Founders Devil Dancer
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Tasting Notes
Devil Dancer opens with an aggressive burst of pine resin, grapefruit pith, and a faint tropical undercurrent that signals the hop load to come. On the palate, bitter citrus and dank resinous hops dominate, backed by a surprisingly sturdy malt spine — caramel and biscuit — that keeps the whole thing from collapsing into astringency. The body is full, almost chewy, which is necessary given the unusually high ABV for even the Imperial IPA style at 12%. The finish is long, dry, and intensely bitter, with lingering pine that coats the palate well after the glass is down.
About the Brewery
Founders Brewing Co. is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has been operating since 1997. They built their reputation on high-gravity, aggressively hopped, and barrel-aged beers — KBS, CBS, and Centennial IPA are among their most recognized offerings. They occupy a firm spot in the American craft beer conversation and distribute widely across the United States.
Food Pairings
The intense bitterness and full body here work best against food with enough weight and fat to push back. A well-marbled ribeye or charred lamb chop can stand up to the resinous hop load while the malt backbone complements the char. Strong aged cheeses like a sharp cheddar or aged gouda find common ground with the beer's caramel malt sweetness. Spicy Thai or Indian curry can mirror the beer's boldness, and the bitterness acts as a palate reset between bites. Dark chocolate, particularly 70% or higher, echoes the resinous bitterness and bridges the beer's malt character.
Style Guide
American Double or Imperial IPA is essentially a pushed-to-the-limit version of the American IPA — more hops, more malt to balance them, and significantly higher alcohol, typically falling between 7.5% and 10%, though outliers like this one reach well beyond that ceiling. The style originated in American craft brewing in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with breweries like Russian River and Stone helping define its aggressive, resinous character. It differs from a standard American IPA primarily in scale: the bitterness is more intense, the body is fuller, and the malt presence is more pronounced, not because it's sweet, but because it has to counterbalance the elevated hop and alcohol load.