Founders Centennial IPA

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Another near perfect offering from Founders. Well balanced, but maybe a touch too much malt stealing away from the hops. But then I’d snort hops if they’d let me..

Pours a nice slightly clouded orange amber. Nose is perfumed hops, but not a blast to the nose. Nice and even, but firm. Flavor is very nice. Hops are there, but this is no bomb. Just gives a solid hit to the mouth. Lots of pine-y hops. Feel is decent. A bit thinner on the liquid than I would have expected, but a good level of carbonation. Overall very drinkable. I would be down for trying this on tap, or even better, on cask.

Bottle, courtesy of alexanderj and possibly kleyland. Orange - copper pour with lots and lots of off-white head. Aroma is grapefruit and citrus; very pleasant. Flavor is also mostly citrus, lemony, and only slightly malty. Somewhat sticky mouthfeel with some resin in the finish. The flavor might be a little too lemony.

Pours a nice copper with a moderate creamy white head. Aroma is of citrus hops and some sweet malts. Taste is citrus hops, with a solid sweet malt backbone, slight fruit. Overall well balanced and very drinkable.

My Bottom Line:
A prolific Centennial hop panorama takes us from minty herbs to citrus fruit, from spicy flower petals to peppery cedar, all while chewy pale malts discreetly build a sumptuous pillow for these alpha vistas to be shown. This is a solid, balanced India Pale Ale with a lot of personality.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A creamy veil of foam resides atop the pale orangey amber.
-This is amazingly well balanced and never overpowering for a relatively strong American IPA.
-Carbonation is cushy and with the nourishing maltiness creates a soothing mouthfeel.
-The cologne-like cedar undertones are truly pleasant.
-The herbal, coniferous hop bitterness is well levelled.
-A gooseberry fruitiness roams within.

Bottle.

Bottle courtesy of demitriustown. Thanks for this awesome beer!
Slightly hazy reddish amber color with a creamy offwhite head atop. Smell is light, fruity hops mostly with a citusy focus. Taste is somewhat bright, and fruity with a good hop character. Some citrus flavors and an appropriate malt backing. Good mouthfeel and carbonation level round this one out into a really classic and well done IPA. Very fresh tasting and quite drinkable.

1-25-08 bottle.
Nice hoppy smell that is refreshing and a hint soapy - but nice. Bright amber in color - not thick but not thin either. Nice flavor of hops. Quite drinkable. A very good representative of the style in many ways. Fruity and sweet yet perfectly hoppy. Palate is nice and smooth. Very nice and ideal.

Bottle. Hazy orange color with limited 1/4" head. Hoppy, lemony, orange, distinctively citrusy hints. Watery and flat in taste - somewhat shocking given the strong aromatic beginning. tastes like a Bells Hopslam with a cup of water added in. Solid and desirable but ultimately disappointing given the strong start.