On February 13th, after a month and two days, the oak bourbon barrels that have been sitting in my kitchen have been joined by the beer they aged: Founders Curmudgeon’s Better Half (CBH). Time for a photo shoot!

The third in Founder’s Backstage Series, and its first bottle release, CBH is a version of Old Curmudgeon aged in oak barrels that aged bourbon followed by aging BLiS Michigan Maple Syrup before aging the beer. About half an hour before Founders opened, my girlfriend and I jumped in line with about 100-150 other thirsty beer lovers so we could get our two bottle allotment. Once inside and after purchasing our bottles, we were able to grab a table and order a glass of CBH on draft. I love being able to taste a beer that’s going to be good for aging, which I intend to do with some of them.

Anytime a beer like this is released, it is accompanied by lots of hype, especially if it’s Founders. CBH was no exception and in my opinion, it lived up; however, I didn’t realize just how much so until I opened a bottle of it last night with a few friends. It seemed that the bottles retained a little more of the syrup and bourbon characteristics than the draft version did. It was fantastic!!

If you’re a fan of strong ales, this one marries the style with the sweet lovin of Michigan maple syrup and Kentucky bourbon together forming a fermented bond that won’t disappoint. I highly recommend picking up a bottle of two if you happen to be lucky enough to find a store still carrying it.

Cheers!