It's times like this when I wish it was socially acceptable to drink a beer for breakfast. Well, at least in the United States. Course, as a professional brew reviewer, I guess I can make my own rules on this subject. And when the label on your beer says Double Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Stout, it begs for a few pancake and egg companions. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you one of the most coveted of all winter seasonals, the Founders Breakfast Stout.

In the glass, this beer is stark black with absolutely no edging. A thin coppery head rests on top and doesn't stay around very long. It's a hefty looking stout and deserves the respect it commands. On the nose, you get a rich roasted coffee aroma that tends to dominate the air around the glass. Once you get your nose into the glass, you can start to pick out all those sweet chocolate notes. I found lots of cocoa as well as a roasted blend that reminded me of a good mocha. It's a mouth watering introduction and has you eager to dive right in for that first sip.

Luckily the flavor profile is nicely foreshadowed, else I would have been woefully disappointed. All those roasted coffee and chocolate flavors come out to play and form this rich mishmash of sweet roasted goodness. There is an array of flavor notes to study and they all play amazingly well together. No particular flavor battles for dominance, so you can really take your time to chew on this beer. An earthy woody quality provides a solid foundation. The mouthfeel is a tad thin for the style. It also has a slight grittiness, which is to be expected from larger stouts with big roasted backbones. The mouthfeel smooths out significantly as it warms, so definitely take your time with it. The finish is surprisingly dry and leaves a chalky chocolate aftertaste which reminds me of powdered cocoa.

Overall, the Founders Breakfast Stout is a fantastic seasonal brew that I can recommend to any level of beer fan. Seasoned beer drinkers will find it to be a delicious dessert beer, and I suspect many have already dove into their share this season. Novices can really benefit from this beer because the big bold flavors hide the strength and grittiness quite well. It's not a beer you have to have a honed palate to appreciate, so jump right in and drink with the big boys. There are a few beers throughout the year that get me giddy with excitement as their release date nears. The Breakfast Stout is one of them, so get your hands on some while they last.