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 threeviews:
Photo of threeviews
Reviewed by threeviews from Florida

4.58/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Initial Review:

12oz bottle (Bottle On Date: 6/01/12) poured into a Spiegelau balloon glass.

A- A vigorous pour yeilds a semi-hazy (albeit suprisingly clear for a bottle conditioned beer), blood orange / copper color with just over 1-fingers worth of a light, kahki head. It should come as no surprise the head was short-lived and noticable alcohol legs coat the glass.

S- Initally, very muted...but once the head subsided and the beer settled into the glass, I get tangerine, hints of ruby red grapefruit, pine resin, oak and caramel malt. Surprisingly, it reminiscent of my favorite Imperial IPA's, Dogfish Head's Burton Baton (although much more muted than BB). If you told me this was aged on oak, I would believe you! As the brew warms (and unlike Burton Baton), alcohol becomes very evident in the aroma.

T- Sweet caramel malt gives way to a burgeoning, piney bitterness that scrubbs the palate dry. Simultaneously, alcohol heat builds in the back of the throat and warms all the way down into the chest. The hops definitely keep the malts in check, as you only perceive them in the initial stages of the sip. Although a much heftier bittering assault...yep, it continues to reinforce the similarties to Burton Baton. But where DD pummels you with bitterness, BB has more overall flavor.

M- Malt sweetness coats the tongue but your palate is ultimately left like sandpaper. A slightly heavier body and more subdued carbonation marks the most drastic differences between DD and BB.

O- If you didn't see it coming already, I cannot shake the correlation to DD and BB. That said, this is a wonderful beer, but being that it is a seasonal, limited availability and quite pricey (I've seen it range from $5 to $7+ per bottle), I just don't think it is worth the extra money (although I could only imagine the base cost to make this beer!). I will just be thankful for being able to quaff Burton Baton year-round and at a significantly lower price. Although a tremendous fan of all things Founders brews, this will be a one-time purchase for me.

Updated Review:
12oz bottle (BOD: 05-10-2016) into an IPA glass:

Although I have had the advantage of sampling this year's version more fresh than previous iterations, this is one remarkable brew. This is truly an IPA deserving of Imperial status and nothing that could be considered a "Hoppy Barleywine." Notwithstanding the heavy malt backbone (as expected), the hop profile stands up in spades: pine, bitter citrus, sweet berries and under-ripened tropical fruit all come through in both aroma and flavor.

As it warms, the alcohol is present but it provides a sweetness and dryness that hops and malt cannot alone provide. This is a massive beer and the only other "extreme" IPA that comes to mind is Molotov Cocktail (Evil Twin). However, Devil Dancer has a more gentle bitterness and possesses none of the astringent qualities that Hop Extract affords.

The ~$19.99/4Pack pricepoint is a bit steep which is the biggest detractor of this brew (and hampering my overall rating). However, it is bold enough, hoppy enough and limited enough to make it worth a purchase of a single 4-Pack.

(Grades given based on the 5-10-2016 release)
Jun 29, 2016
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