Founder's Devil Dancer

Beer: Founder's Devil Dancer
Brewery Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Beer Style: Double/Imperial IPA
ABV: 13%




I was trying to figure out how to start this post about this beer, but Founder's sums it up pretty damn well.

"Founders most complex, most innovative, most feared and yet most revered ale produced. Massive in complexity the huge malt character balances the insane amount of alpha's used to create this monster. More IBU's than any brewery has documented, more than you would believe and dry-hopped for twenty-six days straight with a combination of 10 hop varieties. Dangerously drinkable and deliciously evil. We dare you to dance with the Devil."

I missed the boat getting a bottle of this last time it came out, but I wasn't going to miss the boat this year. I bought the very first four pack that Party Pak had before it even hit the shelves (at least that is what the guy told me as he handed me a four pack of it from the box on the floor).

Founder's stock is quickly rising in my book. I have yet to have a beer from Founder's that I wasn't a fan of. Even beer styles that I thought I would hate, Founder's changed my mind on those styles. I am particularly thinking of Red Rye, Black Rye, and Rubaeus. Particularly I was thinking that Rubaeus would taste like a teenage malt beverage, but it is a great summer beer that delivers a great raspberry flavor with a solid ale base that is tart and not cloyingly sweet. I dare say that Founders is my second favorite brewery behind Three Floyd's.

The beer pours a rusted orange/amber hue with a thin tan head. There is no lacing to speak of during the beer. The nose on this beer is about as complex as you will find in a beer. I think this smells more like a barleywine than an IIPA. The heaviest scents include the very rich maltiness with heavy tropical fruit, resinous pine, and sweet caramel. There is also a cognac like booze smell coming from this beer. Each time I put my nose into it I get something new! The nose is really well done on this one. The flavor profile is equally as intense. For an IIPA the taste is more malt based on this beer. The malt is the heavy hitter here with flavors of caramel and brown sugar and rum soaked raisins. The hop profile comes in after a few seconds but plays second to the malt profile. The hop profile tastes of fresh grapefruit rind and sticky pine. There is some sharp alcohol flavor as well, but in no ways takes away from this beer but adds another unique quality to this beer. This beer will challenge your palate. I don't think this beer crosses the "boozy" line on the mouthfeel, but I personally don't mind the alcohol on the mouthfeel. This beer is full-bodied and has a velvety texture. I will stop praising this beer when it comes to drinkability though. At 13% you wouldn't last very long with many of these. I had one 12 ounce bottle and that was enough for me for a while.

This beer was amazingly intense and well done. I still think it tasted more like a barleywine than an IIPA, but that is just my take. Another beer that would best enjoyed by "big beer" lovers. This is a little pricey at 15 bucks a four pack, but after having this beer I think it was well worth it.

Cheers!
Matt