For this installment of Tasting Notes, we settle into our Labor Day by relaxing with a couple bottles of Marvelroast from Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, Michigan).

Introduced earlier this summer as the newest Limited Release from Founders Brewing Co., Marvelroast is a Golden Strong Ale brewed with coffee, vanilla and cocoa nibs.  With milk sugar supplying “a smooth and sweet finish,” Marvelroast (8% ABV) comes together to be “a delicious treat reminiscent of your favorite iced coffee drink.”

Marvelroast debuted in July and is scheduled to hang around through September 2020. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Michigan and throughout the rest of Founders Brewing Co.’s nationwide distribution network.

Tasting Notes for Marvelroast from Founders Brewing Co.

Appearance: A slow, cautious pour produces a vibrant, golden-colored liquid capped with over two fingers of frothy, bright white foam. When held to direct light, the golden tones radiate while a soft orange hue emerges near the core of the glass. The beer is beautifully clear and holds an abundance of tiny, slow-moving carbonation bubbles. Head retention is good, falling to a lasting half finger that paints the glass with fluffy structures of lace.

Aroma: As soon as the beer is poured, a rush of high-quality vanilla is quick to engulf the nose. This is then consumed by a comforting presence that can only be described as a plate of freshly baked brownies served with an expertly prepared mochaccino. We are talking about big notes of roasted coffee, rich cream, dark chocolate and decadent cake. The profile ultimately closes with a lingering waft of freshly roasted coffee.

Taste: Each sip leads with notes of vanilla creme, marshmallow and graham crackers. The coffee then surfaces with some light roast and mocha notes consisting of sweetened coffee, cream and rich chocolate. A drizzle of caramel rounds everything off in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Leaning toward the medium side of full-bodied with a pillowy soft carbonation, this beer has a gorgeous sip that takes its time on the palate before it eventually cleans up and dissipates fully. All of the notes are on the sweet side, but they are tempered wonderfully and somehow avoid being cloying or overwhelming. The 8% ABV is well hidden and surprisingly provides very little warmth in the throat or belly. The aftertaste is a lasting dollop of vanilla creme.

Final Thoughts: After sampling many Stout-influenced Golden Strong Ales (a.k.a. White Stouts) over the years only to find them lacking in one area or another, everyone on today’s tasting panel was happy to discover that Marvelroast was able to pick up the slack and give us the hope that this style could be executed in a way that truly resembles a Stout. The coffee used in the beer supplied just enough roast to mimic the tones you normally get from the use of darker malts, and the added vanilla and cocoa nibs provide all the dessert-like goodness you expect from a Pastry Stout. Marvelroast truly is a marvel and a decadent delight that deserves your attention, so make sure that you track down a bottle or pour before its limited run comes to an end later this month. Prost!