E-Malt.com News article: USA, MI: Founders Brewing Company to introduce its first ever smoked beer

Founders Brewing Co. will introduce Smoked Porter, brewed with a combination of beech wood–smoked barley and oak-smoked wheat malt along with a generous helping of chocolate malt, on shelves and draft lines beginning in February 2014. Like all Founders’ Backstage Series beers, Smoked Porter will be sold in 750mL bottles, with a suggested retail price to be determined, Brewbound reported on December 26.

“This is a style of beer that we’ve discussed brewing for a decade,” said Co-Founder and Vice President of Brand & Education Dave Engbers. “We weren’t able to fit it into our production schedule for years. Now, with our pilot system, our brewers have room for greater experimentation and aggressive recipe formulation. Brewing beers like this was the idea behind launching our Backstage Series and was a driving force in our investment in a pilot system this past summer.”

The brewery’s taproom in Grand Rapids, Michigan, also recently announced the addition of a draft line dedicated to their pilot system, only pouring those small batch experimental beers. A recent offering showcased the brewery’s first lager in twelve years.

Founders’ Backstage Series is made up of boundary-pushing, experimental beers. The intent of the series is to take the diehard Founders fan experience to a wider audience—though all of the beers are still released in limited batches. Since its introduction in the summer of 2011, Founders’ Backstage Series beers have quickly become some of the most sought-after releases in the industry.

Limited bottles of Founders Smoked Porter will only be available in Michigan; draft will be available in most markets across the brewery’s distribution footprint. The beer will be released in February, with exact timing dependent on distributor shipments. Bottles will be released in the brewery’s taproom at a to-be-determined date.

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 ales with huge aromatics and tons of flavor. Founders ranks among the top 30 largest craft breweries in the U.S. and is one of the fastest growing.


27 December, 2013