Founders’ First-Ever Bourbon Is Here – Here’s How to Try It Free in Grand Rapids

If you've spent any time around Michigan craft beer, chances are you've heard of KBS.

The bourbon barrel-aged stout from Founders Brewing Co. has been a fan favorite for more than two decades and helped put the Grand Rapids brewery on the map long before barrel-aged beers were commonplace. Now, Founders is taking the next step in that story with something it's never done before.

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After nearly 30 years in business, Founders is releasing its first-ever spirit: KBS Bourbon.

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As someone married to a bourbon enthusiast, this immediately caught my attention. The timing doesn't hurt, either. The limited release arrives just in time for Father's Day weekend.

The Story Behind Founders' KBS

KBS, short for Kentucky Breakfast Stout, debuted in 2003 as an experiment. Founders aged a rich imperial stout in used bourbon barrels for a full year, creating a beer packed with notes of coffee, chocolate, vanilla and oak. The beer quickly developed a devoted following and has gone on to earn national recognition, becoming one of the brewery's most iconic releases.

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Founders Brewing Co. via Facebook

Over the years, Founders expanded the KBS lineup with special variants and limited releases, like Maple Mackinac Fudge, Chocolate Cherry, and Espresso. But the brewery has never ventured into spirits. Until now.

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Founders Brewing Co. via Facebook

Founders' First-Ever Bourbon Has Arrived

According to Founders, KBS Bourbon is a small-batch Kentucky bourbon aged in American oak and then finished in barrels that previously held KBS. It’s a full-circle moment for the barrels themselves: once used for bourbon, then KBS, and now back to bourbon again.

The result, the brewery says, is a bourbon with notes of vanilla, oak, chocolate and roasted coffee, along with a smooth finish.

Where to Try KBS Bourbon in Grand Rapids

KBS Bourbon is limited, showing up at the Founders company store and a few retailers around Michigan while supplies last.

You can also try it for yourself this Sunday, when Founders is offering complimentary neat pours during its Father’s Day celebration at the Grand Rapids taproom on Ionia Avenue.