I picked up a bunch of Founders beer. Some of it was their flagship run of the mill stuff, but some of it was the rare taproom only releases. Hearty Soul is one of those rare releases.
The reason for this beer’s rarity is it sits for nearly 2 years in charred oak bourbon barrels. This batley wine is a true treat as it is warm, toasty and full in body.
Hearty Soul has a well-balanced profile of deep malt sweetness and spicy Magnum and Perle hop bitterness that complement the delicious intensity of this boozy aged beverage. It’s got a nice copper red color that’s typical of barley wine, but the charred barrel adds a bit of a deep red tone that’s pleasing to the eye.
After 2020 I’m trying to live in the moment so I’m not trying to hang on to these rarer beers. I’m enjoying for what hey are - good beer. Who needs a reason to break out the expensive stuff. I don’t any need one anymore. In fact I feel goofy even thinking I needed a reason to drink the good stuff.
This bottle was around $11 bucks which is pretty hefty, but for the quality and craftsmanship that went into it I’m happy to support them. I wish they were a smaller local brewery, but even the big guys need the support to keep pumping out small batch rate beer.