Devil Dancer
Founders Brewing Company

Drinking this triple ipa with my boys Keith and Greg on the patio on a hot summer night in Dallas brings back great memories. So dank and so dirty. Like the pine tar from George Brett’s bat mixed with the sweat from a Neanderthal woman. Physically and psychologically one of my favorite dirty bird beers ever. I love you Founders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12oz bottle courtesy of Whyteboar. According to the stamp on the rear label, this was bottled on January 16, 2020. Perhaps not ideal for a normal IPA, but as the same rear label makes clear, this ain't no normal IPA, as it clocks in at a fierce 12% abv!

Poured into a tulip-shaped hybrid glass (don't know what else to call it), this was a dark amber color, taking on a rubyish hue when held up to light. About an inch or so of beige colored foam was present as head, and left a decent amount of lace for such a strong beer.

Nose was of herbal grassy hops, bready malts, plus a little bit of band aid type aroma. As it warms, it gets a bit boozy.

More promising in the flavor department than in the nose. Grapefruity, piney, peppery and bready - this is a big beer that makes a big impact on the taste buds. Quite a bit of alcohol "heat" is present. Unsurprisingly, for a triple IPA from the midwest, there's a massive malt backbone, so for the hops to stand out as much as they do, there must have been an ungodly amount used.

Medium to full body, with a coating, resiny, almost syrupy mouthfeel.

This is a beast! I imagine this is a beer that is very expensive to make, and get why it's not widely distributed at this point. Enjoyed this in the middle of the afternoon on a day with no commitments outside the home, and that's probably for the best! Thank you for getting this to me, Craig! It's one I've long been wanting to try!

 

 

Amber hues and sticky sweet. Booze and pine. Caramel malts. Noticeable lack of citrus on the nose and in the taste. Musty hops and dark fig fruit. Bubbly to the finish. Outrageous bitterness becomes more pronounced as it warms, rounding out the flavor profile and improving the taste. Overall quite nice. And at 12% ABV, it will do the trick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance:
Pours the color dark wildflower honey, a deep amber with sunny hues of orange.

Bouquet:
Syrupy sweet hops, mango, citrus, and pleasing, earthy yeast after-notes.

Taste:
Ye gods, hops! A spectacular symphony of hops: musty herbals, bright florals, and sharp citruses. All riding in on a lush wave of lavish treats, like butterscotch, caramel, and raspberries. Finishes with a clean, powerful heat.

Feel:
Full-bodied. Satiny molasses with a bubbly bite. The treacle-like qualities don't overstay their welcome, but the bright, effervescence lingers like a miniature fireworks display, as its tickling bubbles burst brilliantly in all corners of the mouth. The contrast is delightful.

Reviewer's Notes:
Bottle aged for 3 years at 42 degrees Fahrenheit, no exposure to sunlight. Bottling Date: 05/10/2016

 

Boy this one’s good. Whew. Powerful and strong yet flavorful and clean. So-called “triple” IPA obtained fresh from Founders via growler. Purchased on 9/6/19. Start off only decent, pours a honeyed medium amber color with a little white head that quickly settled to a thin film. Also just a little scarce spotty lingering lacing. Even with a rocky pour, the fluffy white head had settled quickly. The aromas, however, were just incredible. Beautiful fruity hops of mango, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, passionfruit, guava and lemon. Also some nice malt, floral and herbal hops, bread, caramel and a little dankness. Taste follows the nose, very rich and flavorful with good balance. The strong hit of hoppy bitterness was well offset by the sweeter malt backbone that had a good presence. Mouthfeel was excellent, sticky, slightly luscious, smooth and coated the palate. Good amount of carbonation. This was definitely a sipper, the higher ABV was quite present even with the beer cold, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. I’m happy that Founders brought this one out of retirement to serve it on tap at their brewery.

Look: Oooooh. Almost brown-orange. Easily the prettiest of the four IPAs I ordered as a flight at the Founders brewery. Persistent lacing and continuous bubbles.

Smell: It smells wet, the way that yeasty Belgians can, but in a way that I know it's not actually going to taste like that. It's weird; honestly it smells a little "off", but the taste is fine.

Taste: Astringently hoppy (which I like),

Feel: tingly, foamy. Thick and resinous but so effervescent, so quite a contradiction in mouthfeel

Overall: compared against Founder's 12 Feet Under, I'd say I prefer 12 Feet Under. Maybe it's just because I have a fond place in my heart for things like Dogfish 120, or because barrell-aing anything is a great way to my heart. This is fine, and very hop forward, but doesn't have the depth of 12 Feet Under. Dogfish 120...12 Feet Under...120 Feet Under? I smell a collaboration in the future. Get on it, Founders!

Bottle from the cellar. Bought in 2012. With a cabinet full of barley wines and belgian darks, this is a real standout. Low carb, low to no head. Deep copper/red color. Slight warmth. The aromas and taste of this one are why I put these beers away for years. Hats off, founders.

Even at two years old, this packed a lot of good flavor.

 

Bottled 5/24/15; drank 6/28/15 @ the Yarchives.

Semi-opaque ruby red appearance.

A rough pour produced a nice tan head; nice lace.

Grapefruit, mango, booze heat & faint caramel notes in the nose.

Thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Caramel, raspberry & strawberry flavors up front; a brutally bitter, dry alcohol heat finish.

Good flavors lurk beneath a punishing finish. Too bad.

 

 

Smell of butterscotch. Taste starts as butterscotch and slowly fades to nearly the taste of the last sip of a sweet bourbon Manhattan. Aftertaste sticks around for minutes. Perfect mouthfeel. I really enjoy this beer, and you should too!