Mike Loves Beer

Name – Founders Centennial IPA
Country – United States
Type – American IPA

Appearance – Poured a clear amber color with a big white head that left lacing on the glass.

Smell – Very subtle hop aroma.  Kind of pine like and earthy.

Taste – The hops on this are really funky.  I can’t quite describe it but the piney and earthy hops are just not mixing well here.  There is a caramel like malt backing to it but the funk of this hop profile just lingers around well after sipping it.

I don’t know if something just happened to these beers on the delivery to me or maybe this was a bad batch or even I just don’t like the way it tastes but I really didn’t care for this one at all.  Just something about the profile of hops in this one did not sit well with me and I am a self admitted hop head.

Overall Grade – D-

Name – Founders Harvest Ale
Country – United States
Type – American Pale Ale

Appearance – Pours a clear orange color with a small white head but it leaves a good amount of lacing.

Smell – Citrus and floral hops are pretty much all I pick up.

Taste – Very nice hop taste that is just like the smell.  Not a whole lot going on in the way of malts but I am really enjoying the malt blend here.

This was included with my package of Founders brews I was sent and was really happy with it.  The wet hop beers just tend to have this really fresh taste to them.  I don’t really know how to explain it other than it taste like it has just recently been made.  I know that is typically what wet hopping is all about so I guess it works.  A pretty good overall brew.  Kind of bummed I only got one of these.

Overall Grade – B-

Name – Red’s Rye P.A.
Country – United States
Type – American IPA

Appearance – Pours a mostly clear red color with a decent sized white head that left some lacing.

Smell – Faint citrus hop aroma but not a whole lot else going on.

Taste – Some citrus and earthy hops with a sweet caramel malt like taste.  Very, very faint rye taste in there.

I received a few Founders brews from a client of my job last week.  I was really looking forward to this one but I have to say it fell flat.  I was expecting a big rye taste presence like Lenny’s Bittersweet RIPA but it just wasn’t there.  While it was a decent IPA of it’s own I was just expecting more of a rye taste with the word in the name.  But I will push on to the next ones with an open mind.

Overall Grade – C-