Sometimes when we lay our hands on a new beer for review, it sits around for a while before we get to it. Other times, it’s a big chocolate raspberry stout from Founders, and we start making plans to drink it on the day it arrives.
Big Lushious is the newest entry in Founders’ Backstage Series, their line of special release beers in 750 ml bottles. It’s a stout teetering right around the “imperial” boundary at 7.8% ABV, described by Founders as a “sumptuous, extravagant dessert beer” brewed with “all-natural dark chocolate and a kiss of tart raspberries.” It’s a description that hits the nail pretty much right on the head, especially when it comes to “sumptuous and extravagant.” It’s a beer targeted toward a specific demographic who will absolutely adore it; while others may find it a little overly twee.
The aroma is nothing short of incredible. The richness of the chocolate and tart acidity of the raspberries make for an incredible bouquet, something I could imagine as a perfume. The raspberry comes across in a very interesting way, not in the super bright “raspberry candy” sort of character we tasted in say, the New Belgium Frambozen in our Christmas tasting, but rather like a dark, tart raspberry reduction or raspberry sauce you would pour over vanilla bean ice cream. It smells like one of those 70% cacao dark chocolate bars you see in the “health food” aisle that has dried raspberry bits running through it—intoxicating and distinct.