Founder's Devil Dancer '14: a completely different beer?

I agree that the hops aren't all up in your face like you would expect. Still pretty good although I like Old Curmudge better this year.

 

Every time I have contacted a brewery about a seasonal, I've received the reply, "It's the same recipe as last year."

Is it possible that your palate has changed? Or your memory isn't what you think it is?

 

How often do you contact Founders?

 

You probably had the '11, which was liquid onion garbage juice when it was fresh. The '12 wasn't oniony at all.

 

I'm usually in the "your palate changed, not the beer" camp, but I've found that Devil Dancer varies greatly from year to year.

 

I've always thought it wasn't that great

 

I picked up a couple of bottles yesterday (bottle date 5/20/14). I plan on opening one this weekend. Doesn't sound how I remember, but still looking forward it. Will report back...

 

am i the only one who thinks this beer is, & always has been, atrocious?

 

I agree with OP, but I think it's changed for the better. This year's tastes distinctly better than the years past. Prior years were almost drain pours for me, but 2014 seems much smoother. Will be interested to see what other BAs think of this batch as opposed to previous years.

 

Absolutely not.

 

i liked DD, but i passed on a 4 pack this year, got a single bottle, enjoyed it, but would rather pick up Double crooked tree or Molotov cocktail.

 

I've always found devil dancer to be very sweet with less bitterness/hops to speak of...definitely a good beer but not what a look for in an ipa (enter Triple Sunshine)

 

I don't usually get involved in these sorts of discussions. And when I do, I usually fall into the "your palate has changed" camp.

But is it possible that if the recipe is not different, the ingredients are? I mean, hops are plants, and they are harvested each year. And soil and other conditions so change from year to year. And that can affect the taste of hops, like any other herb or vegetable. Correct? Is it possible that the growing conditions this past season were such that the hops tasted different as a result?

I'm just asking. So frequently, there is an assumption that a brewer has changed a recipe or something about the brewing process. But so rarely does there seem to be an acknowledgement that hops and malts are plants--living organisms whose qualities are subject to change at any time.

 

Keep in mind that Devil Dancer has never been an easy beer to drink.

I'm a fan, but I'll admit that I force myself to think of DD as an American Barleywine, not an IPA. That changes how I evaluate it as compared to say Bigfoot or Ruffian.

That said, I tend to cellar a few bottles to try over the years. Last year's is showing far more onion, grass, pine and overall hop presence than this year's fresh. Malt/sweetness levels are about the same - thick, syrupy, viscous. It's also a lot less boozy this year (not a bad thing).

 

absolutely. I believe that this can be the case,and perhaps IS the case quite often.

 

Yep... drain pour for me.

 

Very good point. Wine certainly falls into this category, so yeah, why not hops/beer?

 

Absolutely Not x 2