Devil Dancer
Founders Brewing Company

Devil DancerDevil Dancer
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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:
5,114
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:
Photo of 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
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, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of Whyteboar
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
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, 2024
Photo of imscotty
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
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, 2023
 
Rated: 3.83 by scottyshades from Florida

Jul 02, 2023
Photo of buckthehog
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
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
 
Rated: 3.73 by DOCRW from Kentucky

May 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.16 by SoundMakesSense from Indiana

Mar 05, 2023
 
Rated: 3.73 by Slyde180 from Texas

Jan 21, 2023
 
Rated: 3.94 by carolinabeerguy from North Carolina

Jan 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.23 by dms1767 from Nebraska

Oct 20, 2022
 
Rated: 3.34 by not2quick from Missouri

Jul 13, 2022
 
Rated: 3.06 by Danny27

Jun 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by doctorgary from New York

Oct 31, 2021
 
Rated: 3.61 by Urs from Connecticut

Jul 16, 2021
 
Rated: 4.13 by Sinister from New York

Feb 21, 2021
 
Rated: 2.93 by eagles22 from Pennsylvania

Dec 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.14 by Sellen from Connecticut

Jul 05, 2020
 
Rated: 3.82 by AmeriCanadian from Tennessee

Jun 07, 2020
 
Rated: 3.27 by WickedBeer from Alabama

May 16, 2020
 
Rated: 3.83 by cgrunin from Texas

May 08, 2020
Devil Dancer from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 5114 ratings