Centennial IPA - Founders Brewing Review
It’s fair to say that Founders Brewing out of Michigan is one of the true founders of craft beer. Since 1997 they’ve been brewing some of the most highly rated beers in the game. That’s why when exploring single-hop beers, we had to get our hands on Founders’ Centennial IPA.
Centennial hops are like Cascade’s bigger, meaner brother. They were released in 1990, and have become a favorite for many brewers for their strong pine, floral, and citrus aroma and flavor. But is it overlooked as a second or third hop in the IPA bill? Well, not now, with Founders bringing us this single hop variety they brew with Crystal, Munich, and Golden Promise malt to give a sweet foundation for Centennial to shine. Centennial IPA also brings the oomph with 7.2% ABV and 65 IBUs.
With this beer we’re expecting lots of pine and citrus flavors, and Founders promises some malt sweetness to balance the hop power. Let’s get into it.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Clear and Golden-amber in color and topped with a persistent off-white head.
On the Nose--Classic Centennial floral and pine aromas waft up from the dense head. I also get a touch of bubblegum, which Founders alluded to, and bitter citrus. All together, it’s shaping up to be a classic and bold IPA.
On the Palate--Like the aroma, the floral and pine punch through, giving way just a moment for a balancing malt sweetness. Grapefruit bitterness lingers lightly through the finish. Centennial IPA has a classic IPA flavor with bold use of Centennial hops—one of our favorites to use in our homebrews—and this beer proves it is very much a ramped up Cascade with the ability to stand up on its own. This IPA has a full-body and goes down quite smooth with all that malt making it a pleasant sip.
Final Thoughts:
There are lots of things that make this a fun IPA to drink, but I think one of the most important things about it is the smart use of malt. Centennial is a POWERFUL hop, and if not accompanied appropriately it becomes a floral bomb in the mouth. Founders’ use of Golden Promise (often used in Scotch Ales to provide sweetness) adds that malty-sweet touch to balance the hops, and the Munich malt adds even more balance with its biscuit-y sweetness—in fact, many of our favorite IPAs use Munich malt, how curious (or is it?). With the malt foundation set so firmly the Centennial hops really pop from the floral, pine, and bubblegum aroma and flavor and on through the grapefruit finish. And, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, many of Founders’ beers can be expensive, but we purchased this one in a very affordable 15 pack for $17.99.
As I’ve said before, Centennial is one of our favorite hops, and this IPA only makes us love it more.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew