Arctic Panzer Wolf - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.69/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Apex for Gigantic Beer Week

A: Golden color with a semi-opaque look. Fluffy white head.

N: Pineapple, mango, pine, and caramel. Pretty solid nose for hops but it's not terribly complex either.

T: Fairly sweet once again. Lots of dried pineapple and some pine, but there's no mid-level to this. Biscuit and a slight bitterness. Better balance to this, but it's missing a certain...special..something.

M: Dry and medium-heavy. Sticks to the palate without destroying it.

O: A good beer I'd drink again, but it's not outstanding in its style.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 04:43:14 | More by writerLJBerg

jbphoto88

Texas

3.7/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Arctic panzer wolf pours a hazed orange blossom honey color. The head is almost white, sudsy and leaves some nice lacing on the sides of the glass.

The nose is packed full of citrus and tropical hop notes. There is a malt backbone to this one but it's mostly hops. Damn skippy, who doesn't love a hop bomb?

Mmmm an initially tasty brew. It starts off with some sweet malts and all that hoppy goodness. Juicy fruit and citrus dominate the flavor profile but the good times are not meant to last. Soon enough an over aggressive bittness trumps all the flavors and in my opinion ruins the beer.

Bitter best describes this brew. In fact over bittered is more like it. The mouthfeel is dominated by the punchy sharpness and hoppy twang in the finish. The good news is that the bitterness doesn't survive long, eventually warm and malty sweet beats it out. The one rocky patch of over bittering isn't enough to stop me from enjoying this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 21:01:40 | More by jbphoto88

Daehpoh

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

3 Floyd's back in Ohio!
Sampled a bomber with no bottle date into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance is nice golden orange with a mild haze. Two fingers of fluffy head but lacing a bit less sticky than others.

Smell is big on citrus hops with some apricot, alcohol and sweet pale malt in there also.

Taste is all hops. Grapefruit juice, orange peel, and sour grapes with a bit of biscuit malt getting through. This one is a hop bomb. It reminds me of Ruination in its dedication to hoppiness.

This beer is bone dry. Medium body with a lingering bitter finish. Seems to pull the moisture right from your tongue.

Overall, this is a bold hop-forward DIPA. Purposely unbalanced to not distract from the focus. Leans a bit too much to the bitter end for my taste, but great flavors would be welcome by all hop enthusiasts.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 01:27:56 | More by Daehpoh

mrand01

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into a Weyerbacher tulip.

A: Yellow/orange/amber (I hate color blindness) in color with a thin off-white head. Decent head retention with almost no lacing.

S: Compared to a few IPAs I have had recently, the smell here seems pretty muted. Faint hints of piney hops and a solid caramel malt backbone.

T: Fruity and piney hops balance out the maltiness. I have to admit, I don't know what significance the dextrose would have. Pretty good DIPA, seems similar to a 90 min.

M: Creamy and sticky, medium bodied with prickly carb.

O: Solid DIPA, I think I like this one better than their Dreadnaught, but not as much as a Pliny or even a Flower Power.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 23:54:43 | More by mrand01

1Adam12

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presently splitting a bomber with my wife. Poured into a glass. Very nice orange color with alot of citrus on the nose. Very hoppy and fruity taste. Kind of a bitter aftertaste. I'd have to try them side by side, but IMO this is a bit mellower version of alpha king that allthough is good, didn't wow me like i was expecting it to. one bottle is plenty for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 00:43:09 | More by 1Adam12

tapman

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bright gold, not yellow, but gold. Carbonation is bright and the head is wispy and white and does not last very long. Still, plenty of sediment in the bottle so I expect a good bottle conditioning.

Smells like a Lagunitas IPA; smells like a lot of pine, creamy biscuit, a little soap and a hint of bubblegum.

Big pine with a resinous hint. Bitterness is moderate, but the malt is all but absent. Very soapy aftertaste that sticks to the palate. Lots of raw alpha acids without any sweetness to balance their harsh, vegetal characteristics.

Soft, spicy and a little thin.

I know Lagunitas' IPA is half the strength, but it is twice as balanced. Same goes for their MAXIMUS IPA, both of which I would rather drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 03:34:43 | More by tapman

LSUPT

California

3.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber to a Bell's tulip, both courtesy of KickintheChalice, thank you sir.

Pours a gorgeous glowing orange color, fairly cloudy, that yields a 1½ inch head. Lacing is ridiculous. Full, thick ring of foam and lace is left behind on, basically, the entire area that the head covered, and it stays throughout the drink. Tiny floaties also present toward the end of the bottle.

Sweet smelling apricots and a bit of malt. Taste filled with big apricot flavors with a hint of pine and the orange marmalade description on the bottle is, actually, dead on, but you really get the alcohol in the taste though. Mouthfeel, unlike Dreadnaught, is pretty close to perfect, and even with the alcohol this beer is very drinkable.

Another solid DIPA from FFF, nothing outstanding, kind of one note on the apricot, as Dreadnaught is with the mango, but still very good. I think a blend of this and Dreadnaught or some some of combination of the recipes could produce a world class DIPA though. So, yeah, get on that Three Floyds.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 01:48:35 | More by LSUPT

Blargimus

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into pint glass.

Slighty hazy straw color with a finger or two of slighty-off-white head. Barely leaves any lacing on the side of the glass - my favorite part of the look of an IPA.

Smell is strongly hoppy, with a hint of honey and malt.

This is definitely a hop bomb, but there's enough malt to keep it grounded. It may come to 100 IBU when measured, but it doesn't taste quite that high.

Lightly carbonated, medium body. Despite the bitterness, doesn't finish with much astringency. Alcohol is light for 9%.

I wasn't convinced at first, but this really grew on me. Many thanks to Willseph for the brew!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 02:38:41 | More by Blargimus

mayor55

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank on tap at 3 floyd brew-pub. Poured in a snifter style tulip. Hazy orange color. Nice thick lacy head. Smells hoppy not overwelmingly so. Mouth feel is low carbonation and very full.

Beer reminds me of Dreadnaught without the citrus overtones. Nice beer but not on the level of Dreadnaught.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2010 14:39:47 | More by mayor55

Azurescens

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle with no bottled on or freshness date, poured into Hair of the Dog tulip, reviewed on 7/27/11.

A: Pours a hazy orange with small white head that dissipates rather quickly and leaves a bit of lacing around glass.

S: Lacks the in your face hoppy aroma that I expect in a DIPA, slightly soapy with mild citrus hop aroma and sweet pale malts.

T: Some hop bitterness up front with slightly lemony and herbal hop flavors on a clean pale malt backbone. Finishes with a pleasant clean and mild herbal/citrus hop flavor.

M: Smooth and clean medium body with lower carbonation.

O: Good DIPA but nothing to write home about. Could use some more hops in the taste and much more in the aroma as well as a bit more head/retention and carbonation. Drinkability is good none the less and the 9% ABV is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 03:05:47 | More by Azurescens

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at VE to celebrate FFF's return to Ohio.

A- Body is a pale blonde hue that is pretty uniformly cloudy. Served with a 1-2 finger foamy white head. Head sticks at about 1/2 finger and plenty of lacing remains down the glass.

S- Nose is good- pretty typical for a blond imperial IPA- soft of reminds me of Victory Hop wallop in the nose profile. A ton of grapefruit and a ton of pine-quite hoppy and little to no malt to back it up. The nose is quite birght and inviting.

T- The nose is a lot like the taste-only a lot more intense. Bright bitter white grapefruit upfornt with pine overtones, the finish is a burst of refreshing pine and grapefruit rind bitterness. The bitterness lingers on and on for awhile.

M- Very high carbonation and a light body. Not really smooth or oily.

O- This is a circumstance where I wish the drinkability score was still there. At first this is a good, agressive IPA. The pine is intense and the beer is rather dry, bitter, and cooling. Its great for 5 oz...then its just too aggressive. I started with this because I was so excited to try it. By the end of the glass I was definately done and the beer had defeated me. It also wrecked my palate so that I could barely taste Dreadnaught or Robert the Bruce.

I see a lot of reviews that say this is a well balanced IPA, or that its not too hoppy. The Arctic Panzer wolf that I faced was as much of a one sided hoppy mess, if not moreso than Moylan's hopsickle. There was nothing forgiving about this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2011 22:33:53 | More by PittBeerGirl

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to sweemzander for snagging this one for me.

Poured into my pint glass the beer is cloudy golden yellow with about two finger of off white head. Small lace rings left behind.

The aroma is piney skunky like hops. I mean that in a good way. Light malt sweetness helps to bring this one back from the edge of hop bomb.

The flavor is dry piney hops. Mild citrus and hints of booze peek out. A touch acrid in the finish.

Medium creamy body. Average carbonation.

Overall a decent DIPA. However by FFF standards this one does not measure up to the rest of their stellar line up of hop bombs.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2010 19:09:15 | More by beerwolf77

Ineedabeerhere

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Dave! From notes last month sometime.

Pours with a slight haze, goldenish color. Small white foam fades to ring. Good lace considering it was split 3 ways into pint glasses. Nice aromas of orange and a ton of sticky pine. Welch's white grape juice as well. It's bitter but not terribly so, sticky pine here as well contrasting the mouthfeel. Great expressive hop flavor, substantial body, good malt backbone. Another good DIPA from 3F.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2010 16:38:46 | More by Ineedabeerhere

CooperEllis

New York

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from jonny86jonny in Secret Santa '10.

Into 6oz tasting glass.

Poured agressively and ended with a 1/3" head, there is no lacing. Thin line of bubbles around 3/4 of the glass. Body is dirty about the color of chamomile tea.

Very malty aroma. There is a bit of bitterness, and strong sweet citrus (over ripe tangerine) with sour citrus (grapefruit).

Full malt flavor with strong sour citrus and light pine notes.

The mouthfeel is perfect. Nicely balanced between the carbonation and the combination of slick ipa, with a fuller body.

It is worth noting that here is a 9% IIPA with little to no alcohol bite. Even with the sharp inhale on the sip there is a noticeable absence of alcohol. Enjoyable though I would prefer a bit more hops up front in my I/ipa's.

(58th)

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 23:55:20 | More by CooperEllis

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a nonic pint glass.

Thanks to VDubb86 for sharing this bottle!

More hops come tumbling in during this deluge! This participant pours a lightly hazy golden amber topped by a finger of dirty white foam. The nose comprises sweet caramel, pine, mint, and some light leek. The taste holds notes of pine, leek, light grapefruit, caramel, spearmint, and lettuce. The body is a light medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, a very nice DIPA, though a bit greens-heavy for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 21:09:57 | More by TMoney2591

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Three Floyds the afternoon before DLD '11. Served in a glassware similar to a slender goblet. This brew appears a hazed golden color with a thin wisp of white head that forms a pattern of webby lacework across the top of the brew and on the glass.

The aroma of this brew is dank and rindy with citrusy and fruity notes somewhat zesty and mingled with solvent alcohol that tingles and warms the nose. The malt base to this brew is toasted nearly to the point of almost being smoked but not quite to that quality through the back of the brew.

The taste is herbal and rindy with lingering grassy hop bitterness. There is a dryness to this brew mixed with a candy-like finish thy really accents both the alcohol inclusion of warmth and brightens the herbal flavors of the hops. The herbal and rindy hop bitterness clings and lasts inside the mouth.

This is a medium bodies brew with a modest amount of carbonation. A bold sipper but enjoyable with dank and herbal hop qualities that never quite felt oily or resinous but they clearly pack a big hop punch. A solid take on the style, it's worth giving a try.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2011 17:48:41 | More by stakem

leschkie

California

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. red-label bottle obtained at the FFF brewery and consumed 12 days later. Poured into a tulip.

Appearance: Pours a hazy yellow-amber with a traditional foamy white head similar to that produced by the bubbles in a jacuzzi bath. Some carbination that makes its way to the surface. Very little lace presence, which is quite surprising considering the consistency of the head.

Smell: Somewhat disappointing. Thought it would be similar to Dreadnaught with a bit more pungency, but this one lagged behind in both complexity, balance, and aromatic intensity. Big-time hops, grass, hay, and pine resin up front with very subtle hints of citrus (grapefruit and lemon) and malt. Definitely nothing to brag about here.

Taste: Talk about a sucker punch in the face. Huge hop profile with a bitter bite. I can see why this beer is so aptly named. But other than that, that's really about it. Any effort to make the citrus or malt known in the flavor profile is completely overpowered by the almightly hops.

Mouthfeel: Like the Dreadnaught, this one is on the thinner side of a medium body. Carbination is perfect. This bad boy is high on the IBU scale, and it shows. Bitterness is exacerbated in the finish and persistently lingers in the back of the throat. Wow, never would have guessed this one was 9% ABV. Didn't detected any of the alcohol in this one.

Overall: I'd probably place this one in the upper half of the more hop-forward DIPAs I've tasted. Definitely the immature younger brother to Dreadnaught, but nonetheless, another great example of how FFF is one of the most consistent breweries out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 06:43:16 | More by leschkie

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received in trade from phisigben, thanks for the opportunity! Pours a fairly cloudy golden yellow color with a smallish bubbly white head that displays moderate retention and lace. Smells of pine, resin, and citrus, bits of tropical fruit and grass with barely any malt to be found. Taste is much the same as the aroma. Heavy handed dry hopping with dank baggies, pine needles and grapefruit juice. Leaves a long lingering lemon/grapefruit/citrus on the palette after each sip has hit the gullet. Medium to thick body for an IPA, moderate to low level of carbonation with a sticky resinous bitter mouthfeel. I liked this one, but I found the bitterness a little harsh and heavy on the lemon. It's a great DIPA, but I've had better in the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 01:18:20 | More by johnnnniee

airohead2001

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

11 oz. pour into a tall glass from a bomber courtesy of glazeman during game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. i've been looking forward to this beer for a while, wondering how it compares to dreadnaught ipa.

A - yellow, very light colored for a DIPA. 1-2 finger head with excellent retention and some lacing.

S - citrus and piney hops, with the piney hops dominating. orange, lemon, and tangerine as well.

T - very similar to the smell, with lemon and bitter, piney hops overpowering. very little malt backbone.

M - a bit more thin than i was hoping it would be. not much here with regards to mouthfeel.

D - drinkable beer, especially on a warm summer day - it would be perfect for an outdoor bbq. plenty of carbonation, but maybe a little too much because this brew is not sticky or malty enough to hide the 9% abv.

overall, this is a very good beer. however, the overpowering lemon citrus flavor and thin mouthfeel are no match for FFF's other DIPA, dreadnaught. i would definitely drink arctic panzer wolf again, but if given a choice, i would prefer a dreadnught.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 15:54:32 | More by airohead2001

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- gold yellow body, 2 finger head, wonderful lacing.

S- citrus, pine

T: citrus sweet up front, big malt and grain middle encased with pine, long bitter finish.

M: med/heavy body, solid carbonation, sticky

D- Nice, goes down easy, but not my fav double IPA, nor my fav 3 floyds. Worth trying, but don't lose sleep over it.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 18:15:42 | More by BeerLover99

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tried on tap at FFF 26 Apr 2011. ~10 oz pour in a small goblet.

Small white head quickly dissipates. Somewhat hazy golden straw color. Aromas of grapefruit and Simcoe. Hate to say cat pee but there is a bit of that in the background. Lots of grapefruit upfront. Simcoe is also present. Alcohol noticeable but only slightly warming. Fairly dry bitter finish lingers for a while. Medium body.

Don't think I've had this much Simcoe in a DIPA before.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2011 04:12:00 | More by htomsirveaux

gregshead

California

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to Biglobo8971 for this one. Enjoyed on 4/9/11 reviewed from notes

A: Pours amber color, half finger of head.Hazy look

S: Citrus - white grapefruit and a little orange rind on the nose

T: Taste is a lot like the smell. Bitterness up front with a sweeter finish

M: Light feel on the tongue with minimal carbonation

O: Solid offering by Three Flyods. It holds up to other DIPAs with just a sweeter finish instead of the astringent finish of some over the top hoppy DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 02:14:59 | More by gregshead

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle, no dating

A - Pale gold, hazed, some floaties, thick white head has good retention and lacing.

S - Bright, floral hop bouquet with some grapefruit flesh, Not too much in the way of pine aroma in this one. Some booze as it warms.

T - Follows the nose, but with a huge caramel sweetness mid palate, finishing bitter, but not palate-wrecking. Abv is apparent, maybe too much so.

M - Full body, medium carbonation, boozy, thick hop oils, finishes with some hop oils coating the mouth.

O - Good, it stays bitter, but the booziness is just too strong, not hidden well for a 9%er.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 00:19:04 | More by garuda

magictacosinus

California

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Glad I got to try this during DLD at the brewery. It was refreshing to have this for only $5 after waiting over 3 hours in line! Poured into a 10oz plastic tumbler.

Pours a golden, pale amber color with a modest one finger of head that eventually fizzles out. In some ways, looks awfully like Belgian-style golden ales, especially with the extra cascade of bubbles that rises to the top of this. Impressive that the carbonation lasts this long, especially when considering the size of the tumbler and high ABV. This is definitely thickened overall, and I was even able to capture sight of some large alcohol legs on the walls of the cup. Definitely paler and far different in body than other DIPAs I've seen, but very wicked looking.

Contains an aroma that filled with a range of sweetened to bittered phenols, ranging from pineapples to dried citrus rinds. Goes in and out in both flavors, quite literally. At first there's the pineapple aroma combined with white grapes, apricots, and maybe sweetened apples, but eventually it's replaced by oranges, earthy lime notes, slight spices, and maybe some some candi sugar? Definitely hard to keep track on all the flavors going on here, but it's definitely interesting. Almost ranges from being a cross between a DIPA and a tripel in some ways, although that would be a lazy analogy in contrasts of all the nuances. Alcohol is quite present as well, although I'm barely getting any other aspects to the beer other than some cracked, golden graininess, as well as slightly yeasty bready phenols. Not the most balanced aroma per se, but still packs a punch.

The flavor is quite different, however: rather than get too sweet or bitter on the palate, it turns out both sides of the spectrum meld quite well due to the thickened, near juicy body this beer holds. At first, there's an initial grainy sweetness, combined with pineapple and orange notes, which quickly get overtaken by a bittered, spicy, awfully zesty bitterness imparted by the hops. Doesn't really numb the palate completely, although it does get the initial fruity flavors and make them more vibrant. The malts are not too present in the flavor here, but they provide undeniable thickness that makes this easier to drink. The alcohol is actually not very present here, with no burn at all, and I downed this rather quickly in spite of all of the flavors and strong bittered presence. Almost vinous in character, too, although not as dry by comparison.

This is an intense yet solid offering from FFF. Can't say I loved it as much as their other stuff that I got to try, but it's a strong, full bodied hop-filled and fruity experience that should definitely be tried. At the price of $13 a bomber everywhere, it's debatable whether this is worth it, but fans of DIPAs and tripels must try this thing at least once, in my view.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2013 05:13:03 | More by magictacosinus

LittleDon

Texas

3.81/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Decent short lived off white head with some lace. Golden with lots of haze and particulates. Aroma of baked bread, passion fruit, with a bit of cattiness. Strong carbonation with a medium body. Earthy/herbal hops with a fair amount of sugary sweetness. Strong bitter finish with a noticeable amount of alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 20:34:56 | More by LittleDon