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

AylwinForbes

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

We have had the Alpha King all over, in bottle and on-tap, at the brewery and other places, but I don't think we had it from the cask before. What a fantastic beer! Nice dark amber with a good froth in the glass. The smell is full, hoppy and floral. On the palate, all the good things of Alpha King are emphasized in this super-smooth and drinkable brew, floral hops, fruit, length. I was reminded of Fuller's London Pride and Brakspears (RIP) in particular as examples of a complex fruity bitter.

Serving type: cask

01-28-2008 22:51:15 | More by AylwinForbes

Biggness

New York

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is another beer my wife brought me home :) This beer pours a dark bronze with a very light head. The smell is not overpowering but what I can catch I get nuts and alcohol. The inital taste is nutty! Beautifully nutty and the it follws with malts. A very nice beer and definatley something I could drink all night if it was more readily available on Long Island

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2008 20:11:54 | More by Biggness

wkcyr4

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Appearance is golden with very clingy white lacing. VERY inviting to say the least!!

S: Citrus right from the opening of the bottle. Hop aroma and a little pine scent.

T: Dead on for this style. Alpha King I am not worthy of your greatness.

M: Full and sticky. Stays with you all the way from front to back and leaves you wanting that next sip!!

D: Exceptionally high. I have had this beer on so many occasions yet never took the time to review. Could easily drink the four that I have left.

This is just a fantastic american pale ale. Three Floyds shows me again that they know how to put out high quality beer. From now on ,I will give the King the respect he deserves!!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2008 23:30:11 | More by wkcyr4

TrojanMan

Maryland

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

You know how when you're eating a peach and you get towards the pit and the flavor starts to get a little bitter? That's this beer!

Outstanding, all the way. Total class. The sweetness is perfect for the style, which is actually closer to an American IPA I would argue. Just a tiny hint of residual sugar, on par with Harpoon IPA, DFH 60min, Stone IPA and so on. The hops are *very* interesting and I can't quite pin them down, but they are in ideal proportion, just bitter enough without asserting themselves over the malt. Just a fantastic, balanced brew.

I had mine at Bierreria Paradiso in DC. First time tasting it, in fact, since nobody really distributes it around here. I was surprised they even had it. I knew right away that I needed to try it.

From the bottle, it poured a *perfect* clear, slightly translucent amber with a few rising bubbles. Wow, this looks great! Puffy head settles to a fine lace that clings to the glass after each sip. Just enough carbonation to maintain the lace over the whole pour without getting too wild.

The taste is biscuity malt and very clean, green hops. A little raisin and olive along with fresh pit and vine fruit and just a *hint* of apple and perhaps some spice as well. Towards the tarragon/juniper side, but very, very subtle. There's a flavor in the finish that I can't quite nail down...

As I said, the peach-pit flavor stands out the most, but that's not nearly all that's going on here. A little citrus, perhaps, my wife guessed Cascade hops, and maybe some green, slightly earthy flavors as well. Tough to pin down.

Mouthfeel is spot on. Sliky enough to introduce the flavors, but just a slight bit heavy in fact. Suck just a little air in through the front teeth to draw out some additional flavors and then roll that around the mouth for the full experience.

Again, I'm going to say that this is more IPA than PA and that the complexity of flavor is really a little too deep for me to pin down after just one bottle. I'm reviewing it anyhow because I think it's more than worthy of a try by anyone who likes beer.

This one is a bit of a wild card. It's not really East or West Coast style IPA and, for that matter, it's not really American in some ways. A little more biscuity than I'd expect and the hop profile is excellent, but just that little bit unfamiliar. Great beer and I'd highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 05:08:45 | More by TrojanMan

Spider889

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Live review from the bottle, I bought this six pack on my second trip into Chicago. I was apprehensive about having to carry this and three bombers the 10+ blocks and train transfer back to my friend's apartment, but now I am so happy I forced myself to carry the extra beer. This is one of the truly exceptional Pale Ales out there today.

I love the label art, it's bold, graphic, and impressive with shiny gold inlays on the label. The beer was poured into my Duvel tulip (I am really excited that my Lost Abbey tulip should arrive tomorrow!) The beer is a crystal clear red agate color - with glowing hues of ruby, amber, and caramel. I got a one finger white head that had really good retention, and the lacing is superb for a pale.

The aroma is mostly softer pine - sort of like the difference between a Douglas Fir and a Blue Spruce - both smell like a pine tree, but the spruce is far more aromatic. The softer fir notes are mingled with citrus - red sweet grapefruit with floral aspects similar to clover honey.

The taste is also mostly pine - but the bitterness is well in check, this is a pale ale after all. The hop character might rival an IPA though - as it is bold and complex. Resinous pine sap and crackery malt provide body and sweetness to the hop bitterness.

The mouthfeel is very creamy, though the carbonation is medium to high. Visible bubbles are coming off of the etching on the glass. The finish is slightly slick, but not too bitter, nor does it overstay its welcome.

I found this beer very amiable, and incredibly drinkable. The best Three Floyd's offering I have had to date, and I think I have to include Dark Lord in that statement as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 05:45:20 | More by Spider889

Phocion

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brought back by my amazing girlfriend a couple weeks ago after visiting her parents in Indiana. Let's hope it's still fresh.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a shaker pint. Gold with just the slightest hue of red and a finger of frothy nearly-white head with decent retention. Ample but not particularly sticky lacing.

Yup, this is still fresh. Initial aroma is mostly grapefruit and other citrus along with a slight hint of pine. Slight caramelized malts providing just a bit of balance.

When this first hits your mouth, it's significantly less bitter than the nose would lead you to believe. Slightly sweet grapefruit followed by a hint of floral hops. Reasonable amount of toffee/brown sugar/bready malts, although (as expected from a pale) the hops continue to dominate. Nice, dry finish. Every sip is a massive bouquet of flavors, this thing is very complicated.

Slightly chewy and with moderate carbonation. Very silky and smooth mouthfeel.

All in all, this could easily be one of my new favorites. I'm pretty glad 3F doesn't distribute in my state because this could be dangerous. Oh well, it might be a good excuse, after eight months, to visit the girlfriend's family. Two thumbs up. My big toes, too.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 02:09:41 | More by Phocion

thydarkprevails

Illinois

4.73/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

How have I not reviewed this? This beer helped me discover craft beer and began my love of three floyds. 12 oz bottle into a duvel tulip. Pours a clear copper with a 2 inch off white head that shrinks slowly. Very nice lacing. Aroma is grapefruit, toffee, grass, and mild citrus. Flavor is bright citric hops. Grapefruit, caramel, mild toffee, and a mild creaminess. Mouthfeel is medium and sticky. Flavor lingers and alcohol is invisible. This is THE go to beer at any respectable pub I go to. Amazing.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 13:20:38 | More by thydarkprevails

beaker30

Indiana

4.73/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Color is a beautiful copper color...

Smell is so citrus, so awesomely hoppy. I love IPAs and this reminded me of some of my favorites. I am a huge fan of Pride & Joy Mild Ale, so I expected some more hops out of this. I was not disappointed. Bitter, citrus and a just a hint of something sweet.

I could guzzle this right down, but the ABV is keeping me from doing that. This is going to be one of my new favorites.

Yummmy.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 02:51:55 | More by beaker30

Seumas

Ontario (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

That massive whack of hops is what gets you. Yeah the body is really good: heck, 7.3 percent alcohol and alcohol never shows up in the taste profile. It's bitter, but not massively so, and while others have noted some sweetness, I never noticed it. Give me this over Arrogant Bastard any day.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2003 04:56:34 | More by Seumas

cerevisiaephilus

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

OHHH...me gusta esta cervesa! Its very good. The nose and taste screams Hops, hops hops. Malt malt malt. (In that order) Huge grapefruit bitterness that the malt attempts to balance, but has a hard time doing so, however it has a nice maltiness that isn't lost to the hops. The head was a bit small and the carbonation was low, but I think this was good as an overcarbonated hoppy beer tends to burn ones tongue pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2003 03:23:02 | More by cerevisiaephilus

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer pours a golden amber color with head that just coats the beer. The nose is awesome. There is lots of grapefruit hops overlaying some mellow caramel tones and some orange peel tones. Nice nice and nice. The flavor is so nice. There is a great grapefruit hop, deliscious sweet orange caramel malt and a peppery and mellow hop finish. I really like this beer a lot. I like the Pride and Joy, but this is more my style. Sweet beer. The feel is moderate to thick...maybe a touch thin. Drinability is awesome on this one. I dig this beer a lot.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2004 02:49:24 | More by kmpitz2

AlexJ

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

All I can say is Mmmm, I want another. Draft pour yeilds appropriate level of dense, white head with superior lacing throughout the beer. Mouthwatering aromas of sweet grapefruit hops with bright sprucey notes followed by light bready malts and apricot/nectarine sweetness. Taste is sublime...dominated by those grapefruit and resinous pine hops up front, and perfectly balanced by a pleasantly sweet, but very subtle malt back . Perfectly balanced with a medium body and perfect level of fizz. Alcohol level not evident till you have more than 1 or 2, which is very easy to do. This is an extraordinary beer, go find some, NOW!!!

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2004 18:00:48 | More by AlexJ

SwillBilly

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle.

Appearance: Nice dark amber, with creamy 2 finger head that slowly dissapates leaving thick lacing on the glass. Nice looking beer.

Smell: Slightly sweet, fruity, hints of grapefruit possibly apricots and hops.

Taste: If the label didn't say Pale Ale I would swear that this was an IPA. Starts out slightly sweet, malty, finishing with a big hop finish. Extremely balanced. Fantastic.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth.

Drinkability: Outstanding Pale Ale. I could make a session out of Alpha King, but the 7% abv would put me on my ass. Great beer if you plan on only drinking a few or a lot if you feel like getting shit faced.

Overall a great Pale Ale bordering on a great IPA. Seek this one out and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2005 00:38:21 | More by SwillBilly

tastybeer

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours nice hazy golden orange color, with decent creamy head. The smell is amazing. Refeshing fresh squeezed grapefruit and floral. Dank and fresh herbal aroma. Taste is an explosion of hoppy goodness. Finish is nice and bitter before it smooths out. Mouthfeel is nice. Mouthwateringly drinkable.

This is definitely more of an IPA than a PA. Great pleasant and satisfying hops. I could drink this constantly.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2005 00:59:19 | More by tastybeer

stephens101

Oklahoma

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finally getting to some of the Three Floyds brews. A golden amber pour is topped off by a one-finger tan head that dissipates in it's own good time leaving a jagged lacing behind. Smells of bold, citrusy hops which are rounded at the edge and present perfectly. I've never experienced this aroma in an APA. It's of a different class. Tastes of grapefruit covered with table sugar. The hop bitterness that follows is actually icing on the cake. I'm so enjoying drinking this one that I find it hard to write. Mouthfeel is smooth and comforting, but it also leaves you feeling like you're drinking a real-mans beer. There's something going on here that sets this one apart from the rest of the pack, and that's a mighty big pack we're speaking of.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2008 00:05:00 | More by stephens101

jjboesen

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A recent trip to Birreria Paridiso provided me the rare opportunity to quaff this powerhouse.

What a beer! It begins with a quick head and a thick slathering of lace amids a cloudy body of amber. The nose is overwhelmed by an extreme floral blast with small chards of orange and banana. All of which is superceded by a hop explosion on the palate, one in which no taste bud walks out alive.

Alpha King is wonderfully structured in that it can provide a worthy platform for heavy hops and mild malts - they're there, but are timid.

This is one true beer that challenges all your senses - I think I heard it too. It is magnificent too behold and hold.

It may be good to be the king, but it's great to drink an Alpha King. See It. Drink It. Love It.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2008 23:56:42 | More by jjboesen

khiasmus

South Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The Alpha King pours a perfectly clear dark golden orange into my glass, with a bit of soapy white head that seems to dissipate all too quickly. certainly looks like a beer I want to drink though.
The smell is a perfect union of sweet, caramel-grain malt and sharp, piney/grapefruity hops that give it an almost spicy character.
The taste is the same... perfectly balanced, but not in a weak manner. You can actually taste each aspect of the beer. The hops and malt compliment one another instead of masking one another. Initially sweet and malty, giving way to an almost husky grain flavor, and then transitioning into a grapefruit-full bitter, hoppy finish.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, with medium carbonation and a good bit of astringency in the finish.
This beer is by far the best pale ale I've had. Just like everything FFF does, there's much more flavor here than many of their contemporaries' beers. Delicious. And officially my favorite pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2008 18:37:57 | More by khiasmus

wardough

Wisconsin

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up this gem at the brewery. This is a great session beer.

Great citrusy smell that is a pleasure. Awesome aroma.
Taste is sweet, followed by bitter, followed by a sweet finish. Nice taste.

Mouthfeel is good, but it needs a tad bit more carbonation.

Overall, this is an excellent APA and well worth the money and the effort of finding.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2008 22:26:25 | More by wardough

razorsdescent

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had at pizzeria paradiso in geargetown

A) Toasted honey generous light head.

S) Light pine scent with a hint of wildflower.

T) Deliciously hoppy with pine and sweetness.

M) Light and refreshing.

D) I could drink this until the floor came up and smacked me in the face.

This is an exceptional IPA and well deserves its reputation. My only complaint is that it is nott readily available.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2009 17:18:39 | More by razorsdescent

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Clark Street Ale House.

A-Pours a clear copper amber with a thin white head and good sticky lacing.

S-Piney sweet hops with a strong malt backing.

T-Sweet malty front, then a malty and hoppy finish. Lots of flavor throughout. Sweet and citrus hops and a malt backbone that stands up to the flavor, all in great balance. Does not get much better than that.

M-Medium bodied with carbonation a little light but sufficient.

D-My favorite pale ale ever, or at least so far. It lives up to its well earned rep.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2009 14:16:26 | More by sholland119

lovindahops

New York

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Finally a Three Floyds brew in my hand! Thanks to livewire78 for making this east coast/mid west trade happen. Trading is the best

A- pours and impressive golden orange with the fluffiest head of rocky foam around. The lacing is almost equivalent to marshmallows all over the glass. The haziness of the brew is very amazing. Not many APAs look like this

S- a nice slap of grapefruit, earthy scents, and caramel malt flavors. There is a major balance to the scent. There are some orange and tangerine themes present as well. Again, just a big balance in the smell department

T- incredible! The citrus flavor and caramel malts contribute to massive flavor. It's bitter and tasty all at the same time. The quality of the brew is outstanding. The flavors are all over the place and it makes alpha king delicious

M- creamy with good chewy flavor. It paints your mouth with flavor

D- Alpha King was who I thought it was! This is the best APA on the planet. There are so many flavors and balance in the brew. It's definitely sessionable and tasty. I swear if this brewery could ever get to Syracuse, I would drink mountains of this stuff! I will get to Munster somehow this summer

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 23:37:49 | More by lovindahops

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

355ml bottle poured into a 16oz tulip. This will be my first review for a brew I received via trade. Huge thanks to Matt!

A - Pours a deep, cloudy reddish-amber, with a foamy, off-white head that retains as a thin, soapy film and leaves generous curtains of lacing and suds down the glass. Much darker than expected, but also a really nice looking brew.

S - Big hop aroma. Citrusy, fruity, floral and piney. Mango, pineapple, and grapefruit upfront with some floral spice and pine resin. Pronounced caramel malt presence, which I didn't really expect. Pretty much ideal for the style, even poking it's head into IPA-territory though. Orange marmalade, citric rind, and toasty toffee notes as well.

T - Big, piney and citrusy hops, with a big malty backbone. Bright notes of tropical fruit, grapefruit, mango and pineapple, with a resinous and earthy pine character as well. A touch of onion spice, and some subtle floral notes round out the hop profile. On the maltier side of things, this brew offers up a lot, providing a big earthy caramel malt balance, with sweet toffee and mild spiciness. Finish and aftertaste is an excellent balance of bitter and sweet between the bright hop flavors and rich malty backbone, making for a superb and drinkable profile all around.

M - Medium bodied, with some chew to it. Carbonation is pronounced but fine and unobtrusive. Floral spice and bitterness linger on the palate. Sticky for the style as well.

D - An all around fantastic pale ale from FFF. While the pungent and assertive hop profile pushes this brew towards IPA-territory, the big presence of sweet malty flavors gives it some real balance. Almost like an Imperial-APA. At only 6.00% ABV this brew packs some serious flavor, but remains balanced and most importantly, incredibly drinkable. A truly world-class beer from FFF.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 18:26:40 | More by Converge

yelterdow

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

All of a sudden, this "rare" find is available in North Jersey! Purchased at Frontier Liquors in Hackensack ($8.99/6-pack) and I'm in the mood tonight for some good beer.

Served at just under fridge temperature in a pint glass.

Appearance- Glows a crystal clear copper/amber with a juicy two finger head that stands tall. Even after falling to a quarter-inch topper several minutes later, the lacing is sticky and dense. Terrific structure that remains throughout, I cannot imagine a more perfect APA.

Smell- Citrus and pine sap come forth immediately, but there is a sweet maltiness that counters and balances their performance with class. The aromas meld perfectly together, and grow even more integrated with time. Another perfect 5, without reservation.

Taste- Loads of grapefruit combined with bitter, pine tree and floral notes. Aggressive bitterness in the back of the mouth that begs for another taste, to be timed with the fantastic hop burps that result.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Slick, smooth, almost creamy. By far the best APA I have ever had, and this is number three for the evening. The hops never overwhelm, just perform. Awesome color, cling-for-dear-life lacing, super drinkability... FFF has wowed my ass. Great job, this is a must-stock always.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2005 04:36:11 | More by yelterdow

Enola

North Carolina

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received as part of the Double Trouble BIF.

This beer is a slightly murky orange with a thin head and not much lacing. But the smell is hop heaven. Sweet hop aroma fills the air. Cirtus hints are present as well. This beer is what I think a hopped up beer should be. Sweet, bitter but not harsh. Just nice and smooth to make a very drinkable brew. Mouthfeel is silky smooth. The drinkability is high. In fact, the beer is gone before the this reveiw is even finished. I could certainly go for more of this beer. Off to add it to my wants.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2007 04:00:53 | More by Enola

bloberglawp

Quebec (Canada)

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to tpd975 for this one on a recent trade!

Pour medium dark cooper with a thick white head that lingers around (pale ale?).

Holy crap, what a bouquet! Intense hops, then more hops, a faint buttersweet maltiness and more hops. Flavor is even better, its like drinking hop juice, there's also a hint of fresh mellon, a very intense floral note, generous citrus, slight spice.

And to top it off, its not overpowering like some hoppy ales tend to be, its incredibly well balanced and drinkable.

Man candy.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2008 02:25:20 | More by bloberglawp