I popped the cap on the Founders Black Rye on Super Bowl Sunday. I honestly didn’t expect the beer to live up to the excitement of the Seahawks–Patriots matchup that was captivating America.

Some of the well-known Founders beers have names like Curmudgeon Old Ale, Double Trouble and Devil Dancer, so I didn’t expect a name like Black Rye to pack a unique punch. However, I was immediately intrigued when I poured the beer into a glass and saw that it was black in color.

I love dark beers. I love how thick and frothy they can be, and I love the strong flavors. But this wasn’t what I expected upon taking my first sip. Firstly, it wasn’t frothy like other dark beers and it didn’t have the typical flavor that I expected. In fact, it tasted more like an India Pale Ale than a stout.

After a quick Google search, I learned that this beer is similar to a dark IPA, which have been rising in popularity over the last few years. Founders just released this beer in January to capitalize on that popularity.

Personally, I wasn’t a fan. While the beer is fairly complex, the rye and barley flavors tend to overpower what I like most about it — the grapefruit taste followed by a coffee-like finish. There’s a bitter, burnt flavor that lingers unpleasantly on the roof of my mouth.

But if you enjoy a good IPA, the Founders Black Rye might be the beer for you. It offers a different, yet familiar flavor that could appeal to you, and I recommend giving it a try before it goes off the shelves at the end of March.

Although I wasn’t the biggest fan of this beer, the bold and spicy flavors of my Buffalo wing dip and salsas balanced it out, making it a welcomed companion to my Super Bowl viewing party.