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This one had been catching my eye for a while, and on the evening of a recent mid-November day that never got warmer than 20 degrees, I decided it was time to try Founders Curmudgeon, an Old Ale brewed with molasses and aged in oak.
The beautiful deep amber color is so enticing. It has a visually warming effect, like a liquid fireplace. It looks substantial.
But it seems the titular character, the Rembrandtesque Curmudgeon on the label, is looking directly at me. It doesn’t matter where I move, he is staring right at me. What’s his problem, and why do I suddenly wish my name was Gaspar.
Where the hell did that come from? How potent is this beer?
Well, it’s a hefty 9.8 percent, but knowing that does not stop the old Curmudgeon from ogling. And is his name Gaspar?
Hmmm, I think it’s obvious that I will have to return to this beer tomorrow because the hysteria has risen too high. I just don’t like being stared at, so I’m going to pick this up tomorrow, when it’s supposed to get all the way up to 25 degrees.
Day 2 with the Curmudgeon: This is a luscious, warming beer, which, no doubt, is due to the high alcohol content. The flavor rolls big and wide and slow as molasses across the palate.…Jesus, I’m trying to be serious here and Gaspar the Curmudgeon is staring again.
Forget about that guy. What, you ask, is Old Ale? Old Ales are traditionally high gravity, dark and malty ales that were traditionally allowed to mature longer than other styles, hence the name.

KCCO Black Lager is a soft, smooth lager with a slightly smoky, roasted coffee bean and tobacco finish that rolls across the palate like a layer of asphalt.
While all that may sound ham-handed, it’s not. That layer of asphalt across your tongue dissipates, and you suddenly want to apply another layer. And it’s not as heavy as I might make it sound. While the darkness layers the tongue, the lager itself explodes with effervescent brightness.
The beer is from Resignation Brewery, which appears to be a virtual brewery owned by Resignation LLC, a digital entertainment company that runs thechive.com website (can’t quite tell from the website what it is they actually do). Since they don’t have a brewery, this black lager is brewed in collaboration with a brewery that does brew, in this case, Redhook Ale Brewery of Seattle.
Apparently there is a gold lager, amber and wheat as well, but I have not seen any of them.
I have no idea what KCCO means or why an ostrich is featured on the label, nor, after checking out the chive website, do I care.