Since 1997, the Grand Rapids, Michigan brewery, Founders Brewing Company, helped to put the Midwest on the map as a craft beer mecca. With cult favorites such as All Day IPA, Kentucky Breakfast Stout and other sought-after beers, it’s almost incredible that their initial offerings, according to legend, were “well-balanced but unremarkable,” and the brewery was on the verge of bankruptcy. That’s when the Founders team decided to change course, focusing on brewing the beers that got them excited about brewing in the first place: complex, crazy, drop-your-pants kinds of brew. Today, Founders’ philosophy states: “We don’t brew beer for the masses. Instead, our beers are crafted for a chosen few, a small cadre of renegades and rebels who enjoy a beer that pushes the limits of what is commonly accepted as taste. In short, we make beer for people like us.” Look again at that logo at the top of the page — “Brewed for Us” is right at the top. Today, Peaks and Pints offers a flight of Founders that we call Craft Beer Crosscut 4.4.18: A Flight of Founders Brewing Company.
Founder’s All Day IPA
4.5% ABV, 42 IBU
Founder’s All Day IPA accounts for 27 percent of all of its production. And we can see why. The All Day IPA pours a golden wheat, and notes of citrus and mango immediately float to the nose, making us crave hot summer days and sessionable beers. All Day IPA has the hoppy characteristics of an IPA, but light on the alcohol side for the style. It’s heavy on the citrus and medium on the pine resin, with a very light bready malt character.
Founders Solid Gold
4.4% ABV, 20 IBU
As mentioned above, Founders built its brewery on craft beers the owners and brewers wanted to drink, including its new Solid Gold premium lager brewed with lager yeast, corn and Lemondrop hops. The new lager is a revamped version of a beer that has been pouring in the Founders taproom “for years” and will be a year-round release. On the nose, expect corny sweetness/cream of wheat graininess with a zesty touch of Meyer lemon citrus and even a little bit of vanilla. On the palate, crisp, grainy flavor is paramount, with corny sweetness and a lingering, doughy/bready finish. Lemon citrus and lightly floral hops tie things together in good balance.
Founders Sumatra Mountain Brown
9% ABV, 40 IBU
Founders Brewing’s magnificent, coffee-forward Sumatra Mountain imperial brown ale is smooth, rich and roasty with nutty and caramel flavors. This full-bodied ale receives its depth from a team of malts including caramel malt for sweetness, flaked barley for dense foam, a bit of chocolate malt for its deep color and aromatic and Munich malts to add even more depth. Sumatra coffee, along with German and Perle hops, are also among the ingredients that make this a slam-dunk brew. Drop by Peaks and Pints and grab a pint on draft.
Founders PC Pils
5.5% ABV, 45 IBU
Founders PC Pils isn’t your grandfather’s pilsner. The crisp beer still has a the standard flavors found in your every day pilsner — just with a little something extra — Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops. Dip your nose for lemongrass, a hint of honey, crackers, light grain, grassy hops and a light, distant herbal trait. Again, not your standard pilsner. A solid amount of grassy hops hit almost immediately as cereal and cracker quickly follow. A hint of honey, lemony citrus and grain are also in the mix, providing something other than just hops, although a gentle tingle of hop bitterness lingers after every sip. American hops, by nature, tend to be a little more aggressive with a bigger feel than their European counterparts, and their use in this beer, along with its above average ABV of 5.5%, give it an initial “bigger than pilsner” sensation that quickly fades into the familiar pilsner crisp, clean finish.
Founders Dirty Bastard
8.5% ABV, 50 IBU
Close your eyes, take a sip from our taster and off you go to your grandfather’s gentlemen’s club as smoke, leather and the very apparent scent of alcohol fill your nose. Open your eyes to discover a mounted buffalo head on our wall and a murky, mahogany Scotch ale with a much stronger hop flavor and bitter profile than most other strong Scotch ales. Other flavors to note are vinous wine taste and ripe raspberry and cherry flavors. Dirty Bastard offers a flavor and body pleasantly lighter than expected resulting in a very well-balanced accompaniment to our little lodge.
