beer_name: Founders Looking Glass
text: Meeting old friends for a beer at Grumpy's Downtown & spotted this on the seasonal list; instant woody. Nothing like a new Founders beer to start winding my crank. Launch! If you didn't know any better, you'd think the smallish (10 oz. ?) pour was a Michelob Golden Light. OK, a little more body than that, but not much. Smell was hard alcohol & somewhat stale hops, which suprised me. Looking Glass is one of the few innovative Founders brews that fails to impress. Mostly, this just tastes like an old IPA caterpillar that hasn't turned butterfly yet. The hops are faded, the barrel aging adds some harsh, indistinct alcohol. And it's sweet. Really, this is a mess. Not a bad mess, but I certainly didn't want another sample - & I could drink just about any Founders bourbon barrel beer until my throat closed. Cut above mediocre, but not up to Founders high standards.