Founders Double Trouble - Founders Brewing Company

MaximalC

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy apricot color with a minimal white head. Tiny streams of bubbles can be seen streaming up from the bottom of the glass. Aroma is quite pleasant, smelling of passion fruit, peach, grapefruit, and some pine. In spite of the pine's modest presence in the nose, it comes through full force in the flavor--we're talking full-on Pine Sol here. Any fruits are very difficult to discern behind the resinous backbone. Perhaps some grapefruit sneaks through? There's also a grassy funkiness--the hop bitterness isn't quite as "clean" as I've found in other high caliber IPAs. The mouthfeel is a little thin, but acceptable for the style.

The bottle says Imperial IPA, and this has all the fierce bitterness you'd expect with that. If I liked IPA's, I'd probably be really enjoy this.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 00:31:07 | More by MaximalC

Dave1999

Virginia

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy amber with a thin white head.

The smell is citrus and piney hops.

The taste is bitter, citrus hop and pine. There is a sweet malt back bone but the bitterness takes the forefront.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and oily. My youngest feels like it is coated in bitter hops.

A very good and hoppy bitter dipa. Hides its abv very well.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 00:06:24 | More by Dave1999

CharlatanSin

Connecticut

4.41/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 5/27/13, consumed 6/15/13. Poured into a tulip.

A: Pours a nice orange amber with a rocky creamy white head. Decent retention and lacing.

S: Fresh citrusy and grassy hops. A little sugary sweetness. Dank.

T/M: Big grapefruit hops dominate. Nice bitterness. Resinous. A moderate sweet malt backbone to balance it out. Body is very full and sticky -- robust, almost syrupy.

O: A real DIPA lover's DIPA. Everything about it screams "double."

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 22:20:28 | More by CharlatanSin

SportsandJorts

Michigan

3.49/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: a orangish yellow. finger plus of a whitish head that slowly fades. a touch hazy.

Smell: pretty standard, hop forward IIPA. citrusy, piney hops

Taste: i get some of a malty backbone but not much. mostly hops citrusy and piney. a bit of lemon too. good but not quite my style

Mouthfeel: strong bitterness but seems a bit light to me

Overall: a decent good tasting beer but I prefer a different approach to my imperial ipas. but well done and worth a try

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 02:00:34 | More by SportsandJorts

Swift989

District of Columbia

2.93/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served from a bottle into a red wine glass

A: Barely any head at all and it did not retain. after a few sips was totally gone with only minuscule wisps of white on the top. mainly just color of the beer. A amber gold, a color slightly darker than apple juice from concentrate. tiny bubbles few and far between for carbonation.

Smell: Uninspiring. Maybe something is wrong with this batch compared to other reviews. I can barely smell it. And I have been working in the beer industry the last 6 months and smelled a lot of great hops. A little bit of a whiff of a dessert wine, like a Bordeaux style sauterne.

Taste: Also surprisingly weak for 9%. I mean its hoppy, but nothing compared to some Double/Imperial IPAs. Certainly a smooth finish as they claim, but the bitterness is about equal to the uninspiring Port City Monumental IPA. Seriously.

M: Very little carbonation or bubbles. Again mouthfeel is like a dessert wine of about 14-18% Not even as much body as a port.

O: I really don't see what all the fuss is about. Maybe its because I drank Weyerbacher Double Simcoe shortly before this, but I would much rather have that beer or He'Brew Hop Manna. This beer has a boring smell and just masks a ton of alcohol. Maybe if your trying to get drunk drink these beers at 9%. It is smooth. overall I'm on the east coast, this is from Michigan...PASS.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 05:32:14 | More by Swift989

rdilauro

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured a dirty golden light amber with really not much of any head. (Perhaps there was something in the glass I was using)
The aroma was close to perfect, the balance bouquet of hops and barley were very satisfying.

The initial taste proved to be somewhat hoppy. But as I finished the fist sip, it calmed down to a real full mouthful and pleasant and lingering aftertaste.

On the second pour, I could not help but notice that the smell was much bigger than the actual taste. There were hints of grapefruit and other mild citrus fruits.

This has only been my second brew from Founders and I am very happy so far.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 17:17:09 | More by rdilauro

Roguer

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a beautiful translucent orange, with minimum head, quickly fading. Maybe a fresher bottle would have had better head.

S - Grapefruit peel and bright hops. A little floral or honey note.

T - Immediate grapefruit peel and sweet pulp, followed quickly by sweet fruity hops. A dry hop finish, mostly orange peel.

M - Medium carbonation and alcohol sting, very smooth; oil coats the back of the throat. A little alcohol warmth on the finish.

O - This is a very tasty DIPA, but it's definitely not my favorite. Bottled 2 months ago, which I had assumed would still be fresh enough; indeed, it does taste good, but I think I need to give this another try with a fresher bottle. If I notice a significant difference I will revise my review accordingly.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 18:36:51 | More by Roguer

Moose90

Colorado

4.31/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle courtesy of ufmj
Bottled on 04/10/13
Tasted on 06/07/13

A – Poured into the snifter. Pale bright yellow in color, translucent with some orange hues as well. Head is thin but white in color and sticks around leaving nice lacing.

S – Woah tropical citrus! Lemon, lime, orange, mango, pineapple. Lots going on here, but geared heavily towards a big citrus bomb.

T – Hops take the stage, obviously. The malt background is not overtly sweet, it is quite balanced. Notes of lemon and mango, a light caramel nuttiness develops as this one warms. Some pine and earthy notes come through on the tail end of things.

M – Very smooth on this one, carbonation errs on the high side of things, though it does serve to provide a nice crispness to the beer. A stickiness develops and is true to the style. Finishes dry and bitter.

O – This is a very nice double IPA, it is not as audacious as Hoptimum, it has a great balance to it, and its booziness is nicely hidden. This is quite drinkable, each sip rounds out with a nicely astringent note that leaves you coming back for more. Overall, this is a great beer.

This beer is definitely a solid DIPA. Very tasty and hoppy as you could expect from Founder's Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 00:31:49 | More by Moose90

atr2605

New York

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours an orange straw color with a foamy white head with nice retention
S-grassy pine aroma with bright lemon citrus
T-Very hop forward with more pine and lemon and finishes with some malt sweetness, lingering pine and resin bitterness
M-medium bodied, hides abv quite well
O-Pretty solid DIPA that really nails the american style. Bitterness definitely lingers but I would probably still drink it again

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 00:30:36 | More by atr2605

KFBR392

Illinois

3.69/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Slightly burnt orange color. Above average carbonation. Two fingers of head on the pour. Sticky lacing on the edges of the glass. Looks like a DIPA should.

Smell: Pine probably sticks out the most. Tangerines, oranges, lemon, with some light caramel, and buttered popcorn. A nice balanced aroma, nothing is too strong and nothing is seriously lacking. At the same time nothing blows me away, its just very solid all the way around.

Taste: A syrupy pine flavor hits right away. Saturated tangerines and some bright fruits like melon and pineapple. A slightly dry hop finish sticks on the palette. The high alcohol content adds to this dryness. Pretty solid hop action and nice fruity accents but again nothing is knocking me over.

Mouthfeel: Dry with some fruity hops lingering.

Overall: A solid DIPA. I've never been too impressed with Founder's IPAs but this one is better then the others. With how competitive the DIPA field is this day, this one falls short on being something truly memorable. A good easy drinker for sure though.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 23:02:36 | More by KFBR392

Wufdogger

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

I love IPAs but this one stayed on the pallet too long. Great smell and initial taste but long lasting hops taste. Does not have a smooth feel to it after swallowing but fells good initially in the mouth. I probably will not try this one again but was better than the pallet wrecker from night before.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 21:13:12 | More by Wufdogger

troegaarden

Pennsylvania

4.73/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Dogfish Head signature glass.

A: Poured vigorously into the glass with the result being a very present, off-white head which quickly subsides. There's a nice 1/2 a finger head retention throughout after it subsides. The brew is a very deep, almost Tootsie Pop orange in color.

S: The aroma is definitely very hop-forward with this beer. Definitely something you could expect with a double IPA. The hops are pretty astringent in the nose. Also, the hop character is very citrusy in nature with this beer.

T: Big hop presence in how it tastes with a big malty background as well. I think that the hops definitely dominate this beer, but you can still taste the malt going on in the background. This beer finishes rather dry and the hops linger slightly on the tongue. I get a little Pine along with some citrusy fruitiness.

M: The mouthfeel is generally smooth, although the hops disrupt this a little bit.

O: This beer is definitely a solid DIPA. Very tasty and hoppy as you could expect from Founder's Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 23:48:03 | More by troegaarden

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle pours a very hazed gold color with a fluffy, but rapidly diminishing off-white head. Little bit of lace.

Nose is juicy citric and tropical hops all up in yo face, kid! Malts are soft and somewhere in between grainy and biscuity. Smells nice...

Taste is all about the hops, very resinous and tropical fruit pith...grapefruit peel, lime zest and papayas. Unlike many DIPAs that are big on hop flavor, this one also packs a helluva bitterness punch. Malts are pretty non-existent on actual flavor, but it does have a very smooth and creamy body...typical of Founders with a very fine-bubbled carbonation. I like it well enough, but there are a couple local DIPAs that I am surprised to say I would probably buy over this, freshness being equal of course. I like that it is available in 4-packs though as opposed to the bomber format.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 23:37:28 | More by twiggamortis420

davidsumner

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

OK, first before I get into my regular review, as a preamble, let me just ask you one simple question? Do you like Ruby Red Grapefruit juice? If you do, then you will like this ale. If you LOVE Ruby Red Grapefruit juice then you need to buy stock in Double Trouble and stock your beer fridge with this sublime liquid. OK, so enough of that, on the the review.

Poors excellent. Nice dark golden to light copper/blood orange. Very nice 2 finger head with sticky lace.

Nose is very good. Lot's of pine/lemon/grapefruit. There's hints of more earthy scents; grass, hemp, light herbal. Cascade and Centennial? Good hop smell along with an excellent malt backdrop.

Taste is very good. There's an obvious malt presence with such a high ABV. But it's ridiculously good. Nice light and sweet; just how I like my malt. The hops are not overbearing but just plain nice.

This of course is an imperial IPA that needs some respect. It'll knock your socks off in a hurry. But it's a very pleasant sipp'n ale and something that I like to try to keep in my beer fridge on a permanent bases.

I prefer Centennial but this a great after dinner drink.

Thumbs up again to Founders!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 19:42:40 | More by davidsumner

jpro

South Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into mug.

A: rusty gold; 2-finger, white head leaves a fair amount of patchy lace.

S: bright citrus aroma; sweet; smells great!

T: citrusy, light resin hoppiness; bready / cracker malts in the back; nice.

M: medium-full; higher carbonation; as it warms, some heat shows up.

O: a superb double IPA; glad I tried it and I'll have it again!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 01:23:34 | More by jpro

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Slightly yellow yielding mostly orange. Good head at pour, retention and some lacing.

S: Sweet hops - piney and sappy.

T: Bitter hops up front with a nice strong malt balance also present on the back.

M: Medium body but leaning towards heavier despite color and flavor.

O: Really enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 02:09:41 | More by Oakenator

mikem0487

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into pint glass. No fresh date.

A-A dark golden straw colored body. Minimal white head. The body is slightly turbid. Minimal lacing is left on the bottle as I consume this beer.

S- Has a very pungent nose. Dank hop resin gives way to tropical citrus notes. Grapefruit and apricot are the main culprits. As the beer warms the smell becomes more volatile and even more enjoyable than when I first poured it.

T-Like the smell the taste has citrus notes mixed in with some of those hop resin's. Has a nice balancing malt back bone that gives some balance to the hop forwardness of this beer. Leaves you with a great fruity-earthiness after taste.

M-Nice carbonation and good medium mouthfeel. What you are looking for in this style. Finishes on the sweet side with that awesome after taste I described above.

O-Overall a very good double IPA. The 9.4% abv is not even apparent in this beer. Smooth with the hops being the dominant factor. The malts definitely help to give some balance to the taste but the hops come in well executed. Drink and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 01:17:50 | More by mikem0487

dogfishandi

New York

3.89/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter. No bottling date? (Surprising for a founders)

Pours out a somewhat lighter sunset orange, a tiny bit of cloudiness. About a 1/4 inch or so of white to off white head off of the pour that fades to a Lacey ring and patchy foam.

Not super aromatic like I might have expected. Some dankness but also some dryness as well,grapefruit citrus for sure, citrus fruits and dry tropical fruits, hints of vegetal hops at times

Hint of dank, sticky candied citrus, watermelon, lots of stinky grapefruit, orange, some vegetal onion type hop flavors. Malt makes an tempt to balance with a bit of candied light caramel. Alcohol is noticeable on the tip of the tongue and in the swallow as well.

Big sticky mouthfeel for IPA. Smooth bitterness, not overly bitter. Juicy hops. Drinks fairly smooth.

Not a bad double IPA, but I was a little letdown. Almost on par with hopslam which was a real letdown for me. That being said, I'd take this over hopslam, but I wouldn't go out of my way to seek out either again.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 20:33:59 | More by dogfishandi

Omnium

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle > Pint Glass

A - Pours a really nice yellow color with a finger of soapy white head, mid range lacing.
S - Very floral in aroma with some nice pineapple and lime hints.
T - The floral and pine hit you first, and then you get a nice touch of some ripe pineapple and a touch of honey, some real balanced light malt and a touch of dankness as it finishes.
M - Kind of cloyingly sweet at first, but fades to a nice bitter end.
O - This is a very well done Double IPA, crisp and fresh flavors, but a bold brew by all means. A must have for IPA lovers.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 23:14:03 | More by Omnium

ironchefmiyagi13

New York

4.91/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I don't even know where to begin. You know how after you drink an amazing IPA you taste it at random times of the day in the future? Well this beer did that to me.

Juicy hops cones, ripe blood orange, grapefruit, mango. Long sweet and bitter finish. This beer has it all, and it officially in my top 3 DIPA along with Enjoy By and Sucks.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:09:19 | More by ironchefmiyagi13

fitrock2112

Ohio

4.51/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured Double Trouble in to a pint glass.

A - The hazy orange beer looks beautiful for a Imperial IPA. It has a small half finger of head with a aggressive pour.

S - First thing I get is grapefruit, some citrus, orange. The hops comes through with a little pine as well.

T - Wow, a lot going on here. It has some bitter hops, grapefruit again, malt sweetness in there to really balance this beer beautifully. Obviously there is some strong hop character with pine. Very nicely done here.

M - This is where this beer shines, its nice and smooth with quite a bit of body to it. I would put it somewhere in the medium range, it just coats your mouth really nice for a IPA. Lovely stuff here my friend.

O - Just another solid offering from Founders. Enjoy! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 23:11:28 | More by fitrock2112

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

3 week old bottle.

Pouring down the middle of a snifter reveals not much white head and a clear golden body.

Hops are the name of the game in the aroma. There is a slightly evident bready malt backbone and some alcohol vapors that mix well with the fruity hop aromas of orange, grapefruit, peach, mango and pine.

Fairly big bitterness here with prevalent grapefruit and resinous flavors. The hops linger in the aftertaste. Bready and sweet malt. Slight alcohol presence in the taste and warming sensation. Medium bodied and some lighter carbonation. A sipper of a beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 05:12:32 | More by MattSweatshirt

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.31/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle with no date served into a glass chalice

great look to it: unfiltered, hazy-orange, very fine sediment throughout. Smell is Very Fruity: pureed mangos and peaches with a pine backbone. taste follows, but with less fruit and more pine/wood, peppery/biscuity malt, and finishing very bitter with lingering spice.

top-tier, but can't quite beat sucks/hopslam/abrasive. spizy stuff

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 00:51:10 | More by jimmah120

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 4/17/13

Clear, golden-yellow with a fizzy, bubbly head. Nothing spectacular and no lace with very little retention. Disappointing. Big, fruity, citrusy hops with plenty of booze to back them up. Fairly sweet, lightly roasted malt. Same with the taste. All piney, citrusy, dry hops with some booze and a pungent finish. Feel and body are appropriate for the style. This is my third of the night and it's just as good as the first. Pretty easy drinking for the strength and flavor profile. Not overly hoppy but just not what I expected. A pretty standard, boozy DIPA that doesn't leave me craving more. Still a great beer, nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 20:55:23 | More by Gatch

hopsputin

California

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

a: pale orange with a nice amount of hop haze. almost looks like some yeast haze too. 3 finger solid white head. looks real nice

s: juicy grapefruit and pine right away. solid sweet malt, pineapple, mango, passionfruit. the hops smell really juicy and smooth - i'm detecting not bitterness in the aroma. this one makes your mouth water

t: the initial sip is a little bit of a let down from the aroma. i taste mostly pine and grapefruit in this one. maybe a hint of mango. theres some sweet malt too, but it isn't the dominant flavor. this ends with a grassy/earthy/dank bitterness that is quite smooth and not really in your face.

m: this is a solid medium. carbonation is there, but not huge

o: the reason i was a little let down from the flavor was because the aroma had much juicier tropical fruit than the taste. i'm also a fan of that so its all subjective. this is not a bad beer though, its got a lot of solid full flavors (as you usually find in DIPAs) and it is well balanced. most people can enjoy this.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 05:24:12 | More by hopsputin