I purchased this recently, bottled 5/7/12, and when I poured it, the beer was full of particles. It wasn't ice, and didn't seem to affect the taste, but I'm still curious. Anyone else have this experience with this fine company? I've had their Scotch Ale, Dirty Bastard and loved it, so I was left perplexed.
I'm not too familiar with that beer, but my guess would be its some combination of yeast, coagulated hop resins, and other compounds that coagulate over time commonly referred to as "floaties." It won't kill you and if it doesn't affect the taste there's nothing to worry about. Next time try to buy a fresher one
I have floaties in some aged Backwoods Bastards from 2011. Doesn't change the taste, just looks funny. However, you bought a pale ale that is 10 months old, so not sure about that. Crappy that stores have Pale Ales that old on shelves still.
Usually the floaties will settle to the bottom while on the store shelf, and you can gently pour the beer off of the sediment and leave the last half ounce behind. (This should be standard practice for all beers unless you like the yeast for flavor or nutritional value.) So I'm guessing that something disturbed the beer to cause the sediment to be disturbed. Rough handling of the bottle just before opening, or a fast pour are the likely causes.
I believe those are particles of "awesomeness" which Founders uses as as key ingredient in the brewing process. Seriously, those floaties are just sediment settling in unfiltered beers as others have stated. No harm in them as long as you don't mind them. And they can be handled as stated above if they do.
