Founders Pale Ale

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Light amber color with a soft white head leaving good lacing. Smell of pine needles and some citrus. Pine and citrus flavors as well with a little bit of malt showing up in the finish. Low carbonation, light bodied. Pretty easy to drink, could easily make an evening out of this one.

Draft at Thai 9 Restaurant in Dayton. Pours a hazy vibrant yellow/orange color with a foamy white head. Has the aroma of hoppy citrus. Smooth tangy citrus hops in the flavor. Refreshing and tasty.

Bottle from Canal’s in Lawrenceville. Very slightly hazy straw yellow pour under a thin eggshell white head. Citrus and faint pine aroma. Mild citrus flavor but with a definate apricot element - nothing like Magic Hat’s #9. A little apple in there as well. Hop profile plays a solid supporting role but never really grabs attention. Somewhat thin but appropriate to the crisp flavors. Nothing special but still a fine and easy drinking brew for summer exploits.

Very new brew, perfect for a hot summer afternoon. Definitely lots of citrus, or a lemongrass in the aroma. Some hops as well. Very Drinkable, yet the hops come in towards the end to add another dimension to this brew. Great beer if you want to drink down several.

Pours bright, hazy yellowish orange with a fluffy white head that lingers for a while leaving some delicate lacing. Aroma is light hops with citrus - lemons, floral and grassy. Taste is bitter floral hops up front which gives way to a subtle bready malt backbone. The bitterness comes back in the finish and hangs around in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is light and creamy with a dry, bitter feel at the end. This one is a tad bitter but still drinkable and a nice summer brew.

Cloudy gold beer with lacy head. Sour grapefruit aroma. Resinous piney hop flavor with clean finish. Somewhat watery and one dimensional; lacks balance

Pours a cloudy orange with two fingers of frothy, slowly dissipating white head. Odor of citrus hops. Light mouthfeel, the taste starts off with some soft caramel notes and a slight hop bitterness in the aftertaste. The odor is strangely a lot stronger than the taste, but it is a pretty nice, crisp beer.

Bottle purchased at Corral Liquors in Granite City, IL. Pours a hazy amber with a loose, frothy, off-white head. The nose is a pleasant, subtle blend of caramel malt and both floral and citric hop notes. Medium-bodied and slick with soft carbonation and a moderate bitterness that reveals itself at the swallow. Sweet, slightly bready caramel malt and a blend of floral and citric hop notes, finishing lightly dry and bitter. This is a very solid and quaffable brew. Do these guys ever make a bad beer? This is the ninth Founders brew that I’ve rated, and while this is the lowest score I’ve given them, a 3.6 as a helluva baseline. I will certainly buy this beer again if they ever expand their distribution to KC.