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

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle courtesy of Nasty31. Thanks, Andrew!

A: Pours a reddish orange hue, basically amber. Almost two fingers worth of head. Lacing looks great as the head recedes into a nice cap. Super clear, no haze or sediment to speak of. Working my way down the pint glass, the lacing sticks around quite well.

S: Light notes of biscuit and citrus. I don't get a ton of aroma off this, unfortunately.

T: Mild hop bitterness. Biscuit type maltiness is very much present. The citrus is there, but not in your face. Very pleasant APA so far. This one lingers on the tongue for what seems like a long time.

M: Almost creamy. Maybe slightly overcarbed, this one floats over the taste buds rather quickly.

O: A nice APA. Not my favorite by any means though. I expected the biscuit type flavors given the color, but I think the citrus could be amplified a bit more to make this beer stand out.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 00:24:14 | More by Beerontwowheels

matttttYCE

Arizona

4.8/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours with a bright and clear amber orange color and a nice foamy off-white head of about one and a half fingers. The lacing is nice and the retention is decent.

Aromas of citrus/oranges and grapfruit, oily and resinous hop juice, honey, floral hops, some lighter biscuity malt and caramel sweetness, and maybe even hints of mint and spicy hops in there.

The taste is of juicy citrus, grapefruit, and maybe even some papaya, floral and estery notes, moderate hop bitterness that isn't too much, mint sprig and spicy hop notes, and a mild but pleasant dry biscuit and caramel malt flavor to support all the assertive hops.

The mouthfeel is higher than expected for an APA, but nice. Solid medium or round carbonation, with almost a creamy consistency, a moderat nearly chewy body (in a good way), and a slightly dryer moderate length finish.

Alright, so I've had Zombie Dust, I've had Daisy Cutter, and now, I've had Alpha King. Three of the top five APAs at the moment. For one, I must say Three Floyds knows how to make an assertive, hoppy brew, be it APA, IPA, or DIPA. Secondly, I have to say that Alpha King is my new favorite APA, without a doubt. There's just something about it that rubs me the right way. The mouthfeel is wonderful, the hops are bordering on IPA territory, and the smell is absolutely great.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 19:32:52 | More by matttttYCE

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

A. Orangish-Amber in color with a single finger of head that recedes to a foam collar in about two minutes, light lacing left behind.

S. Evenly matched power chords of citrus peel, floral scents and caramel malt. A real stripped down to basics and streamlined aroma which works well mostly because of the balance levels being properly adjusted to hit just the right spot between bitter and sweet. If only it were slightly more complex in aroma I would even rate it higher than just a 4.

T. Taste is more about the grapefruit peel (and large amounts of pith as well, it seems) up front with a lengthy denouement of pine sap dryness.

M. Medium body and carbonation levels.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 18:25:43 | More by WastingFreetime

BrokenStones

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Auburn/Orange....2" inch golden head, nice lacing, poured into a Goose Island snifter.

Smell: Hops, honey, mellow, not serious depth.

Taste: Hops up font, citrus and honey, nice finish with a bit bitter and fresh hops.

Mouth Feel: nice carbonation, good finish on the pallet.

Overall: A very solid pale ale. A pleasure to drink, if it was available I would have it regularly. Find it and drink it.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 17:12:49 | More by BrokenStones

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Billakowski for the great trade.

Appearance: Slight chill haze on a solid amber colored beer. Head is off-white, chunky, and leaves a thin cap in short order. Nice notches of lacing mark the glass.

Smell: Citrus and how. Big notes of orange and grapefruit. Flesh and rind and oil. So very oily. Nice layer of biscuity malts and some caramel sweetness. Floral and sweet all in good measure.

Taste: Nice malt backbone throws some sweetness over a doughy biscuit character. Hops are definitely in your face and hit hard to grapefruit rind with a splash of bright orange flesh. Bitterness is assertive without ever being intense. Citrus and more citrus, but so very clean.

Mouthfeel: Medium body that carries a nice chewy malt character. Carbonation is on point. A touch dry on the back.

Overall: For everyone who can drink this all the time, I'm jealous. Tons of hop flavor and aroma, but enough balance from the malt that it never crosses in to IPA territory. Incredibly well balanced with a nice hop bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 04:23:54 | More by Goblinmunkey7

mz3frs

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to RockerD for the bottle!

A: Pours a clear deep orange-red, 1 finger head with some lacing 4.5

N: Alight hop aroma, 'fresh' and floral 4

T: Follows nose up front, medium bitterness, orange rind, a bit spicy with a bit of caramel malt background 4

M: Medium, not too dry not too sweet. Very drinkable! 4.5

O: Drinkable with a good hop flavor and malt backbone. Sad I can't get it around here. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 03:27:53 | More by mz3frs

bstave

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle thanks to mattboyer182 poured into Dogfish Head tulip pint.

A- Aggressive pour resulted in 2-3 finger head. Clear amber. Nice sticky lacing.

S- Nice citrus hop aroma. Caramel undertones.

T- Great big citrus hops balanced beautifully with a caramel malt backbone. Great drinker.

M- Nice light-medium body with a nice level of carbonation.

O- This is the second time I have visited this beer. It is up there with my favorite pale ales. So wonderfully balanced. Nice work. Three Floyds knows their stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 03:46:38 | More by bstave

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

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had the "King" of pale ales in a nonic pint. Also, Three Floyd's may have the coolest bottle cap I have seen. Thanks to Geneseohawk for supplying this one.

Appearance- An orange-tinged, two-fingered foam builds quickly in the glass. It leaves a dense and smooth cap with a decent amount of big bubbles. Retention is decent and a webbing of lace stays on the side of the pint glass.

A transparent, copper- amber body has carbonation that is spread out and climbing lazily to the cap.

Smell- This has a very hoppy nose. It is a bit piney, sort of grassy, and an earthy - citrus quality that almost comes across as vinegary. The citrus is a little lemon and papaya in nature.

Taste- The grassy and citrus flavors get a second before the bitterness kicks in. Does a very nice job of giving a little bit of tongue tingle and then backing off.

The flavors are that same grassy hop and citrus-sweet quality. It is a lemon-like taste that mixes with pineapple or papaya, a musty kind of sweet.

The finish hangs mostly on the piney and grassy quality with a grainy flavor mixed in. I would like it more if the citrus flavors would sort themselves out and not be so muddled. Otherwise, it works very well.

Mouth feel- There are no real complaints here. It is a big medium body and very creamy. A very easy drinking experience.

Overall- The citrus qualities inherent in the beer are a little muddled. If they had as much zing as the grassy and piney hop notes this would be a really great beer. It is still good as it stands, thanks to the hop profile and the mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 00:11:46 | More by Pintofbrown

AnnArborJoe

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes. Numerous samples: tap and cask at FFF, bottle, growler.

A - Clear amber, sticky head lots of lacing.

S - light on the malty, complex hop aroma (mostly citrus, some pine).

T - bold hops, slight hint of sweet from the malt. Complex flavor from the hops with a perfect amount of contribution from the malt.

M - medium bodied, good carbonation, clean and crisp.

O - excellent. Perfect APA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2012 15:47:51 | More by AnnArborJoe

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Nova Wine Bar in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Clear medium amber with really dense 1-finger yellowish tan head. Good retention, great lacing. A bit of visible bubbling.

Smell is excellent. Crisp grassy hops with some solid grapefruit and pine character. Has a really nice snap to it that is quite refreshing. Light bready malt fills in the gaps. This is the kind of beer that I sniff and can't help but say "Mmmm".

Taste is much more bitter than anything else. A bit disappointing given the smell. Malt support is there, slightly bready but mostly providing a base. I don't get much from the hops other than the bitter kick. Hopped up, more like an IPA than an APA in my opinion. Finishes bitter and crisp, fading slowly. The smoothness of the finish is what saves it for me. I want more variety in the flavor.

Medium-light body, carbonation is average. Body works just fine with the beer.

I find this to be a good, hoppy pale ale. I wish the taste had more than the heavy dose of hop bitterness. But I could smell it all day, and I definitely don't mind drinking it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 03:51:09 | More by zeledonia

bitterbeerguy

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I have had a number of FFF before, but never the Alpha King- it was time.

Pours a dark red-orange color- almost looks like maple syrup. Small white bubbles throughout that disappear quickly after pouring.

Aroma is heavy on citrus and malt.

Taste is balanced between caramel malt and lemon. Really, really, really smooth. A little after taste of nut. Lingering flavor is awesome. Can't put my finger on why, but this pale ale is just a little different than other pale ales- but I like it!

This is a beautiful brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 03:06:47 | More by bitterbeerguy

spdyfire83

Ireland

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

152nd Review
Bottle to De Struise tulip

From notes. Not sure who I have to thank for this extra, but thanks!

A: Dull, brunt orange. 2+ (foamy soft white) fingernail head on vigorous pour.

S: Sweet malt with nice hint of earthy hops. Slight pine aroma and citrus tint coming off the nose as well. Smells extremely fresh.

T: Fresh, earthy hops, hops, and more hops. Big, bold hop character. Pine and citrus notes come thru nicely, but mostly hops here. I like it; I like it a lot!

M: Medium/full bodied with medium carbonation.

O: This beer is so smooth and well-balanced start to finish it is hard to find an argument against it. Drinks amazing and it big, bold, and hoppy (as it should be). I wish Three Floyd's would distribute to Colorado (or Ireland), but it is a nice perk having family and friends in Chicago for an "excuse" to go visit!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 19:21:52 | More by spdyfire83

FirstBrewsoon

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into Dogfish Head pint glass for this live review.

A - Two fingers of thick foam with medium retention, the result of a hard pour into the pint glass. Colour is a beautiful, lustrous ruby-amber with barely a hint of cloudiness.

S - Incredible. A bold and complex hop aroma, perhaps with an inkling of sweetness from malt. Floral and citrus-zesty.

T - After being spoiled by the looks and smell of this beer, I find the taste to be a bit of a let down. Nice hop bitterness, with an interesting, complex flavour up front, but the body is light and the aftertaste is a bit bland. Not to suggest this isn't enjoyable, but plenty of pale ales taste similar.

M - Thick and chewy for the style, nice amount of carbonation.

O - Certainly a well-made beer, refreshing and enjoyable. I could sit around smelling this all day; perhaps future experiments with a snifter in order?

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 01:49:57 | More by FirstBrewsoon

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the 3F brewpub. Poured into a nonic pint glass.

A- Pours a clear amber color with a finger of super sticky tan head. Excellent lacing.

S- Lots of citrus and some pine as well as a slightly grainy, sweet amber malt.

T- Big hop profile, citrus and pine as well as a clean, freshly-cut-grass bitterness that fights against a sweet amber/caramel malt that has a bit of a grainy feel to it. Flavors are very well integrated.

M- Medium-bodied, good carbonation, has a smooth feel with a crisp, clean finish.

O- A pretty damn good pale ale. I'll have to pick up a sixer of this next time it hits my local shop.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2012 05:11:29 | More by WillCarrera

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Yet another brew GDBEERMAN hooked up in our recent trade!

Beer poured from undated bottle to pint glass.

A - The beer pours a nice amber/orange color with a huge 2 finger slightly off-white head. Great retention and lacing throughout.

S - Reminds me very much of an IPA: nice citrus hop character and mild yet slightly sweet malt character.

T - The taste reminds me very much of a mix between Dales Pale Ale and Odells Red, very good. Just like the nose it reminds me of an IPA from the get go. Very good medium bitterness with strong citrus hop character. Not as intense as a west coast IPA, though well balanced and delicious.

M - Medium bodied and well carbonated.

O - One of the best Pale Ale's I've ever had. Very good. I wish I could pick it up whenever I wanted! Thanks Rob!

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-24-2011 01:43:59

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 22:37:40 | More by hopfacebrew

Dan3279

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have been a fan of this one for a while now and I just noticed I am down to my last bottle so it is time for a review. I poured the 12oz bottle into my DFH snifter to find a nice dark amber body and found a nice one inch head that left a nice sticky lacing around my glass.

The aroma was dominated by the citrus hops, a great smelling beer, with a nice touch of malt.

The flavor follows the aroma hand in hand. The malts jump out a pinch more than the hops but I really enjoy the balance here. Also notice a little bit of bread

This is an easy one to drink that goes down easy, medium body with a good amount of carbonation.

This is a great beer and I wish the good people of Chicago & Indiana wouldn't mind sharing a bit of their stash with the good people of Ohio!

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 01:38:49 | More by Dan3279

Crass3000

Minnesota

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

Pours out maroon in color with a small white head with little retention.

Smell is very nice tropical with a little pine and some sweet caremal. Taste is definately some more nice tropical with a small amount of pine. There is also some nice caremal to even things out. Great beer. Mouthfeel is sorta medium and great for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 00:13:38 | More by Crass3000

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

devilben02

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Each of the past two times I visited the Midwest, I made a point to seek out this beer based primarily on its reputation as a great pale ale. The reputation is certainly warranted, as this beer is so hop-forward that it blurs the line between american pale ale and IPA.

It pours a deep, surprisingly dark, hazy amber color with a dense, fluffy, cream-colored head. The aroma is bright, bold, and fragrant. Fruity, citrusy hops dominate, with notes of grapefruit and pineapple catching the most attention. The big hop character is present in the flavor as well, but the citrus is less pronounced, giving way to more of an earthy and spicy hop presence. Unfortunately, although the light, fine carbonation is pleasant enough for the style, the texture doesn't stand up to the resinous, coating hop profile.

Overall, this is certainly one of the boldest, most flavorful pale ales I have tried, and I can understand why a hop lover would enjoy this beer. Its boldness borders on abrasive, however, which keeps it from being the kind of easy-drinking pale ale I often crave.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 17:58:07 | More by devilben02

bishopdc0

Maine

3.6/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this as a trade extra.

Poured into my new Belgium tulip. The beer is pretty dark almost brown. with a decent size head. the head is thick creamy and hugs the glass.

The nose is hops first with a solid malt back. The hops are pungent earthy and piny. I don't get citrus.

The taste matches the nose. Hops first earthy and pungent. After the initial hop flavor the carbonation comes in and pale and lightly roasted malts mix in. As the carbonation subsides the hops present themselves again as a earthy bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 03:02:19 | More by bishopdc0

BasementBer

Manitoba (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is an enjoyable pale ale. I had heard alot of references to it and had high hopes, it did not disappoint.

A: Pours a solid cream white head with substantial resin and lacing. Orange to amber in color.

S: Citrus, grapefruit and lemons.

T: The malt comes through more than I expected from this pale ale. It is a malt forward pale with substantial bittering that follows all the way to the end.

M: Pockets start to tingle and the wash is zingy from the carbonation.

O: I stand behind, my favorite IPA is brewed by Surly out of Minnesota, and I think they styled on this beer. Still take the surly first, but this is a close second.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 18:42:42 | More by BasementBer

cvm4

Mississippi

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours on the dark side of amber. Seemed high carbonated... I had to pour and let it settle down then pour again. But it has a beautiful off-white/tan head to it.

S - I smell a little hops, malt and fruit. Not a bad combo and pleasant.

T - delicious hoppiness but not an insane amount. Had a nice malt backbone with stoned fruit taste.

M - Very crisp and not heavy at all. Once it calmed down it had the right amount of carbonation.

O - It would be a staple in my rotation if I could get it more often. A solid american pale ale here.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 01:57:45 | More by cvm4

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pretty good looking, brown to amber and clear with a one finger head and sparse lace.

Hoppy smell with plenty of caramel malts and fruitiness.

Taste is really hoppy and very delicious. Great malt background and light fruits, plus plenty of pine and a little citrus.

Mouthfeel is great, easy to drink yet crisp and hoppy with a nice bite.

Great beer, I'd love to drink it all the time if I could!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 23:07:10 | More by AlCaponeJunior

Nachojon

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- A nice amber color with one finger white head. Very nice lacing.

S- A lot of malt stands out in the aroma. Some hops behind.

T- Always a good drinker. Smooth almost rye flavor leading up to the hop hit. Piney and delicious. Nicely balanced.

M- Crisp. Very nice. Doesn't leave any tongue burn but nice for an APA especially one that's so readily available in Chicago.

O- It's legit. It's a go to when the other's aren't there but it's also something that if pressed I would be seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 06:05:43 | More by Nachojon