[Cellar Review] Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA (2012 Vintage vs 2013 Vintage)

Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan  
Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 4-pack bought at Friar Tucks in Urbana, IL; 2012 /// Single 12oz bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA/Strong Ale, 12.0%
Reported IBUs: 112

Tonight I'm checking in on a beer that I have aging away in my cellar...this post was inspired by BEEEINNNNY'S. I walked in to grab some Dragon's Milk so I could compare the 2011 Vintage to the 2013 Vintage, and I stumbled upon single bottles of the Devil Dancer. I don't understand this beer or its popularity. Binny's had a one-bottle (12oz) limit on this beer, and each bottle was selling for 6 or 7 dollars. That pushes a 4-pack of this into the $24-$28 dollar range. What the fuck is this, Bourbon County Stout? I'm sorry, I love you Founders, but I don't know if I love you THAT MUCH. But then again, we are about to give this beer two knock out punches. Maybe it does live up to the hype. A word on Founders: 

Founders is the holy grail of Michigan brewing. Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders was founded in 1997 and produce some of the best beer in the world.

I did review this beer back in September of 2012. The Devil Dancer is described as being massively complex, with a huge malt character that balances out an insane amount of hops. Clocking in at 12% ABV, this beer packs an impressive 112 IBUs. On with the comparison.  

Appearance

The 2012 beer is on the left in the Half Acre snifter. 

2012 Vintage on the left, 2013 Vintage on the right

2012 Vintage - Surprisingly much more flaccid than the 2013, this beer struggled to form a caramel/red head, and instead opted to spin a ring of lacing on the side of the snifter. In low light this is a reddish/orange affair, and it already looks a bit more muddled/cloudy than the fresh vintage. It's the damnedest thing, actually. The fresh vintage is almost transparent, but this year-old vintage is murky like orange juice. In bright light this beer is all sorts of appealing, with blood orange and tangerine tones, shades of sunet, a whispy carbonation on the surface. There is carbonation, lacing, and alcohol legs. 

2013 Vintage - More heady than the 2012 Vintage, this beer pours into a mostly clear, maybe slightly hazy, red/orange body. This one kicked up a centimeter of off-white head. In bright light, this is a transparent, orange-colred beer, with carbonation, and a nice cauldron effect. Swirling the beer kicks up some carbonation, and there is lacing and legs. 

The tl;dr version is that the 2012 Vintage is already much different in apperance, with a hazy body and less head.

Aroma

And here's where things get cray-cray. 

2012 Vintage - This smells like a mother fucking Barleywine. There's immense pine, resin, maple syrup, pine sap, treacle sweetness, molasses, and some hints of brown sugar/spice. There's also some fat, sticky, resinous tangerine/orange.

2012 Devil Dancer

2013 Vintage - Hops. This smells like hops. This smells like an Imperial IPA, and smells NOTHING like the 2012 Vintage. I'm getting some catty hops, lemon, pine, caramel/toffee/cakey backing, big zesty orange peel/lemon/citrus, and some sweet tangerine/tropical fruit. 

It's pretty remarkable, the change that this beer has undergone, in just short of one year.

Taste

2012 Vintage - The mouthfeel starts out thick, but this is still hopped to high heaven and finishes with gripping bitterness and woody hop kick. The front is all Barleywine, with huge molasses, complex sugars, brown sugar, and malt sweetness. You get cake, pine sap, resin, and burnt sugar-coated citrus. Beneath that is some hint of lemon, tangerine, and enamel-punching citrus. The back end remains sticky and sweet like a Barleywine, but the 112 IBUs of hop bitterness show up to dry things out and lay on a wood smacking.

2013 Vintage - Assertive, NOT-complex sweetness coupled with enamel-punishing hoppiness is what drives this beer. This is hoppy with resinous pine, lemon, catty hops, urine, soap, cleaning products, and some underlying caramel sugars and tropical fruits/citrus/tangerine. This is dank and resinous, and as it warms up you get some resin/wood density towards the back. The 112 IBUs are punishingly woody and dry, and you'll be reaching for water and a toothbrush. 

Drinkability/Mouthfeel/Palate Depth/Complexity

At 12%, neither of these beers scream drinkability. In fact, these are probably LESS quaffable than the Dragon's Milk, which is all sorts of absurd. On the plus side, hooray for getting tipsy on a Monday night. My liver, your gain.

2012 Vintage - This is full-bodied, heavy, and sticky. At this point, the beer is drinking like a serious American Barleywine with some age. It has a lot of complexity, and the palate dept is good. The bitter finish also contributes to nice palate duration, with each sip occupying lots of mouth time. You get sweet sugars, caramel, cake, toffee, and complex sugars up front; that rolls into molasses and spice, and bit pine sap, maple syrup, treacle sugars, lemon, and sweet citrus; that grows into a bitter/woody finish that is dry and sticky.

2013 Devil Dancer

2013 Vintage - This is also full-bodied, but a bit less so than the 2012. This one also isn't as heavy or sticky, and the complex Barleywine-esque sugars don't weigh on you. Palate depth is good, and complexity is also pretty solid. This reminds me of Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA, only less good. That gives me high hopes for cellaring the 120. This one features resinous/bready sweet citrus up front, with dank/resinous orange, some lemon, pine; that rolls into more lemon, cleaning products, soap, catty hops; The back end is aggressive bittering, wood, lingering resin/dank, and a dry sticky finish. 

Rating[s]/Final Thoughts

2012 Vintage - Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) I'm feeling a Light Above-Average rating on this beer. I'm a little surprised at how well this beer is aging, turning into something resembling a very solid American Barleywine. There's a lot of complex sugars at work in this beer, and they are complemented with nice bitterness and faded hops. You could pair the 2012 Vintage with a cigar, dry cheeses (smoked cheeses; aged cheddar), smoked meats, or rich caramel desserts or creme brulee. Nice stuff. 

2013 Vintage - Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd) I'm feeling a Strong Average rating on this beer. I think I just downgraded this beer from last year's review. I don't know. I feel like this is flirting with that Above-Average rating. This reminds me of both the 120 Minute IPA, and of numerous beers brewed by Lagunitas. There's a lot of accompanying sugars that provide balance to the hops, and the end result is lots of sweet citrus, sugary lemon, and cake notes. It's a touch catty, for better or worse, and occasionally the booze crops up. I guess it delivers in some regards, but for whatever reason I find myself preferencing beers like the 120 Minute IPA (and that's even boozier...so yeah). I'm rambling. Food pairings: spicy wings, burgers, cheese dip, nachos...things that go well with an IPA. 

Random Thought: I think this beer ages favorably, and I also think this is a FUN BEER. So what do we make of the price? At 7 dollars a bottle, this shit is undoubtedly expensive. I snagged my 4-pack last year for about 25 bucks. I thought that was reasonable. If you do buy this beer, buy a couple of bottles, and throw two or three in the cellar. This should peak after 2 or 3 years, and will be fun to compare to a fresh bottle. Cheers. 

[Cellar Review] New Holland Dragon's Milk (2011 Vintage vs 2013 Vintage)

Brewed By: New Holland Brewing Company in Holland, Michigan

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 4-pack purchased at Binny's in IL; 2011/2013

Style/ABV: Stout/Strong Ale, 10%

Reported IBUs: 31

Back in 2011, I reviewed New Holland's Dragon's Milk. At the time, I thought the beer was too hot, and one-dimensional. I was so wrong. I've been meaning to re-review this beer for a while now, so I thought I would pull out a bottle of the 2011 Vintage I have been cellaring and see how it compares to a fresh bottle.

Like many things, I found myself strangely attracted to the Dragon's Milk. After throwing some bottles into the cellar, I had a random craving for this beer, and went out and bought another 4-pack. It wasn't long before I found myself buying this beer on a fairly regular basis to get my Bourbon fix.

Sweaters: the temporary boner slayer

Like a curvy girl that mostly wears baggy sweaters, this beer grew on me with each new revealing outing. If I had to describe this beer in one sentence it would be: "A poor man's Bourbon County Stout." This beer reminds me of the Bourbon County Stout, minus the malt backing, huge brownie backdrop, and the giant complexity. With that said...let's get on with the comparison.

Appearance

Both beers pour about the same. They both pour into thin, dark, black bodies, and kick up a finger of Stout-like brown/tan head. 

2011 Vintage - Swirling the beer results in some lacing and glossy alcohol legs. Agitating the beer by swirling kicks up some carbonation on the sides of the glass, but I can't really get a head going.

2013 Vintage - Swirling the beer results in lots of lacing and big, persistent, glossy legs. The legs have a longer duration here. Also, I'm kicking up more head on this as I swirl the beer. This beer is more heady in general.

2011 Vintage on the left. The 2013 was definitely a bit more "heady"

Both beers have a ruby-red tinted body when held to a bright light. The 2013 vintage seems a bit more marble black, where the 2011 vintage seems a bit cloudy.

Aroma

2011 Vintage - Brownie, wood, faded Bourbon...big raisins, molasses, port wine, light oxidation, dark fruits...and wet oak.

2013 Vintage - Huge Bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate, brownie, wood...aggressive tannin punch. 

Taste

2011 Vintage - Surprisingly balanced with fruit and port wine complexity, raisins, figs...there's some light oak and Bourbon, and wood. The finish is full of wood tannins, and faded alcohol. The 10% is still griping on the finish with pleasant booze.

2013 Vintage - Rich oak, Bourbon, booze; there are hints of brownie and chocolate, with some wood and roast in the mix. Maybe a hint of coffee? I'm probably reaching.

After tasting the 2013 (I tasted the 2011 first), going back to the 2011 really brings out the HUGE raisin, dark  fruits, and port wine complexity. The 2013 lays that rich oak/wood/Bourbon.

Drinkability/Mouthfeel/Palate Depth/Complexity

At 10%, this was never supposed to be a balanced beer. And I increasingly appreciate a fresh vintage of this beer for its HUGE Bourbon blast. Sometimes you just want Bourbon.

On the left: 2011 Vintage. Caps: "I toast."

2011 Vintage - Medium-full to lightly full-bodied. This has fruity, port wine notes, raisins...it's very complex stuff, with good palate depth. Age has -- surprisingly -- done this beer well. It's almost Doppelbock-esque, or remniscent of a fruity Dubbel. It has good drinkability for 10.0%. You get a hit of oak/chocolate up front; then raisins, dark fruits, oak; the back end is tannins, oak, wood, trailing fruits...the oak definitely builds as you drink it. Boozy on the finish, but in a pleasant way. The raisins/port wine rise to the top.

2013 Vintage - This is a lightly full-bodied beer, with some moments of fleeting thinness for whatever reason. This beer is aggressive and has tons of oak/wood tannins, big Bourbon flavors, and lots of barrel. While chocolate and brownie show up, this is still aggresively Bourbon-forward. It's one dimension to a fault, which hinders complexity. Palate depth is good, nevertheless. At 10.0%, drinkability is low but you want to sip on something like this anyway. Oak, Bourbon, wood, tannins up front; chocolate, brownie, wood, more tannins in the middle; lingering oak, vanilla, Bourbon, chocolate, wood on the back...finishes sticky and boozy.

These are heavy beers that both take a toll on your palate.

Rating[s]/Final Thoughts

2011 Vintage - Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) - A Strong Above-Average in fact, almost approaching a divine brew. Two years of age has done wonders to this beer, revealing a layer of port wine/raisin/dark fruit complexity. You still get that Bourbon/wood/oak/tannin punch, with just a hint of oak/brownie up front. Amazing complex. Nice.

2013 Vintage - Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) - A Light Above-Average here. I shit all over this beer in my original review, but I was wrong. I owe this beer an apology, but I've made up for it by spending tons of money on this stuff. Okay, maybe not a ton...this beer is priced reasonably. The fresh vintages feature tons of aggressive Bourbon/oak, lots of wood, lots of tannins...there's a layer of chocolate/brownie, and some Stout-like richness that just can't sustain for some reason. The beer is a bit flawed, sure, but it's also a hell of a Bourbon barrel-aged beer.

I don't have much else to add...this beer is available in 4-packs for around 15 dollars. That makes this one of the better year-round Bourbon barrel-aged beers. It's missing a lot of the Stout complexity you would find in something like the barrel-aged Old Rasputin or Bourbon County Stout, but it makes up for it with excellent Bourbon kick. It's one-dimensional, but if you throw this beer in the cellar, you can pull it out in two years and pick up some nice dark fruit complexity to boot. I think I may see how a few vintages hold up after three or four years in the cellar, but this is very nice right now at the two year mark. Have fun with this one.

Random Thought: When in doubt, cellar ALL things.

[Cellar Review] Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Unser Aventinus (Brewed in 2008)

Brewed By: Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn in Kelheim, Germany

Purchased: 500ml/16.9oz bottle from Binny's in IL; 2013 purchase

Style/ABV: Weizen Bock, 8.2%
Reported IBUs: ?

After reviewing a fresh bottle of Aventinus, I also had the opportunity to try a 2006 vintage. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Tonight I'm popping an '08. Let's see how this one stacks up. About Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn:

Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn have been challenging people with the pronunciation of their names since 1872. Their website is in German, but has an English translation button on the bottom of the site. I'm lazy, so I'm going off the Wikipedia article. The brewery began as a Bavarian brewery that acquired the Weisses Brauhaus/Microbrewery in Munich. The owners then expanded the brewery to Kelheim and Straubing. After Munich was destroyed in the 1944 bombing (World War II, folks), all production was moved to Kelheim. This is a family run brewery with lots of tradition, and is currently owned by Georg Schneider VI (source). 

As with the 2006 vintage, this bottle comes wrapped in fancy packaging, and has a tag that reads:

"Aventinus, the world's oldest top-fermenting wheat-doppelbock, has received accolades for the perfect balance of fruity spiciness (banana, clove, vanilla) and notes of chocolate (crystal & dark malts). In addition, the beer has demonstrated wonderful aging potential with aromas and flavors of chocolate (very soft), port and sherry when aged for three years or more. 

Therefore, in 1999, the SCHNEIDER brewery decided to age 240 cases of AVENTINUS each year in their historical ice cellar in Kelheim with each batch held for a minimum of three years. 

Each Fall for many years t come B. United International is proud to release a small allotment of the latest vintage to all our customers across the USA. Please enjoy it now or hold on to it in your own cellar for further development ...if you can handle the wait."

This beer is quite lively and delightful when fresh. As it mellows out over time, it takes on some Bock/Dubbel-like characteristics, with port/sherry fruit notes, and some really nuanced banana/chocolate/wheat. I was getting big raisins and apple juice in the 2006 version. This is one of my favorite wheat beers when fresh, so let's see how a 5-year-old bottle holds up.

Aventinus (2008 Vintage)

This one pours a dark purple/golden raisin color, with a finger's worth of thin, fizzing, off-white head. The head is tinted slightly tan/raisin. This one is surprisingly carbonated, even more so than the 2006 vintage, and there's a lot of carbonation streaming upwards. I don't remember the 2006 vintage having a bunch of yeast and sediment floating around, but this one does. I was storing this horizontally in my fridge, and the bottom of the cap has a nice thick yeast cake that has formed. In bright light, this beer is a swampy reddish/brown/purple. It's reminiscent of the original beer, or a Bock, or a Belgian Dubbel. There's a bunch of shit floating around in this, which I may regret pouring out.

The aroma on this is cray cray. It smells a lot like the 2006 vintage, only with a bit more wheat and banana. This has big apple cider, oxidation...but the raisins are a bit more subdued. I'm not getting as much raisin. There are some plums, sherry/port, and some dates. And I'm definitely getting some faint wheat/banana on the aroma, along with faint dusty cocao powder.

This one has hints of booze and a bit of wheat astringency. It also has a lot of lively carbonation. The mouthfeel has nice character. This is probably medium-bodied, with okay palate depth and okay complexity. It's not bad. You get carbonation, apples, fruit, and wheat up front; this rolls into wheat astringency, some raisins, oxidation, sherry/port; the back end is lingering wheat, dusty powder/cocoa, some banana....it's not leaving any booze in the back of my throat like the 2006.

Rating: Average (3.5/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this beer. This one is pretty good, but I think I prefer the 2006 vintage with the distinct raisin/apple/sherry/port flavors, and the light booze on the finish. This one still retains some of the wheat, and as a result, the dark fruits aren't quite as distinguished. Still...it's shocking how well this WHEAT beer ages. Regardless, I think I prefer this one fresh. I'll echo my sentiments from the 2006 vintage...unless you are cellaring a bunch of these, don't pair this with food. If you have a few of these laying around, go ahead and pair this with some Korean pork soup, red meats, steak, and maybe even pasta. This is very wine-like, and it reminds me of a Bock or a Belgian Dubbel.

Random Thought: This has been a fun experiment, and given how cheap Aventinus is, you could certainly start cellaring this beer for fun.  

[Cellar Review] Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Unser Aventinus (Brewed in 2006)

Brewed By: Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn in Kelheim, Germany

Purchased: 500ml/16.9oz bottle from West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 purchase

Style/ABV: Weizen Bock, 8.2%
Reported IBUs: ?

Aventinus is one of my favorite beers, and a beer I penned thoughts on not too long ago. It's a huge, strong Wheat Bock, and it's one of the best strong wheat beers you can buy. The brewery has a little project going where they take that beer, and age it. I grabbed a 2006 and 2008 bottle, and am excited to see how this compares to the original. About Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn:

Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn have been challenging people with the pronunciation of their names since 1872. Their website is in German, but has an English translation button on the bottom of the site. I'm lazy, so I'm going off the Wikipedia article. The brewery began as a Bavarian brewery that acquired the Weisses Brauhaus/Microbrewery in Munich. The owners then expanded the brewery to Kelheim and Straubing. After Munich was destroyed in the 1944 bombing (World War II, folks), all production was moved to Kelheim. This is a family run brewery with lots of tradition, and is currently owned by Georg Schneider VI (source). 

I'm not finding any info on this beer on the brewery's website, but the beer comes wrapped in paper, and has a little tag with some info. The tag reads:

"Aventinus, the world's oldest top-fermenting wheat-doppelbock, has received accolades for the perfect balance of fruity spiciness (banana, clove, vanilla) and notes of chocolate (crystal & dark malts). In addition, the beer has demonstrated wonderful aging potential with aromas and flavors of chocolate (very soft), port and sherry when aged for three years or more. 

Therefore, in 1999, the SCHNEIDER brewery decided to age 240 cases of AVENTINUS each year in their historical ice cellar in Kelheim with each batch held for a minimum of three years. 

Each Fall for many years t come B. United International is proud to release a small allotment of the latest vintage to all our customers across the USA. Please enjoy it now or hold on to it in your own cellar for further development ...if you can handle the wait."

So that is that. There's not much more for me to elaborate on...except that when you think of aging/cellaring beer, you usually don't jump to a wheat beer, even if it's a strong wheat beer. Then again, at 8.2%...this is a big beer. Let's get this into a glass, and mull over it like the classy white trash we are.

Aventinus (2006 Vintage)

The bottle is definitely worn, as evidenced by the cap, and the shit around the top of the bottle. Surprisingly, a little carbonation hissed and some smoke poured out when I popped the cap off. This one pours a murky/hazy raisin color, and looks nothing like the beer when it is fresh. This beer BARELY kicked up a centimeter of head, and has settled with a ring of carbonation and some spotty cauldron happenings. Surprisingly, there's a ton of carbonation rising upwards in this, in the form of fairly large bubbles. Bright light casts a slightly golden color on the body, but this is still bayou murky. It's nowhere near as funky as some aged wild ales look, however.

The aroma on this is really interesting...I'm getting a big apple cider/apple juice aroma, lots of apple juice sweetness. It seriously reminds me of being a kid and getting the apple juice from the fridge, and diluting it with water to curb all the sugar. There's definitely a vinous thing going on, with some sherry/port, plums, and wet cardboard. Maybe it's just the color, but I'm getting some raisins...and I swear there is a little booze on the nose. I'm not pulling any chocolate off this. If you get chocolate on the aroma, you cray-cray.

It's incredible that this is still carbonated at all. This has some tingly carbonation up front, and then sort of turns into a wet dog. I say that in a good way. Wet dog, while not the most appealing thing, has some intrigue. And a wet dog is still lovable, or something. I'm getting a lot of rocky booze in my throat, like I just drank a strong spirit. There are raisins up front, with some plums, hints of red wine, sherry/port...and then the beer kind of fades into hints of banana, chocolate, and wheat. I shouldn't forget to mention the apple juice, which is definitely there, along with some grapes. 

Despite the sherry/port/spirit elements, the alcohol in here is pretty much masked until the back palate. I'm amazed at how fruity this is...in fact, this tastes nothing like the original beer. I probably haven't emphasized that fact enough. This beer fresh is creamy, lively, has champagne-like dryness, and just blows your palate away with distinct wheat, dark malts, banana, and fruitiness. The beer I'm drinking now is fruity, complex, and kind of reminds me of a Doppelbock or something. 

You get tingly carbonation up front, but this mellows out into something resembling a wine...as such, I'd call this medium-full. There's a quiet thickness about this, and you feel that 8.2% as rocky booze in your throat. Palate depth is quite spectacular, complexity isn't far behind. This is worthy of your snifter...as I find myself sipping rather than gulping. You get carbonation, raisins/grapes/plums up front, apple juice, and some red wine; this rolls into red wine, sherry/port, light cardboard, and faded wheat/chocolate/banana; the back end is lingering sherry/port, with some rocky alcohol. Finish is dry and musty. 

Rating: Above-Average (4/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this beer. How do you even rate something like this? I suppose I could compare this to the fresh version, in which case I'd preference this beer fresh. If you compare this to wines/sherries/port or even some Bockbiers, this might be a worthy investment. It's not hard to find the aged Aventinus, and a bottle is only 6 or 7 bucks. This is a great sipping beer, and an even better journey into aged beer. I might serve this with strong cheeses or meats...but honestly, why not try this with some red pasta sauce, or muscles, or calamari...you could also pair this with dessert....I have a 2008 bottle which I'll crack open soon. This one is 7 years old, the '08 will be 5 years old. 

Random Thought: Follow-up: the Bulls won. They didn't just win, they also supplied some good drama and entertainment by blowing a huge lead in the 4th Quarter and barely winning the game. But they won. Hooray.