I am not one to like booze barrel beers, so most time at Founders, my selections become limited. Fresh Red's Rye is so darned good there.
Last 2 times in GR, we didn't go to Founders. Other places in the area, HopCat, Brewery Vivant, and it was time for bed.
At any given time there are usually 2 - 3 barrel aged beers on tap, out of the ~15 they usually serve. At the moment, it's 1 out of 10 with Backwoods Bastard. But to your point, the barrel aged beers aren't always my favorite, Backwoods being one that can come across as a bit too boozy.
Its a toss up whether New Holland or Founders is the best brewery in Michigan. I lean toward Founders. Must do more testing...
In my opinion, more testing is DEFINITELY required if this feels like a toss up. I live in Holland and would love nothing more than to have the best brewery in Michigan right down the road, but it's just not the case in my humble opinion. New Holland and Founders, in my experience, are opposite in their brewing methodology. New Holland tends to play it safe and brew beers for the masses; most of their beers appeal to people that want to dip their toes into the craftbrew scene. This isn't true of all of their beers, as there are one or two that buck that trend; Dragon's Milk comes to mind. Founders, on the other hand, has the following philosophy (taken from their webpage):
“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.”
They are consistently putting out top notch, creative, best in class brews.
This may come as a shock, but I'm a huge fan of Founders.
