Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA

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

There’s so much going on with this massive beer I almost don’t know where to start. The pour is deep, murky orange-brown, with a billowy head. Monster hop nose. First taste is a creamy, caramel maltiness, immediately followed by a cascade of hoppiness, with notes of pine, orange, grapefruit, maybe even a little ginger (?). Resiny, billowing mouthfeel. It also has some barleywine-type qualities. Aftertaste is more of the delicious, complex hop whallop. The alcohol is notable, but you’d never guess it’s 13%. Complex and intense, an absolutely amazing beer.

12oz. Bottle $12.99 Binny’s Orland Park Devil Dancer is one hell of a hop bomb. As soon as the bottle is opened the intense hoppiness makes your nose hairs stand on end. Pours a deep mahogany with a slight chill haze. A white one finger head formed on the pour and faded to a solid cap with thick head along the edges. Leaves sheet lacing after each sip that slowly falls back into the body but leaves thick drink history lines. This beer is so incredibly hoppy it actually clears your sinuses. There is a strong caramel maltiness. Strong for other beers but it doesn’t hold a candle to the hops in this monster. This beer just drips with resinous hops. There’s also that aspirin quality from the tremendous amount of hops added. Some pine needles as well. Starts with the big caramel maltiness but it’s quickly beat aside by the huge hoppiness. There is a musty woodiness that shows up just before the hops take over. Resinous hops drip from my tongue. Pine needles and some unsweetened grapefruit show up toward the end of the show. That aspirin bitterness comes by on the swallow and the hoppy bitterness just lingers and lingers. Viscous and lush mouthfeel. The carbonation is on the low end of the spectrum. As soon as this beer hits your lips and tongue they go completely numb. It’s like the first DIPA I ever expierenced but it happens everytime I drink this beer. A beating that I can’t get enough of. I know this beer is huge. I know my mouth is completely numb after the first sip. I know the alcohol is way too much to drink more than one but I can’t get enough of this stuff. I could drink it till I can’t drink anymore. One of my favorite DIPAs for the simple fact that I love to take a beating every now and again. This will certainly do that to the tastebuds. Another great beer from Founders. Everything they make is great. 5/13/07

Bottle courtesy of Moejuck: Poured a deep cloudy orangey color ale with a small white foamy head with limited retention. Aroma consists of huge bitter piney and citrus hops are dominating unsurprisingly. Body is very sweet and has a great malt backbone which provides a bit of balance with some of the hops. Body is full with some low carbonation and no alcohol could be directly noticeable, which is quite a feat at 13$ ABV. Overall, I thought this was an interesting experiment at the intersection of an IIPA, barley wine and American Strong Ale.

Perfect balance here, most IPA’s this strong tend to be way too malty for taste, not the case with devil dancer. Abv is very well hidden within monster hop bomb!

Pour was an attractive ruby and copper swirl that offered up a meager white head that ran away in a fright, as if it knew the devil himself was on its tail. The aroma was thick and luxurious. Sweet caramelly malt wrapped up in citrus (more orange than grapefruit) and piney hops. Floral hops come out to play as this one opens up. The flavor was sweet citrus and caramel that quickly have their heads cracked together by a beastly blast of hops. Clingy, thick almost syrupy mouthfeel. The alcohol is certainly present, but not in a bad way.

Like Victory Hop Devil times 3. Dark filtered amber color with minimal head. I can taste every one of the 200 IBU’s in this IPA, yet this is very smooth and drinkable. No way would I guess this is 13%.

Geeeez, this brew is huge!!! Almost over the top, but I still like it. Dark amber color - wreaks of acidic hops, reminds of dreadnaught a bit. Mouthfeel is chewy as can be - i felt like i could bite right through this one. Chomp chomp. Nice bitter and lingering finish. A tad bit too syrupy for me, but otherwise a nice one! Drink one 12 oz. and you’ll feel it.

Bottle. Packs a wallop. A really nice, (as they say) drinkable, super heavily hopped IIPA. Extreme hopiness comes off a bit harsh, lacking the balance of 3F Dreadnaught, and the alcohol is quite apparent, but this is a very nice beer.