Founders Double Trouble - Founders Brewing Company

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.93/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Haymarket Chicago

A - It pours a radiant golden hue, capped with a picture-perfect white head, and deposits its fair share of lace upon the glass' side.

S/T - Amazing from the get-go; the nose suggests that this may be the best DIPA ever, and the first sip pretty much confirms. Ungodly amounts of citrus, pine, and mango waft from the glass and saturate the palate. Mango. More mango. Passion fruit. Evergreen forest. Ganja. Organic earthiness. Lemon. Grapefruit. Tangerine. These notes are all so sharp, and so supremely integrated. Fantastic, ridiculous, amazing, perfect.

M - Definitely a lighter feeling DIPA; really enhancing.

O - Beautiful in all ways. Drinking this side-by-side with Port Mongo and FFF Arctic Panzer Wolf, I am amazed how exponentially better it is than the aforementioned, which are very very good in their own right.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2011 10:59:42 | More by ktrillionaire

aasher

Indiana

4.85/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I had this last night at MacNiven's in Indianapolis. The beer pours a very bright and clear gold in color with a minimal white head. It's very, very light in color for a DIPA. It smells of delicious grapefruit and has a light resinous hoppy aroma. God, this beer smells delicious! The flavor too is of fresh grapefruit and is wonderfully right in between sweet and bitter. The fruit is just downright superb. It drank light and very crisp. It has a nice bite and the alcohol is barely present at all. Overall this is a top notch beer and one of my favorites. I'm glad it doesn't disappoint out of the bottle OR on draft.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2011 17:31:41 | More by aasher

Ralphs66

New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Yum, yum, yummy, yum, yum...Super DIPA...it was perfect. And the BBQ meal I had to go along with it (at Holy Smoke in Mahopac, NY), made it that much better. Color, nose, pour, palate, finish. This beer had it all. Find it. Buy it. Drink it...and then look the menu, and order it again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2011 00:19:40 | More by Ralphs66

robwestcott

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured cold from the tap at yogi's a crisp, clear, translucent sunlight gold to a 12oz kentucky bourbon barrel ale goblet with a 1/2 finger snow white head leaving spotty lace to the rim.

aroma of floral hops and honey.

great big floral hops up front, super bitter bite that's muted only by the chili I've got in front of me. pine resin, honey sweet after.

light bodied, big carbonation, bitter hop slap.

drinkable - only if you're sitting in the backyard and you don't hav to go pick up your kid from soccer practice.

overall - great example of style. big beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 20:51:28 | More by robwestcott

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: on tap at Eulogy, Philly, PA

I've had this on tap a couple times. Tasty, strong, and a bit citrusy. Pours slightly hazy orange-gold with a nice white head that recedes a bit. Pine and grapefruity citrus in the nose. Pine and grass in the taste, with citrus and bitter hops following shortly after, and a mild malt backdrop. Mostly dry finish, with a twinge of alcohol. Medium mouthfeel, and an overall pleasantly drinkable IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 20:43:44 | More by Rifugium

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a golden-orange color with a thick foamy white head that remains throughout the beer.

The scent was of citrus, piney and floral hops, lemon and some spice.

The taste was of moderately bitter piney and floral hops, citrus, lemon, and spices.

Medium body, creamy and smooth, moderate carbonation.

This was an excellent beer, the flavors were very noticeable, almost something different with every sip. This was also incredibly easy to drink, a bit dangerous with the higher abv.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2011 13:38:37 | More by BeerCon5

vfgccp

New York

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at a free Founders tasting. Special thanks to Big Z’s in Huntington.

A – Pale gold with a white head.

S – Great hop character with a bright orange and lemon citrus, and clean pine note.

T – Hops, with pine, tarragon, and green cedar dominating the profile. Almost no malt to speak of. Faint honey sweetness.

M – Medium body with a lingering campari bitterness. Finishes lightly dry.

O – A classic hop-bomb, but still drinkable and not overly bitter.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2011 20:43:36 | More by vfgccp

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at FFF.
Couldn't resist...
Served in a goblet-like snifter

A nice pale gold. Thick white head of two fingers settles to a film and leaves begone a legacy of awesome lacing rings. Very nice lace... But average retention.
Smells of grapefruit and citrus hops. Pungent and aromatic... Very little malt on the nose, but it stands up fine on the taste. Good sweet caramel malt with huge hops and a dry bitterness... This is DAMN tasty! I cannot believe this is nearly 10%! This is dangerously drinkable.
The body is medium-full with excellent carbonation and a prickly feel. The hop oil is resinous as it coats my teeth.
Wow is this good.

Well done founders. Well done indeed!

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2011 17:07:18 | More by AleWatcher

MicroBeerMan1980

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Topaz in color. Very fine head with mild retention. Dissipates quickly.

S: Very piney. There is a bit of citrus in there as well, like orange/grapefruit zest.
Good malt character is also very prevalent.

T: Wonderfully complex hop profile. Pine and citrus notes cascade across the tongue. The malt body is sweet and slightly pilsner-esque. Well rounded. The 9.4% ABV is run over by the awesome floral Kraken that's released when this beer swirls around in your mouth.

M: This beer builds a hop cabin in your mouth, then plants rihzomes. Big, acidic and powerful.

D: This is a very palatable ale, true to its American IPA roots. If you're a hop head, this one is for you.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2011 04:04:36 | More by MicroBeerMan1980

paulginva

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

APPEARANCE: Poured from the tap into a pint glass, this beer arrived at our table with a 3/8" foamy off-white head that dissipated quickly. Head lacing was fair. Body was a cloudy golden color with soft carbonation.

AROMA: Noticed a STRONG hop aroma off the bat. Citrus and orange with floral highlights. Also noticed a pleasing, heavy scent of pineapple.

TASTE: Again, HEAVY hops taste -- like HopSlam only a little better. Citrus, floral, grapefruit, lemon, and pineapple were all present and well-balanced.

MOUTHFEEL: The beer had a nice medium body and smooth texture. Carbonation was fair. There was a modest amount of body lacing that dissipated quickly. The initial flavor was a sort of moderately bitter cold pineapple that changed to orange as the beer warmed. The finish was more heavily bitter with an aftertaste that lasted for a moderate amount of time.

DRINKABILITY: Loved this beer -- a real competitor to HopSlam. It might even displace it as my favorite Imperial IPA. Because of the high alcohol content, I wouldn't want to stick to this as my beer for an all-night poker session, but one or two sipped with friends would be appropriate. The cost is reasonable and I'll definitely be having many more.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2011 20:41:31 | More by paulginva

stimulus

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a 5.5 taster glass from a Founders tasting @ Tavern on Liberty in Allentown.

A: Pours a bright, clear golden with a pretty good white head (for the glass size).
S: Citrusy hop bouquet followed by some malt to balance the hops a bit.
T: Beginning with citrus flavors, this brew quickly shifts to the sweet malts and goes back and forth between the malts and a pretty high level of hop bitterness.
M: Light body, great carbonation, and a smooth finish.
O: Great double IPA, top 5 for me at the very least, and I've finally been able to try it on tap to confirm that. The balance from the malts is the key to making this beer as good as it is.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2011 16:33:48 | More by stimulus

TheKingofWichita

North Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Sammy's in Belmont, NC.
Pours a very clear golden orange color with a thick white head and tons of pretty lacing. Smells of orange and tons and tons of piny and grassy hops. Tastes like Jesus, of citrus and an unrelenting blast of palate numbing hops. Just awesome. Mouthfeel is medium with a heavy carbonation. Overall, its just an awesome beer, by far the best I have tried from Founders.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2011 15:58:43 | More by TheKingofWichita

GSmithBeer

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

had on tap at duckworths in charlotte.
A: looks the part. orange and pretty
S: huge smell of hops and maybe a little bit of alcohol. but inviting all the same.
T: this beer should be illegal its so good. at the 9.4% mark you could drink, but should probably sip, many of these.
M: good mouthfeel and carbonation
O: i have been known to drink may of these and have to call a cab to get home. be sure you do the same!

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2011 22:03:01 | More by GSmithBeer

Magpie14

Michigan

4.68/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: delicate gold and yellow with some copper hues. Small fizzy bleach-white ring gathered on top. Plenty of movement within, many a bubbles rising. Appearance is timid, despite its big numbers. Curtains of lacing occupy majority of my glass. Sticky icky foam

S: nose is rank with hops: grapefruits (pink and white), oranges, mango, and pineapples. Quite a mix. Nothing in the way of malts, probably will change upon tasting. All in all, this is a hop blitz to the nose

T: yikes, complete and utter hop goodness. I can detect some juicy tropical fruits and the usual suspects (oranges, grapefruits, and a few pine notes). The finish is very intense and bitter, near acidic, with a slap of sweetly toasted pale malts. However, malt lovers need not apply
After a few sips it is coming on a little hot, but it's never improper or unruly. Just a great amalgamation

M: smooth and sticky at the same time. Clean and bitter. This brew has the best of both worlds going on. Classy brew

D: Founders has managed to bottle hop juice. A big...big....beer

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 20:17:25 | More by Magpie14

Soonami

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Founders Double Trouble fresh is just fantastic. It's hard to imagine a better DIPA. I've had Younger within the past week and I would say that this is almost as good. The beer was a fuzzy, bright, yellowish amber with a good head. It smelled like rubbing your face into freshly picked hops. It tasted like juicy pineapples and oranges with a solid crackery malt backbone and good clean hop bitterness. Just delicious, I might have finished my 12 tulip in 5 swallows. I wish I could have drunk it slower to savor it more, but it was just that good.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2011 05:52:20 | More by Soonami

wcintula

New York

2.48/5  rDev -41.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

I'm sad to give this a low score after hearing so many good things about it. Poured from a keg tapped just 4 days prior, it looked very promising with it's staying head, and deep body. The nose brought a strong hop smell but a predominant smell of body odor. The taste is the same with some sweet malt flavors and hop bitterness and pine resinous feelings/flavors. I say this from a very objective standpoint as I was looking forward to trying this beer for the first time, but I must say, a disappointment.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 22:59:27 | More by wcintula

MaxSpang

Ohio

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This amazing American Double IPA is ridiculously easy to drink (a little TOO easy).

I had the privilege of having one or two (or more...) of these at General Denver in Wilmington, Ohio. Poured with about a 1-2 finger head in a normal pint glass. It was a lovely light apricot color, and it was very clear.

The aroma was very citrusy with a good deal of grapefruit. The head remained until about halfway through the pint, and it had a good amount of lacing in the glass.

The flavor was exceptional. It has a wonderful kick of bitterness from the hops, as well as a lot of flavor given off by them. It tasted a lot like grapefruit and other citrus fruits with a really nice sweet finish.

This is probably one of my favorite beers at the moment. It's seasonal, you can only get it Jan - April so when you see it, grab it! Truly excellent stuff, a GREAT beer!

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2011 03:19:03 | More by MaxSpang

smakawhat

Maryland

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

Poured on tap at Pizza Paradiso into a 12oz tumbler. Having had this out of the bottle this should be a fun comparison.

Lemon to gold yellow body which is cloudy, sporting an absolutely nowhere to go antique white creamy head. This beer also leaves fantastic lacing in the glass.

Bouquet is a great burst of grapefruit at first and perfect sugars. It feels like sprinkled sugar on grapefruit litteraly. Wonderful aromatic hops, and a somewhat dense body, but with a fantastic soft pillow sensation in the mouth. There's a sense of carmalized sugars with this that gives way to a "sense" of cardamom spice too. Really great tasting.

Drinkability is flat out fantastic, a real great beer just got better this way.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2011 01:41:37 | More by smakawhat

zrab11

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A-Pours a clear pale orange with a nice 1 finger head

S-Has amazing smell. Huge tropical flavors

T-Very bitter tasting to me and the flavor sticks around awhile in my mouth

M-Medium bodied,syrupy

D-Im sure i might review his again in the future. as i was told this was alot like or even better than hopslam(which i love) but i was dissapointed with how bitter this one was. ONly able to drink about half the glass.. It looks and smeels wonderfull. Will give this beer a try next yr. but for right now it wasn't for me!

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2011 03:03:33 | More by zrab11

jzsams

Virginia

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

On tap at Fireworks Pizza in Leesburg, VA.

Full 16oz. pour in pint glass.
A--Full 2 finger pure white head. Color is a sunny yellow with just a touch of orange. Beer was hazy and lacing stuck around forever.
S--Huge citrus, tropical fruit hop aroma.
T--Starts out a little sweet but bitterness kicks in as soon as it hits the back of the tongue. Detected some heat from hops and alcohol. Malt, hops, alcohol all seem to blend together very well.
M--Big luscious mouth feel.
D--Pretty spot on for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 17:21:00 | More by jzsams

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Big Hunt in Washington, DC. Poured into a pint glass. Pours a cloudy yellow golden color with a thick white head and a ton of lacing on the glass. Aroma is very strong pine and grapefruit. The taste starts off malty, then immediately followed by a burst of intense, but nice bitter hops with a strong pine flavor to it. A malty and citrusy sweetness lingers throughout the session. The ABV is well-hidden. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Decent carbonation. I really enjoyed this DIPA especially on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 16:06:31 | More by CuriousMonk

zoso1967

Michigan

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Double Trouble is served up a slightly hazy amber color with some orange highlights. The head is a standard beige color and has good retention. The beer leaves very attractive lace on the glass as I enjoy this tasty brew.

The aroma is well balanced with sweet citrus notes of grapefruit and orange mingling with pine and sweet caramel malt. Tangerine and a bit of tropical flair are also present, as is just a touch of cracker.

The flavor is much like the aroma with plenty of orange and tangerine. The malt has a nice low key Caramel sweetness, some honey and slightly toasty notes. This beer is a bit more like a west coast double IPA in that the malt seems to be more of a tool to help accentuate those juicy tropical hops. The bitterness is also very present in this beer and while I would not call this a tongue bruiser, it definitely makes my mouth tingle a bit.

The mouthfeel is squarely medium and is both smooth yet prickly. The finish is quite dry, but far from being a desert with pine and white grapefruit lingering after I swallow.

This is a very tasty and drinkable double IPA from a brewery that has never given me a reason not to list them in my top five. This beer never made it up to my home town this year so I am pleased that I got to enjoy some at the pub before it was all gone. While I don't think this is similar enough to HopSlam for me to make a comparison, it does deserve the honor of being put in that position by so many beer lovers.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2011 22:43:06 | More by zoso1967

bbarrows

District of Columbia

2.88/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Poured to pint glass.
A: Light amber yellow, fluffy white head, dissipated quickly
S: Resiny, grapefruit aroma
T: Grapefruit and lemony with boozy, alcoholic finish. A bit sweet
M: Dry
D: Due to the boozyness of this beer, I can't drink more than a few ounces.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2011 23:08:26 | More by bbarrows

MillRat

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a well-crafted example of what is swiftly becoming a "standard" american DIPA. Orange body with a sticky white head, aroma of grapefruity citrus hops with some malt putting up a futile battle for recognition, taste bears out the promise of the aroma, with puckering hop bitterness and flavors smoothed out by a fairly heavy malt body and sweetness that get a word in edgewise on the palate if not in the nose. Pretty well balanced, which is no mean feat with this amount of hops. This ain't no session brew, both from an ABV standpoint and by how much sticky hop resin you can have on your teeth and still pry your mouth open for the next swig.

Nothing really new here, and there are some examples of the style that are at least marginally better, but this is no slouch, either. Worth an effort to sample.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2011 03:34:41 | More by MillRat

craftfreak

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After a few glasses of Breakfast Stout I decided to switch it up to close out the night, so I poured a glass of Double Trouble... and at 9.4% abv it was perhaps a poor choice and certainly was my night cap. The name is spot on as I knew I was in trouble from the first sip. Unlike Hopslam or other Double IPA's that balance the large amount of hops with equal amounts of malt to add a touch of sweetness to cut the bitterness, Founders seems to have left that out with this one. It instantly drys the mouth with a bitter puckering that made me feel like I was in one of the old warhead sour gum commercials.

It smells fantastic! All those hops throwing the classic citrus with pineapple and grapefruit tones all followed up with an almost spruce tree like hint of pine. A golden murky yellow almost honey colored with a rich creamy head, it definitely looks the part.

The first thing you notice when it hits your tongue is unabashed hops. Bitter, citrus and pine, it tastes just as it smells with very little malt to balance the insane amount of hops in this beer. A hop heads dream! Medium bodied but still very substantial mouth feel that lingers nicely after each sip leaving your mouth dry and wanting more. With 86 IBUs it ranks right up that at one of the most bitter IPA's, not in the top 100 but it holds its own.

On Tap at Shark Club of Howell, MI

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2011 20:53:30 | More by craftfreak