Founders Pale Ale

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

Excellent pale ale. This beer sticks out for me a bit due to its rather thicker texture. On tap from house keg. Pours a caramel yellow orange. First impressions of this beer I was slightly startled as I didn’t experience the usual refreshing and crisp finish a normal pale ale applies. I get an uniquely different reaction swallowing down this ale. You definitely notice the malty sweetness per the public advertisement. This is a great beer from a TOP TEN brewery of the United States!!

Pours yellow gold with a thin white head. Smells somewhat floral with orange peel. Tastes sweet. Some citrus with a bit of a hop bite that finishes with the a taste of bread. A very drinkable brew that goes down easy.

Bottle. Pours clear gold with a small, fizzy white head, short retention with light lacing. Aroma is fresh and fragrant floral, citrus and herbal hops with fruity esters. Flavor is medium hops and bitterness, malt support, fruity esters and a dry finish. Light body, warmth and medium carbonation.

Bottle. Pours clear gold with thin off-white head; short retention and spare lacing. Aroma is bread malt, spice, funky fruit, and slight metallic note. Flavor is malt forward with a balanced hop character, light esters, and dry finish. Medium body and carbonation with low warmth.

Marigold nose with faint hints of orange peel, not strong. Cloudy amber, thin head, full of fine floaties. Malty and grainy but offset equally with marigold. Tangy with an orange peel finish. I really do prefer more of a citrus hop. This was certainly more floral.

Poured into a Duvel tulip from a bottle with the date unreadable.

A: Hazy orange/amber with a thin white head that dissipates quickly to some lacing and a small coating.

S: Light citrus and earthy notes with a subtle sweetness to it. Inviting, I just wish it were a tad stronger.

T: A bit bland, there’s a pale malt with slight hops bitterness coming through at the end, but overall it’s a bit watery and forgettable.

M: Almost light bodied, but more to the medium bodied side. There’s light carbonation, but just barely.

O: Perhaps an old bottle, the date LOOKS like it said it’s from August of 2011, so it’s probably a bit dated though it was kept in the fridge the whole time. Either way, I don’t care much for this, there’s just not much to make me want to try it again.

Pours a rather cloudy, light, golden yellow, with a mid-sized head. Aroma is rather muted hops and floral notes. Flavor is a very toned-down IPA--some citrus (almost a lemon flavor, rather than grapefruit), some floral grassiness, hops are rather muted. Pleasant, smooth, sweet finish to the beer--not at all bitter. Very clean mouthfeel. A really nice pale ale.

12oz bottle from Pinnochio’s. Pours a hazy, light-amber color with a thin white head. Aroma is lightly hoppy, pine hops. Medium on the palate with light carbonation. Flavor is lightly bitter, hoppy, pine, a touch of malty sweetness, with a light bitter hop finish. A tasty pale ale.