Finally...KBS beer in NYC!

My husband is HLFD's beverage guy.  He likes to take his own tasting notes and has filled every nook of our apartment with his great finds ("All in the name of research!", he insists).  In this post, he writes about his journey to enjoy a stout from his favorite brewery, Founders.

A few months ago, I was pleasantly surprised to see Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) available for sale in New York.  Founders Brewing Co. (from Grand Rapids, MI) previously didn't sell their beers in NY - so I've had to enjoy them as much as I could during trips to Chicago and Philadelphia.  But now that their beers are here, I've been getting my hands on many of their beers, including Red's Rye, Dirty Bastard, Centennial IPA and KBS.

Only a slight sampling of the beers in our apartments...Did I mention that I'm a fan of Founders beers?

I went around to stores such as New Beer and Whole Foods and accumulated several bottles (most stores had a 1 bottle limit) and actually were able to find some stores with growler fills of KBS available (albeit pricey).  

If you like a big, rich and chewy Imperial-style stout, or even just like coffee and bourbon, definitely seek this out -- the stout is aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels for about a year and is a hefty 11.2% ABV but still retains some bitter character.  The KBS is definitely one of the biggest and most complex beers I have ever tasted.  I still have a few bottles left to age for a while and I look forward to seeing how it evolves.  Beers like this are really like a good wine, they can age too.

It also looks like some bars have held some kegs back so it does pop up from time to time.  In June, I had the current release of KBS and the '08 KBS (much more smooth with some age on it) at The Gate in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  The beer is expensive (approximately $6 retail to $15 in bars for a 12 oz bottle), but it is an unbelievable sipping beer and a great one to share by itself or with dessert.