Alpha King Pale Ale - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

pumarocks

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on draft at the Beer Cellar in Indy. This is a serious beer. It has a significant hoppiness that made me think it was an IPA rather than an APA. It has a citrus flavor with spiciness and a dash of sweetness. It smacks you in the mouth before it is done with you. I will be visiting Three Floyds the next time I am in Chi-town. A very very good brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2008 23:07:46 | More by pumarocks

callmescraps

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is my first FFF beer, so I'm pretty excited. I will note, however, that I think the bottle looks like shit.

Appearance - A deep amber color with a little bit of foamy head. It doesn't look like most APA's, but it's nice. Pretty good lacing.

Smell - First thing that comes is the nice citrus hops. Plenty of grapefruit up front, with some orange peel almost. Then some pininess seems to show up as well. There is definitely some caramel and burnt sugar hiding behind it all. We're sure this isn't an IPA?

Taste - Some nice hop citrus. A real strong caramel maltiness. Also some bread that you often get in an APA, which was sort of unexpected but not unappreciated. There is some pine bitterness on the end which is nice. It's pretty well balanced between that malt, the breadiness (biscuit? sure) and the citrus followed by bitterness. There's a burnt roastness that is just lingering around and sort of dampening the experience a bit.

Mouthfeel - Frankly, a little thin. Not a ton of carbonation, it's very light and just sort of disappears.

Drinkability - Goes down easy. It's nice and balanced, I could have several of these no problem.

This is a pretty good beer. Goes down smooth and easy, but not knocking my socks off. Not sure how fresh the bottle was, so I'd be interested in trying a super-fresh one. That said, I think it's good as is and am not sure there's much it could do to really blow me away. Still, I'd gladly have it again, and could see working it into a nice rotation if it was more widely available.

EDIT 2011- Still not terribly impressed. There is an unexpected nuttiness to this beer. Also, the appearance is not the best. Head dissipates so quickly. Decidedly thin. I know this one is fresh, so this beer is definitively not my cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2009 02:05:51 | More by callmescraps

dfranks

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured Three Floyd's Alpha King Pale Ale into glass and first noticed its nice citrus smell. Hints of grapefruit which is different and nice. Amber color with a small head. I do believe I noticed the grapefruit in the taste as well. Overall a pretty good beer, nothing that I would go out of my way to get but would like to try again...

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2009 21:55:04 | More by dfranks

wedgie9

Tennessee

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted from a twelve ounce bottle. Pours clear amber with a one finger beige head. The aromas are lightly roasted malts, hops, and prune juice. On the palate, the flavors are lemongrass, and then hoppy bitterness. There is a hint of the malt on the mid-palate, but the bitterness is the main flavor. On the palate, everything is fairly medium. The body, carbonation, and finish are all in the middle. Overall, this is a very high quality beer, perfect for sessions. I could drink this one all night long.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 19:21:20 | More by wedgie9

Augustiner719

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip glass:

Appearance: Pours a very strange, reddish brown color with a big fluffy head that leaves some lacing. Not your typical color or an IPA or APA.

Smell: Aroma is on point with the style with a bit of scottish malt aroma comming through. Some sweetness on the back end.

Taste: Tastes very nice and crisp. Medium bodied and carbonated well. a touch to sweet for my liking but overall its above average.

Mouthfeel: Solid carbonation and texture for this. leaves an oil like aftertaste of hops.

Drinkability: Aftertaste leaves this beer a bit too strong for its abv for me. would be able to have a couple of these but there are way better options SNPA for one that i would grab instead. Not sure what the hype on this beer is for it to have an A rating, but its good, not great.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 02:46:06 | More by Augustiner719

Anthony1

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a crystal clear golden copper with a gentle carbonation and a nice cream tan thin head. The aroma is pure green floral hops. A bit of pine resin with more citrus but very fresh hops. A hint of sweet malt is hidden in the background. This beer has a very fresh hops taste with some grapefruit and citrus flavors that is bold but not overpowering with bitterness. It is gentle enough that you can taste the creamy sweet malt that is mostly pale malt. It the softness of a slight bit of wheat. This has a medium full mouth feel with some creaminess. There is no alcohol warmth or astringency.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2010 16:44:06 | More by Anthony1

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Taken from notes on 3.15.11.

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Pours a brown-burnt orange amber color with a small tan head.

S - malty and very sugary.

T - Tastes like wheat and bread.

D - Low carbonation and light.

O - Drinks very easily. I may have gotten an old bottle in a trade.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 23:09:05 | More by HuskyinPDX

haywire77

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brew poured a nice dark copper with about 3/4" of slightly off white head that faded rather quickly. The color reminds me of good summer sun tea.

The smell is all malt to me. A little citrus and pine, but barely any scent of hops on the nose. Nothing that stands out particularly.

From the taste, I get malt forward and then the lingering hop bitters on the tail end with a little wheat bread. The hops aren't quite strong enough to last too long like some IPAs/APAs, but it lingers for a few minutes.

Mouthfeel Is very solid and standard for all the better brews of this style. Creamy and well carbonated so that it just dances on the tongue enough to make you want another sip. Fairly Dry finish.

Overall I didn't like this beer until after my first few drinks. Maybe because I had to trade for it and I might have had it on a pedestal, but it grew on me as it went down rather quickly. I think I could drink several of these and at a nice low abv, it would make for a long evening.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 11:45:31 | More by haywire77

iabeerbaron

Iowa

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A nice amber colored pour with a medium off-white head. Nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is floral with citrusy hops and malt. Nice malt flavor with citrus hops and pine; nice bitter finish. A good balanced beer. Love getting my hands on any Three Floyds beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 19:37:31 | More by iabeerbaron

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.69/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from zrab11 (thanks!). No bottling date. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Pours deep orange with about one finger near white head that leaves a decent amiunt of lacing.

Smells like a hop sandwich- citrusy hops on sweet bread.

Assertive floral and citrus hops, drying grass, biscuit and pepper. Crisp and easy to drink.

Medium light feel with a strong dose of tight carbonation.

A right fine pale ale. It goes down smooth and easy with a good bit of bitter hoppyness balanced by sweet malts. While I won't yearn for more, I won't turn any away either.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 04:33:17 | More by ThickNStout

Prufrock

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a pilsner.

orange-red amber with a slight haze and 3/4 inch of foamy white head that leaves perfect rings of lace.

nose is peachy, piney, and rindy; all sorts of nice hop aromas.

taste is nice; tons of hop bitterness with a slightly fruity, peachy touch to the overall hoppy aftertaste that lasts forever. nice mouthfeel with some hop oiliness. not overly complex or interesting; mostly just straightforward hop bitterness.

on another note, shouldn't this be under IPA? how does something labeled Alpha King not make it into the IPA category?

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2006 03:50:15 | More by Prufrock

Azurescens

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle with no bottled on or freshness date poured into Hair of the Dog tulip, reviewed on 8/6/11.

A: Pours a clear orange-amber color with fluffy off-white head that leaves some lacing around glass.

S: Herbal and citrus hops, honey, with some sweet pale malt.

T: Some mild hop bitterness up front followed by sweet malt, honey and herbal hops. Finishes somewhat bland and watery, not quite how I remember this tasting last time I had it.

M: Medium body with low-moderate carbonation, somewhat resinous feel, semi-dry finish.

O: I've had this before and this time around isn't as hoppy or flavorful as I remember it being before. Perhaps its not as fresh as the last time I had it, but its hard to say for sure without any dating on the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 04:45:09 | More by Azurescens

Bendurgin

Maine

3.7/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got a growler of this as an extra from Sean. Thanks homey, I owe you for this. Poured into a pint glass. Pours amber with a finger of creamy beige head that seems to be lasting nicely with some sticky lace along the collar.

Hints of caramel come through in the aroma with some candied orange in the the finish. Real nice citrus hop aroma in the finish. The flavor mirrors the aroma on this one, a little bit of caramel on the pallet with candied orange and canteloupe rounding it out.

The body is light and the carbonation holds up nicely in the growler. Overall this one is pretty rock solid. Glad to have a growler of this bad boy.

Serving type: growler

09-16-2011 03:22:20 | More by Bendurgin

C20Percent

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy copper brown with a big bubbly head of light tan foam on top. Some nice complexity in the color. Looks clean. Some decent bubble action in the body. Look closely, and like other FFF offerings, there are tiny pieces of sediment. Really nice looking beer, though, and very unique for a Pale Ale.

S: Almost like a totally toned down version of Zombie Dust. Yes, there is a much more subtle citrus smell here. Also some sweet malts and spice. But, mostly getting a floral lemon zest.

T: Mostly getting the sweet caramel malts and hops that end in a bitter finish. The spice is still present -- but not as citrusy as I remember. Probably should drink this a little fresher. But, this is just above average for me.

M: Smooth and creamy. Fantastic carbonation, which is par for all FFF brews. Medium body. Nice texture -- ends kind of buttery. Carbonation puts it over for me.

O: This bottle is probably pushing three months old -- so gotta keep that in mind in this review. I don't quite remember like this when I originally got the six pack. I remember it being more refreshing without as big of a malt characteristic. So, definitely pick up a six pack, but don't let it sit too long.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 00:19:21 | More by C20Percent

Sixpack595

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A rich copper color with a full tan head that leaves a touch of lacing. Citrus hop aroma with a bready caramel malt backing it up. Taste is quite good with alot of malt showing up as it warms. Moutfeel is full and gives the beer a nice rich feeling. One of the better APAs.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2004 08:46:27 | More by Sixpack595

beerceller99

Louisiana

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The alpha king has a clear reddish yellow color with a quickly fading head. Decent smell of grapefruit, citrusy hops. Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. A good taste is of slightly bittersweet caramel malts followed by a floral hop taste to finish.
Not really what i was expecting here. Seems to be "only" a better than average pale ale.
A tasty brew nevertheless.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2005 21:16:42 | More by beerceller99

jmalex

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Perhaps I did things in reverse order when I tried Dreadnaught a few months back, but it and Alpha King were meant to be 2 different beers entirely. Now the latter has its turn.

APPEARANCE: Poured a somewhat hazy reddish amber with a very underwhelming 1/4 inch head. It dropped almost immediately and is now just a thin collar with a few bubbly patches on top.

SMELL: Now there's a hop profile that I'm familiar with. A huge citrusy aroma is very upfront, not unlike many Three Floyds offerings. Sweet hop estery smells fill your nostrils no matter which way you try to smell it. An almost resiny sweetness plays alongside with a caramely malt presence barely detectable.

TASTE: Starts out quite tame and nicely balanced. The citrusy and floral hop flavors are delicious. A strange sugary sweetness is also present but not in the same high intensity as I've tasted in some other pales. The finish is where the hops start to bust through, showing their true colors (and flavors) and really give this beer its bite.

MOUTHFEEL: Disappointing. Perhaps I have a bad bottle, but the carbonation was extremely low (which could explain the lack of head). The body is nice, being slightly fuller than I anticipated.

DRINKABILITY: On one hand, this doesn't seem like such an extreme beer, and one would think that it could certainly be drank as a session beer because of a decent degree of balance it achieves. On the other hand, this is Three Floyds and nothing isn't extreme. The hops are still there in full force. So the drinkability comes out somewhere in the middle which isn't a bad score at all.

I really hope this bottle is an outlier and that a typical bottle of this isn't as flat as mine, because it brings down an otherwise tasty beer. I would seek this one out again. All beers deserve a second chance.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2007 00:39:04 | More by jmalex

caskstrength

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

tried this a couple different times, I think it was pretty fresh both times, but who really knows with these FFF bottles.

Pours a deeper copper than I expected for an IPA type beer. off white head. good level of carbonation.

smell is more malt than I expected. a rusty almost oxidized character I generally don't like in my hoppy favorites. Citrus and pine there too, balanced (too much?) with the malt/carmel/rust.

taste is good, not great. I wanted more intensely focused hops not muted so much by the malty/carmel taste. Could be a freshness issue I guess, but they were relatively new shipments. citrus there too, some pine. those flavors are as expected and appropriate.

mouthfeel is good, might actually be too thick, which goes with my criticism of the malt/sweetness in this brew.

A good APA/IPA. But a lot of better choices out there are easily available, imo. Will try fresh on tap if available, see if that's the issue for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2009 19:00:21 | More by caskstrength

drummstikk

California

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a medium amber with red highlights -- lasting taupe head. Smells of Centennial and Cascade. Taste is a lot of mid-boil dark bark and resin without any cattiness. Yum. Later-boil tastes are pine needles, oranges, lemons, grapefruit (of course), with a bit of melon and peach. Caramel peaks its head at the end, and overall the malt is sweet without being cloying. Carbonation and body are medium. Thought it's clearly more bitter than a Pale Ale by most sane drinkers' standards, Alpha King (despite its name) achieves balance by reigning in crystal malt sweetness and not allowing overall bitterness to outpace its size. Beer appears to be bottled on yeast, and after swirling up the lees and pouring them into my remaining beer, I get a nice bit of apricot fruitiness that was clearly adhering to those friendly single-cells.

There is no date printed on the bottle, but it's been in my fridge for a good six months. Perhaps the hop aromas would be more overpowering in a fresher example, but I enjoy this beer very much.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 22:58:36 | More by drummstikk

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Solid copper. Kinda flat looking. Nice foam though. Pretty good.

Smell: Pretty sweet caramel and a hint of hops. Pretty good.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Kind of a flat mouthfeel. Tastes a lot like good hops tho. Well-balanced flavor.

Drinkability: Definitely a harmless beer.

Overall: I'm probably underrating this. To be fair it's pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 03:36:23 | More by tjsdomer2

bwmichaud

Vermont

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a snifter

The beer was a little bit darker than I expected. It tasted like a true old school IPA. I'm not sure that it can compete with the newer IPA's out there but 5 or 10 years ago I would have wet myself for this beer. It'll be a nice brew to go back to from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 15:04:12 | More by bwmichaud

weatherdog

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass

It pours a amber reddish color with a small off white head, medium lacing and low retention.

The nose is a nice fairly balanced blend of orange, grassy hop aromas and some sweet toffee like malt aromas

The taste is much less balanced and more hop forward as I expect. Grassy hops dominate with just enough orange citrus to make me feel like I'm not chewing on the lawn. The bitterness is fairly harsh and resiny which I do not always appreciate. On the backend some vegetal flavors emerge which isn't so great and not what I usually remember. I know this is a fresh bottle as well.

Mouthfell is ok, some dryness because of the lasting bitterness. Drinkability is good for an APA. Overall I have always enjoyed this beer as something that is sometimes available in places that have a bad selection, and that's about where I'll keep it.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 00:45:20 | More by weatherdog

blakelive784

Colorado

3.74/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Docrock!

12 fl oz brown glass bottle served in a goblet, reviewed live:

A - Pours a murky grapefruit-esque red/orange color with two fingers of sticky cream colored head. Retention's very good and the head leaves tight lacing as it recedes. Appealing.

S - Heavy citric hops notes, blood orange, buttery caramel, grapefruit and crystal malts. Not one note dominates. No alcohol on the nose. Fresh and pleasant. Seemingly well balanced. Inviting, to say the least.

T - Opens with clean pale malts. Strangely a bit buttery. Musty floral hops that I didn't find on the nose are present throughout. Heavy citrus on the finish. Not bitter at all. Very well balanced. There's a light spice note near the finish I can't put my finger on (pepper?). Not incredibly complex, but well built. I'm having it.

M - Oily, slick, and smooth. Well carbonated.

D - Absurdly drinkable. I'd definitely get it again, if I was so lucky. My second beer from Three Floyds, and I can't wait to try more.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 23:39:27 | More by blakelive784

ZimZamZoom

West Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice copper-orange color with a serious off-white head. Many fingers worth and lovely lacing taboot.

Aroma is big on citrusy hops. Some malt in the background, but that's ok. That's not why I bought this beer. Taste is also big on the citrus, mostly grapefruit. I get some malt to balance this out, but the finish is full of hop bitterness and a slight alcohol burn that surprises me based on the 6% ABV.

The body on this APA is pretty thick and heavy, with noticeable viscosity. I could see it filling me pretty quickly, but I bet I could drink another without much trouble.

All in all a pretty nice beer. This is one of my favorite styles, so I do have plenty on my list I'd rate above this one though.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2007 20:52:59 | More by ZimZamZoom

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. brown bottle > imperial pint glass

Deep, clear amber color...not at all pale. 1/2" deep crown, dark cream color and very dense.

Amazingly citrus and sweet fruit aroma, oh yeah, pineapple, strawberry and tart green apples. Smooth, buttery scented malt, overall sweet and citric hop scent. Really nice.

This is a clean, hearty and spicey hop bite right off. Big earthy flavor's of dry wheat, corn husks and recently tilled earth. The malt is crispy and clean with an herbal bite. citric acid and dried leaves in the finish. displays a nice subtle lingering bitterness. Medium bodied, nice bite and a mellowing smoothness.

Easily drinkable Pale ale with a solid complexity.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2008 22:07:08 | More by GratefulBeerGuy