Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA

Sampled on 12/13/2006: Founder’s Devil Dancer Triple IPA pours out in a syrupy ribbon and is a clear, reddish honey color with a yellowish/orange-colored crown. The aroma is brown sugar (sweet malt) and some fruit. The flavor is rich and malty with a complex hop flavor (blended citrus, pine, resin, grass, some floral qualites) and a moderate bitterness. The finish is long and starts with the sweet caramel malt and moves to a dry, resinous hop bitterness. Very good! This bottle must have a year or two of age on it because it has a bit of that "aged fruit" flavor and the bitterness is really somewhat mild (nowhere near 200 IBUs!). Regardless, this beer is extremely well balanced and quite enjoyable to drink. The alcohol is barely detectable for the 13% ABV that’s supposedly hidding in it! It is full bodied and very smooth on the palate. The warmer this beer gets, the more and more it reminds me of a Barley Wine rather than a Triple IPA... I bet this stuff is really different and just as good, if not better, when it is super fresh. The Devil gets a bit tamer with age, but it does age really nicely... 12 oz bottle from Styles via trade. Thanks Chris! Rating: 8 4 8 4 17 = 4.1.

Sampled again on 1/14/2007 from 12 oz bottles at Lance’s "Harvest Ale" homebrew day. Lance shared two bottles from different years with us. Thanks for the side-by-side tasting treat Lance!

2005: Dark amber brown color that’s murky at first, but seems to clear up some. Sweet aroma, some citrus hops and caramel malt. The flavor also has a lot of that great "aged fruit" flavor. There is still a lot of alcohol bite in this one! The bitterness has mellowed out some, but it is still pretty aggressive! Thick and syrup-like on the palate.

2006: Lighter brown amber color with a creamy ivory-colored head. The sweet citrus, pine, and resin hops are still quite vibrant in the aroma and flavor. The bitterness is intense, but still doesn’t seem like it’s anywhere near 200+ IBUs. It must be the equally intense sweet caramel maltiness that helps keep this beer in balance. This bottle seemed a bit nicer (less alcohol bite) and better balanced than the 2005, but they are both very good in their own ways. It’s amazing how much the same beer can vary from year to year and/or change with some age on it. The original rating remains unchanged...

Bottle,(Thanks Emily!!) pours hazy ruby/copper, with a small beige head. The aroma is strong on pine, as well as dark fruit, sweet malts, and alcohol. Almost like a heavily hopped barley wine. The flavor is sweet malty smoothness, with strong piney/citrusy hops that create a battle for control of the palate, it finishes with a nice warmth from the alcohol. Devil Dancer is a very appropriate name.

Reminds me of Yulesmith (winter), very much a hoppy BW. Dark copper color, no head. A thick pour. Strong pine aroma kind of covers up any malt aroma. Strong, kind of makes you quiver after every sip, high IBU. Still a very good beer.

Thanks to buckybeer for the bottle. Pours hazy copper with a big head that leaves much lacing. Aroma is grassy and pine hops. Tastes grassy and citrus with a little malt sweetness. Awesome beer.

Pure ruby body with zero head. Slightly piney aroma, though very sweet. Heaily hopped beer with spices in addition to the pine. Sweet ending, but a bit dry. I’m not sure if I can say it’s more bitter than others I’ve had regardless of the 200+ IBU count, but I do know that your tastebuds are destroyed after having this one (make sure to make it the last beer of the night).

very thick beer especially for being an ipa. very very strong alchol content. it is a highly recommended beer from one of michigans top breweries

Deep burgandy, decent head. Juicy, resiny, woodsy aroma. Nicely slick, viscous palate. Nicely sweet up front, with a noticeable maple note. Big, sitcky piney hop bitterness at the end. Thanks, Secret Santa!

Nicely done. Great aroma and flavor. Huge hop character. 13% doesn’t show, except for a nice slight warming in the finish.