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Devil Dancer
Founders Brewing Company
- From:
- Founders Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
Ranked #1,913 - ABV:
- 12%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.9 | pDev: 13.33%
- Reviews:
- 1,499
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 05, 2024
- Added:
- May 17, 2004
- Wants:
- 346
- Gots:
- 1,159
Triple IPA. Dry-hopped for twenty-six days straight with a combination of 10 hop varieties. 112 actual IBU; although it calculates to over 200!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by airheadmtrcycle:
Reviewed by airheadmtrcycle from Georgia
3.73/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
3.73/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Picked up the last 4-pack at Tower on Piedmont in Atlanta. They were limiting one 4-pack per customer. The price was over $18, well out of my budget, but greed and curiosity overtook me. Poured into a Sierra Nevada becker. Devil Dancer is a deep orange or copper color, but with decent clarity. The head is adequate and recedes very quickly.
The aroma is strong and pungent. Almost an equal mix of caramel, hops (see below) and a spicy alcohol note. The flavor follows with robust caramel and rum. The hop flavors are not familiar to me. I recognize that there is a ton of hops in this beer, but they are not quickly identifiable as piney or citrus or other hop flavors I'm used to. Very different from other highly hopped beers like Hop Slam or Double Trouble. Here the malts and other flavors receive equal billing if not dominate. There's also a boozy component that exerts itself. Quite surprising that this beer has such a high IBU value. I'm not picking up on it right away like I expected. Even the finish seems less bitter than spicy. There is a bitter finish, don't get me wrong, but it shares flavors with an alcohol spiciness.
The mouth feel is Devil Dancer's best attribute, in my opinion. It's heavier than medium yet smooth as can be. The alcohol goes down with absolutely no trouble. For a "big beer" it's easily drinkable. More-so than other big beers I've had lately, namely Sam Adams Wee Heavy.
Overall, not a bad beer, but not worth the asking price. However, it's quite drinkable and may appeal to many who like extreme beers.
Jul 14, 2011The aroma is strong and pungent. Almost an equal mix of caramel, hops (see below) and a spicy alcohol note. The flavor follows with robust caramel and rum. The hop flavors are not familiar to me. I recognize that there is a ton of hops in this beer, but they are not quickly identifiable as piney or citrus or other hop flavors I'm used to. Very different from other highly hopped beers like Hop Slam or Double Trouble. Here the malts and other flavors receive equal billing if not dominate. There's also a boozy component that exerts itself. Quite surprising that this beer has such a high IBU value. I'm not picking up on it right away like I expected. Even the finish seems less bitter than spicy. There is a bitter finish, don't get me wrong, but it shares flavors with an alcohol spiciness.
The mouth feel is Devil Dancer's best attribute, in my opinion. It's heavier than medium yet smooth as can be. The alcohol goes down with absolutely no trouble. For a "big beer" it's easily drinkable. More-so than other big beers I've had lately, namely Sam Adams Wee Heavy.
Overall, not a bad beer, but not worth the asking price. However, it's quite drinkable and may appeal to many who like extreme beers.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan
4.37/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.37/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The first time I was able to try this I was on Mackinaw Island and one of the pubs had it on tap. As the Grand Hotel only had Bells Oberon (this was in late September, it was brewed in March) this was sublime. But that was before I paid attention.
Now I’ve had it fresh and aged and both are great.
The pour is a reddish tinted amber and fresh it has a dense beige head that leaves rings of lacing.
The taste, oh my. Fresh it’s a menagerie of hops that assault your mouth with no intent on letting you surrender. Piney grapefruit, herbs and grass and some flavors I still can’t describe. To top that off, it’s somehow balanced with malty flavors and rein in the bitter and provide a nice base.
Aged the malty flavors take the lead and the hops not so much fade as morph into edging for the malt flavors so it doesn’t get too sweet. Weird the way that works, but tasty!
The feel is so good for the absolute attack of flavors; medium viscosity carries them all easily and makes this a slow sipper.
Jan 05, 2024Now I’ve had it fresh and aged and both are great.
The pour is a reddish tinted amber and fresh it has a dense beige head that leaves rings of lacing.
The taste, oh my. Fresh it’s a menagerie of hops that assault your mouth with no intent on letting you surrender. Piney grapefruit, herbs and grass and some flavors I still can’t describe. To top that off, it’s somehow balanced with malty flavors and rein in the bitter and provide a nice base.
Aged the malty flavors take the lead and the hops not so much fade as morph into edging for the malt flavors so it doesn’t get too sweet. Weird the way that works, but tasty!
The feel is so good for the absolute attack of flavors; medium viscosity carries them all easily and makes this a slow sipper.
Reviewed by imscotty from Massachusetts
4.6/5 rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I am enjoying one of my 2012's right now. That's right, this beer is eleven years old. I think Devil Dancer ages just fine. Don't worry, I drink them fresh too.
I think the fresh ones have a bit of an oniony flavor. Not that I mind it. As it ages the onion fades, leaving behind all that piney, caramel, tarry beauty. Finish leaves a nice bitterness on the tongue. Lucious Mouth feel. Yum!
Yes, I confess, this is one of my old-time favorites. I do not get it very often enough now, Glad I found a dusty old one in my cellar.
Nov 06, 2023I think the fresh ones have a bit of an oniony flavor. Not that I mind it. As it ages the onion fades, leaving behind all that piney, caramel, tarry beauty. Finish leaves a nice bitterness on the tongue. Lucious Mouth feel. Yum!
Yes, I confess, this is one of my old-time favorites. I do not get it very often enough now, Glad I found a dusty old one in my cellar.
Reviewed by buckthehog from Texas
4.76/5 rDev +22.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.76/5 rDev +22.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Drinking this triple ipa with my boys Keith and Greg on the patio on a hot summer night in Dallas brings back great memories. So dank and so dirty. Like the pine tar from George Brett’s bat mixed with the sweat from a Neanderthal woman. Physically and psychologically one of my favorite dirty bird beers ever. I love you Founders.
May 18, 2023
Devil Dancer from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
5114 ratings
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