Founders All Day IPA

-Brewer's Words-
"The beer you've been waiting for. Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops. Balanced for optimal aromatics and a clean finish. The perfect reward for an honest day's work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life's simple pleasures."

-Terminology-
The term "Session Ale" follows from a British drinking paradigm, effectively being able to drink a particular beer all day, or during a session, without becoming intoxicated. Typical session beers have an ABV between 4.0% and 5.0%.

-Tasting Notes-
The All Day IPA presents a soft golden honey color that is accented by pale hints of oranges and yellows. The consistency is slightly hazy and, if held in the right light, some subtle traces of sediment can be glimpsed near the top of the beer, often suspended in their own barely perceptible Milky Way. The head is a near-white film that leaves no webbing during consumption, it effectively leaves a quasi-clean glass behind.

The aroma is pleasant with floral and citrus hops. The nose has a fairly noticeable grapefruit body with hints of lemon. But a closer or deeper examination reveals some malty undertones. The scent is light and airy, thin even. The aroma is short-lived but is incredibly welcoming.

The first taste starts with a pronounced and rather unexpected crispness of hops. The flavoring is, perhaps uncharacteristically, less hops and more smoothness. The hops notes are less floral at the start, and more of an earthy, thick pine. Interestingly, there isn't much in terms of bitterness, instead it's refreshing. In fact, the only reason one may become aware of the bitterness is by taking note of the lack of bitterness.

The All Day IPA has a light-bodied mouthfeel that is almost, for lack of a better term, watery. That doesn't mean this beer is watered-down, it's just missing the bitterness that one often equates with a nicely hopped IPA. After a while, the hop-flavoring turns away from pine and starts to align with the floral and citrus nose. In essence, it becomes more colorful. If there was any discernible bitterness before, it practically disappears. The tongue starts to pick up a tartness that continues to linger for a while, but it's quite non-intrusive.

The hops prevail, morph and ride a surreptitious wave of malt undertones. The tartness, perhaps an effect of the surprising crispness, continues throughout, while the bitterness is rolled over and tucked away by the floral and citrus hop notes and the malt body.

This is a simple beer that is surprisingly refreshing and relaxing. As a Session Ale it's been designed to be enjoyed, multiple times in a row, all day. It would come as no surprise that one would chose to drink and enjoy the All Day IPA one day, and then the next day, and probably even the day after that. It may be a mild IPA in terms of hop-presentation, but lack of the characteristic hop-aggression makes this IPA easy-going, relaxed and refreshing. A great beer for a hot summer's day, or after a long day of work, or at a day-long tailgate, or day spent on the hot sands of a beach or after a long bike ride. There really isn't a time when one couldn't drink this beer.

-Stats-
Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
ABV: 4.7%
IBU: 42

-Consumption-
Pour into a Nonic (pictured), Tulip or Pint Glass... or just leave it in the bottle.

-Pairing-
The abundance of hops in IPA's make them great beers to drink when eating spicy and boldly flavored foods. The hop flavors in IPA's also act as an effective palate cleanser and can give the tastebuds a much welcomed reprieve from the flavors typically found in Indian, Korean and Thai dishes.