great beer making is going on in Michigan.
Founders, Dark Horse, Bells…there a ton of good Michigan brewers. I need to try this brew. I try to find it when I go back to Indy.
New Holland, too (at least for the Dragon’s Milk and possible their Poet). You should see this stuff out when you’re back in Indy – it’s worth the trouble.
This is one of my favorite beers! I bought it because I like everything Founders. What a surprise! A genuine sipper. I cannot wait untill next years brew. Now that I know it, I will buy a stash of it. If you like Goose Island Bourbon County you will like this for what it is. just a busy beer to keep your intrest with every sip. One beer can last an hour.
It’s true an Old Curmudgeon can last an hour, but it’s also entertaining to have a few in that time frame as well. 🙂