Saturday, April 28, 2012

Founders ALL DAY IPA

Tasted while sitting at the bar at the 8th Street Grille in Holland, MI. I spent an easy Saturday afternoon drinking and reviewing my way through several samples of Michigan craft beer.
4.7% ABV

Appearance: Pristine and bright with a pillowed white bubbly head. Carbonated bubbles cling to the sides of the glass, while bubbles rise from some un-seen origin at the base of the glass. Golden yellow and clear. Very well filtered.
Aroma: Lemon citrus hops are immediately apparent. Much else is difficult to decipher. A bit grassy and floral. Some sulfur too.
Taste: The flavor is all hops, and perhaps even some corn based adjuncts. Given the thin feel, I suspect the beer has a very minimal malt recipe, and the rest was an alternative sugar to thin out the body. This also may be attributed to the lack of sweetness, which ultimately puts the overall flavor on the hops. Lemony and fresh with an acidic bite at the end. Grassy and leafy, but still presenting an attractive citrus flavor. The aftertaste is long lasting and reminiscent of primarily lemon rind.
Mouthfeel: This beer has one of the thinnest mouthfeel's I've ever encountered in a beer. Cheers to that, making for an easy drinking "All Day" beer. Carbonation is high furthering a crisp refreshing bite desired by all summer drinking beers.
Overall Impression: My impression from the first sip was that the beer was a bit thin, especially given the huge dose of hops. Extremely easy drinking and refreshing. A pungent cattiness may be sensed, but that's only for the faint at heart. Something to seek out by way of session ales packing a big hop base, without the alcohol.

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