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Beer Reviews, Maine Beer

432. Founders Brewing All Day IPA

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Founders All Day IPAI really enjoy session beers and I think this is an often overlooked segment of the market for craft beer makers. There are some brewers doing only session; Notch being the first that comes to mind but I know there are others.

This one from Founders is 4.7% ABV, I would like to see 4.5% or less for true session beer but I guess this is close enough. This beer is a pale orange with a single finger white head. A nice citrus aroma which is surprisingly strong for such a low ABV beer. All Day IPA is  very flavorful with plenty of citrus and floral hop flavor and only a slightly bitter finish.

Really enjoyed this beer and Founders announced this week they will be selling cans of it for the Summer. This may be my new golfing beer.
Pros: Flavorful for a low ABV beer
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 4.7% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 42
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Founders Brewing
Brewers Description: The beer you’ve been waiting for. Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops. Balanced for optimal aromatics and a clean finish. The perfect reward for an honest day’s work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life’s simple pleasures.

Beer Reviews

421. Bell’s Brewery Hopslam Ale

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Bell's Brewery Hop SlamGot this bottle from a friend in New Hampshire and was glad to finally try this beer. Double IPAs are one of my favorite styles of beer and no doubt this is a good one. Appearance is fairly typical of the style with a nice orange color with off white head. Aroma is not as big as I had hoped with some floral and pineapple but not very aromatic.

Taste has much more hop character with plenty of citrus and tropical flavors. Enough malt sweetness to balance things out but as you would expect this one is mostly hops. Overall this is an excellent brew that anyone should make an attempt to try but I think Maine Beer Company’s Lunch and several offerings from Hill Farmstead are better and more readily available to us in the Northeast. 
Pros: Nice hop profile
Cons: Aroma is not as big as expected
Alcohol Content: 10.0% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 60+
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Bell’s Brewery
Brewers Description: Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell’s Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell’s repertoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.

Beer Reviews

341. Founders Brewing Harvest Ale

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Founder’s has a great line up of  beer many of which are only available for a short time. These include many of their most popular beers; KBS, Double Trouble, Devil Dancer, Backwoods Bastard and this Harvest Ale.
Harvest Ale is a wet hopped IPA only available in October and it comes in 4-packs. Beer pours a nice orange with a very thin white head. Aroma is surprisingly sweet but also has plenty of hop. Nice mix of tropical and citrus fruits. This beer is surprisingly refreshing and crisp, nice balance of hops, sweet malts and a slightly bitter finish makes this an excellent beer by itself or with a meal.
Overall I really enjoyed this beer. Its nice to have a beer that doesn’t try to go over the top. 
Pros: Well balanced and refreshing
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 6.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 70
Rating: ★★★☆
Brewers Website: Founder’s Brewing
Brewers Description: This liquid dream pours a hazy golden straw color with a white, two-finger head. Your first sip rewards you with a super juicy hop presence bursting with fresh citrus, then finishes to introduce toasted malt undertones.
Beer Reviews

268. Founder’s Devil Dancer

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Another beer from Founders that made its way to Maine. This is a specialty beer from Founders meaning it is only available occasionally and is hard to find when it does appear. Not as hard to get as KBS but still difficult. I purchased this at Bier Cellar in Portland but I am sure they are gone as he only received a few in.

The label identifies this as a Triple IPA but I’m not sure that is a recognized style. Basically the alcohol content is VERY high so they are calling it a triple instead of a double or imperial IPA. Color is a nice deep red with decent white head that goes away quickly. Overall a nice looking beer. Smells of booze and pine – guess it is hard to mask the 12% ABV – the aroma does not draw you into the beer.

Taste has lots of malt and alcohol. There are some hops in there pine, resin and grapefruit but they are overpowered by the alcohol and malts needed to balance this out. Bitterness lingers as your throat burns from the alcohol. This beer is thick and not overly pleasant to drink on its own. I should have enjoyed this with a meal as it would probably have been much more enjoyable.
Pros: Lots of alcohol
Cons: Lots of alcohol
Alcohol Content: 12% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 112
Rating: ★★☆☆
Brewers Website: Founders Brewing
Brewers Description:  When you dance with the Devil, the Devil don’t change. You do. Massive in complexity, the huge malt character balances the insane amount of alphas used to create it. At an incredible 112 IBUs, it’s dry-hopped with ten hop varieties

Beer Reviews

262. Founders Red’s Rye Pale Ale

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I was not sure what to expect from this beer from Founders as the prior Rye beers I have reviewed were mixed with the option from Sierra Nevada being terrible and the Maine Winnah from Penobscot Bay being quite good. Fortunately for me this one ended up being very good.

Color is a nice red with single finger head that sits there throughout the entire beer leaving nice areas of lacing on the glass. Lots of aroma coming from this one with some grapefruit and pine. Smells more like an IPA than a Pale Ale. Taste mirrors the smell with a very complex mix of malts, hops and spice. Very well balanced and tastes smooth going down. This is the best of the rye beers I have had to date and one of the top options from Founders. Of course I still have a KBS to review so I am sure that will take top honors as soon as I open it.
Pros: Very well balanced
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 6.6% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 70
Rating: ★★★★☆
Brewers Website: Founders
Brewers Description: Serious hop bitterness, along with an unyielding grapefruit bouquet from the Amarillo dry hop, balances the malty richness of four varieties of imported Belgian caramel malts. Pours a spectacular crimson with a creamy tan head. A generous addition of rye malt accentuates a spicy, crisp finish.

Beer Reviews

261. Founders Dry Hopped Pale Ale

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Founders is a new beer in Maine and while I was able to get a Double Trouble through a beer trade this is the first time I am able to actually purchase their beer in Maine. I purchased this one at the Bier Cellar in Portland, ME and if you have not been I suggest you get their soon as Greg has a great selection of beer.

This one pours a nice deep orange color with bright white 2 finger head. Aroma is fairly subtle as it is with many pale ales but there are some hops and malts in there. Taste is bitter at the beginning and then balances out with some nice sweet malts. This is a solid pale ale from Founders and something you could easily put in your fridge to enjoy with virtually any meal or share with anyone that enjoys a quality beer. Nothing spectacular but worth trying.
Pros: 
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 5.4% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 35
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Brewers Website: Founders
Brewers Description: A testament to Cascade hops in a bottle, this medium-bodied pale ale has a refreshing citrus flavor and a distinctive floral hop aroma due to the aggressive addition of hops during fermentation. You’ll notice a slight malty sweetness with a balanced hop finish. Perfect to enjoy anytime, anywhere.

Beer Reviews

257. Founders Centennial IPA

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Founders Double Trouble is one of the best beers I have reviewed to date so when I heard they were coming to Maine I was very excited. Stopped by Bier Cellar in Portland and picked up 5 different varieties of Founders beer. Being a big fan of IPAs I decided to start with the Centennial IPA.

Beer pours a clear orange color with thin white head. Nice looking beer with a pleasant aroma of citrus and other hops. The taste was a bit disappointing with a lot of bitterness and not a lot else. I compare the taste ti celery, not a bad taste but something that I don’t really enjoy. This is a quality beer that is on the edge of an IPA and and Imperial/Double IPA, good but not something I would seek out again.
Pros: Color
Cons: Taste
Alcohol Content: 7.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 65
Rating: ★★☆☆
Brewers Website: Founders Brewing

Brewers Description: Get ready to bask in the glory of the frothy head’s floral bouquet. Relish the citrus accents from the abundance of dry hopping. This one’s sweet, yet balanced. Malty undertones shake hands with the hop character for a finish that never turns too bitter.
Beer Reviews

168. Founders Brewing Double Trouble

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All I can say is WOW!. Just look at the color of this beer – bright orange and yes it really is that color, that is not just the camera playing tricks. Double Trouble is a Double IPA so it packs a little extra punch but you would not know it when drinking it. This beer is smooth from start to finish with lots of citrus aromas and taste. It has been about 30 minutes since I finished it and I can still taste the grapefruit. Very easy to drink for a DIPA and another beer that I wish I had more than 1 of. Look for Founder’s Double Trouble if you head out to the mid-west.
Pros: Color, taste, drinkable
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 9.4% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 86
Rating: ★★★★☆
Brewers Website: Founders Brewing
Brewers Description: An imperial IPA that was brewed to turn your world upside down. Hops will get you coming and going. Pungent aromatics up front pair with a malt-balanced backbone and a smooth, bitter finish.