Founders Deca

Formerly brewed at Founders Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Bottle from Capone’s. The pour was deep brownsih ruby with 2-fingers of khaki head that stayed around for a long time and reappeared with each repour (and it took me 3 or 4 repours to get through this due to the lively head retention), forming odd head shapes and leaving a solid amount of lacing for such a massive brew. The aroma was intense, initially very Dreadnaughty, with tons of caramel malt, hops, tropical fruit, figgy fruit, raisins, berries, and slight funky and spicy notes. As it warmed, the aroma subdued on the hops and acquired a greater malt presence, showing scotch aley wafts of aroma, with the figgy fruit and berries emerging as the hops took a back seat. The flavors were caramel malt up front, with a solid hop bill that paired well with the massive malt bill. As it warmed, I also noted brown sugary figgy fruit and black raspberry, followed by the hops hitting your throat like a ton of bricks, leading to a scotchy malty finish that never lost the tropical and figgy fruit flavor. The palate was very complex, very hefty, with equally massive parts of hops, malt, and fruitiness, and the malt and hops were perfectly in balance throughout. At 13% ABV, this beer is gigantic, but I never tasted any alcohol burn at all, and I sat with this one over an hour on my porch while savoring a Rocky Patel vintage 1990 cigar. I love this beer. This is another great brew from Founders, and a great way to brew a beer for your 10th anniversary.

Bottled. Amber colour, small white head. Aroma is apples, caramel, cinnamon and a lot of US hops. Flavour is hops, cinnamon, apples, hay and spices. Finish shows some slight alcohol signs.

Dark brown, mostly clear, with nearly no head. Nice, subtle nose--sweet, with hints of tobacco and raisins, slight bitterness. Flavor is relatively sweet, toffee-like, with some tobacco, leather, almonds and walnuts. Just a very light hint of some spices--anise or cardamom perhaps.

Draft at GTMW. Pours a dark reddish brown with a thin tan head. The aroma gives the first hint of the alcohol, as well as chocolate, caramel, some spices. The flavor is of deep malts. Chocolate, caramel, brown sugar. A nice clean finish with a hint of citrusy hops. No taste of the alcohol in this at all. This one could be dangerous!

Sampled at a STL beer gathering. Pours clear bronze with a small tan head. The aroma has cinnamon, sweet caramel malt, anise, allspice, coriander, dark sugar and some smooth abv warmth that works well for this beer. Medium / thick body with a minor amount of carbonation. The flavor starts with brown sugar and caramel malt, minor spice in comparison to the aroma and the gentle alcohol warmth. The finish adds light medicinal traits, more anise, molasses, dark berries and a bit of a burn. A very well made, but overpriced, beer.

Bottle: The aroma is dose of chocolate, caramel, alcohol, light spice, and faint nuttiness. It pours a transparent reddish-brown with a small off-white head. The flavor starts rather sweet with chocolate, caramel, and brown sugar. There is some light fruitiness in the background. The finish has some very light spice and citrus. The 13% is covered up very well as I do not get any alcohol in the flavor. The mouthfeel is full and syrupy with very mild carbonation.

Faint smell of dark fruits and pine hops. It pours a dark red color, with a thin tan head that quickly fades away. In tasting this, it came across as far too sweet for my tastes. Strong brown sugar, dark fruits, and a hint of spice. Nicely balanced mouthfeel, and alcohol very well hidden. I was hoping for a far hoppy beer from this one.

Bottle Chris_o Shindig. My last bottle of the day. Oaky. It’s strong and hoppy, toffee. This is crazy. Great toffee and hop. Really intense, but drinkable. After this I had to go to bed.