Arctic Panzer Wolf - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

Blakaeris

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours hazy dark yellow with a dense creamy head; leaving globs of sticky lacing as it dissipates.

Aroma is bready caramel malt up front. Then a strong citrus character takes over - plenty of apricot and peach. Then a musty, yeasty spice appears in the finish.

Taste is similar to the nose. Bready malt overshadowed by citrus hop. More of the musty spice quality in the finish, along with a little alcohol heat.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, a little syrupy.

Overall a messy DIPA. The hops don't shine through the malty yeast quality.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 01:52:50 | More by Blakaeris

Pinknuggets

Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber into a Long trail Pint glass

A: Its got that golden honey IPA color but I am surprised by how translucent it is while being an imperial IPA I usually find them to be more cloudy. There is also a 2cm white head that disputes fairly quickly

S: lots of tropical fruit I seem to get a similar melony smell that is precent in other FFF IPAs. There is also a smell of pine after tasting it i feel i can almost smell the bitterness

T: Well the hops that sure do hit with force in the taste the bitterness is almost overpowering (seems like a palate wrecker for sure). Despite the bitterness up front there is a solid malt backbone that stays for a while with the bitterness. I was disappointed at the lack of citrus melony flavor that I thought would come after the smell i can't taste it at all. There is piney resiny type taste but it just adds to the power of the bitterness

M: I was surprised by how thick it felt despite its light color it is oily though. I also can feel the carbonation as I drink, more so then other IPAs i feel.

O: I have to say I was disappointed by this one its not bad but the bitterness is just too overwhelming to me, there seems to be no effort of balance just a bitter hop attack. I was expecting something more fruity after trying ZD but who knows it could be me (usually i like a lot of hops) wasn't bad by any means though. I really wanted to like this one I just can't.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 20:50:19 | More by Pinknuggets

quinnsi

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served into a pint glass at Sheffield's

Appearance is slightly hazy with a golden orange color and nice white head which fully dissipates.

The nose is total grapefruit with some mild lychee fruit hints as well.

Wow, is there grapefruit extract in there? I'm getting so much of it, and not much else. The hops are intense, and the finish is quite bitter.

Had this been served to me in a tulip instead of a pint glass, it may have served the beer better. As it was, one beer was more than enough for me.

Overall, I think this is a wet dream for some hop heads, but to me, it's a bit out of whack. Makes me appreciate Pliny that much more!

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2009 04:50:36 | More by quinnsi

largadeer

California

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to nickd717 for sharing this one.

Pale gold, unusually pale for a DIPA and slightly hazy, with a small head that sustains well.

Sweet candied grapefruit and Christmas tree aroma. Pretty malty, but the sweetness is supported by a fairly nice hop aroma.

Huge pine flavor, this beer is like drinking Christmas. There's some grapefruit and ample caramel sweetness. Too much sweetness, in fact. The body is substantial, surprisingly so given the appearance. It finishes bittersweet with big pine and caramel flavors. Decent, but it drinks a bit sweet and heavy for my palate.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2010 01:40:22 | More by largadeer

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

enelson hooked this up along with some very sought after brews... Thanks Edward!! Shared with inflatablechair.

Pours hazy sorty marmalade color.. great lacing and a big foamy white head..

Nose is very fruity.. and dry? plenty of citrus zest and some minor melon.. pungent hoppiness... no malts to speak of.

Flavor begins very (way too) bitter... really dry throughout.. resinous citrus and pine toward the finish.. again this one is very very dry for such a bigboned DIPA... the lack of any malt profile actually make me think this one is pretty flimsy and too one dimensional.. white pith grapefruit.. the body is good, but the EtOH just strips the flavors off the palate.... very abrasive and unforgiving..

Too unidimensional for me.. the bitterness and hop resins cake my teeth without any direction.. not everything needs to be a hop bomb.. and this one needs to be dialed in.

Thanks again to Ed.. but wow!! I really thought I was gonna like this one given FFF's IPA record, but it is too sharp and not even remotely balanced.

4/3.5/3.5/3.5/3.5

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2010 08:54:03 | More by JohnGalt1

dgfair

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle poured into Duvel tulip.

Beer pours a hazy light orange color with a thin white head that dissipates rather quickly leaving some soapy lace on the side of the glass. Smell is floral and sweet citrus hops with a bit of a bready/chalky smell on the backbone...more malt than I expected in the smell and almost smells like a lemon scone. The taste is a big smack of bitterness upfront that is very dry and mineral-like in taste. I pick up a slight medicinal quality before I get light malt and another smack of hop bitterness. Not much else in the taste but straight bittering hops. Finishes relatively heavy and warms as it goes down. Not very drinkable due to the huge bitterness. I think this is what they were going for, but only the most serious hopheads need apply. One of the lesser 3 Floyds IPAs in my opinion. Would take Dreadnaught every time over this.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 01:19:46 | More by dgfair

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First of all, I feel the need to mention that I am puzzled that this beer does not show up on the Three Floyd's website, not even in the seasonal beer section. I just can't find it on their website at all. Is it about to be retired, I wonder? Moving on...

Label art is different on my bomber from the picture above on this website, it shows an up-close image of the face of a snarling wolf with blood red eyes.

Pours out flattish, weak carbonation, no lacing or head at all. This sort of thing is why I really wish 3Fs would date stamp their product. Getting brutally aggressive with pouring I can manage to generate a brief fizzy 1 finger white colored head that sputters out almost immediately, but that's the best I can get out of it. The color is a hazy opaque deep golden yellow, with some small pinhead flecks of sediment swirling about.

The scent is lemony fresh accents over a solid wall of grapefruit peel, very slight notes of pine pop up from time to time but they are scarce. The malt scent is unusually lighter than the typical IPA malt, this nose tells you that the brew is going to be a hop bomb in no uncertain terms before you even take a sip. I'm not, however, detecting the pineapple notes that everybody else is talking about. And I am most definitely not receiving the mango and other tropical fruits that are the signature stamp of the amazing Dreadnaught.

The flavor has a brief moment of Simcoe 'onion-ey-ness' before transforming straight into pine needley hop bomb accompanied by a fleeting light biscuit malt sweetness that fades out into a nice long dryer finish powered by hop oil and a minor dose of alcoholic booziness.

Body is on the thicker side of medium strength, but my carbonation is sorely lacking, which causes the hop oils to just lay there on my tongue like a dead trout on the riverbank. My tongue feels...slimy and gross after each sip.

This bottle gives the indication of not being the freshest it could be. Perhaps if consumed fresher I would have experienced an excellent carbonation, head, body, and the tropical fruits and pineapple that other BAs have mentioned. And if I ever do experience that in a fresher bottle, I shall have to come back and redo this review. But as it stands, my bomber was merely a slightly better-than-average IPA which could have been absolutely amazing but fell short from lack of the factors mentioned above.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 19:12:56 | More by WastingFreetime

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

No bottled on date, so....I shall assume this is fresh.

A - Pretty good look - a bright golden straw body, substantial white head.

S - some alcohol, some pine, some citrus. Not too intense, not too specific, and surprisingly boozy.

T - Light tropical fruits, a bit of dry grass. But again, for a DIPA, this lacks intensity.

M - a touch drying, pretty smooth, nice medium-full body.

O - this is not that good. I think Dreadnaught is super good, but this is just pretty mediocre. Feels good, looks good, but the taste really doesnt do too much for ya.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 03:22:33 | More by ColdPoncho

jcartamdg

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy golden orange with a one finger head that lingers leaving great lacing. Aromas of sweet malts and bitter hops. Taste follows the nose but it's a bit to sweet for a dipa in my opinion. Not the easiest drinking dipa and not in the top of this style. Still not a bad beer it's just not for me

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 04:28:16 | More by jcartamdg

kscaldef

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Apricot colored, with a head slightly shy of 1 finger. Little retention or lacing. First pour from the bomber has good clarity, the second is full of fine floaties.

S: Mango, pineapple, mild citrus. Relatively restrained for the style.

T: Quite fruity, dominated by tropical flavors. Somewhat sweet, but with very little malt character.

M: Fairly dry, with medium-high carbonation. Slightly sticky, bitter finish.

O: Good, but definitely short of great in nearly all areas.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 23:53:20 | More by kscaldef

sbennett22

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass.

A: Dark orange near the head and lighter yellow at the bottom. Foamy, bubbly head.

S: Smells like citrusy hops, mostly orange peel, but not overwhelmingly pungent.

T: Floral and orange in taste. Hops and alcohol are not overbearing, but definitely noticeable. Very similar to smell.

M: Medium body that leaves sticky feeling in mouth after each sip.

O: Very drinkable and tasty, but not my favorite from FFF. I prefer the Dreadnaught for its more unique citrus flavors, but this is still a good DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 18:24:31 | More by sbennett22

Arenbeer

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle thanks to funhog into a tulip glass

Old label Version No Date

A- Pours a super cloudy light orange yellow that looks like orange juice and 1 finger worth of bright white head on top. Slow carbonation creaping up from the bottom.

S- Fruity spicy hops that seem very faded, strong caramel sweet malts come through mostly. Definitely some alcohol in there.

T- Definitely an older bottle, tons of sweet malts and breadiness with hints spicy fruity hops and citrus. Still get the overall hop profile and it's really nice.

M- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a nice bitter finish.

Overall I probably shouldn't be reviewing such an old bottle but I figure it will let people know it doesn't age with the best of them. Hell no Ipa's do.

SkÅL!

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 21:55:17 | More by Arenbeer

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Much thanks to RocPorterFanatic for this in the Chillin and Grillin BIF. 22oz into a NB Globe.

A: Pours a hazy amber color with a thin wispy white head that foams up to about a half inch, then quickly disappears. No lacing to speak of.

S: Not bad, some decent hops in here. Citrus and pine, with a bit of caramel malt. Pretty grainy as well. No booze, even for a 9% beer. Pretty nice, but nothing overly impressive.

T: A lot of the same from the nose, some piney hops and a strong bitterness on the finish. Nice little bit of caramel. Would like a little more of a hoppy flavor though. Lots of hop resins in here that coat and linger on the tongue for a long time. Pretty tasty stuff, but not overly impressive. Just a touch of booze.

M: Lighter body, dry finish, a bit of alcohol warmth in the finish. Medium carbonation. Finishes just right.

O: Not a bad beer at all, pretty nice drop for a Friday evening, it just doesn't stack up with some of my other favorites. I really like the amount of resins in this that will not leave the tongue, very awesome. I just would like a little bit more in the nose, and a bit more hop flavor to really make it pop.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 04:14:45 | More by pokesbeerdude

scottfrie

California

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into Gulden Draak tulip. Big thanks to HosP for this one!

A: Pours a slightly hazy citrus amber color with a short lived off-white head that reduced into wispy scum. Some streaks of soapy lace were left down the glass.
S: Super hoppy notes of fruit, citrus and floral hops with notes of mango, papaya, pineapple and grapefruit. Slight notes of lemon zest, biscuity malt and doughy yeast. Hops are oily smelling like resin.
T: Very fruity and rich hops with again, but I also get sweeter notes of caramel and toasted malt. Finish is very fruity and almost nectar like. Aftertaste has a solid punch of grapefruit pith bitterness. Lots of lemon and grapefruit to the flavor and a lot less mango and papaya. Hints of honey and hoppy resin. There is something medicinal in there that I'm not crazy about though
M: Could use a bit more carbonation to go with the medium-full body and slick mouthfeel. A touch viscous and oily.
D: Not a half bad DIPA. Not as great as Dreadnaught, but solid none the less. Another thanks to Mark for a great beer!

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 02:58:55 | More by scottfrie

pdoran10

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Picked this bottle visiting my sister in Illinois this weekend. Really excited to try it. Love me some DIPA, love me some dreadnaught.

Pours out a slightly hazy golden color with a finger of white head. Nice looking double IPA not much lacing.

Smell is a mix of floral and citrus hops. fresh cut grass, hints of lemon and grapefruit.

taste is a surprising breadiness up front, good for balance. immediately i get a hint of cooked vegetable/DMS that blends quickly with mostly grassy hops. A hint of citrus. DMS detracts.

Great blance and mouthfeel moderate slightly over average carbonation really smooth going down. Well done here.

Nice flavors mostly, but slight hint of DMS infection lingers. Glad I tried this beer, I think it would be a real stand out without the slight cooked vegetable flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 23:14:06 | More by pdoran10

imagese

California

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap @ Lunar

A- slightly hazy golden with no head and no lacing

S- citrus and pine hop. Not much else

T- same as nose, but with the slightest malt sweetness

M- medium body w/ nice carbonation

D- 9oz pour is enough. great beer, but pretty unbalanced

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2011 02:52:55 | More by imagese

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle, I have no idea how fresh this is. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a slightly cloudy golden/amber color with about an inch off-white head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is citrusy (grapefruit, apricots, orange peel) and pine hops. Flavor is mainly bitter hops. Both the citrusy and pine flavors are noticable, but initially the bitterness is strong and lingers around for a while before it eases up. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit slick with decent carbonation. I think this is a solid brew, but given a choice I'd much rather have Dreadnaught instead.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 21:33:54 | More by bluejacket74

mdaschaf

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Jim for this one.

A: Pours a very hazy orange color with a one finger white head on top. Decent retention, with the head fading to a thin layer of white on top. Thin, but sticky lacing coats the walls.

S: Some tropical fruits, mostly pineapple, oranges, tangerine, and some citrus zest. There is some graham cracker malt to balance things a bit, even though the hops dominate.

T: Somewhat sweet from the citrus fruits, mostly orange and orange zest on the flavor profile. There is a bit of pine in the midpalate, which transitions to a bit of caramel malt. Finishes slightly bittersweet.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly dry finish.

O: Not a bad DIPA, but I prefer the others from FFF I think. This one doesn't wow me as much as they do.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 00:48:35 | More by mdaschaf

Jefe73

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into an over-sized Green Man snifter. No dating on bottle or label.

A - Pours a hazy golden orange color with a nice two finger creamy white head. Good carbonation and nice lacing throughout the glass.

S - Citrus notes up front. Some piney resin, grass and earthy notes in there too.

T - Pine notes seem to dominate from the start. Some lemon and grapefruit are present with a nice, malty backbone on the finish.

M - Medium bodied, med-high carbonation. A nice piney-resin coasts the tongue.

O - Overall, pretty solid. This one didn't blow me away, I would have preferred a better balance with a little less alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 14:02:16 | More by Jefe73

RickS95

Indiana

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Looks like grapefruit juice mixed with a touch of orange juice. Kind of a light apricot color. The head is there briefly, but doesn't have a lot of retention, leaving almost no lacing.

Smell is of citrus fruits with a hint of pine.

This is clearly an imperial IPA because the hoppy bitter is so strong is masks just about everything else. After a few sips I got the feeling back in my tongue and was able to pick up very subtle notes of apricot and some earthy pine flavors.

It's strong, but you kind of expect that from an IIPA that isn't shy about being bold. It's bitter from start to finish and the drink warming does little to calm the punch in the gut you get with each sip. There's almost an acidity from the citrus, but it's short-lived and again, the hoppy bitter takes over. Has a dry finish with remnants of citrus taste.

A bit strong for my liking. I know that's the style, but this is aggressive. Having said that, this beer never claims to be anything but palate-crushing, so it's something you've got to try.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 05:17:10 | More by RickS95

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.65/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Arctic Panzer on tap at a certain bar in Midtown Manhattan, $4 during happy hour.

Appearance: Eight ounces of the Panzer, glass filled all the way up and about to overflow. Almost no head, just a light mantle that dies soon and some bubbles. Decent lacing but not much retention otherwise. Kind of reminds me of the Hair of the Dog Blue Dot I had at the same bar the other day, with that dirty-yellow, urine-sample-like color you don't expect to see in a Double IPA.

Smell: Very citrusy, with a tad of syrupy sweetness on the back and biscuit-y malts at the end, plus some Belgian-like yeast. Orange juice, grass, fresh-mowed lawn. Some tropics.

Taste: One sip and I feel like I've had this beer 1,000 times before. Pine, resin, cleaning product. Bitterness on the back, tangy-hoppy finish. I get a lot of fresh-squeezed orange flavor all over, plus astringent lemon juice that makes this beer feel like gnawing straight on some green pomelo rind. Ouch!

Mouthfeel: Well rounded, with full body and flavor and medium carbonation. Prickly bitter finish that lingers. Probably the best aspect of this beer.

Overall: Super drinkable, but undistinguished and one-dimensional. This tastes like a myriad other American IPA's. All bitterness and citrus, no balance or excitement.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2011 22:49:58 | More by DoubleSimcoe

azdback

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Spaten Tumbler glass. Cloudy unfiltered orange color. Millions of tiny carbonation bubbles lead to a large two finger head that is bright white color and sticky and rocky in appearance. Nice.

Smell is of overripe citrus. Oranges and maybe some lemony sourness. Just a bit of bread from the malt bill. Kind of smells like a lemon bar. Sweet like lemon heads.

Taste is much different than the smell. A large taste of soggy, sour bread. Sourdough toast dipped in fresh lemon juice. A bit of alcohol burn late.

Mouth is bright, with medium carbonation. Body is light but a bit on the syrupy side. Finish is medium long and on the wet side.

Overall I enjoyed but didn't fall in love with it like I thought I would. I really wish it tasted like it smelled. Not a bad choice to seek out but don't waste your time or money if you don't like a malty bill. Thanks to jlpepper13 for the shot at this.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 07:27:01 | More by azdback

TriGuy20

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden Yellow with nice two finger white head.

S: Grapefruit/ Pine/ Mango

T: The mango comes out up front with bitter grapefruit on the finish.

MF: A solid texture, medium body with a solid hop profile.

D: Fairly easy to drink, however, the hop profile is a little out of balance and the bitterness of this beer would make this a chore to drink after you have had few.

Overall:
An above average DIPA worth trying but probably not going out of your way for.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 13:56:25 | More by TriGuy20

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Acquired via trade from ughsmash, so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep amber color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains a lot of fruity citrus along with floral hops and caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out with a strong piney hops bitterness and an alcohol burst. Then some sweet flavors of citrus and caramel come in. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy; however there doesn’t seem to be as much balance as most other beers in the style. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, strong kick, good representation of style, it’s a good beer overall but there are several others in the style and a few made by 3F that I would choose first.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 02:29:40 | More by TheManiacalOne

dwaz

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Whitemomba; poured from bomber.

A - pours nice cloudless straw color with small white head

S - subtle floral, piney aroma but really subdued; couldn't pick up any aromas of marmelade, white wine, or apricots mentioned on the label

M - Good carbonation, light feel in mouth

Taste - So crisp upon my first couple sips that I felt like I was drinking a pilsner; really subtle floral and grapefruit flavor up front with more bitterness on the back end; as the beer warms bitterness increases on the back end with alcohol flavor

Overall - this is a really fresh bottle(new label just released the last 2 weeks),so I was suprised how subtle the hops tasted and smelt and how much alcohol I could pick up. I was expecting more but defintiely not a bad double IPA by any means. Just a little too subdued for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 01:29:04 | More by dwaz