Founders Devil Dancer - Founders Brewing Company

mattcrill

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Long awaited for me and a pre-Happy Birthday present to me thanks to cmaruschak.

Appearance: Pours a dark amber color with a thick sudsy white head. The head doesn't last long at all. It's not cloudy but it's so dense that no light gets through.

Smell: Disturbingly sweet (dare I say 120 minute-ish??). All I'm really getting are some carmel malts and a brush of alcohol.

Taste: An interesting and messy balance of carmel malts and some bittering hops. Carmel and bitterness are the overpowering characteristics here. No citrus hop presence to speak of at all. A touch of peppery spiciness is noted throughout.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and a little oily.

Drinkability: Suffers some due to the high ABV. No alcohol is noted on the palate but b/c of the huge malt and hop bill, this is one to sip. A little too sweet for me and almost cloying. The hops definitely serve to help tone it down. This is definitely a challenge to the palate. Very cool in theory but I think the application is a little shaky. Careful with this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2005 19:42:43 | More by mattcrill

ClearDog

Wisconsin

4.6/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've heard rumors for quite a while about Founders Devil Dancer coming to Wisconsin, but today was finally the day. Purchased a 4-pack at Discount Liquor in Milwaukee for $11.99 plus tax.

Appearance -- Poured deep golden amber with a respectful head but it didn't last for long. Great oily lacing.

Smell -- Hops baby! Hops! Smelled of dense warm hops. Hints of alcohol.

Taste -- Awesome! This is a hop head's wet dream. Really bitter hops with a warm alcohol finish. Hints of citrus at the end.

Mouthfeel -- Heavy and creamy . . . very nice.

Drinkability -- I loved it! No doubt I'd love to have another one, but could I handle it? At 13% ABV I'm not sure. I could probably handle one more however I'd have an incredible buzz. There's no way I could put down more than two of these and still remember how the night progressed.

I'll probably purchase another 4-pack to sit on because it’s a limited offering. For the price and the alcohol content I'll probably only want to bust one out for a special occasion.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2005 04:32:24 | More by ClearDog

carln26

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Admittedly, this beer is over the top, but that is why they call it a Triple IPA, right? It poured a dark mahogany color topped by a thin tan colored head. The head receded after a while an left a light lace on the side of the glass. Aroma: This is a citrus hop bomb. Tons and tons of grapefruit rind but balanced by a definitive malty sweetness that takes the form of dates. The taste has a mild sweetness up front, and then waves of hop bitterness. Mostly citrus hop although there is a bit of pine. The sweetness from the malt does sustain throughout the entire profile. Slick, mild mouth feel, but this baby is bitter, so the drinakbility is medium at best. Still a very interesting beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2005 23:23:00 | More by carln26

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Looks real nice, a dark and hazy red, small tan head forms and settles out to the edge of the glass, leaving copious lacing on the glass. Smell is sweet and chocolaty malt, with a huge citrus/floral pine aroma, as well as a lot of carame and some pineapple in the nose. Taste is sweet and malty up front, caramel, with massive citrus and pine hops carrying it the rest of the way, and a little bit of alcohol in the finish. Very bitter, but not overpowering. Very full bodied, low carbonation, a nice sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2005 02:42:50 | More by Viggo

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Rich orange/red, definitely on the dark side, with a bit of haze. Tan/auburn head, quite dense until it settles into a fine lace. Good retention at this point with some lacing. Hops dominate the aroma, which doesn't surprise me at all. Mostly pine and resin with orange citrus in the background. Caramel malt provides a balance to all the hops and alcohol aromas. Thick and malty to start, bitterness creeps in and grows through the finish, becoming quite strong yet short of aggressive. Orange citrus flavour and intense caramel sweetness hits part way through and transitions into a bit of pine as well as alcohol taste and warmth. A bit vinous, mainly due to alcohol flavour. Strong pine resin lingers in the finish, and this is the only point where the hops in this beer become just a little bit harsh. It has a full body with plenty of residual sweetness, but the attenuation was sufficient to keep it from feeling sticky. Moderate to low carbonation that's well integrated as fine bubbles, and a viscous, creamy texture. This is definitely a sipping beer, but still easily drinkable for the amount of malt, hops, and alcohol present. It also seems to get better as it warms. Seems like more of a barleywine, but who cares about labels with an experiment like this. I'll be saving one of these to see how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2005 02:25:42 | More by DrJay

ypsifly

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Undated, but I know its this year's release, 12oz poured into a tulip.

Deep, dark, ominous looking red with a small head of light tan that goes away in a minute or so, as expected given the abv. Frail, thin rings of lace.

The nose is a hop bomb. Very piney with a good dose of grape fruit. There's a little sweet malt and alcohol underneath, but you gotta sniff hard to get past the hops. My nose says Barley Wine on crack. Never smoked crack, but I do love Barley Wine.

Strong malt upfront that lasts long enough to savor, then its all hops. Piney, bitter grape fruit seems to be the theme here. It builds and builds, yet stops at the edge of going to far. Almost astringent. Almost oily....but everything is kept in check. The alcohol lingers way in the back of the after taste. Ghostly pepper, and a warm exhale and sensation in my belly by the third sip. A beast barely tamed for sure. I love it.

The mouth borders on oily, but that comes with the territory of the style. How could a 13% hop bomb be considered truely drinkable? This is a sipper for sure. The other three will be laid down for a night in front of the fireplace during a snowstorm. A maelstrom outside, dancing flames in front of me, Devil Dancer in my hand.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2005 05:33:03 | More by ypsifly

CortexBomb

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Pulls out very hazy amber with a light, white head that quickly fades out to a ring. Plenty of lacing to go around though. The smell is an absolute hop wollop and you can sniff this one coming from a significant distance. Some of the malts also present themselves in the form of sweetness, but the 10 varieties of hops used in this one are definitely present in the nose.

Onto the flavour...well, I've had depthy beers, and this is certainly the biggest IPA that my taste buds have ever experienced. The hops start out by establishing themselves on the front of the tongue and a sweet, caramel like malty tone just starts to establish itself on the centre of the tongue when some more of the hops show up and assault the back of the tongue, the sides of the tongue, and the top of the mouth...there is literally no tastebud left unscathed by this flavour blitz. The flavours are just beyond explanation, there are so many things going on...citrusy, grape fruity, a lot of pine, warmly spiced, it's very difficult to take everything in. The flavour does not fade with the swallow either, it camps out in your mouth for minutes afterward, reminding you to take another swig.

The mouth on this is remarkable, not only is it viscous, but it also is just dealing up bitter in so many places, particularly on the top of the mouth. I really couldn't dream of a better mouth on an IPA. Drinkability is good...you can drink this faster than the 13% would generally make you believe, but it is such a big flavour that you have to slow it down and savour it. It's a bit pricey, but that's a good thing in this case, having this anywhere outside of your home or without the aid of a designated driver is a very, very bad idea. I tend to buy this at least a couple of times a year though, pretty easily my favourite IPA.

Overall, I'm not a hop head, but I can still completely appreciate what this beer is doing. It swings big, and succeeds in presenting a new taste experience. Very well done...also ages well, the hops seem to hold up without any trouble.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2005 01:53:01 | More by CortexBomb

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

1.85/5  rDev -53.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

No head, clear deep orange. Very fuelic alcohol nose. Huge malt and hops, no surprise there. While it doesn’t try to be balanced, I don’t think it tries to be a total joke. I’m sure it takes good skill to make such a beer without it being cloying and abrasive and I know Founders definitely do have great skill, but I’d hoped they’d use it to greater purposes than joining a childish weener measurement contest through IBUs and alcohol. Cheap scotch reminiscent alcohol nature, very hot citric hops, earthy, caramelic and apricot like. Hot and abrasive palate, like a Chinook hop shot. Highly astringent, but who cares, it’s flavourful eh? Woody, minty. Ni drinkability which I expect to have a minimum of in a pale ale. Medium-thick bodied, syrupy. Purposeless heavyweight lost child. No worse than that, a 700 lbs man who can’t get up from his bed. Thanks Mike for sharing though, yes I’m happy to have tried it, but I sure wouldn’t have been able to go through a whole bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2005 01:19:54 | More by Rastacouere

orbitalr0x

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The Devil Dancer "Triple IPA" pours from the bottle a deep auburn, quite dark with a nice inch of creamy khaki head on top. The head lingers and is impressive considering the 13% abv. I can smell the hops already without getting near the glass. Big aromas of massively oily, resiny piney hops smack me across the face. A rich, deep sweet caramel malt is present as well. Citrus fruits, pineapple, some raisins, vanilla and wafts of alcohol esters as well. Much more reminiscent of a barleywine than a double IPA but enchanting all the same.

First sip brings a rich, deep caramel maltiness that carries with it a gargantuan helping of piney herbally citric hop oils. A big bitter bite is present but the sweet maltiness really helps keep it in check. Hints of raisins, dark fruits and butter rum midway through. Alcohol peeks out and makes its presence known. A massively tasty brew that is seriously a kick in the mouth. Lovely lingering hoppy bitterness. Yum.

Mouthfeel is dense and creamy...simply coats the palate and does not let up. Nice carbonation as well. Divine enjoyment. Obviously...this is not a brew to drink in mass quantities, however it goes down smooth and is incredibly tasty. My only complaint would be that this should really be labeled as a barleywine instead of a "triple ipa"...but hey...I guess that is not my call now is it! Thanks to kmpitz2 for the opportunity to try another tasty Founders treat.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2005 02:51:10 | More by orbitalr0x

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle obtained via trade with CRJMellor. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 3/4" tan head over the dark orangey amber brew. Head stands pat, and lacing is very nice, with slow drain down the sides after swirling. This brew has some viscosity! Aroma is citrusy, piney hops, coupled with a vanilla-ish, almost oaky alcohol presence. Flavor literally seems to run around the mouth, hitting all the tastebuds quickly with their potent hops pedigree. Still, the malt character does keep the bitterness somewhat in check, allowing hops flavor to stand somewhat on its own. Alcohol is more felt through warming than tasted. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both excellent for the style, which often can be overpowering. This one walks the line, but I think stays in the enjoyable realm. Scary drinkable for the style. What are you waiting for, check it out, hopheads...

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2005 22:42:26 | More by ppoitras

bditty187

Nebraska

4.93/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hazy, coppery-bronzy in hue with ruby and gold highlights woven throughout the liquid. At a glance it looks like a Barelywine, it has a rich color depth. The head was vaguely beige in color; at the apex the foam was two-fingers in height. The head is very sticky. I am impressed. Head retention is noteworthy, especially on such a big beer. A tight cap lasted many moments, and then the loose collar lasted the entire consumption. There was some subsequent lacing, clumpy and unorganized. This beer is eye-candy… no doubt.

The nose is amazing. It is perfect. Enormous depth. Huge potency. Witty. Articulate. Brutish. Angry. Fiery. Scary. Charming. The nose says so much. My mouth is watering with every sniff. The malt complexities remind me of my favorite Barleywine, Free State’s Owd Backus. The hoppiness reminds me of Old Crusty… but this seems to pack a bigger punch (aka more hops). Brown sugar. Molasses. Figs. Raisins. Spiced rum. Apples. Candy sugar. Pine needles. Spruce. Sugary lemon zest. Rinds. Grapefruit. Melon. Caramel. Alcoholic earthiness. The nose is amazing. It is one of the greatest smelling beers I have ever had the pleasure of sniffing. Stunning. It is perfection. Alluring.

The palate is amazing. The first sip staggered me. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the taste. This beer has qualities like Double Bastard. However, this Devil is rawer, bigger, hoppier, angrier yet more inviting. Sometimes sweetness is unwelcomed… this is not one of those cases. Sugary… molasses. Brown sugar. Caramel. Toffee. There is plenty of fruitiness in play as well with apples, dates, figs, melon, and a dash of tropical fruits. Towards the finish the alcohol becomes very hot and piercing. I love the pain. I feel like I have an open wound and the hops are salt. Citrusy. Piney. Woody. Bitter as all hell. Long aftertaste. Cheese is needed now, something sharp and pungent. My god is this beer amazing. It is over-the-top but not in an insane way… no, there is amazing craftsmanship here. Profound. It is a thinker. The palate is perfection. What a great Barleywine!

Medium/medium-full in body, low but natural carbonation that fits this beer well, it is not aggressive nor is it lazy. The mouthfeel is very good but it could use a little more bulk, not much but just something to slowdown the liquid. Nitpicking? Maybe. I am a hard-ass.

Extremely drinkable! I can’t put into words how great this beer really is. It has qualities of about six of my favorite beers! Old Crusty, HotD Fred, Double Bastard, Owd Backus, Old Ho, and any really good IPA. What more could I ask for? A case. Yes, I could ask for that. I am willing to steal or maim for that. The alcohol is making my brain say, “hell yeah… this is good.” This beer is a beast. I am glad I killed it. I can’t believe that CRJMellor traded me this beer. By comparison, he got swill in return. Thank you.

---

The above review is from notes. About a half hour after I finished this beer I got a phone call from my Dad. My grandpa was dying fast and I needed to rush to the hospital. He died ten minutes after I arrived. In the span of an hour I was sipping the one of the best beers I had ever had and mourning over the death of my beloved grandfather. I’ll never forget either.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2005 20:07:57 | More by bditty187

francisweizen

Australia

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark evil fiery orangey amber with not much of a small head of off-white that just kind of crackles and fizzes out and away without leaving much billowing foam or lacing, if any at all. Aroma is hops. Resins, oils, whole cones hops, pine needles, the malt struggles to be recognized but it is there. Biscuity and caramel laden trying to stop the assault somewhat. Taste is hoppy as all hell as well. Grassy, herbal, raw, leafy, acidic, dry, citrusy, oily, etc. The malts do become apparant though in the somewhere caramel sweet, doughy middle. However that does not last long and the hops come back in a big away for the incredibly hoppy, and tongue scrapingly bitter/dry finish that lasts and leaves you with an incredibly scarred palate and amazingly poten hop burps. Mouthfeel is syrupy thick, and lend another degree of complexity to this already quite complex "chewy, chewin' on a hop brew"! Drinkability is touch to mark. I've had this 3 times or so in smaller 6oz or so samples. Whilst i'd never pass up a chance to drink a bit of this nectar, I don't think i'd want to do a whole 12oz bottle for myself. I'll score it at a 4 since i'd like to drink this one often, but in small doses. If this came in a magnum it would be deadly!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2005 20:36:50 | More by francisweizen

lackenhauser

Maryland

4.47/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very nice deep,orange color. Almost a coppery orange. Big, big hop aroma with a nice balance of some sweetness. A trace of alcohol heat comes thru as well. Huge hop flavor-not only is it extremely floral but a huge bitterness behind it all. Big caramel flavor and a somewhat alcohol finish. Not hot but its definately there. Very good body-fairly well balanced considering the high abv. Dangerously drinkable. More like a barleywine then a Double IPA to me. Really pushes the envelope as far as the alcohol goes but does a good job of it for sure. Get some for now and later.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2005 02:10:25 | More by lackenhauser

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.58/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Diamond-clear fiery dark bronzed ripe blood orange with brilliant polished radiant sunset orange highlights. The interior of the beer is eerily quiet with almost nothing in the way of Beelzebubbles. Up top is a stunningly gorgeous head of orange-influenced light caramel that is the consistency of heavily whipped cream. Frosting thick sheets of lace look like they were spread on with a butter knife and will undoubtedly outlast the beer.

The aroma is wall to wall hops, yet there's room enough to squeeze in a fair amount of melted caramel and a whiff or two of Cognac-like alcohol fusels. It isn't enough of a pure hopfest to make me rhapsodic, but it's still wonderful and is perfectly in keeping with what I expected for a 'triple' IPA. Bombastic.

Wow. After one sip, I now realize that Devil Dancer should be enjoyed in a snifter at room temperature. Warming it over a candle to further bring out the aromatics wouldn't be out of line. This is one of the most liquor-like beers that I've ever had, and I mean that in a good way. I don't know if it's possible for Founders to have jammed more malt and more hops into the bottle. The beer is absolutely mouthfilling.

The malt backbone is a big as I've tasted on anything other than a Russian Imperial Stout and provides flavors of sweet caramel, sticky dates and brown sugar syrup. The beer tastes like liquified, dark rum-soaked toffee cake drizzled with caramel sauce. Understandably, the hop load (even at 200! IBUs) has a difficult time standing up to that much malt. If you're looking for an insane hop bomb that will strip the mucous membranes from your mouth and tongue, you've come to the wrong beer. I'll give it balanced though, in a scale destroying sort of way.

The 'triple IPA' on the label may be overstating the case, but only a little. This is the biggest, baddest DIPA to ever find its way to my taste buds, there's no doubt about that. I'd like a slight readjustment in the malt:hop balance, but there's no denying that Founders has aimed high and hit their target in the smack dab center.

Need I even mention that the mouthfeel is as large as the flavor? Full doesn't do it justice. How about thick, rich, resinous, sappy, molten? Even though the viscous mouthfeel might be too much for some, I absolutely love it. Carbonation is seemingly nonexistent, but the beer doesn't feel flat at all. Yeah, there's some alcohol present. So what? If you don't like it, go crawling back to your mommy.

Devil Dancer is big beer for big beer lovers. Everything about it is over the top, from the malt to the hops to the 13% ABV. Founders should be renamed the Midas Brewing Company since everything they touch lately turns to gold. I'm more than ready to Dance with the Devil until I drop. This is a Hell of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2005 22:18:12 | More by BuckeyeNation

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Intense to say the least! Triple IPA??? Hell yeah! This bitch rocks!

It pours a clear dark orange amber body beneath a short head of frothy off-white foam that holds well and leaves some nice lace as it goes.

Citrusy and piney hops accent a lightly sweet, caramel touched malt in the nose.

The mouthfeel is medium-full bodied/dextrinous and lightly crisp with a fine-bubbled carbonation that's reigned in by the gravity.

Hops lead the assault in the flavor (citrusy, grassy, piney), storming their way across dextrinous, caramel-tinged, biscuity and bready malt. The maltiness becomes more prominent across the middle as its bitterness and a slap of alcohol rise. Do I need to say that it finishes hoppy and bitter with a touch of alcohol?!?!?!

This is one full-throttle beer that's almost overwhelming. It's intense, but not particularly complex. And it's definitely a palate buster! But it still remains quite enjoyable. It may, in fact, be a bit too much as it's drinkability is limited. You may think you want another one while you're driniking it, but I doubt you'll crack that second bad-boy open. WILD. UNRESTRAINED. WORTH TRYING!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2005 21:17:23 | More by NeroFiddled

pentathlete

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Yet another bottle from the barrage of B&G BIF from deejaydan. Amazing box of brews. Thank you once again.

In this corner, wearing a stylish red label, weighing in at 12 ounces and carrying a full 13% alcohol by volume, a triple IPA from Grand Rrrrrapids, Misshhh-i-gan...Founder's Devil Dancer. In the far corner, wearing a Meals-on-Wheels t-shirt, faded jeans, carrying 25 exxxtra pounds, holding a standard pint glass, the guy who never stood a chance...me.

Good lord. The beer looks deceptively average. Kind of a dark ruddy orange with no head and a meek ring with an ever so slight haze. The smell is also a little deceptive, rather biscuity and mild, like Ali's rope-a-dope, it is toying with me, waiting for my senses to relax.

Then the first jab of a long and devastating combination: so smooth, downright malty, even sweet. Uppercut: crushing hop blow right on the center of the tongue, quickly bathing the mouth in luscious bitterness. The roundhouse: didn't even see it coming, the mellow alcohol, the ABV hidden, soothes the palate and spreads warmth deep into the esophagus and stomach. The finish is inversely proportional to the length of this bout. I was taking a standing eight by mid-bottle. Toward the end I was telling the ref, "I've always loved you" and I was hugging everyone in sight. They called the fight after ten ounces.

This is a great beer. But don't fight it. Welcome it. Let it warm so that those flavors meld. Take a big swallow and enjoy the hoppy eruction (geez, that wasn't meant to be such a beerotic sentence.)

Drinkability improves tremendously as the beer warms (or the palate adjusts) but it is just way too big for more than one or two.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2005 01:31:33 | More by pentathlete

cldrc

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark with no head but a light lace on top of beer. Strong, hoppy smell. Spicy with an effervescent bite. Very powerful alcohol taste complemented with a dry citrus and slight malty aftertaste. Very drinkable but I recommend drinking this in the comfort of your on home.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2005 02:58:26 | More by cldrc

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A deep rich taste, like a top quality UK conditioned old ale, a very good American barleywine, hoppy beginning and great bitter finish, woith buzz from the high alcohol. Barleywine aroma. Only sold in fours at $18, last case and hard to find, at Chuck's near Cleveland.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2005 04:43:33 | More by northyorksammy

shippos

New York

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured with a think skimpy light cream colored head witha slightly hazy red copper body. soft bready aroma full of sugary malt and fruit. bitter at first taste followed by a thick sweet mouthfeel dense body and a lingering dry bitterness. just sweeet and bitter this is...good!!! bit of alcohol comes through as well.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2005 22:14:45 | More by shippos

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brew from walleye, thanx!
12 oz bottle in a pint glass at room temp.
The beer pours a clear mahogany with ruby highlights.
A 2 cm fluffy off white head foams up easily and fades very slowly. leaving some tight latticework as it recedes.

Aroma is mostly hops, but a hint of toffee is buried underneath, grapefruit, pine and grass hop components. The dominant scent is citrusy with grapefruit mixing with a bit of lemon.
First sip reveals an average body with slightly oily texture.
Carbonation is mild and gentle.
Enough with that stuff, the beer is HOPPY!
Tangy citrus flavors hit the palate first and I get a bit of lemony zest to start things off. As the brew progresses towards my gullet, I get some grassiness and then a serious puckering bitterness right after I swallow. Definitely a palate killer! There is a fair amount of bite on every sip but I actually get a bit of caramel sweetness left on my lips as well.
Quite a nice beer that covers the 13% abv with hops, hops, and hops. I dont even get any warming on the way to my belly.
This brew is a hop lover's dream!

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2005 02:36:08 | More by sulldaddy

Goldorak

Quebec (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Copper orange. For such a lupulin-haired hoochie-mama, she's got quite a head on her shoulders! That caught me off guard.

Smell: I've smelled hoppier before, but it came out of a Randall, so that's cheating. Somewhere through that hop field I did smell a little pineapple, so that was interesting.

Taste: Obviously, this thing's got torque like a redneck's souped-up chevy. Enough alpha-acids to melt right through your gullet. Those who suffer from ulcers, acid reflux disease or any other digestive tract ailment should only use this to strip the varnish off their furniture. All jokes aside, this is pretty one-dimensional, but it isn't supposed to be anything else. Rinse this one off with Cantillon and/or steel wool.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2005 00:55:33 | More by Goldorak

RedDiamond

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A triple IPA? I don’t think so. I tasted a fine, well-bittered barleywine that bore no resemblance to an IPA. The aroma was luscious and green with lots of malt, a bit of melon, and sugar cane. Malts also dominated the taste. The forward hop flavors and aroma of an IPA or imperial IPA are AWOL.

The visual presentation is also more akin to an American barleywine than anything else. It is clover honey colored, mostly clear, with sluggish carbonation. Tastes fairly mellow given its potency, but a year in the cellar probably wouldn’t hurt it.

So if it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, well…I just wish they’d call it a barleywine instead of a triple IPA – whatever that is. Also, what’s with that label? An ecstatic naked woman held aloft and groped from below while a sword shatters a sword beneath her? Hard to believe the ATF signed off on that.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2005 06:10:29 | More by RedDiamond

RoyalT

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – This one poured a thick, heavy orange with a brownish tint to the liquid and sported a big, super-puffy off-white head.

Smell – The deep, mature, sharp malts form a rich bouquet. The caramel especially is thick and heavy. The hops are extremely complex; I can’t begin to describe them all so won’t even try. The citrus is dominant and the pine is sharp but well-blended.

Taste – The malts here “sugar up” at the taste. They very sweet and offer a nice balance to the gigantic hop profile.

Mouthfeel – This medium to full-bodied “triple” IPA is very boozy. The bitterness is completely worked out of the mouthfeel.

Drinkability – This was a tasty treat that should never, ever, be bottled in bombers!

Comments – Thanks to the much-respected and highly-regarded BuckeyeNation for tossing this little hop bomb into my trading box. Good “triple IPAs” are hard to find, but this one certainly lived up to my expectations of this unofficial style.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2005 19:28:58 | More by RoyalT

BeerFink

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

After being freed from its incarceration inside this 12oz bottle, it fills my glass a wonderful deep crimson / dark copper color with a light almost khaki head. The dark color of this brew is quite enticing. Great head retention, and some good patchy lacing on the glass. Nice powerful aroma of hops - clean, floral, pungent, and spicy all at the same time. Also some caramel and a fair dose of alcohol in the nose. After a taste, the name Devil Dancer sure seems appropriate. Hops hit you like a .44 magnum. Hop oils are so potent they are spicy and almost salty. A little citrous and some noticeable pine have also showed up to beat up on your taste buds. Very sweet malts and some caramel keep the hops in check, however. In fact, the malts are a little too bold for the IPA style. Warming alcohol permeates the taste, reminding you how potent this devil of a brew really is. Finish is oily hop bitterness with a good amount of malt sweetness, and the 13% abv flexing its muscles. By far the biggest mouthfeel of any IPA I've ever had - no wonder Founders calls it a triple IPA! This outstanding mouthfeel must be experienced to be believed - it seriously beats some imperial stouts that I have had.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2005 03:04:49 | More by BeerFink

ManekiNeko

Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle served lightly chilled in a Rapscallion goblet (complete with bootylicious dancing devil). Thanks to CRJMellor for the trade.

Appearance: Fiery crimson, clear, slowly rising bubbles. Yellowish tan head, about 1/2" tall. Very thick and made of small bubbles. Beer appears very viscous. After a few minutes, the head fades to a thick collar and a healthy layer of foam. Nice specks and rings of lace left on the glass.

Smell: Intense, nosehair-burnin', sprucy, grapefruity, capsicum peppery, tear-inducin' lupulin essences. Understatement: This smells hoppy.

Taste: Aggressively bitter hops, almost salty. Ruination, Dreadnaught, and Pliny the Elder tremble in comparison. Piny, sappy, astringent and acidic grapefruit concentrate. Long lasting bitter resin aftertastes. Mild boozy overtones. Solid malt sweetness provides a great backbone.

Mouthfeel: Burly and aggressively massive flavors. Solid medium body. Roided-out pro wrassler big.

Drinkability: IIIPA or frigginly hoppy Barleywine? This is an Incredible Hulk of a beer, and Banner is angry. If you're not a hophead, you won't like him when he's angry. If you are, you're gonna get roughed up a bit. Wow.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2005 01:18:04 | More by ManekiNeko