Dankwood | Founders Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Founders Brewing Company
Michigan, United States
foundersbrewing.com
Style: American Imperial Red Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 12.20%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
What do you get when a big, bold imperial red IPA meets an oak bourbon barrel? A palate stunner that’ll send your senses spinning or, as we like to call it, Dankwood. Rich caramel notes emerge from the depths of the IPA, highlighting strong malt character while the bourbon barrel-aging develops the complexity. A dank, sticky and slightly sweet sipper, Dankwood is the perfect alchemy of wood and hops.
Added by DISKORD on 01-26-2018
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 567 | Reviews: 177
3.71/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Another high ABV barrel aged brew from Founders. Great products.
65 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Another high ABV barrel aged brew from Founders. Great products.
65 characters
4.29/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.36/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.64/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
Bottled on 4-4-18
Consumed on 12-14-18
- Pours a hazy red with a off white brownish fluffy head.
- Smells of malt. Sugary nutty malts.
- Strong malts with heavy balance of hops. Bitter back tongue feel
- Lighter feel. Low carbonation.
- solid overall beer. Real strong beer.
276 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
Bottled on 4-4-18
Consumed on 12-14-18
- Pours a hazy red with a off white brownish fluffy head.
- Smells of malt. Sugary nutty malts.
- Strong malts with heavy balance of hops. Bitter back tongue feel
- Lighter feel. Low carbonation.
- solid overall beer. Real strong beer.
276 characters
4.34/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
It's into the Woods for me on this New Barrel-Aged Beer Sunday (Week 720)! I had a false start last week as my intendeds were not new (to me), but simply new vintages. 8=( This week, I am getting it right, I am getting right & I am definitely getting it on!
From the Bottle: "What do you get when a big, bold imperial red IPA meets an oak bourbon barrel? A palate stunner that’ll send your senses spinning or, as we like to call it, Dankwood. Rich caramel notes emerge from the depths of the IPA, highlighting strong malt character while the bourbon barrel-aging develops the complexity. A dank, sticky and slightly sweet sipper, Dankwood is the perfect alchemy of wood and hops."
Man, I wanted my palate stunned in the worst way! I had to Pop! the cap first, though & follow this seismic action with a slow, gentle C-Line pour since that last one is still working its magic on me. Like, wow, man! It presented mw with just over a finger of dense, foamy, rocky, light-tan head with decent retention, but loads of lacing in its wake. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity, reminiscent of Linda Lou's hair. She was a well-built redhead who I almost married back in 1993 but she left me for some Jody M/F while I was on deployment! If the previous beer started out sweet, thanks to Mosaic hops & aging in rum barrels, this came out of a wooden gate. There was no question that it had been wood barrel aged! 8=O Yum. I do not know that I would have said "bourbon" from the nose, but it had a pleasant booziness, not at all sharp like the previous one. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, much more in keeping with what I was expecting. I did not have it super cold, but it was still chilled as I took my first sip. Immediately, I identified bourbon. Once again & I hate to keep picking on their Barrel Runner, but some things work while others do not. 8=( And not just bourbon, either, as the woodiness from the barrel aging was also evident. I will grant them "caramel" as well as "dank [&] sticky", but I did not find it to be even "slightly sweet". Instead, it had a dank, woody dryness with a bourbon cast that reminded me to keep on sippin'. I was off of distilled liquor for a long time, both due to too many mishaps (ahem!) & the increasing prevalence of craft beer in the late-1980s. Since then, between a resurgence of local distilling & the return of Rye Whisky, I have returned to the occasional dram or two. I still do not have a taste for bourbon, but this flavor worked well with this beer. I was transfixed (or was it poleaxed?) by the pleasantness imparted in this one. Sweet was NOT the order of the day as wood, caramel (only slightly sweet) & bourbon liquor ruled this rued, rude, rouge (red) day. I jest, of course. As with most things in life, I wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun. This presented me with a very pleasant, not overly boozy, second course to the day. It baffles me as to how they could get one so right and another so wrong. As I approached the finish, I began to get coconut, which is a standard for me & bourbon barrel-aged beers. It was like the welcome return of an old friend, home for the holidays! Perhaps I should lay in another bottle, just in case someone should drop by/in. Finish was semi-dry to dry & I remain perplexed & poleaxed by their mention of "slightly sweet". Rubbish! That sort of thinking could lead us all astray! YMMV, but if it does, I am disinterested. Carry on smartly, lads!
3,480 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
It's into the Woods for me on this New Barrel-Aged Beer Sunday (Week 720)! I had a false start last week as my intendeds were not new (to me), but simply new vintages. 8=( This week, I am getting it right, I am getting right & I am definitely getting it on!
From the Bottle: "What do you get when a big, bold imperial red IPA meets an oak bourbon barrel? A palate stunner that’ll send your senses spinning or, as we like to call it, Dankwood. Rich caramel notes emerge from the depths of the IPA, highlighting strong malt character while the bourbon barrel-aging develops the complexity. A dank, sticky and slightly sweet sipper, Dankwood is the perfect alchemy of wood and hops."
Man, I wanted my palate stunned in the worst way! I had to Pop! the cap first, though & follow this seismic action with a slow, gentle C-Line pour since that last one is still working its magic on me. Like, wow, man! It presented mw with just over a finger of dense, foamy, rocky, light-tan head with decent retention, but loads of lacing in its wake. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity, reminiscent of Linda Lou's hair. She was a well-built redhead who I almost married back in 1993 but she left me for some Jody M/F while I was on deployment! If the previous beer started out sweet, thanks to Mosaic hops & aging in rum barrels, this came out of a wooden gate. There was no question that it had been wood barrel aged! 8=O Yum. I do not know that I would have said "bourbon" from the nose, but it had a pleasant booziness, not at all sharp like the previous one. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, much more in keeping with what I was expecting. I did not have it super cold, but it was still chilled as I took my first sip. Immediately, I identified bourbon. Once again & I hate to keep picking on their Barrel Runner, but some things work while others do not. 8=( And not just bourbon, either, as the woodiness from the barrel aging was also evident. I will grant them "caramel" as well as "dank [&] sticky", but I did not find it to be even "slightly sweet". Instead, it had a dank, woody dryness with a bourbon cast that reminded me to keep on sippin'. I was off of distilled liquor for a long time, both due to too many mishaps (ahem!) & the increasing prevalence of craft beer in the late-1980s. Since then, between a resurgence of local distilling & the return of Rye Whisky, I have returned to the occasional dram or two. I still do not have a taste for bourbon, but this flavor worked well with this beer. I was transfixed (or was it poleaxed?) by the pleasantness imparted in this one. Sweet was NOT the order of the day as wood, caramel (only slightly sweet) & bourbon liquor ruled this rued, rude, rouge (red) day. I jest, of course. As with most things in life, I wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun. This presented me with a very pleasant, not overly boozy, second course to the day. It baffles me as to how they could get one so right and another so wrong. As I approached the finish, I began to get coconut, which is a standard for me & bourbon barrel-aged beers. It was like the welcome return of an old friend, home for the holidays! Perhaps I should lay in another bottle, just in case someone should drop by/in. Finish was semi-dry to dry & I remain perplexed & poleaxed by their mention of "slightly sweet". Rubbish! That sort of thinking could lead us all astray! YMMV, but if it does, I am disinterested. Carry on smartly, lads!
3,480 characters
3.42/5 rDev -16%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
4.38/5 rDev +7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.75/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
L: Pours a dark amber-brown, moderately opaque. Good foamy, head about 2 fingers thick.
S: Smokey, Oaky aroma in the foreground. Has subtle hints of vanilla, grapefruit, and orange peel.
T: Very oaky and alcohol in the front, which matures into a bitter citrus aftertaste. Oof, a sipper to be sure.
F: The carbonation holds up well for the ABV, and adds a little bit of a crispness to it. Kinda stings on the way down though, as the alcohol is really showing itself on this one.
O: Pretty good. Going through this one slowly though.
Cheers,
-B
543 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
L: Pours a dark amber-brown, moderately opaque. Good foamy, head about 2 fingers thick.
S: Smokey, Oaky aroma in the foreground. Has subtle hints of vanilla, grapefruit, and orange peel.
T: Very oaky and alcohol in the front, which matures into a bitter citrus aftertaste. Oof, a sipper to be sure.
F: The carbonation holds up well for the ABV, and adds a little bit of a crispness to it. Kinda stings on the way down though, as the alcohol is really showing itself on this one.
O: Pretty good. Going through this one slowly though.
Cheers,
-B
543 characters
3.99/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Murky ice tea pour sits an even murkier brown presence in the vessel. A creamy bronze-dark tan head is barely 1/4 inch atop, lapsing relatively quickly. A slow creeping fine mist of effervesce fills the vessel with a dreary nature within. Creamy smooth milk coating covers the vessel for remaining lace.
S: Heavy wiffs of bourbon and sweet caramel can be first had on the nose. Sweet cola and vanilla mingle with good results with some mossy/peat contributions of average strength. Holds rather well.
T: Dank and creamy bourbon marshmallow with sweet crystal/caramel malts are first on the tongue. Spicy brown sugar and alcohol with sweet vanilla-toffee and molasses. Peppery citrus and pine hops adds earthy and an ever green feel, along with some anise and a buttery smoked oak barrel presence. Cinnamon spice, fennel and some alcohol glow along with some dank, juicy hop resins finish out.
M: Medium body is creamy with depth, fluffy soft with a light mixture of carbonation. Doughy and malty.
O: Overall a nice lasting bourbon breath comes on the finish to remind you of the aging factor and relative generous bourbon influence this beer has. Sweet with spicy nature of cinnamon and caramel with a toasted dry barrel wood dryness gives this a great and smooth taste throughout. Bot. 4.18.18. Consumed 11.21.18. Loved the creamy marshmallow like base and bourbon influence, makes for a slow, and gentle sipper of boozy nature by the fire side on a first winter snowfall.
1,484 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Murky ice tea pour sits an even murkier brown presence in the vessel. A creamy bronze-dark tan head is barely 1/4 inch atop, lapsing relatively quickly. A slow creeping fine mist of effervesce fills the vessel with a dreary nature within. Creamy smooth milk coating covers the vessel for remaining lace.
S: Heavy wiffs of bourbon and sweet caramel can be first had on the nose. Sweet cola and vanilla mingle with good results with some mossy/peat contributions of average strength. Holds rather well.
T: Dank and creamy bourbon marshmallow with sweet crystal/caramel malts are first on the tongue. Spicy brown sugar and alcohol with sweet vanilla-toffee and molasses. Peppery citrus and pine hops adds earthy and an ever green feel, along with some anise and a buttery smoked oak barrel presence. Cinnamon spice, fennel and some alcohol glow along with some dank, juicy hop resins finish out.
M: Medium body is creamy with depth, fluffy soft with a light mixture of carbonation. Doughy and malty.
O: Overall a nice lasting bourbon breath comes on the finish to remind you of the aging factor and relative generous bourbon influence this beer has. Sweet with spicy nature of cinnamon and caramel with a toasted dry barrel wood dryness gives this a great and smooth taste throughout. Bot. 4.18.18. Consumed 11.21.18. Loved the creamy marshmallow like base and bourbon influence, makes for a slow, and gentle sipper of boozy nature by the fire side on a first winter snowfall.
1,484 characters
4.05/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.2/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottled on 04/23/18, it pours red purple looking color with a 1-2 finger thick sand colored head that was packed with bubbles of all sizes, dissipating very slowly and really good foam lacing coating the sides. Impressive for barrel aged red ale.
Smells of oak, caramel, toffee, dark rum, piney notes, rose pedals, tea leaf, bourbon, syrup soaked French toast, orange peel, herbs, earthy tones and then faint peat moss. Very interesting and all over the place in a good way, as the hops, floral notes and bourbon barrel elements work well together.
Tastes of toffee, vanilla, woody/oaky notes, bourbon or dark rum, peat moss, brown sugar, rich boozy malts, orange peel, wet floral hops, mineral water, red grapefruit, pine cones, grass, teal leaf and light peppery spices. It's an odd mix of malty sweetness, strong booze and dank hops that is never cloyingly sweet but seems to caramelize and get a little sweeter as it warms up. Light coconut and roasty flavors come out as the sweetness fades, with a slight bitterness and a dry feel as the brew goes away. You can taste the bourbon, but it's not hot and actually on the smoother side.
Mouthfeel is creamy smooth and almost slick feeling as it goes down, with lots of malt and bourbon barrel aspects throughout. The hop and oak serve up lots of complexities and even some nutty hints as it fades. Not sure I could have more than one in a sitting and wish I would have split this bottle, but it was a nice offering overall.
1,480 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottled on 04/23/18, it pours red purple looking color with a 1-2 finger thick sand colored head that was packed with bubbles of all sizes, dissipating very slowly and really good foam lacing coating the sides. Impressive for barrel aged red ale.
Smells of oak, caramel, toffee, dark rum, piney notes, rose pedals, tea leaf, bourbon, syrup soaked French toast, orange peel, herbs, earthy tones and then faint peat moss. Very interesting and all over the place in a good way, as the hops, floral notes and bourbon barrel elements work well together.
Tastes of toffee, vanilla, woody/oaky notes, bourbon or dark rum, peat moss, brown sugar, rich boozy malts, orange peel, wet floral hops, mineral water, red grapefruit, pine cones, grass, teal leaf and light peppery spices. It's an odd mix of malty sweetness, strong booze and dank hops that is never cloyingly sweet but seems to caramelize and get a little sweeter as it warms up. Light coconut and roasty flavors come out as the sweetness fades, with a slight bitterness and a dry feel as the brew goes away. You can taste the bourbon, but it's not hot and actually on the smoother side.
Mouthfeel is creamy smooth and almost slick feeling as it goes down, with lots of malt and bourbon barrel aspects throughout. The hop and oak serve up lots of complexities and even some nutty hints as it fades. Not sure I could have more than one in a sitting and wish I would have split this bottle, but it was a nice offering overall.
1,480 characters
Dankwood from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.07 out of
5 with
567 ratings
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