Arctic Panzer Wolf - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

mattboyer182

Indiana

4.88/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A - Pours a cloudy golden orange with a thin whiter head and good lacing.

S - Smells of grapefruit, lemons, pineapple and pine. Not a lot of other detections other than hops.

T - Tones of bitter and then it comes sweet from the citrus. It has a nice lingering after taste.

M - Medium bodied and medium carbonation.

O - Great brew. Three Floyds Has magical IPA's. Ive never had a bad one.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 21:39:11 | More by mattboyer182

DocJitsu

California

4.88/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a crystal clear, classic golden color with an egg shell/vanilla colored, fat, foamy head. Hop vegetable matter is noted floating after the second half of the bomber is poured. The head retention is better than average. I stick my nose in and, hello grapefruit! Lovely, lovely grapefruit. Mouthfeel is nearly as lovely. Soft, full, wet, but not juicy. The hop hotness cuts what otherwise might express as juiciness. Perfect amount of carbonation scrub on the back of the tongue. Megagrapefruit, some pine around the edges of the tongue, light sulfur, and a bit of onion. This beer's my hero. One of the best from FFF, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 19:32:39 | More by DocJitsu

sheepdog87

California

4.85/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

My daughter sent me a bottle of Arctic Panzer Wolf and Dreadnaught from Wisconsin (what UPS doesn't know...)
Dreadnaught is a real rival to Pliny the Elder but I think I like Arctic Panzer Wolf a little more (please God, forgive me!)
Appearance is hazy golden color, showing some character. Nice off-white head with good lacing as the glass empties.
Mouth feel is very good - a good amount of carbonation.
Taste: Citrus, almost tangerine, a hint of apricot, and pine taste - since I am from the Left Coast, what I consider a great IPA taste. Nice that you can taste some malt coming through the citrus/pine.
I really liked the taste and the smoothness - no bite, just smooth and easy to drink!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 03:04:24 | More by sheepdog87

ngandhi

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is, without contest, the very best imperial IPA on the market today. But, more than that, it's in many ways the whole history of American IPA. It has the fresh, citrusy hops that the West Coast brewers made so popular over the last five years in their pale ales. It takes on the oily texture of Rogue I2PA, Bear Republic's Racer X, and Victory Hop Wallop. And it has enough alcohol to lay you on your ass.

It's a maltier cousin of the groundbreaking Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA, and somehow that extra bit of malt makes it a better beer. Maybe it's more balanced. Or maybe the malt sugars just carry the alcohol to your brain faster. Ripe with flavors and aromatics of the greatest pineapple you've ever seen, sharp, grippy hops, and a long, resiny hop finish, it combines the key elements of pleasure and torture. S&M in a glass.

I love you, I hate you, and now I'm going to take my pants off.

Serving type: growler

11-17-2009 04:28:07 | More by ngandhi

MrGaryFish

Georgia

4.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Review #2. Purchased at the FFF brewery at DLD 2011. Reviewed 5/6/11. Poured into Green Man snifter at 50*

A: Golden orange hue with 1 finger of white fluffy head. Moderate lacing.

S:Smells mostly of resiny pine and a little citrus in the background

T: Solid initial bitterness followed by decent malt backbone, much more citrus flavor than the aroma, equal resinous pine and orange and tangerine flavors give way to solid lingering bitterness. No alcohol detected whatsoever.

M: Low to moderate mouthfeel, not watery but lack of viscosity

O: Fantastic example of an imperial IPA, hops not overbearing or overly bitter. Excellent balance between piney and citrusy hops. Nice lingering bitterness, somewhere between 70-100 IBUs. I can't imagine what this tastes like super fresh, so I guess I'll have to seek out some more APW when it is released next.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 22:10:48 | More by MrGaryFish

dancingnancie

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Made my first trip out to FFF today. I picked up a growler of APW, and a few bombers and different six packs. Those reviews are to come.

A: Beautiful golden transparent pour with a decent two fingers worth of head and some nice lacing.

S: The smell of this beer is absolutely amazing. It has a pungent hops aroma. It is really one of my favorite smelling DIPA's. You can pick up some of the nice malts as well.

T: When you first put this beer to your lips, you get hit with the nice malts, and then the floral hops shine. This is such a great DIPA. The alcohol is hidden exceptionally well. If this were more readily available, it would be a staple in my fridge.

M: This has a nice creamy mouthfeel. It is a little lighter in my opinion than dreadnaught. A very nice mouthfeel.

O: I absolutely love this beer. This is probably the best DIPA I have experienced thus far very early on in my craft beer experience. I haven't been let down by any FFF beer. Great job!!

Serving type: growler

05-17-2011 20:31:10 | More by dancingnancie

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Serving Type - 22oz bottle

Appearance - Light grapefruit yellow, nice 1 inch white head, some lacing.

Smell - Intense citris hops, hop oil, orange, plenty of pine.

Taste - Major piney floral hops, lots of orange and grapefruit also. Some apple and a little bit of malt comes out at the end.

MOuthfeel - For such a hop bomb, very nice on the mouth. Sure tougne and palette gets hop crushed, but its not a alcohol crush on top of it, and the hops are sweet also. Aftertaste is nice hop orange and grapefruity.

Overall - Superb, way to easy to drink for a 9% double ipa. Alcohol is really masked well, and even a little malt comes out to really make this impressive. One of the best dipa's ive ever had.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 03:56:32 | More by wvsabbath

Rob315

Kentucky

4.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 220z bomber into a tulip.

Look: Hazy burnt orange, with a 1 1/2 finger white foamy head that leaves lacing sticking all over the glass.

Smell: Heavy citrus sweetness, pineapple, grapefruit, mangos, peaches, slight piney resin notes.

Taste / Mouthfeel: Huge hop bitterness hits the taste buds hard upfront, followed immediately by ripe fruity sweetness heavy notes of juicy pineapples, mangos, and grapefruits. Mouthfeel is slightly creamy, finish is crisp and bitter. Sweetness is left lingering for awhile in the after taste, awesome.

Overall: An all out assault on the pallet, incredible hop presence and layers of complexity make this an incredible DIPA, one of the best I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 19:29:53 | More by Rob315

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is on tap at Finnegan's in Plainfield IL right now... I had a glass earlier and decided to go home and crack my last bottle. I kept in the "cold fridge" since I picked it up at FFF. Poured into a tulip pint and served around 43 degrees.

Wow. I don't know what I gave this when I had it at FFF, but right now, this is getting a HUGE positive rating. This beer is rocking my world right now, and I'm so glad Three Floyds has decided to brew this regularly!

The beer is a nice golden color. Slightly hazy with a 3 finger white head and tons of lacing. Retention is quite solid to boot. A light, slightly sweet malt base is there just enough to offer the hops something to anchor themselves to. The hops explode with crisp juicey pineapple, grapefruit, and perhaps a touch of pine. A fresh floral note makes an appearance towards the finish.

The taste is exactly what the nose got me excited for-- a clean malt bill: no overwhelming sweetness, no sticky cloying taste-- just clean and light malts that really keep this brew light and easy drinking. The hops come out with guns blazing. Big fruit and citrus notes and a little floral bite... Not really tasting any pine, but the lingering bitterness is strong and sticky.

This a tasty beer that I will certainly grab a few growlers of when I need to send out some boxes- ;-)

The body is lighter than medium, with a good amount of carbonation. Here is the only pointthat I have ANY complaint about-- it feels a little too oily. It isn't bad at all-- but I wish it was more prickly than oily. In any case-- this beer is excellent and very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 19:24:50 | More by AleWatcher

cadizkyguy

Kentucky

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this one as an extra when I stopped at 3 floyds for a case of gumballhead on a recent trip north to visit family, and so glad I did. It's not often I get my hands on one of 3 floyds' limited releases because they're swooped up in no time. Anyway, onto the review...

Appearance -- As others have said before me, this is a very cloudy beer, tangerine like in color. Some head after an aggressive pour into my Duvel tulip, but the head dissipates rather quickly after a couple swigs of this fine concoction.

Smell -- Some have compared the smell to Dreadnaught. I find it smells like no other 3 floyds brew. Somewhat fruity, not as hopped up as I would assume an imperial india pale might be. To me, it smells like a cousin of Bell's Hopslam, with a honey undertone to the hoppy goodness.

Taste/Mouthful -- Here's where 3 floyds knocks this one out of the park. Maybe because it's still relatively fresh, maybe just because this is a superbly put together brew. I'm pairing this with a Jack's pizza after work and I cannot wait for the pizza to cook. This is my favorite 3 floyds beer to date. What an intense mouthful, a whirlwind of flavors going on in my mouth and I'm sorry I only picked up one of these gems to enjoy.

Drinkability -- I don't know if I could put away more than two of these in one sitting but it'd be worth a try. Great job 3 floyds!! Definitely my favorite craft brewer. Love your Gumballhead, Robert the Bruce, Dreadnaught. . . but this one blows them all away.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 06:01:48 | More by cadizkyguy

YumYumGumGum

Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Yellow with one finger of head. Small amount of sediment and strong lacing.

S - Almost as much floral as hops. Sweet smooth hoppy aroma, maybe dry-hopped cascade and simcoe-esque. Fantastic.

T - Great DIPA / Imperial. Kind of a sharp or quick taste of bitter hops on the front of the tongue, but then it goes down like a smooth day-drinking beer. Great flavor and an IPA that doesn't rip out your tongue. Seems like a great one to mix into a tasting because it a great show of a DIPA and easy on the pallet.

M - Medium carbonation. Light and didn't feel any of the sediment I saw.

O - Three Floyds is always expensive, but 16$ a bottle includes shipping. I recommend whatever you can get from this brewery, and this is the best I've had yet. Thanks to 3F!

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 15:35:32 | More by YumYumGumGum

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served on tap into a tulip glass at 101 Bottles

A- Poured a super bright and hazy golden orange color with a nice fluffy head that left tons of chunky lace. Really incredible looking beer

S- Amazing aroma full of pineapple juice, citrus, and tropical fruit. Very pungent and powerful aroma.

T- Big pineapple, citrus, and tropical fruit flavors, as well as floral notes. Finishes with assertive bitterness, but not as palate wrecking bitter as I expected

M- This beer finishes ultra dry, definitely the driest beer I have ever had. Pretty high carbonation up front and drinks pretty smooth.

O- This DIPA is in the same class as Ruination but drinks a lot smoother and the aroma and taste of this beer are incredible and unlike anything else I have had.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2012 20:21:00 | More by Hoptometrist

LiquidBread219

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A= Golden Yellow it was dark and hazy with a small head.

S= It has a citrus smell kind of like a orange and grapefruit mix. There is also a pine smell going on in this beer.

T= You taste the citrus but to me it is small at first there is big pine taste in this beer the aftertaste is sweet like a carmel.

M= Great beer it's got enough carbonation that really makes it go down easy for me.

D= For a 9% IPA it's going down smooth this is really a great beer difently worth checking this one out.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2010 02:29:02 | More by LiquidBread219

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A- cloudy dark gold, not much head. more gold than i expect from an IPA

S-very very strong hops aroma, very pleasant! IPAs can't smell better than this

T-a very powerful hit of citrusy hops!! there is a long lasting matching after taste with hints of malted caramel. long lasting bitterness along with the after taste

M-medium carbonation, feels wonderful

D-alcohol hits quick! much quicker than i expect from even a 9% ABV, this might be better as a 12 oz. bottle. However, the taste stays pleasant through all 22 ounces!

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2010 05:18:05 | More by AdamBear

Hachiman

Japan

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours orange with an off-white head. Disorganized lacing.

Wonderful citrus aromas. Lemon, orange, passionfruit. Outstanding.

Very sweet bisquit-y malt followed by massive, lingering bitterness that is not harsh at all. Some hop oil vaporizes into fruity overtones. Hop head rejoice!

Strong carbonation, light, refreshing mouhtfeel.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 00:25:04 | More by Hachiman

klyph76

Kentucky

4.73/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

I'm new to IPAs and up 'til now my favorites have been Southern Tier's 2XIPA and Three Floyds' Dreadnaught. But TF's Arctic Panzer Wolf has just blown my mind! It has tons of hops but in a flavorful way. It's a bit on the pricey side too (I paid $11.99 for a pint bottle at the Louisville Beer Store). But I honestly hope that someone in town gets this on tap soon! Great beer!!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 22:30:43 | More by klyph76

kangarooAdam59

Maine

4.73/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Thanx YogiBeer for this one, you rock!

Into my chalice from the bomber:

A: clear golden colored body leaving a half centimeter white foamy head. Light foamy lacing coats and slides to spider web movement.

S: citrusy and slightly grassy coming through in a dry earthy sort of way, hops are there a bit.

T: citrusy combined nicely with the malts and hops.

M: medium with barely any sharpness on the tongue, big wow, here, nice and smooth yet crisp as the beer goes down. It leaves a bitter and sticky aftertaste and a dry finish. I'd say this is fairly sessionable despite the fairly high ABV on it, I'm not feeling the 9% just yet, or tasting it.

O: this is my first one by Three Floyds and I'm really looking forward to trying the rest. This is superb for its style and spectacular to me. As it warms, its really a citrus forward DIPA, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 15:10:46 | More by kangarooAdam59

jjayjaye

New York

4.72/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I sampled this one on two separate visits. This review is considered back to back after a tulip of Dreadnaught. It pours a hazy light peach amber color with a huge foamy off white head that resists fading and leaves spotty patterns of Belgian lacing behind. The smell is aggressive and the fruity pineapple, peach and tangerine aroma is mirrored in the taste. Medium tangy body and creamy mouth feel enhance the drinkability. Full flavored, the fruity pineapple peach tangerine hoppiness was worth the trip!! I could drink these all afternoon. Highly Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2009 01:06:39 | More by jjayjaye

paultierney1

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Surprisingly bright, almost glowing yellow-orange appearance in a pint glass from the tap at Swig in Perrysburg, OH.

A sign from heaven? Strong hoppy nose -- I knew it would be a killer right there.

Delicious taste, great balance. I had no idea it was a DIPA until just now and that the ABV was so high. Could not tell from drinking it.

Wonderful job 3F!

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2011 12:46:36 | More by paultierney1

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4.72/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Really impressive pour. Semi cloudy thanks to a ton of floating matter, totally loaded with hops. Promising!!

Huge hoppy nose, enticing and inviting.

Taste more bitter hops than malt, but not offensive at all. The malt backbone is big enough to take it...

Alcohol totally muted, wow.

Sticky messy glass after...nice.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 03:28:53 | More by DaPan

WolfsbaneBloom

Illinois

4.71/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Pours a rich, hazy golden orange with a big three fingers of creamy, fluffy off-white foam.

Smell: A wonderful bouquet of soft, ripe mango, juicy pineapple, and faint strawberry greet the nose. There's also a light yeasty, cracker-like aroma hiding under the blanket of fruity hops. Quite heavenly.

Taste: Bright, tangy grapefruit, tangerine, orange marmalade, pine, some fruity esters and a touch of honey with a caramel malt backing. Sugary with maybe just a little white wine characteristic lurking about.

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavier bodied and lightly crisp with incredible smoothness. Sort of creamy and a bit oily and chewy.

Overall, this was an exceptional imperial IPA from famed brewery Three Floyds. I had this back to back with their Dreadnaught and Arctic Panzer Wolf came out the clear winner for me. It has a wonderfully complex, fruity aroma and flavor with unbeatable smoothness for a 9% beer. Juicy, sweet, and well-balanced.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 19:11:14 | More by WolfsbaneBloom

machostacos

Indiana

4.7/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bomber into my Stoudts pint glass. No freshness date (again, come ON 3Floyds!!!) However, pretty confident this is no more than 5 weeks in the bottle.

A: Pale yellow, a little cloudy - could be mistaken for an over-carbonated American Wheat. Tiny creamy eggshell white head. Spotty, uneven lacing. Looks entirely unremarkable.

S: The second the cap came off this monster the most incredible aroma graced my senses - huge pineapple, mango, and mildly resinous hop aromas. Could it be better than Dreadnaught? Maybe. It's at least as good.

T: I take it back. This is better than Dreadnaught, at least in terms of sheer hop flavor. Simply incredible. The biggest, juiciest, hoppiest-tasting beer I've ever had. Tropical fruits galore - pineapple and mango and papaya and a little piney resin. A mild malt sweetness is just enough to help balance the intense hop character. With the amount of hops in this beast, the bitterness is incredibly well-tamed. It's just enough to help cleanse the palate. ABV is completely hidden. This beer is so well constructed, it's almost scary. I think on the whole Dreadnaught edges this out by about half an inch - its maltiness is a little more pronounced to help balance its more intense bitterness. However, I can't really find anything wrong here. Delicious.

M: Rich and creamy with medium carbonation. Very oily and mouth-coating. Slightly puckering. Perfect.

O: Honestly the only thing holding this one back is its appearance - it just doesn't look anything like a DIPA. However, since I put way more stock in how a beer smells and tastes, it's a small hurdle to clear. This beer is incredible.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 05:41:57 | More by machostacos

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Muted with floaties, yet holds a healthy looking peachy gold hue with a small crown of off-white crunchy foam. A few spots of lace are flecked about the glass edge.

Pungent bright aroma of grapefruit, straight up wow! Definately a 3F nose action going on here as most of their stuff has impressive aromas, and this is packed high with hops. Pretty much alot of white and pink grapefruit masking a delicate fruity, citrusy sweetness of peach marmalade and pineapple. Ascents of aromatic cedar pine, medicinal bitterness, fresh floral resin, and a bit of dryish biscuity maltyness.

Great taster of citrusy grapefruity hops, quite bright and bountiful. Bitterness is well handled and under control with a nice sweetness that lends to peach fuzz, pineapple, and a glob of mango. Some biscuity dryness surfaces from underneath while soft pine notes and fresh floral resinyness buzzes about the finish within its somewhat spicey fresh finish.

Bold, clean, fresh, bright, nearly full, and brightly hopped body with a pithy, fuzzy, texture coating the palate immediately upon first touch of the tongue. Sweetly citric and juicy with a feathery frothyness all around conjuring a simple display of easy drinking hoppyness and well-handled bitterness and hoppy bite.

I have been bit by the Arctic Panzer Wolf and I like it! But watch out...that 9% will bite you in the head quickly with a buzz of yummy citrusy fresh hops!

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 23:57:34 | More by tavernjef

Rhynes2

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First beer from Three Floyds and so I was super excited to try this one out. Picked up a bomber of this one and poured into a pint glass. Pours a nice golden color with no has a a decent head. Little head retention but great lacing down the sides. As a hop head I love this one. Flavor is pure citrus greatness. Grapefruit and tangerine hop flavors dominate the scene with little malt showing through but yet well balanced. One of the best IPA's i have ever had and I want another one right now haha. Can't wait to pick one of these up again.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 00:25:50 | More by Rhynes2

chicagoabbot

Illinois

4.65/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber into a snifter...big bright golden IPA...head is a little light, but alcohol content is big so that's understandable...color is awesome...tons of fruit in the nose and not quite as much hoppiness as I expected, even though I know this puppy is up in the 100 IBU range. it's pretty bitter on the tongue though, with an appropriate balance. Crisp, fruity, bitter. Kudos to this beer for tasting completely unique. It's definitely 'not normal' as they say. Pretty incredible beer. I can barely taste the alcohol but I can feel it. Oh yeah, mouthfeel is perfect too.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 22:00:49 | More by chicagoabbot