Founders calls this one a Session Ale, but also an IPA given the name of the thing. It clocks in at 4.7% ABV. My understanding is that this is available year-round in the normal Founders markets; I received this bottle in a trade.
Appearance: There is visible carbonation that crawls up the side of the glass, but the head is small, only about 1 finger in height, and there is no retention or lacing. Color is light amber with some red tones.
Smell: The smell is grassy and mild, very light. There is an underlying sweetness that rounds off the nose, but the whole effect is still rather subdued.
Taste: There is bright grapefruit and pineapple on the palate that isn't present in the smell. Grassy earth qualities also come through at the finish over a backbone of bready grain and malt. Like the smell, it's very light overall, and refreshing.
Mouthfeel: The body is also very light, though the finish isn't very dry. It's almost chuggable, between the light body, subtle flavor characteristics, and light carbonation.
Overall: For me, this isn't an IPA. It's a very tasty and well-balanced pale ale. Founders acknowledges that it's sessionable right there on the bottle, but it seems a little counter-intuitive to also call it an IPA. It just isn't robust enough. All that said, it's still a tasty beer, one that I would go for on a hot day, and one that I would recommend to friends -- especially those that aren't huge hopheads.
3/5
Appearance: There is visible carbonation that crawls up the side of the glass, but the head is small, only about 1 finger in height, and there is no retention or lacing. Color is light amber with some red tones.
Smell: The smell is grassy and mild, very light. There is an underlying sweetness that rounds off the nose, but the whole effect is still rather subdued.
Taste: There is bright grapefruit and pineapple on the palate that isn't present in the smell. Grassy earth qualities also come through at the finish over a backbone of bready grain and malt. Like the smell, it's very light overall, and refreshing.
Mouthfeel: The body is also very light, though the finish isn't very dry. It's almost chuggable, between the light body, subtle flavor characteristics, and light carbonation.
Overall: For me, this isn't an IPA. It's a very tasty and well-balanced pale ale. Founders acknowledges that it's sessionable right there on the bottle, but it seems a little counter-intuitive to also call it an IPA. It just isn't robust enough. All that said, it's still a tasty beer, one that I would go for on a hot day, and one that I would recommend to friends -- especially those that aren't huge hopheads.
3/5
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