Bells VERSUS Founders!!

The Ultimate Beer Bout in Mokena, IL!

Bells beers go head-to-head (no pun intended) with Founders beers in a beer match that will shake the foundations of the Earth!

$35 dollars ($10 for designated Drivers) gets you into the fight! Sample 7 rounds of brews (14 beers total, plus a surprise brew at the end!) and add your vote to the collective.

Here's a link to Founder's website:
Ultimate Beer Bout III

It appears Bells has no information on their site about this. Are they simply Blase, or just trying to be cool? WHO KNOWS!?

Anyway, I saw this on a tweet and thought I'd pass it along. I really wish I could go and participate in a head-to-head between two of my favorite breweries, but the distance!

I saw if advertised on Facebook and so sad it's just too far away. It'll be interesting to see what comes out in case of a tie!!

Two Michigan breweries duking it out in Illinois? Something is wrong with this picture /scratchhead

IMO Founders wins!

schweaty said:

Two Michigan breweries duking it out in Illinois? Something is wrong with this picture /scratchhead

IMO Founders wins!

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Agreed to the proving grounds. The breweries are like what, 50-60 miles away from each other?? (was lucky enough to visit both this summer in one trip!!)
Also agree Founders wins. KBS or CBS > anything Bell's (waiting for the attack to come from the Bell's fans after that statement )

I like pretty much all of Bells beers, but having said that, I like almost everything Founders has better. Not sure if I like Founders IPA offerings better than Hopslam though. I love that stuff!

But yeah, FFTW! (Founders For The Win!)

Founders in a landslide.

Double trouble is right up there with hopslam for me. Anyone see the results for this?

I can't find any results online. I did find a bit for the previous matches, but nothing yet for this one. I am surprised. Normally I would expect a listing of the votes and a brief description of the beers from someone.

Thats what I thought too.

i always miss out on stuff at this place. it's only about 25 min from my house, but i only hear about the cool events after the fact. they rented a bus and provided food+beer for dark lords day this past year. of course, i found out about it day of, 45 minutes after the bus left. nice.

FromZwolle said:

i always miss out on stuff at this place. it's only about 25 min from my house, but i only hear about the cool events after the fact. they rented a bus and provided food+beer for dark lords day this past year. of course, i found out about it day of, 45 minutes after the bus left. nice.

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They need a twitter or facebook page with alerts. I wouldn't have known if not for Founders sending me a tweet about it. And i wish I lived near them!

I'd have loved to be in on that one...

Does Founders make an IPA that can hold a candle to Bell's Two Hearted Ale?

Does Founders make an Old Ale as good as the Bell's Third Coast Ale?

I doubt it!!!

Founders Centennial IPA and Two Hearted are very close, both 7% all centennial IPA's, I can't say one is any better than the other.

Now Old Ale is a different Story I would drink Old Curmudgeon over Third Coast any day of the week.

I prefer 2H to Centennial. Haven't had Old Curmudgeon or Third Coast enough to remember what they were like.

I should do a Hopslam VS Double Trouble taste-off...

jsberry said:

Does Founders make an IPA that can hold a candle to Bell's Two Hearted Ale?

Does Founders make an Old Ale as good as the Bell's Third Coast Ale?

I doubt it!!!

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So I started this thread and no one jumped on it so here goeas another stab at it.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/great-beer-debate-217325/

So who wins in these categories
IPAs
Brown Ale
Pale Ale
Double IPA
Stout
Scotch Ale (not sure Bell has one)
Porter
Old/Stock Ale

I have always liked Bells, but I have to give the edge to Founders - KBS and Dirty Bastard are two favorites. Hopslam and Expedition are top Bells choices

Old curmudgeon is farrrrrrrrr better than third coast. Also bells taproom can't hold a candle to founders. All kinds of barrel aged limited time goodness. If I had to pick one brewery to drink the rest of my life, founders wins and bells would even be top 5.

boostsr20 said:

Old curmudgeon is farrrrrrrrr better than third coast. Also bells taproom can't hold a candle to founders. All kinds of barrel aged limited time goodness. If I had to pick one brewery to drink the rest of my life, founders wins and bells would even be top 5.

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+1 to this, although, to be fair, I'd have to do a BUNCH more sampling to be sure. I really gotta convince the wife to ride down with me soon and drive me home.

Try to make it on a day that they have Looking Glass aka Double Trouble aged in Brandy Barrels. They have also had quite a few stints of Canadien Breakfast Stout on tap too.

boostsr20 said:

Old curmudgeon is farrrrrrrrr better than third coast. Also bells taproom can't hold a candle to founders. All kinds of barrel aged limited time goodness. If I had to pick one brewery to drink the rest of my life, founders wins and bells would even be top 5.

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I've had their barrel aged old curmudgeon (it was called kaiser curmudgeon) at their brewpub and it kicked the **** out of standard curmudgeon, which in itself i think is better than third coast.

Founders brewpub is awesome - three barrel aged beers and devil dancer on tap when I was there. I visited both brewpubs on the same trip and Bells didn't seem to have anything nearly as exotic on tap.

Yeah, I have wanted to visit Founders for a while, but each time I go it's CRAMMED with people. Went to Bells on Black Friday this year and was pretty disappointed with the special beers. The regular beers were pretty good, but they didn't seem to have anything, exotic, like you say. Founders seems to carry a great selection of special beers all the time.

Homercidal said:

Yeah, I have wanted to visit Founders for a while, but each time I go it's CRAMMED with people. Went to Bells on Black Friday this year and was pretty disappointed with the special beers. The regular beers were pretty good, but they didn't seem to have anything, exotic, like you say. Founders seems to carry a great selection of special beers all the time.

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On Facebook Founders announced their annual Black Party for Sat April 16th. May be hard to do with Dark Lord Day two weeks after, but dang, I found a beer listing from a previous year and I'm seriously thinking about going!!

http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/3349188

http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=380652

Some good reads here.

Damn, this is tough. I think overall Bells has better "commercial" beers (I hate to say that) , and Founders still has that "craft" appeal. As a homebrewer from Northern Michigan, its a tie!!!

naterzr2 said:

Damn, this is tough. I think overall Bells has better "commercial" beers (I hate to say that) , and Founders still has that "craft" appeal. As a homebrewer from Northern Michigan, its a tie!!!

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I don't disagree, but I find this assessment to be amazing given that Bells has been one of the earliest craft brewers -- 25 yrs I think. It is amazing how success or time changes perceptions.

Yeah, my conscious kicked itself when I posted that...maybe its more popularity, commercialization, or history for Bells. I mean, I can walk into any Marathon and find Bells, but not Founders. Kudos to Bells, Founders is on its way!

I still agree with you. Expedition & Kalamazoo stouts were awesome a few years ago. Today though I would choice Founders KBS. Could probably say the same for other styles although I love Hopslam. I also found a bottle of Backwood Bastard. That is awesome.

I was surprised by some of what I read on this thread, so I decided to have a head-to-head competition at home: Bells' Two-Hearted v. Founders' Centennial. I've had both before and liked both but had not contrasted them directly.

Started with Centennial. It's orange with a heavy thick body. Good beer. It has that definitive centennial taste, so I assumed "Bells will taste no different, both emphasize the centennial."

Then the Two-Hearted. That really showed me how special Two-Hearted really is. Yellow with a light body. Bright, sinister, floral taste. Man, that is a special beer. It makes Founders' Centennial seem like just another typical trendy heavy-hoppy IPA.

Bells wins the IPA category. Easily. Founders is good but it was not even close.

Next week, round two: the Barleywines (Old World Ale v. Old Curmudgeon).

Same outcome on those 2 for me also. Double ipa's are too close to call but almost everything else goes to founders for me.

+1 That is how I see them too. Funny, they are both great IPAs, but for some reason 2H has better flavor IMO. I think maybe it's not quite as dry, and maybe with a bit more late hops.

Had Founders Imperial Stout on Monday night. Great beer! But now I'm spoiled and want some bourbon in my stouts!! LOL! I almost ordered a shot to pour in my glass...

Homercidal hit it on the head. Two hearted is much maltier and has a better overall aroma. Its definately my go to session beer. Have you guys tried Founders Endurance Ale? Its amazing. Hoping they bottle that. Its the ultimate hop head session beer.

boostsr20 said:

Homercidal hit it on the head. Two hearted is much maltier and has a better overall aroma. Its definately my go to session beer. Have you guys tried Founders Endurance Ale? Its amazing. Hoping they bottle that. Its the ultimate hop head session beer.

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Yep - Had it on tap at their brewpub last year and the Winking Lizard here in Columbus actually has it on tap now (had on this past weekend). It is a nice session hoppy beer. If they get to bottling it, it will be a summer fav along with Southern Tier's Hop Sun.

boostsr20 said:

...Have you guys tried Founders Endurance Ale? Its amazing. Hoping they bottle that. Its the ultimate hop head session beer.

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I'll have to try it at the Winter Beer Festival in GR next weekend.

This is what Founders says they will have on tap there:

Founders Brewing Co.
Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
Red’s Rye PA
Centennial IPA
Double Trouble Imperial IPA
Porter
Endurance All Day IPA
Devil Dancer Imperial IPA
Nemesis 2010 Barleywine
Imperial Stout
KBS Imperial Stout
Red’s Rye PA Firkin


and Bell's will have:

Bell’s Brewery
Cherry Stout
Special Double Cream Stout
Java Stout
Expedition Stout
Third Coast Old Ale
Oatmeal Stout
Golden Rye
Raspberry Ale
Trumpster Stout
Milk Stout
Harry McGill’s Spiced Stout
Smoke Stout
Winter White Ale
Batch 9,000
Batch 10,000
Hopslam
Two-Hearted

The complete brewery/beer list is here:
http://www.mbgmash.org/

Can't wait!

-TH- said:

I'll have to try it at the Winter Beer Festival in GR next weekend.

This is what Founders says they will have on tap there:

Founders Brewing Co.
Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
Red’s Rye PA
Centennial IPA
Double Trouble Imperial IPA
Porter
Endurance All Day IPA
Devil Dancer Imperial IPA
Nemesis 2010 Barleywine
Imperial Stout
KBS Imperial Stout
Red’s Rye PA Firkin


and Bell's will have:

Bell’s Brewery
Cherry Stout
Special Double Cream Stout
Java Stout
Expedition Stout
Third Coast Old Ale
Oatmeal Stout
Golden Rye
Raspberry Ale
Trumpster Stout
Milk Stout
Harry McGill’s Spiced Stout
Smoke Stout
Winter White Ale
Batch 9,000
Batch 10,000
Hopslam
Two-Hearted

The complete brewery/beer list is here:
http://www.mbgmash.org/

Can't wait!

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damn, you guys up north have it good. going live with a big project monday and due for a few days off. If i can find some tickets and everything goes smooth next week, I might have to come up for this. Here's a link to the site with a full beer listing - tasty. P.S. the Short's beer's I've have have been fantastic!!

http://www.mbgmash.org/

The beer geek in me wants to say Founders without a doubt. But when I break it down by style I'm not so sure.

2hearted beats Centenial IPA
Expedition beats Founders Imperial Stout
Old Curmudgeon beats Third Coast Old Ale
Founders Porter beats Bells Porter
Breakfast stout destroys Java Stout
Founders Pale Ale beats Bells Pale Ale
Hopslam edges out Double Trouble
Black Note and KBS are too close to call

Then there are the many beers that have no equal on the other side.

I call it a tie. Both are fantastic.

FYI - According to their website, the Winter Beer Festival is SOLD OUT!

I may have to hit one of the brewpubs, which will probably be pretty slow during the festival...

Homercidal said:

FYI - According to their website, the Winter Beer Festival is SOLD OUT!

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Online sales that is. They give a lot of tickets to outlets (like siciliano's) so it might be worth calling a few.

-TH- said:

Online sales that is. They give a lot of tickets to outlets (like siciliano's) so it might be worth calling a few.

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Sweet! Ima look dat up!

EDIT: No go at Sicilianos, and Steve said he thinks they are ALL sold out!

EDIT: The MBG website has a list of places selling tickets and they ARE ALL SOLD OUT!

Maybe I can drive down and stand next to the ball park and smell the hops from the road...

dannypo said:

The beer geek in me wants to say Founders without a doubt. But when I break it down by style I'm not so sure.

2hearted beats Centenial IPA
Expedition beats Founders Imperial Stout
Old Curmudgeon beats Third Coast Old Ale
Founders Porter beats Bells Porter
Breakfast stout destroys Java Stout
Founders Pale Ale beats Bells Pale Ale
Hopslam edges out Double Trouble
Black Note and KBS are too close to call

Then there are the many beers that have no equal on the other side.

I call it a tie. Both are fantastic.

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I agree with all of that except for expedition. I prefer founders imperial. I just did a side by side of 2011 and 2010 bottles and founders definitely fits my preference.

dannypo said:

The beer geek in me wants to say Founders without a doubt. But when I break it down by style I'm not so sure.

2hearted beats Centenial IPA
Expedition beats Founders Imperial Stout
Old Curmudgeon beats Third Coast Old Ale
Founders Porter beats Bells Porter
Breakfast stout destroys Java Stout
Founders Pale Ale beats Bells Pale Ale
Hopslam edges out Double Trouble
Black Note and KBS are too close to call

Then there are the many beers that have no equal on the other side.

I call it a tie. Both are fantastic.

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I am personally judging each comparison. Above in this thread I verified B2H beats Centennial. Next, the stouts.

Expedition wins. Its taste is strong, good, and just plain unique in my experience. Good old fashioned roasty-toasty malt flavor without any funky chocolate/coffee/oatmeal BS. Founders Imperial is pretty good but the taste just does not measure up. For the taste, I give Expedition a 10 and Founders a 8. In terms of creamy mouth-feel, both are a 9 out of 10 (California Brewing Company's Russian Stout is a 10 in this category, but has less taste than either). Try Expedition with a well-made beef pot pie: that is what Charlie Sheen would call "bi-winning."

Can't wait to try the barleywines - I have both but they're new so will have to let them age.