Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 6-pack bought at Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2012
Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 6-pack bought at Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: American IPA, 4.7%
Tonight I'm reviewing Founders' "All Day IPA." This is a "sessionable" IPA, clocking in at 4.7% ABV, and packing dem 42 IBUs. Who is Founders Brewing Company?
If you roll over to the All Day IPA page, you can get a little blurb about the beer. The beer is advertised as an IPA with big flavors, but low enough alcohol that you can drink a few of these without passing out. And indeed, at 4.7% ABV, this beer won't knock you out. This is actually a super inviting beer, with bright bottle art that shows a grassy landscape, with an old-school station wagon with a red canoe on the roof driving on through. At 42 IBUs, this beer is on the low-end of what you would expect for an American IPA. This beer is also on the low-end in terms of ABV as well. However, as far as American Pale Ales go, this beer is well within specs....hmmm. Let's get on with the review:
 |
| Founders All Day IPA |
The bubbles on the side of my glass means I suck at cleaning my glass...in case you were wondering. The beer pours with 2-3 fingers of head, the head is slightly off-white in low light, and is made up of huge, dish-soap-like bubbles. In low light the beer is a copper/orange/bronze color. But low lighting lies. Seriously, I don't even know why I stage pictures in low light...this is a transparent, dark yellow/gold beer, with a white head. There is moderate carbonation in the form of small, rising bubbles. There's a bit of lacing.
The aroma on this beer is great. You get dominated with aromas when you pop the cap off the bottle, and they carry through in the glass. This is FRESH, sweet, and floral. This is a lawnmower beer (*coughpalealecough*) with fresh grass notes; fruity hops like melon, kiwi, and strawberry; hints of sweet bread/caramel malts, and a hint of pungent citrus. Overall, the nose is very bright, and fresh.
This is light, well-carbonated, and has a refreshing and crisp body. There is some acidic/bitter grass in the back end that manifests as bitter grapefruit/grapefruit rind as well. I'm tasting a lot of bitter hop notes, but I'm not being overwhelmed with bitterness (think: Pale Ale vs. DIPA). I taste grass, berries, bitter kiwi, bitter strawberry (or the strawberry stem, to be more exact). There's a hint of malt or grain in the back end, but I can't really place it. Overall though, this is really pleasant, fresh, and drinkable. It reminds me of the Daisy Cutter.
The aroma on this beer is great. You get dominated with aromas when you pop the cap off the bottle, and they carry through in the glass. This is FRESH, sweet, and floral. This is a lawnmower beer (*coughpalealecough*) with fresh grass notes; fruity hops like melon, kiwi, and strawberry; hints of sweet bread/caramel malts, and a hint of pungent citrus. Overall, the nose is very bright, and fresh.
This is light, well-carbonated, and has a refreshing and crisp body. There is some acidic/bitter grass in the back end that manifests as bitter grapefruit/grapefruit rind as well. I'm tasting a lot of bitter hop notes, but I'm not being overwhelmed with bitterness (think: Pale Ale vs. DIPA). I taste grass, berries, bitter kiwi, bitter strawberry (or the strawberry stem, to be more exact). There's a hint of malt or grain in the back end, but I can't really place it. Overall though, this is really pleasant, fresh, and drinkable. It reminds me of the Daisy Cutter.
Despite the 42 IBUs, this is stupid drinkable and crisp, especially at 4.7%. I could make six of these vanish in one sitting. This has a light-full to medium-light mouthfeel, with a thin but flavorful body, and crisp carbonation. The back end is crisp and refreshing, with just a hint of dry. As far as complexity and palate depth go, I'm really reminded of a Pale Ale. When I think about some of my favorite IPAs, this is moderately complex and has okay palate depth, but it's not wowing me. What IS wowing me is how drinkable this is (which is the point, I guess). Up front you get carbonation and grass; this rolls into the fruity and bitter middle; and finishes with that twang of grain/malt and crisp finish.
If this beer was a Pale Ale, I'd say it is:
Rating: Above-Average
Score: 89%
As an IPA...
Rating: Average
Score: 74%
Look...I can't not recommend this beer. This is a REALLY vibrant, bright, and fresh beer. Add in the fact that it is sessionable and super easy to drink, and yeah. I'd recommend you pick up a sixer of this for one of those warm summer nights. I don't want to be stuck to style-guidelines, but that's how I've been scoring the beer I review. The fact that I like this beer so much is actually making me reconsider how I score my beer (in fact, I'm thinking about doing away with the numbers/percentages altogether). Is this beer an All Day IPA? Maybe. That's up for you to decide.
Definitely pick this beer up...I'm going to ponder the state of how I score beer...and until next time, don't drink and derive.
Definitely pick this beer up...I'm going to ponder the state of how I score beer...and until next time, don't drink and derive.
No comments:
Post a Comment