Founders Nemesis

There is absolutely nothing that i can really say that describes this beer better then HOLY @#$!@$%!!!!!!????? It blew my mind as well as the minds of the four other experienced beer drinkers that I was with. We were all blown away by the taste. The maple flavor almost made me want to start singing "Oh Canada." That was, until I remembered that Sidney Crosby goal for Canada put the dagger in USA's heart in the gold medal game of the Olympics. Being a Pittsburgh Penguins fan (of which Crosby is the captain), I don't know which was more confusing the game or the beer.

OK, sorry, back to the beer:


The beer was a yellow, orangey color and very translucent. There was a nice two-finger head and decent lace. (Lace is the head that sticks to the sides of the glass after a few sips or the pour.)

The smell was mostly of sugar and bourbon; not surprising from a wheat beer made from maple and aged in bourbon barrels.

The taste... wow! The taste was sweet and very alcoholic, like a straight shot of Kentucky bourbon. Its strong initial flavor quickly begins to blend with a very strong taste of maple syrup that almost seems to roll around the alcohol flavor and consume it, leaving a smooth (but strong and sweet) finish. The combo of maple and alcohol almost creates a wheaty butterscotch flavor that I'm not a huge fan of.


- Nathan

QUICK TASTE

Founders Nemesis
Grand Rapids, MI


ABV% 12.0


Wheatwine

Appearance: Cloudy yellowish brown


Aromatics: Sweet, Bourbon


Taste: Overly Sweet, Bourbon, Maple Syrup, Butter Scotch

Notes: Much too sweet for me but worth the taste and time to locate. One of the most unique and strongest flavored beers I have ever tasted.

Even though the actual flavor of the beer was not my favorite I still have to give this beer a fairly high score based on uniqueness and quality. 85

Midwest IPAs: Hops From The Heartland

Zeno's has recently had Founders Centennial IPA, Darkhorse Crooked Tree IPA, and Bell's Two Hearted Ale (also an IPA) on tap. All three of these are from Michigan and all three are high quality India Pale Ales. But which of these three is the best? ... well that's up to you... I'd had the Centennial and the Two Hearted before, but my only experince with Darkhorse was their Perkulator Coffee Dobblebock. To be honest, I'm not a coffee fan, and I didn't really enjoy the beer, so i really had no idea what else to expect from the brewery. However, when I ordered a pint after a shift at Zeno's and one of the bartenders also gave me a taste of the Bells Two Hearted to compare it to, it impressed me greatly. This comparison gave me the idea for this post. I figured why not throw in the third brewery, Founders, and try all three.
I have to admit, it took me three or four attempts to detect the subtle difference between the Crooked Tree and the Centennial. They both share a very similar color, aroma, and taste. Their tastes are flowery and citrus notes are both the bulk of the flavor and the aroma. The largest difference here is the finish, with the Crooked Tree having a slightly more pine flavor to the finish. Bell's Two Hearted is probably the boldest of the three flavors with the strong grapefruit flavor. All three of the beers have great flavors that linger a while, allowing the smooth, yet dry, finish to become more present.


As far as appearance, from dark to light: the Centennial is the more typical Amber colored AIPA, followed by the more orange colored Crooked Tree, with and the Bells coming in as the lightest.


The Bells is certainly the most balanced and strongest flavor of the group, with the other two not far behind. The Centennial was the smoothest, with the Crooked Tree somewhere in the middle.


So - long story short... the decision for these beers comes down to what flavor notes you want to experience... For me, I typically like the citrusy notes and the mouth feel of the hops, but in this case the transition from the citrus flavors to the pine in the Crooked Tree was just too nice for me to vote against. So, personally, I'd have to give it to the Crooked Tree in this one.


- Nathan