Founders Oatmeal
Breakfast; 100-Point Beverages and the Face of Perfection
By Codey Foster
I hate to be the one to do this—the beer/wine comparison but
when I heard we had a 100-point beer in the house, I couldn’t resist. I’ve
tasted 100-point wines so when I had a bottle of the Founders Breakfast Stout
sitting in my fridge, well, I’m sure you understand the temptation.
Color: Jet-black with dark brown at its edges.
Aroma: toasty malt, diesel, tar, smoke, ash, soy, mineral,
and just subtle hints of oatmeal.
Palate: Smoky and rich and over the top with tremendous
flavor and balance.
Truth be told, this beer tastes like a picturesque winter
night. And to drink this beer on a picturesque winter night by the fireplace
with birch logs burning and snow falling, would indeed be perfect. In that
context I can fully grasp this beer being
a 100-pointer. However outside of that context, I find it to be more of a
stimulating curiosity rather than a true testament of perfection.
I suppose that I should explain that my most vivid reference for a 100-point wine would be the 2007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (WA100)—a
wine that I found to be just somewhat complex, spectacularly dense, and over
the top with extraction. In that sense I think the Quilceda Creek and Founders have something in common. Granted, the Quilceda was tasted decades too
young while the Founders is theoretically in a window of prime drinking--but
the power, magnitude, and flavor concentration of these two beverages bares a
stunning resemblance.
I realize that this is a spectacularly nearsighted
comparison but I think perhaps there’s some kind of value to be gleaned from
the examination of quality versus flavor concentration. Now it should be
understood that density aside, neither of these 100-pointers are shabby drinks
by any stretch. They are both well made and pleasurable, but I’m curious how
much their sheer flavor concentration contributes to their scores. I guess what
I’m trying to say is that I value complexity over amplitude and while both
complex—neither of these beverages strike me as astonishingly complex nor perfectly complex (if there is such a
thing).
Ultimately, would you prefer to be punched in the face or
romanced by ethereal esters and aldehydes? Well, the choice is yours but I
think the question is a great reminder that beverage criticism, scores, and the
concept of ‘perfection’ need to be taken in context and even then with a grain
of salt. And while the Founders and Quilceda offer just a minute cross section
into the realm of 100-point beverages, I think you and I might both be
surprised how far their themes resonate in the grand scheme of rated drink. For
your sake, I won’t even touch on price correlation.
And yes. I drank it from a Riedel.
Founders Breakfast Stout--$10.49
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2009--$219.99
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