Founders Brewing reDANKulous

Beer Name: reDANKulous Imperial Red IPA
Brewery: Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI)
ABV: 9.5%
How sold: Four-packs (12 oz. bottles); 22 oz bottles; on draft
Where bought: Craft Shack (Portland, OR)  ****bought online
Price: $3.99 for 12 oz. single

Date Bottled: June 1, 2016
Date Purchased: June 29, 2016
Date Opened/Drank: July 29, 2016
When brewed? Limited-time beer. Part of Founders' Specialty Series (July-August 2016) and Backstage Series (2015).
IBUs: 90

What's on the Bottle: "This bold, 9.5% Imperial Red IPA pours a pleasing burnt amber color, caramalt and roasted barley introduce a subtle sweetness,but the hops are the true headliner in this big IPA. The spicy, piney, and tropical complexities of Chinook, Mosaic and Simcoe hops hit you right away with their dank aroma - and they stick around. It's not just ridiculous, it's reDANKulous."

What's on the Website: "reDANKulous Imperial Red IPA is a no frills, bold 9.5% ABV India Pale Ale. It pours a pleasing burnt amber with some sweetness due to the Caramalt and roasted barley used in the malt bill. But hops are the true headliner in this elaborate sensory experience. The spicy, piney, tropical complexities of Chinook, Mosaic and Simcoe hops hit you right away with their dank aroma—and they stick around. Take a sip to have your palate simultaneously walloped and caressed in all the right places. Combined, the hops take the beer to 90 IBUs. It’s not just ridiculous. It’s reDANKulous." Read more here!

Where distributed: Founders Brewing distributes to most U.S. states, but is NOT found in the Pacific Northwest. Find out if Founders ships to your area!

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured dark red to amber into a pint glass, some frothy tan head. 4.25/5

Smell (25%): Tropical pineapple and grapefruit, with malty complement. 4.25/5

Taste (40%): Harmoniously dank-forward, hop-forward, and malt-forward, some octane (expected at 9.5%), actual flavors of hops detected on aftertaste. Pine, floral, and tropical all in there. It's an all-around, complex experience. Yup, it's dank as advertised. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied, some carbonation, sticky and dry on the tongue. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): An awesome Double IPA. I'm finally adding a Founders beer to my list of reviews, deciding on this one after seeing rave reviews on BeerAdvocate and RateBeer. While it is pricey at nearly $4 for a 12 oz bottle, the beer was popular and delicious enough for Founders to bring it back for a second round in bottles (Backstage Series in 2015 and Specialty Series in 2016). Recommended for IPA lovers who want some dank and some power in their beer. 4.25/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.25/5