Zombie Dust - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

zombiereview

1.85/5  rDev -60.1%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Appearance was fine. Nothing to write home about; no complaints.

The major problem was the nose. I've had this beer on draft form two different bars in Chicago and both times I could not finish even one pint. This beer has an overwhelmingly body-odor-like aroma. The smell was dense and lingering. All I could think about were the summers I've spent in crowded eastern european subways.

Generally I love FFF, but I will definitely not be drinking ZD again anytime soon.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2013 03:47:54 | More by zombiereview

joecast

Australia

3.08/5  rDev -33.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Quite cloudy though not sure if its bottle conditioned. White head settles to a thin lace fairly quickly.

Heavy hop aroma of floral and strong grapefruit notes. A good dose of sweet malt seems to detract from the hops though.

Lots of bitterness initially which fades to reveal some citrusy hop flavor and finishes with a sweet bready malt character.

Ok, not sure about this one. Can't see any date on the bottle so going to go with this. Would be happy to give it another shot but wasn't too impressed with this first try.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 05:31:27 | More by joecast

2beerdogs

California

3.1/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I have really enjoyed the Floyd's work before, but after trying ZD a few times I gotta say: I don't get the hype on this one.

The appearance is nice, amber meets straw in color.

The nose is pleasant enough, almost a lighter, yet similar, nose to Kern River Citra.

The taste is interesting, but not overwhelmingly appealing. The hops clean your tongue a little in the beginning, and it's okay in the middle, but this is where you start to get that hint of wood. Yes, wood. And it really comes through in the finish. To me, it's not a great addition to this beer. And it's not a piney or citrusy flavor. It's kinda generic---wood. I have it 3 times, albeit always from a bottle. Maybe on tap would be different.

I'm not writing ZD off. And I'm not hating on them. In fact, if offered I will try again. I'm not scared off of this one, just a little perplexed by the hype.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 22:03:06 | More by 2beerdogs

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Showed on tap at the brewpub when we got there. Nice surprise, I had a lot of expectations since I love citra and what I’ve heard from it. Aroma: This one is all hops: earthy, citrus and soap. Appearance: Pale orange with small head. Flavors: Light, some tropical fruits. Feels likes there is no backbone. Palate: Quite dry but too watery. Overall: Expectations were not met.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2011 20:20:06 | More by Luk13

paumase

3.25/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is a nice APA, that is very drinkable but there are better American pales out there and for all the hype this beer gets I was thoroughly disappointed. Really nice hoppy nose and good bitterness but the mouth feel and finish disappoint this hoppy pale ale fan. In the end slightly above average 85pt beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2012 20:53:26 | More by paumase

Doodlesby

Indiana

3.28/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to a Tsauce2 who got a co-worker of mine a six pack from the 3floyds.

Poured from a bottle into a Sam Adams Pint glass

Zombie Dust has a glowing orange appearance. The head quickly dissipates and less than a millimeter of foam is left around the edge of the top of the beer.

The scents I've picked up from this beer include lots of citrus fruits, lemon, grapefruit, orange.

Taste is pretty good with only a slight touch of bitterness that doesn't linger long enough to throw off the overall taste of the brew. All the citrus components in the scent are there with the taste as well. The alcohol is hidden very well also.

Mouthfeel is easy going down, very smooth and velvety for an APA.

Overall- I enjoyed this brew but I didn't really find anything too incredibly special about it. I enjoy most of the beers this brewery puts out but all the hype I've heard about Zombie Dust just didn't live up to my expectations.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 05:09:00 | More by Doodlesby

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3.4/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the bottle, the beer poured a copper color leaving a generous slightly off-white head. The aroma immediately tells you this is Three Floyds. The mildy skunky hop aroma is very present. It made me anxious to experience what the buzz is about Zombie Dust.

The initial taste is slightly peppery, though this quickly yields to citrusy flavors such as orange rind and pineapple. This melts into a dry aftertaste with a mild hoppy flavor. It seemed to me that I have had something like this before. It reminds me of Gumball Head, but without the sweetness of a wheat beer. Of course the hop profile is similar, as it has the distinct Three Floyds Hoppiness.

For an APA, this is a good beer. On the other hand, it amazes me the way this beer is impossible for many people to find. As far as being an APA, there is nothing particularly unique or special. It is a little above average.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 02:09:06 | More by JohnnyHopps

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.45/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Zombie Dust on tap at Pony Bar, New York City.

Appearance: Served in an 8-oz glass, the Dust comes with barely any head, and what's there dies almost instantly, leaving only a white rim around the glass. Very transparent amber/orange color. reminds me of Nugget Nectar (but not as good). Low carbonation but great lacing.

Smell: Enticing mild sweetness, floral. Honeysuckle. Some malt, dripping honey. Barbeque ribs and a faint savoriness. A bit of tropics (mango?). Nice enough, but far from amazing.

Taste: Again, rather uninspiring. Thin, watery finish. Alright bitterness all around, with some stinging hops here and there. Dry, tart at the end of the sip. The Citra hops are mellow, hard to discern. A bit of warm orange juice and bread- breakfast beer!

Mouthfeel: Medium-to-low body, low carbonation. Balanced but on the boring side, unremarkable. Booze does come through when warm.

Overall: Drinkable, crisp, refreshing. But... whatever. This sure ain't the best APA I have had. As far as single-hop beers go, I have had better. For an outstanding APA, check out Hill Farmstead's Edward.

---Note: Had Zombie on tap at Three Floyds. Much better, fresher, rounder. Still, not the best APA I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2011 05:28:17 | More by DoubleSimcoe

OttoPeeWee

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

To be fair I do not care for really hoppy beers. If you want a real craft beer from FFF try Ragnarok. Not bad, but just too much hops to malt ratio for my taste buds. Seems after 1-2 years it will age like fine wine. If you like hops offer me a trade!

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 01:51:41 | More by OttoPeeWee

ZPB

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to my brother-in-law in Chicago since we don't get it up in MI.

Appearance is a glorious white foamy head that lingers and lingers on top of a sunny orange body.

The aromas of grapefruit, orange, and resin are remarkable with the Citra hops. I love this smell - one of the reasons I love beer!

Taste is all bitterness and hops. There is very little malt to support the hops. Overpowering with bitterness. I was hoping for better balance given the incredibly high rating of this beer, but again the hops are too strong in a Three Floyds beer. Perhaps it simply too much for my tastebuds since my friend loved it. A hop bomb for sure!

Mouthfeel is very dry. The finish is bitter and dry.

Overall this one resembles Gumballhead - I did not have side-by-side, but on different days. The bitterness and the lacking malt to support it are what make these beers good to try, but not must haves to acquire again.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 20:32:26 | More by ZPB

adamette

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Enjoyed by me on tap at Chef Paul’s Bavarian Lodge in Lisle, Illinois July 26th, 2012 in the presence of my brother in law Mat. I believe the place had been renamed simply “Bavarian Lodge” but I still refer to it as “Chef Paul’s.” By any name this is a world class BeerAdvocate place. Anyone reading this should seek it out.
Review from notes taken while I enjoyed the beer.

A Moderate light head over a "Miller Lite" body. Really, this is a translucent yellow body. 3.0

S Significant hops to the nose with some malt on repeated sniffs. 3.5

T Well crafted pale ale with significant hops presence and minimal malt buried deep in the background behind the hops. 3.5

M Moderate feel for the style. 3.0

D/O Very good drinkability. I could drink 5 of these. Overall this is a solidly made APA. 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2012 04:09:04 | More by adamette

cnbrown313

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A friend of mine picked up a case of this at the brewery and he was kind enough to give me a 6 pack. I knew that this was highly praised by many, so I was excited to try it. All Three Floyd's bottles usually have some cool artwork, but the Zombie Dust bottles are one of my favorite.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - It looks awesome right off the bat when you pour it. Tan / golden brown with a nice 2 finger head, but the coolest part is how it looks really hazy / cloudy when held up to the light. I suppose that would be the "zombie dust" in there (j/k).

S - Right away the citrus / piney hops hit you hard. It's a nice, wet, hoppy smell.

T - The taste didn't blow me away, but it was very good. Very nice citrus and pine hop flavors, but it doesn't seem as well balanced as something like a DFH 90 Min.

M - The moth feel was average. It was a little thin for my liking, but the carbonation was just right.

O - Overall, if you have a chance to pick this up, definitely give it a try. Most people absolutely love it. But personally, I think there are better IPA's on the shelf that you don't have to hunt down to find.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 18:30:22 | More by cnbrown313

Skull40

Indiana

3.79/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A - Golden with a two finger white head.

S - The heavy nose still includes a crispness of grapefruit and some other hoppiness.

T- A malty backbone with a hop bitterness sidebar. Includes grapefruit and general fruitiness. Very interesting. A nice balance of the malt and hops.

M - A medium mouthfeel of light creaminess

O - A nice offering without an excess of anything, but enough of everything to make it enjoyable to most people's tastes.

Serving type: growler

06-30-2011 18:36:11 | More by Skull40

jrallen34

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

5 hour old growler provided by Alex...Pours a brilliant clear orange, a light white head good retention...Citra aroma, what else do you expect. Not much different than any other citra beer. Nice, just doesn't stand out from the others, but I like it...The taste is more citra hops, a little orange, and yeast, not bad but I'm not feeling this as much as the citra's Its not meaty enough to stand up to the flavors, needs a strong backbone.

Serving type: growler

12-10-2010 22:04:41 | More by jrallen34

brew3crew

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the brewpub on fathers day.

A- orange color with a nice white head
S- faint citrus smell. Not much else
T- alot like it smells. Faint pale malt. Makes ne realize why I don't like apas.
M-mesium body and smoitj
O-nice pale ale. Not my style at all but this one is above average
Still an apa when it's all said and done.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2011 19:53:18 | More by brew3crew

tewaris

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, courtesy Chicago BAs, poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint. Pours hazy golden with a thick off white head. Good retention and lacing.

One of the better smelling APAs out there, this one has me convinced that Chicagoland brews the best APAs, with the possible exception of Alpine. Never had Hoppy Birthday. Grassy and weedy as promised with some malt sugars coming forth in the aroma.

Taste is fairly simple with both, flavor and bitterness, on a decent malt backbone. More dry hopped than bittered methinks. Initially it seemed very easy drinking and quenching but the body is pretty decent, with good, but not crisp carbonation. I like it, but I still think that the ABV could have been lower.

4.5, 4, 3.5, 4, 4

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 06:33:49 | More by tewaris

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.8/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The amazing and increadibly rare Zombie Dust! Was hoping to to give this one a go without giving up an arm and a leg, and claaark13 came through in the clutch. Thanks man!

From a bottle into a snifter.

APPEARANCE: Pours a fizzy, thin, loose off-white head with horrible retention. Very loose and fizzy head. Pathetic. Fizzes down to a bubbly ring and half wisp. Slightly hazy tenne orange with no carbonation evident. A bubbly ring remains but leaves no real lacing down the glass. Color is nice, but the head is embarrassing.

SMELL: Very nice nose for sure. Pale malts, honeydew melon, lots of nice citrus and a touch of soapy notes. Lemon, light orange and grapefruit for sure. Bold and fruity, and the soapy notes don’t get in the way.

TASTE: Pale malts, honeydew melon and lots of citrus again. Lemon and grapefruit through the middle and lots of bitterness on the finish. Bold and lingering aftertaste with lots of citrus, touches of soap, and a good dose of hop bitterness. Though a little empty at the beginning, the flavors really come out at the swallow and the soapy notes never detract from the experience.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Light on the palate, but still creamy enough, goes down smooth and finishes slightly dry on the palate. A little too light, even for the style, but otherwise pretty solid.

OVERALL: Despite the pathetic excuse for a head, this is a pretty solid brew. Definitely not a huge fan of citra hops, but the malt base was strong enough to keep the soapy notes that citra hops are so well known for in check. Obviously not worth all the exaggerated press it gets on here, but one to check out if you get the chance. Would drink again. Definitely worth the 3F Zomer I traded for it. Thanks again Claaark13!

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 12:32:13 | More by Jeffo

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Good beer but heavy in the grapefruit department. Poured with a huge foamy, frothy, off white head that lasted a while and lots of lace. Color is a slightly hazy amber. Aroma is hop, malt, fresh cut grass, wet grain. caramel. Flavor's the same along with carbonic tang that accents the hop. Finish is like flavor, has lots of length, and is satisfying. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 04:22:55 | More by drpimento

mcintire78

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: A small head that deteriorates slowly, with a bit of lacing. Pale amber, with reasonable carbonation.

Smell: Strong hop aroma right out of the bottle. Very florid, almost too much so. Fades into a slightly tropical smell.

Taste: Smooth when it hits your tongue, but ends with a powerful hoppy back finish. A reasonable balance of malts.

Mouthfeel: Significant carbonation.

Drinkability: Limited. These are hop bombs--more than one or two and your taste buds will be dulled.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 02:49:12 | More by mcintire78

bditty187

Nebraska

3.83/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A bottle was given to me and I had no idea it was a “highly rated” beer when I sampled it. The guy who gave it to me said it was awesome and another beer geek said the same thing about it before I tried it. My overall impression of Zombie Dust was… “yeah, it’s good but is it really any better than Alpha King?”

Clear, peachy-amber in hue with an off-white rock star head. Good head retention and equally good subsequent lacing. It is an attractive looking beer… but aren’t most hoppy beers!

Sugary-sweet tropical and orchard fruitiness surprised me and kind of muddled the “brightness” citrus and grapefruit notes from the hops. Biscuit/toast maltiness is noticeable as well. Hop-forward but balanced. A lovely aroma, plenty complex and inviting.

Hop bitterness is moderate… plenty of flavor though, citrus, pine, grapefruit as well as tropical and orchard fruitiness. And, like the nose, sweet biscuit, toast and some caramel. A tasty beer… a nice pale ale but I don’t get the high scores here on BA.

Medium in body, standard for the style, moderate carbonation…

Overall, like I said, tasty… good. Really good I guess. It’s just a pale ale. Thanks for the bottle Rod!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 18:59:57 | More by bditty187

THECPJ

Delaware

3.85/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: golden yellow orange with a 1 finger head

smell: citrus fruits, caramel, malts, has a great nose

taste: citrus, hops, bready, malts,

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: this is a very nice pale ale. I will have to agree with some other people that the nose on this beer was outstanding and since it's the first reaction. The second is the taste and it couldn't live up to the smell. But overall nice beer and glad I finally got to try it.

Cheers,
the CPJ

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 15:52:51 | More by THECPJ

crewfan16

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a bottle with no visible date to a tulip glass. Im pretty sure its a fairly recent release this year.

a- pours a slightly hazy tangerine color with a nice white fluffy head rising almost 2 fingers up leaving a nice lacing around the glass.

s- spicy pine resin, some sticky malt sweetness, a little lemon and other citrus

t- nice citrus hops as well as some piney bitterness. slight malty sweetness in the backbone, but not much. finishes bitter with some nice pine resin on the back of my throat

m- not a real heavy brew, but nice carbonation. flavors linger for quite a while. quite easy drinking and could be a great session beer.

overall, a very nice brew by three floyds. If it was more available to me, I would probably drink a heck of a lot more of it.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 22:18:17 | More by crewfan16

claytong

Vermont

3.88/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

only 50 ibus, wouldve never guessed

appearance - a light orange with an eggshell head. pretty good size and great retention and lacing

smell - bitter/sour grapefruit, citrus, pine tar and bisquit malts.

taste - follows the nose to a tee. not my cup of tea.

mouthfeel - great body and great carbonation especially for the style

overall - pretty good for the style, though im not a hundred percent sure its a pa

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 22:15:25 | More by claytong

quirkzoo

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to rmalinowski4 for this one.

Pours a slightly hazy bright orange color with two fingers of off white head that recede to a nice tight white cap. As is expected tons of citra hops on the nose, really bright citrus fruits and just a touch of dankness. No real malt presence on the nose. The taste is more of the same, tons of hops all over the place with a bit of a spicy bitterness on the palate. The mouthfeel is very nice, could have easily downed a 6 pack if I had it. Overall this is a great beer but I would have liked just a touch more maltiness on the taste to balance out the hops, as it is it came off just a bit harsh. Definitely worth seeking out if you are a hop-head.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 19:32:40 | More by quirkzoo

MasterSki

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up an extremely fresh growler of this at Three Floyds. Served in a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

A - Pours with two fingers of creamy white foam that settles to a solid cap, leaving behind great intricate lacework. Transparent golden body, with a few stray bubbles.

S - Citra hops. Just pure unadulterated Citra hops - huge citrus zest, light cat pee and pine. Negligible malt character.

T - Bit citrus hop flavor, yeasty mid-palate, and a bitter finish. This is one of the few times I think a hoppy beer could use more malt character.

M - Light body, slightly gritty texture, lower carbonation. Finishes extremely dry. Was surprised to see this was 6.2% - thought it was a percent or two lower.

D - It'd be pretty easy to crush a growler of this while watching a football game, but the weak body and flavor has me reaching for Daisy Cutter instead.

Serving type: growler

12-14-2010 03:13:45 | More by MasterSki