Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Bottle from pantanap - thanks, Kan! Fine looking ruby pour with almost no head. The aroma is malty to some extent, but of course - at apparently over 200 IBUs (hmmmm) - it’s mostly a hop-roundhouse to the face. Part of me thinks these triple IPAs just don’t work, as they’re amped up to the point where they’re astringent. But on the other hand, the sizzling pucker in the middle balanced by malts at the back is a bit impressive. Maybe I should’ve been more patient and aged this a full year. Good stuff anyways.

Lucky to get a four of this in trade. Super flavorful with lots of hops. Aroma strong of alcohol and hops with some malt sweetness. Very strong and delicious taste. Dangerous as it doesn’t taste as storng as it is. Complexity of woodiness, food, bitter and sweet. Very Nice. Had on draft @ Sunset and bottles in trade. Mostly the same experience.

Bottle thanks to xnoxhatex in trade. Extremely syrupy pour, looks very viscous; hazy amber brown color with a small vanilla lacing on the glass rim. Aroma....holy crap! Exploding with fresh floral hops, grapefruit, orange peel, butterscotch and crystal malts. I could literally smell this stuff from 3 feet away. The first sip is a straight knock to the dome! Wow, what an insanely bitter beer, but I like it! Crammed with hoppy goodness. Nutty and earthy crystal malt tones subdue the intense ABV, so it finishes quite nicely, with the IBU’s pounding your palate for minutes afterward. I am impressed at how such a monster can be balanced. An intense beer in every aspect, I guess its meant to be / meant not to be for some people. Im stoked on it.

Bottled. Thx Mrsiblursi. Red-brown colour with bubbly head. Aggressive hoparoma with notes of oranges, flowers, chocolate and alcohol. Thick, syrupy mouthfeel with big malt sweetness and orangey, piney hops. Bit smokey and clearly alcoholic. Very bitter, almost salty, but pretty much backed up by the sweetness. Lots of toffee here as well, with hints of canned pears.

(Bottle, thanks hopscotch) Pours light hazy brown with red highlights. Extreme and fat balance between surupy malt and bitter resiny hops in the aroma. Salty, peppery, resiny pine, bitter herbs and grapefruit like hops along with some malty tones of syrup, caramel, toffee and light chocolate. Complex fruit tones of pears, apples, mild strawberries and apricots. Syrupy caramel and toffee-ish malt in flavour along with a strong hop backbone of grapefruit, resiny pine, bitter herbs and flowers. Medium to heavy sweet and medium to heavy bitter. Sticky and alcohol-ish mouthfeel. Near full mouthfeel. The malt profile is of an English BW with an aggressive US hop touch. Yeah!

12 oz bottle from Lush on roscoe in Chicago. Deep red-like amber, hazy with small creamy beige head. Aroma is a lot of grapefruit, probably the most I’ve ever gotten before, light citrus manages to sneak its head in there as well, though very distinct, like when you pick an orange off a tree and there is that little spray, interesty sweet fruity alc smell as well. Flavor is basically the tastiest grapefruit juice I’ve ever had, same citrus flavors as was in the aroma, mild bitterness-like pine, strong caramel, mild very well hidden alc. Medium to light body with light carbonation. This beer is a whole lot of first times for a beer for me, a first time to have aroma quite like this, first time I’ve had a flavor like this, and a first in a color for an IIPA. It’s pretty amazing they could balance such a hoppy beer so well and with such a mild alc presence. And no burn. This is quite an accomplishment in beer making.

Bottle, laid down for about 16 months.. A logical extension of the Imperial IPA concept, this is a big, palate-crunching beer. Pours a deep ruby. Minimal head, but ample carbonation. Malt evident in nose, with a sweet, carmel-ish aroma jumping from the (tulip) glass. The hopping rate is nothing short of huge, but given the amount of malt in this monster, it balances out nicely. Finishes with lots of hops tickling the tongue. At 13% abv, you’re not advised to drink too many of these in a session. In fact, it’s more of a closer, as it will ruin your taste buds for just about any beer that follows. I’d place it as a ’special occasion/share with a friend’ sort of brew.

Dark and cloudy amber with small head. Very sweet and sugary malt aroma with sharp C hop aroma. Holy hop momma....the bitterness hits you immediately.Sharp c hop taste is definitely over the top, but enjoyable it that’s your thing(yeah, it’s mine too). Lots of citrus, but the caramel is never too far behind. Not sure you could balance a beer with this many hops much better.