Founders KBS Iced Latte Imperial Golden Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Review Date 8/23/2025 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Spiced Ale   Brewery: Founders   Country: USA   State: Michigan   $ Per OZ: $.52 (B), $.91 (D)   ABV: 11%

Hey there, Founders Brewing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan! We need to talk. What’s up with your KBS Iced Latte Imperial Golden Ale with Coffee, Cocoa Nibs, Milk Sugar, and Vanilla Extract aged in Bourbon Barrels? I think it takes longer to say the name than it does to drink it, but that’s not what I mean. No, I mean this is, as you say, an Imperial Golden Ale. Now, let’s take a look at all the KBS beers I have reviewed so far:

Founders KBS Kentucky Breakfast Stout

Founders KBS Espresso, a self-described “flavored stout”

Founders KBS Maple Mackinac Fudge Imperial Stout Brewed with Mackinac Fudge Coffee, Maple Syrup and Chocolate Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels

Do you see a pattern here? Breakfast Stout, Flavored Stout, Imperial Stout? Doesn’t the “S” in KBS stand for stout? I don’t know where you come from (OK, maybe I do, Michigan) but where I come from, Imperial Golden Ale is not a stout. So imagine my surprise when I ordered up a glass of KBS Iced Latte at Taco Mac and a bright golden beer was set before me.

Not that I am complaining about the beer itself, mind you, it was quite good, I just wonder why it is offered in the KBS line when it is not a stout. Now that we have that out of the way, though, lets get to the particulars.

Founders KBS Iced Latte has an alcohol content of 11% by volume with 40 IBUs. I paid $10 for an 11-ounce glass at Taco Mac, and it runs $24.99 a 4-pack at Total Wine.

Ingredients from the website:

Hops: Magnum, Willamette

Malts: Malted Barley, Wheat, Oats

And what does Founders say?

Get ready to chill with KBS Iced Latte, a Barrel-Aged Imperial Golden Ale that’s as smooth as your favorite café creation. Crafted with a blend of coffee and vanilla, for a creamy, and utterly indulgent experience. Aged to perfection in bourbon barrels, every sip consists of oak notes and a silky latte-like sweetness that’s impossible to resist.

My glass of Founders KBS Iced Latte Imperial Golden Ale with Coffee, Cocoa Nibs, Milk Sugar, and Vanilla Extract aged in Bourbon Barrels arrived a bright golden-brown color with a light head of foam and a nose of coffee grinds and caramel. Taking a sip the beer is medium in body, not as full as I expected. The caramel and coffee are back with some notes of vanilla and boozy bourbon as well. At the last the bourbon pops more fully and the beer finishes warming with alcohol and dry.

This beer was very rich indeed, a sipper for sure. It did deliver the Latte notes, and I give it four stars overall, less a half star for the very high price.  

Would I buy it again? Not in bottles for sure at $25 for four bottles, and at $10 for a draft glass I think there are lots of other beers I would choose instead. Chances are, I would not buy it again.

Glad I tried it?  T