Pride & Joy Mild Ale - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A serviceable bitter and we don't need boldness and high alcohol to clean the palate. Crisp, good carbonation, florl, grapefruit and lemonade. A changeup between the pales and stouts. Decent and drinkable bitter. Don't be fooled by the numbers, in perspective of the bold beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2005 02:40:48 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My last dark mild ale looked like an Imperial stout compared to this beer. Crystal clear, polished tangerine with an impressive firmsticky head of dark cream. The foam maintains a creamy, humped dollop as it languidly descends and attractive lace spatters the pint glass in an 'interlocking shards' pattern. The appearance is indistinguishable from an APA or an IPA.

Did Three Floyds mislabel this beer? Pride & Joy has to be the hoppiest, most pale ale-like mild ale in existence. In fact, it's one of the most 'unlike style' beers that I've had in a good long while. This brewery's penchant for hops is legendary, but sometimes causes them to push and often exceed the limits for any given style (I'm not criticizing, I'm praising). Now I have to decide whether to review P & J as a dark mild or based on its qualities irrespective of the stated style (spoiler: it's the latter).

Back to the nose. Bright, sweet, hoppy goodness greets my nose with each sniff: candied grapefruit and lemon zest with a spritz of pine sap. The flavor follows suit, but the hoppiness is a bit hamstrung due to the relatively light body. Pale malt stays undercover, providing just enough support for the hops.

The flavor profile is identical to the nasal profile, but caresses the palate rather than pillaging it as it does in some of this brewery's other beers. I still don't see, smell, or taste even a passing resemblance to a true dark mild ale. This delicious beer is more along the lines of a weaker, highly quaffable Alpha King.

I've recently discovered that Pride & Joy is readily available in my area. Since I feel that a session APA (which is what this really is, let's not kid ourselves) completes Three Floyds's lineup nicely and fills a niche in my own regular rotation, I'll be coming back to this one again and again.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2004 15:24:37 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Was totally exited to get a chance to try this. I just get far too few Three floyds beers, gonna need to make a huge trade for these soon, anyway...

A - Poured a nice light golden amber. A touch hazy with a rather large white head. This quickly faded and left behind just a thin film accross the top and a decent amount of lace. Nice carbonation visible streaming up from the bottom.

S - very light citrus hops were the most noticeable. A malty back was there, light grain and a touch of sugar.

T - Wow, this was just awesome. It was like a light IPA, but not in the normal watered down bad way. Nice solid grain backround gave way to the light citrusy hops. Very nice. A touch of susgar made it just a bit sweet, really well put together.

M - Super smooth. Not that much of the carbonation translated over, but enough to make this really nice. Went down well and was not too thin at all.

D - Superb. They are not lying about creating a great session beer. This is the perfect session beer, could drink it forever.

Overall I was very much impressed here. It just was soo smooth and light you could drink it forever and not even know. If I was around it more it would stock my fridge constantly.Just a good, no, great beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2007 23:47:51 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Jeff for knocking off a bunch of wants in a recent box. This being one of them!

A: The pour is a nice rich amber color with a finger of white head some spotty lacing is left on the glass as I drink it down.

S: Just a really fresh and vibrant hop aroma to this beer. Tons of pine and grapefruit peel with a hint of grass. Touches of sweetness from both fruity, citrusy hops and the bready malt base.

T: Slightly more malt forward than the nose lets on. Toasted bread and hints of caramel on the front end, but still plenty of hop character. Very floral and perfumey with a moderate pine note and bitterness.

M: On the lighter side of medium in body with a moderate carbonation and a dry finish.

O: Three Floyds really does hoppy beers well and this is no exception. A really nice pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 00:59:01 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pale amber with a nice white head.

S: Some pale malts alongside very mild hop nitterness.

T: Malt sweetness alongside some citrus hops--nothing overwhelming but a very nice profile. Fits the bill for a mild ale quite well.

M: Fairly dry and light-bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

D: Very high. If this one weren't as expensive as Alpha King and the other regulars, I could see this being a go to session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2009 14:09:26 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Pours a clear, copper-orange body with a large, foamy white head.

Smell: The aroma is noticeable even upon opening the bottle, with a scent fresh-cut citrus fruits and touch of pine.

Taste: A blend of spritz lemons and bright, juicy tangerines start off the flavor. Hint of pine. A bit of caramel malt and hint of biscuit come as an afterthought. Slightly dry finish with a lingering zestiness left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Lively carbonation. A very slight oiliness to the mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Though light in alcohol, it's anything but mild. Nicely flavorful with a high drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2007 03:45:01 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Gushes from the bottle and pours a hazy honey color with a sturdy head that laces nicely

Smell: Nicely balanced nose of clementine orange and caramel

Taste: Opens with a citrusy aspect that lingers on top of the biscuity malt right through mid-palate; after the swallow, the malt manages to sneak through but both flavors remain in the fore through the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body but a bit too carbonated

Drinkability: Just an incredible achievement for a nice session beer

Thanks, joe1510, for the chance to re-visit this in the bottle

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2008 01:29:06 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a hazy golden color ale with a nice pure white foamy head with good retention. Aroma of floral hops with a good malt presence. Balance between the floral hops and the semi-sweet malt is very interesting. The above average body is also very enjoyable. If I were to rate this per the style, I would probably rate this very low because this hoppy beer does not remind me of a mild or a bitter. But since I’m rating this solely on what I tasted I can say that without being a great beer it is a very enjoyable session beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2006 18:52:14 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Man, that's a good beer! Sessionable, flavorful, characterful. But aren't Mild's (as the bottle suggests) supposed to be a light Brown Ale? This beer is far from being a mild, but would make a great Extra Pale Ale. Somewhere between a copper and golden color with a thin stark-white head formation and retention. The flavors are dominated by an English hop aroma (earthy, grassy) and with a medium malt character that struggles to counter the hops. The malt flavors take on Vienna-type flavors and come across pleasant and light. Body is quite light, slight of thin, but make the beer very easy to drink. finishes with a light caramel taste and strong hop bittering. Good stuff again by Three Floyds.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2007 19:03:05 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A mild ale?Well not so sure about that,pours a rich copper with a nice white two finger head that leaves a nice sheet of lace behind as it settles,no "mild" aromas going on here piney,resiny hop with slight caramel malt note in the background.A tad watery mouthfeel but not to thin mild flavors for Three Floyds I suppose lightly sweet and caramelly but that piney,resiny American hop presence is there make this well balanced and oh so quaffable.I could drink this ale all day has nice flavors and ind goes down like water,a traditional mild no but a damn good American style mild oh hell yeah.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2005 19:49:18 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a shaker pint glass at The Firkin.

Nice to see a guy like this on-cask closer to home. Take that, somewhat long drive to Munster! Anyway, it pours a clear copper-amber topped by a surprising half-finger of white foam. The nose comprises a mountain of cascade hops, some pine needles, and a light undercurrent of caramel. The taste holds notes of greens, flowers, light orange peel, and an even more reserved undertow of caramel. The body is medium, with no really detectable carbonation and a relatively smooth feel. Overall, a very nice pale, one that seems to benefit from cask-conditioning (and I suspect some dry-hopping involved as well).

Serving type: cask

10-31-2010 20:39:17 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Big, creamy head; copper color. Aroma: fresh, slightly spicy, soft, faintly herbal, some lemon zest. Taste:tangy, but smooth, quite mild, but more character and flavor than other session ale types I've tried recently. I could drink a lot of this, if I didn't care too much about variety, etc. Unfortunately, I like to drink quality, exciting brews, and a diversity of them. So I ask: why can't the discriminating session beer drinker, the party giver, the softball player, turn to this instead of Bud Light?

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2002 21:32:59 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy dark gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great. It has a nice malty scent that boasts of pale and crystal malts. It also has an intense hop aroma that really makes this beer. It is well balanced. The taste is great as well. It has a solid malt core that lays a base for the hops in the taste and finish. It is quite bitter, but very enjoyable. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate/good carbonation. This is a fine brew. It is full of flavor and good aroma. Another solid beer from Three Floyds.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2005 23:38:12 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

One of my least favorite Three Floyds beers to date but that didn't stop me from drinking 36 ounces of it. Oh yeah, served in a Three Floyds beer glass because I can.

Beer is amber and hazy with a soft white head of medium and small bubbles that leave a lot of lacing on the glass. Carbonation moderate to low.

Aroma is nice, pineapple and grapefruit.

Beer is sweet at first giving way to a floral hoppiness that finishes with a grainy aftertaste. It is an average beer that unfortunately shits on the term "mild"...I don't hate it, but I expected a flavorful low alcoholic malt and hop experience and what I got was a thin grainy water hop mess. I drank three of them and I doubt I'd go out of my way for more. Worth a try but does not need a repeat.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 04:45:27 | More by drabmuh

MasterSki

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at West Lakeview Liquors. Can't believe I haven't reviewed this beer before. Figured I'd enjoy a (lower alcohol) Three Floyds offering in anticipation of tomorrow's festivities. Served, somewhat appropriately, in a Surly pint glass.

A - A finger-plus of white foam settles to a thick cap, leaving a few stray splotches of lace. Lightly hazed golden body.

S - A nice initial hop punch of floral and citrus flavors mellows out to a crackery malt backbone with notes of toffee and toast. Plenty of grapefruit and lemon flavors present.

T - Taste is quite nice, with a mix of grapefruit, pine, and grass hop flavors mingling with some cracker and biscuit malt. Well-attenuated, with a tiny astringent note in the back end. Bitterness is medium-low and appropriate.

M - Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, lightly sticky finish with some enamel-coating hop oils. Goes down extremely easy, with negligible alcohol presence.

D - An enjoyable beer from Three Floyds that probably deserves more credit than it gets, but is overshadowed by its higher ABV siblings. Drinks a little lighter than Alpha King, and a great option for winning over craft beer n00bs.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 01:20:41 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brilliantly clear deep copper color. It is topped by a thin light tan head. The aroma has been infused by that typical Three Floyd's, over the top hoppiness. I get notes of apricot, ruby-red grapefruit, tangerine and orange. The taste is initially sweet up front, but then moves to a fairly dry finish. Throughout though it is a hop lovers dream. This beer is about as far from a mild as possible, it could easily pass for a supped up pale ale though. I am not quite too sure what to think of this beer, it is certainly by no definition a Mild Ale, but it certainly is what I expect Three Floyds to brew as their mild. I am certainly enjoying the in your face citrus fruit notes, but I wish that there was some of that malty complexity that one gets from a traditional Mild Ale. In the end though this beer does taste quite good.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2004 16:58:44 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.47/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Acquired from BlackAngus courtesy of the Birthday Club 2, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a cloudy gold color with a short white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of hops and citrus with a background of caramelized malt.

T: The taste starts out fruity with flavors of lemon and tangerine, then a decent burst of floral hops bitterness comes in. There's a thin malt character and not a lot of sweetness despite the fruitiness. The after-taste is slightly sweet and a little hoppy.

M: Smooth and very crisp, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, clean and dry finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is yet another very good beer from 3F. I could certainly see myself drinking several of these in an evening. The biggest thing that would keep me from selecting this beer if it ever comes back to my area is that I would prefer Alpha King above it and any place around here that would have Pride & Joy would most likely have Alpha King as well.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2007 02:02:57 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pride & Joy pours out as a dark orange color almost a light brown, The body is a little cloudy cutting down on the clarity of the brew. The head was pretty good looked thick and white and laced the glass nicely. The smell of the beer had a good balance of hops and malts on the nose, it also had a bit of a yeast aroma coming off it too. The taste of the beer was soft and had a good amount of malt in the flavor. The bitterness come though in the end with the aftertaste. The mouthfeel of the beer was smooth and medium bodied. Overall It's a very nice brew but probably my least favorite of the 3 Floyd's year round releases.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 20:45:52 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12 oz. bottle, procured at the Walnut Liquorette,

A: Golden amber, kind of cloudy, with a good, solid white head, which dissipates to a pond scum looking layer and bubbles, with good lacing, a very good-looking beer in this reviewer's humble opinion.

S: Some faint, yet fragrant hops, mixed with sweet malts.

T: Subtle in its flavor, it is very tasty though, with sweet malts starting it out backed with grassy hops, and some pine and grapefruit.

M: Very light, this is described as a mild though, smooth, and soft-feeling.

D: An amazingly drinkable ale, a great session beer, it would be, if it wasn't so expensive and hard to find in my area. All-around, a great smaller beer from 3 Floyds, they continue to amaze; now only if I could get my hands on that elusive Dark Lord...

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2007 04:44:41 | More by Halcyondays

emerge077

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank this one from the bottle <gasp>
Label art is quite unique, so it looks good to me :)

Very nice fruity, spicy hop aroma. Taste is balanced, and follows the smell. Fruity, citric hops are present in just the right amount. Mild yet flavorful. Mouthfeel is spot on, vaguely carbonated, but lets the flavors take center stage. An easy drinker, and what I would consider "training wheels" to 3F's bigger brews. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2006 02:17:39 | More by emerge077

Gavage

New Jersey

4.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Clear orange in color with a nice 2" head. Decent lacing develops. The aroma is of strong floral hops and citrus - extremely pleasing to the nose. The flavor is a nice balance of malt sweetness, bitterness, and strong orange and grapefruit tones. There is a mild grassy tone here too.

Mouthfeel is light and crisp and the start, and finishes crisp and dry. Medium bodied brew. Nice carbonation levels. This is a brew you can drink all day and night, as the flavor is very interesting but not overblown.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2004 14:23:20 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to jcwattsrugger -

From notes reviewed in September that were lost and just now found.

Pours golden amber with a thin head that becomes a wisp but leaves spotted lacing.

The smell is leafy, perfumy. Different than expected. Doesn't smell like a "mild"...APA, as categorised here - does fit much better. Nice hop aroma.

The taste is hoppy - leafy/perfumy with a bitter citric touch and a sweet malt backbone. It has a bitterish finish.

Medium-bodied, creamy and smooth.

This is very "sessionable". It says on label "mild ale", and might reflect in drinkability, but don't think "English" more "mild APA" - but fits very well for that. A very good easy drink that is well-hopped, for a "mild"!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2009 20:52:04 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 12 oz bottle from Capone's.

A: The ale is hardly dark! A bit of amber orange hardly qualifies for the dark brown depth that I was expected. The head is not that big, practically nonexistent, but there is a clear carbonation to the ale.

S: The aroma is definitely Three Floyds, throwing off a bit of an amariilo hop aroma before fading away to a grainy malt sweetness.

T: The ale lives up to the style, it is very mild. There is a soft hop spiciness up front that quickly dissolves into a grainy caramel malt base. Some hops try to pop up near the end and have a bit of a grapefruit zest to them, but overall the hops remain quite mild.

M: The mouthfeel has a nice ring of hops that don't overpower (unlike significantly all of FFF's offerings). I find that most of the harshness of the ale comes from the carbonation.

D: The beer is very inviting, showing off a bit of a hop bite that never overpowers the delicate malt body.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2007 23:56:34 | More by akorsak

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pour a lovel orange-amber with white head, lacing is good. Smell is surprisingly complex, dark fruit mixed with hops citrus. Smells like barleywine, Druid Fluid comes to mind more specifically. Taste is subtle at first with a bitter finish. Most of the flavor here comes with the bitterness. Its a little sweet and estery at first, but english (I think) hops come through primarily. Nce mouthfeel and very drinkable. This beer is like barleywine-light. Most of the flavor, but much more drinkable.

This is the type of session beer I've been looking for. Its complexity and flavor at 4.8% blows my mind.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2006 16:40:01 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A brew I passed up a few times in the past I decided to revisit...appears a slight hazed golden orange hue with a thine white head leaves behind ample lacing around my pint. Aromatics contain citrus peels, pine needles, mild earthiness with a light biscuit malt presence and doughy yeast notes. Taste is upfront with the hop bite which includes bitter citrus peels ie: grapefruit, with relatively low sweetness light bready malt character truly a flavorful mild. Mouthfeel is light bodied low oily texture especially for the hop flavor evenly carbonated smooth brew. Drinkability definitely a great session ale massive flavor, I likes it.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2006 18:06:41 | More by WVbeergeek