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Devil Dancer
Founders Brewing Company
- From:
- Founders Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
Ranked #1,917 - ABV:
- 12%
- Score:
- 87
Ranked #15,450 - Avg:
- 3.9 | pDev: 13.33%
- Reviews:
- 1,499
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 05, 2024
- Added:
- May 17, 2004
- Wants:
- 346
- Gots:
- 1,159
Triple IPA. Dry-hopped for twenty-six days straight with a combination of 10 hop varieties. 112 actual IBU; although it calculates to over 200!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jondeelee:
Reviewed by jondeelee from Massachusetts
4.67/5 rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.67/5 rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Devil Dancer opens with almost exactly the kind of aroma that one could expect from a triple IPA: bursting with hops, bringing swaths of pine resin, grapefruit rind, and dandelion stem, and a nice supporting citrus blend of pink grapefruit and lemon, as well as touches of mint and eucalyptus. In addition, the beer sports a full range of sugars, including orange liqueurs, berry and nectarine fruit esters, and shovelfuls of sticky brown sugars. And all this lies atop a frame of biscuit and toast crust, though the bready notes are admittedly hard to locate against the sugar and hop blast. As a whole, the nose is excellent, being nicely balanced between bitter and sweet, with just enough of each aroma to nicely play off of the next one. A touch more bread would have been nice, as the sugary notes do lend the beer a candy-like overtone.
On the tongue, the beer blasts away with all of the expected palate-wrecking bitterness brought by 112 IBUs: huge intercontinental ballistic pine resin and dandelion stem hop missiles shred the taste buds, with only slightly smaller grapefruit rind and eucalyptus SCUDs removing virtually all that is left. Against this massive bitter blast other notes are rather difficult to locate, but there is still a good bit of lemon and mint from the hops, as well as orange, berry, and nectarine fruits, and plenty of brown sugars. Only a slight rim of bread and toast crust translates to the tongue, the rest lost against the hop onslaught. Subsequent sips reveal a slightly larger candy sugar base, with increasing orange liqueur and berry flavors. The 12% ABV does leave a heavy fog of alcohol vapors in the mouth and nasal cavities, but this blends well with the sugars and hops, much like a good cocktail. The aftertaste is, no surprise, mainly hops, with lingering sugars and toast crust, and sticks to the tongue for a long time. Mouthfeel is a thick, sticky, oily medium to medium-heavy, and carbonation is medium.
Overall, this is excellent fare, and while the overpowering nature of the hops will make this undrinkable to anyone who can’t even take a simpler IPA, it should definitely be on the list for any serious hophead. The hops in here are well chosen to present a variety of flavors, and balanced slightly toward the more bitter of those flavors, but with just enough citrus left to prevent the drinker from feeling like they’re chewing on pine sap. Simultaneously, the huge sugars in here play nicely off of the hops, bursting on the tongue in sweet goodness. In fact, it’s hard to imagine more flavor being crammed into a bottle. A must-try.
Aug 15, 2012On the tongue, the beer blasts away with all of the expected palate-wrecking bitterness brought by 112 IBUs: huge intercontinental ballistic pine resin and dandelion stem hop missiles shred the taste buds, with only slightly smaller grapefruit rind and eucalyptus SCUDs removing virtually all that is left. Against this massive bitter blast other notes are rather difficult to locate, but there is still a good bit of lemon and mint from the hops, as well as orange, berry, and nectarine fruits, and plenty of brown sugars. Only a slight rim of bread and toast crust translates to the tongue, the rest lost against the hop onslaught. Subsequent sips reveal a slightly larger candy sugar base, with increasing orange liqueur and berry flavors. The 12% ABV does leave a heavy fog of alcohol vapors in the mouth and nasal cavities, but this blends well with the sugars and hops, much like a good cocktail. The aftertaste is, no surprise, mainly hops, with lingering sugars and toast crust, and sticks to the tongue for a long time. Mouthfeel is a thick, sticky, oily medium to medium-heavy, and carbonation is medium.
Overall, this is excellent fare, and while the overpowering nature of the hops will make this undrinkable to anyone who can’t even take a simpler IPA, it should definitely be on the list for any serious hophead. The hops in here are well chosen to present a variety of flavors, and balanced slightly toward the more bitter of those flavors, but with just enough citrus left to prevent the drinker from feeling like they’re chewing on pine sap. Simultaneously, the huge sugars in here play nicely off of the hops, bursting on the tongue in sweet goodness. In fact, it’s hard to imagine more flavor being crammed into a bottle. A must-try.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan
4.37/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.37/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The first time I was able to try this I was on Mackinaw Island and one of the pubs had it on tap. As the Grand Hotel only had Bells Oberon (this was in late September, it was brewed in March) this was sublime. But that was before I paid attention.
Now I’ve had it fresh and aged and both are great.
The pour is a reddish tinted amber and fresh it has a dense beige head that leaves rings of lacing.
The taste, oh my. Fresh it’s a menagerie of hops that assault your mouth with no intent on letting you surrender. Piney grapefruit, herbs and grass and some flavors I still can’t describe. To top that off, it’s somehow balanced with malty flavors and rein in the bitter and provide a nice base.
Aged the malty flavors take the lead and the hops not so much fade as morph into edging for the malt flavors so it doesn’t get too sweet. Weird the way that works, but tasty!
The feel is so good for the absolute attack of flavors; medium viscosity carries them all easily and makes this a slow sipper.
Jan 05, 2024Now I’ve had it fresh and aged and both are great.
The pour is a reddish tinted amber and fresh it has a dense beige head that leaves rings of lacing.
The taste, oh my. Fresh it’s a menagerie of hops that assault your mouth with no intent on letting you surrender. Piney grapefruit, herbs and grass and some flavors I still can’t describe. To top that off, it’s somehow balanced with malty flavors and rein in the bitter and provide a nice base.
Aged the malty flavors take the lead and the hops not so much fade as morph into edging for the malt flavors so it doesn’t get too sweet. Weird the way that works, but tasty!
The feel is so good for the absolute attack of flavors; medium viscosity carries them all easily and makes this a slow sipper.
Reviewed by imscotty from Massachusetts
4.6/5 rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I am enjoying one of my 2012's right now. That's right, this beer is eleven years old. I think Devil Dancer ages just fine. Don't worry, I drink them fresh too.
I think the fresh ones have a bit of an oniony flavor. Not that I mind it. As it ages the onion fades, leaving behind all that piney, caramel, tarry beauty. Finish leaves a nice bitterness on the tongue. Lucious Mouth feel. Yum!
Yes, I confess, this is one of my old-time favorites. I do not get it very often enough now, Glad I found a dusty old one in my cellar.
Nov 06, 2023I think the fresh ones have a bit of an oniony flavor. Not that I mind it. As it ages the onion fades, leaving behind all that piney, caramel, tarry beauty. Finish leaves a nice bitterness on the tongue. Lucious Mouth feel. Yum!
Yes, I confess, this is one of my old-time favorites. I do not get it very often enough now, Glad I found a dusty old one in my cellar.
Reviewed by buckthehog from Texas
4.76/5 rDev +22.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.76/5 rDev +22.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
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.
May 18, 2023
Devil Dancer from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
5114 ratings
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