GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Founders Brewing Co. has announced KBS, their popular bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout brewed with coffee and chocolate, will have year-round availability beginning in March 2020. KBS made its debut in the Grand Rapids taproom in 2003 and developed a cult-following over the years within the craft beer community. As the brewery continued to grow, so did the demand for KBS. Founders has expanded its barrel-aging program to accommodate that demand.
“There are a lot of variables when barrel-aging and moving a beer like KBS from a seasonal release to year-round really makes having a solid blending plan even more important,” said Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki. “KBS has been a large volume brand for a while now, so the days of making the entire batch exactly 12 months before the release date are far behind us. We’ve gotten pretty good at finding the right blend of nine-month-old barrels and 15-month-old barrels to hit the desired profile. We were able to pull off the transition when we moved Backwoods Bastard to a year-round release and we’re confident we can achieve the same consistency and quality with KBS.”
KBS (12% ABV) is an imperial stout brewed with massive amounts of coffee and chocolate before aging in oak bourbon barrels in caves beneath Grand Rapids and at an offsite barrel-aging facility, the Barrel House. 2020 KBS will be available in 4-packs of 12oz bottles and on draft beginning on February 28 in the Grand Rapids and Detroit taprooms. It will ship out to the brewery’s entire distribution network in early March 2020 and will be available year-round. Please note that KBS will not be available on draft in Utah or in any format in Mississippi.
“It’s humbling to look back at what started as a couple of experimental barrels of beer has evolved into such an amazing phenomenon,” said Co-Founder and President Dave Engbers. “To be able to make KBS available year-round, not to mention in all 50 states, so all of our fans can find and enjoy this beer marks a significant step in growth of the brewery. It’s truly a labor of love as our team can attest, but it’s all worth it in the end. Cheers to everyone on our team who makes it a reality.”
KBS is the third release in the brewery’s 2020 Barrel-Aged Series, which will feature a lineup of seven different beers throughout the year, including Más Agave and the return of Underground Mountain Brown. Stay tuned for more information on other releases in the 2020 Barrel-Aged Series throughout the year.
About Founders Brewing Co.
Established in 1997 by two craft beer enthusiasts—Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens—with day jobs and a dream, Founders Brewing Co. brews complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics and tons of flavor. Founders ranks among the top 10 largest craft breweries in the U.S. and is one of the fastest growing. The brewery has received numerous awards from the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival and RateBeer and BeerAdvocate users often rate its beers among the best in the world. Located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders is a member of the Michigan Brewers Guild. For more information, visit foundersbrewing.com or follow Founders on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About the Barrel-Aged Series
Crafting legendary barrel-aged beers is an exercise in patience. We start by brewing complex, world-class beer worthy of time in a barrel. Then, our experience and years spent mastering our craft means we know exactly when it’s been aged to perfection. After one sip, you’ll know – it was worth it.