Zombie Dust - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Zombie Dust. Three Floyds pale ale with 100% Citra hops. 6.2% ABV.

Clear, amber/apricot/peach coloration. Generous heap of ample snowy white froth atop. with loads of lace-leaving. Looks great.

Aromatics: Big fresh and floral hoppitude, overflowing citrus notes. Some lemon, some lime, a hint of pineapple, a gesture towards mango. Loud, lively, and lovable.

Taste: boom, there it is, bouncing on the palate, swimming in the mouth, a flood of hoppy goodness. Medium malty mouthfeel, nothing too heavy, nothing too hard, just a ton of easy-drinking-ness. A flood of fruit hits the sense with each new sip, a blast of citrus greets the tongue and hits the roof, and slides down the throat. Very refreshing, and super-extra-consumable.

But is this the best thing ever brewed in the history of mankind? Don't think so. Come on, it's a pale ale. Get over it.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 09:14:58 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I love growlers and side by sides and this was an awesome thing to do, served out of a growler side by side with Citra IPA from Hillfarmstead. Citra FIGHT!

Beer is hazy and dark yellow with a nice head of medium and large bubbles that leaves some lacing on the glass. Carbonation is moderate to low.

Aroma is a little weaker than I had hoped but I can totally smell the tropical fruit bomb that awaits me.

Beer is relatively light in body with a very mild sweetness lead off and an explosion of hop character in the midpalate. The finish of the beer is mildly bitter but it is a wonderfully rounded beer with so much hop flavor. It's lighter than I expected and not quite as bitter but I suppose this is an APA and not an IPA, I would have more of this anytime.

Serving type: growler

01-06-2011 21:15:40 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.23/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank at bu11zeye's 10,000th rating tasting.

The beer pours a yellow color with a white head. The aroma is very nice. I get a lot of pineapple and apricot notes, as well as some bread and biscuit malt. The flavor is just as good if not better. I get a ton of hop characteristics, including a lot of pine, orange and resin notes. There is also a good bit of bread and biscuit malt, and the bitterness level is low to medium. The beer is extremely drinkable. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 04:46:00 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.54/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a clear copper color with a small, off-white head of bubbly foam. It left some sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - What a great grapefruit aroma with notes of bubblegum and sweet caramel! Absolutely amazing.

T - Good grapefruit flavor with a touch of tropical fruits. Light bitterness with sweet caramel and toffee.

M - It was crisp and sharp. A medium bodied ale with a clean, dry finish.

O - This is a really great APA. Thanks to madarab55 for sharing this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 19:41:44 | More by zeff80

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

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours out as an amberish orange color. Quite hazy too. Good lacing for a thin white head. Light citrusy aroma on the nose. Smells almost more like an ipa than a pale ale. Good hoppy taste with a little bit of a Malt aftertaste. Dry aftertaste as well nice citrus all around from start to finish with this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 03:26:08 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

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

Served in a tapered FFF glass.

High clarity orange, slowly rising trails of carbonation. Creamy cap of dense foam, about a half inch at first that recedes after awhile, leaving concentric rings of lace. Skim across the top eventually breaks, but lasts for a bit.

Pungent citrus, grapefruit and tangerine, rich with citrus-heavy Citra hops.

Fruity hops hit first, more tangerine, sweet orange and grapefruit notes upfront. Resiny sticky hops linger into the pale malt middle, clean and a little grainy. Dry leafy green bitterness in the finish, hints of aspirin. Feel is relatively light, creamy and soft at first, drying out into the bitter finish. Good malty balance to the hefty dose of hoppage, approaching IPA territory for sure. Can't wait for the bottles, this is basically FFF's 1-up to local classic Daisy Cutter.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2011 23:33:31 | More by emerge077

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Foofaa for this 12 oz bottle (and its 5 sisters). In a tumbler.

A: The pale ale is an amber color, plentiful with orange and brown hues defining it. Transparent with a slight haze. The head is white and luxurious, coating the sides of the glass with lace.

S: The aromas are juicy but restrained, never losing sight of the pale ale base. That base is caramel and lightly toasted biscuit. The hops though, hold their own and then some. The citra drips with citrus and orange zest, ample bitterness running on par with the malts. Excellent smells here.

T: The balance is the great thing about this ale, neither hops nor malts get the upper hand. The malts are light - bready with caramel richness. The hops - and there is where I want to spend time, are delicious. The orange and citrus flavors are strong, intense even within the balanced confines of the ale. When cold, the malts are bigger. Only when the ale warms do the hops shine through - wait for that part of the ale. A top notch pale ale.

M: Clean and hoppy, with an emphasis on the hoppiness. Orange zest and bold citrus standing out against the surprising malt side. I'm afraid that I'll finish off this six pack one one fell swoop.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 21:31:17 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Poured into a nonic pint glass, an apricot golden orange hue with a bright chunky head just barely off white in color. Fine even lacing lines the sides of the glass as the head dwindles down. Aroma has a super citrus grapefruit nose, hints of crushed aspirin, tropical fruit with a underlying biscuit malt character. Flavor is crazy with Citra hops bringing out tropical fruit marmalade it's pretty awesome, nothing else like this creates the same flavor. Bitter citrus peel, pineapple notes, and a mellow biscuit malt sweetness matches the bitterness. I keep getting a really green peppermint tone in both the nose and the flavor, crazy but it works with the beers flavor. The palate is coated with hop oils ample carbonation rolls everything perfectly across with each sip. Overall a classic pale ale that could be most breweries, IPA really unleashes the perfect wave of Citra hops equating into a easy drinking pale ale that we all wish was more readily available. Thanks to the great trader, Ryan aka Schlais, out of Minnesota for this early Christmas gift.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 17:50:46 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had people say that this beer is better than Pliny and really talk this up quite a bit.

Well, the citra hops are clearly in play here. Strong hop presence. Good bitterness. I wish that the flavor profile would last a bit longer, honestly. It hits, and it's nice, but it definitely doesn't last as long as I'd like; or as long as it should, really.

In the grand scheme of things, it's a very nice beer. Brings some punch, but doesn't go overboard. I suppose that's what a pale ale is supposed to do.

I can't say that it's better than Pliny, off what I'm having here. (It's dipa vs. apa and apples vs. oranges). But it's a good beer. I'll have to try it on bottles one day.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2012 22:57:20 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.75/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a nice golden orange color with a beautil off white cap leaving a lot of lacing and bubbles

S: Fresh. A bit of caramel, orange peel, grapefruit, light passion fruit

T: Orange peel, grapefruit, light pineapple, caramel. Has a very smooth taste which fades into a light dryness and hop bite

M: Nice smooth texture, loads of flavor. Light body and booze

O: Very tasty and extremely drinkable. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 01:59:27 | More by barleywinefiend

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a stemmed pint glass)

A- This beer pours a hazy golden yellow body with a thick creamy beige head that last for a good bit. There is a gentle carbonation of big bubbles gliding to the surface.

S- The full green hops have aromas of white grape juice and cat pee with a fruity pine finish.

T- The smooth full hop flavor changes as the beer opens up. It starts with tropical fruit flavors and blends into white grape juice and pine with a mellow pungent flavor at the finish and just a touch of bitterness that lingers after each sip.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with no alcohol heat noticed.

O- This is a full flavored hop monster with a soft bitterness but even for this big beer it is very sessionable. The depth and character of the hops really work together wonderfully.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2011 12:58:15 | More by rhoadsrage

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Big thanks to paco1029384756 for this gem.

Wow, just cracking the cap I can smell the awesome hops floating outwards into the world beyond the bottle. Pouring into the snifter just makes it even stronger. it does pour a fizzy almost 1 finger head that fades semi slowly and leaves a nice almost soapy spotty lacing that makes it look like a foam war just took place. The beer is a super hazy bright nectar orange color, barely any light getting through that fog.

Nose is just awesome before I even put my nose in the glass. It's like a wedding of Citra and Simcoe super fresh hops and they're spitting out babies into my nostrils. Going deeper brings so much fruit, tropical fruit mostly. A big citrus kick in the face with a slight orange zest, fresh squeezed grapefruit, waves of tropical fruit with some pineapple, guava, mango, and a big passion fruit kick. Damn! As I stuck my nose in deeper I get a bit of the beer on my nose and mustache, forcing me to lick it off, what a shame... back to the nose, a slight musty fresh wet hop resin comes through but lightly, and more of the tropical fruits with some nice tangerine and an overripe clementine. That's just the nose!

Taste also comes with fresh tropical fruit and deliciously delicious hops. The citrimcoe hop babies are having a party in my mouth and shedding hop oils everywhere. Awesome tropical fruits like I tried to say before my mind wandered. Anyways, tons of tropical fruits... and citrus. Nice orange rind, grapefruit, juicy tangerine, a really nice pineapple flavor. Then brings more of the guava, mango, and tons of passion fruit again. I can't tell if this beer is just ridiculously juicy or my mouth can't stop salivating, probably both. A light bitterness overall, which is nice so you can just enjoy the awesome tropical fruits of my labor. A slight fresh wet hop comes through bringing a slight musty resin but not much. Oh yeah, slight touch of malts as well, with a touch of sweetness and a nice backbone to prop up all the awesome hops so they can dig in deeper into the taste buds. I can't stop sipping this and I'll probably be done before this review is even finished. Finish comes with a bit more bitterness, a nice tropical fruit long finish, some light citrus and resin, such a long delicious finish as well that seems to last forever. Also drier on the finish.

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb.

Overall holy shit, I didn't think an APA could taste so awesome! So much fresh tropical fruit and awesome hops, like all the best parts of the hops got together and replicated until they couldn't anymore, and this is the byproduct. Bravo 3F, Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 22:56:21 | More by jlindros

mdfb79

New York

4.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

From 04/30/11 notes. Had on tap at Dark Lord Day at the brewery.

a - Pours a light hazy orange color with an inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, oranges, grapefruit, fruity malts, tropical fruits.

t - Tastes of citrus hops, grapefruit, fruity malts, tropical fruits, pine hops.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Smooth and very easy to drink.

o - Overall a great APA; up there with Alpha King. Glad they're going to start bottling it, would love to have it again.
___
EDIT: 01/26/13

I've had this many times over the years, and every time it's been better since that DLD. Super easy to drink and one of my favorite APA's ever...bumping it up a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 00:48:30 | More by mdfb79

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

64 oz growler into a pint glass. Huge thanks go to Stakem for grabbing this for me on a recent trip out to the brewery for Dark Lord Day.

Pours a clear copper in the glass, topped with a couple fingers of eggshell-white head. This retains with a soapy ½ finger, which drenches the sides of the glass with rich sticky lacing. The aroma pops in the nose, with a fresh and floral feel that carries a sticky mix of ripe tropical fruit, sweet grains, and more bitter smelling grapefruit notes which cut through the center of the nose. Maybe just a smidge of alcohol warmth hangs on the edges here but it mostly serves to give this some presence in the nostrils.

The taste mirrors the aroma, with a fresh and biting grapefruit character that controls this with a zesty bitterness that spreads out into the mouth. This is balanced along the back by a sticky sweet blend of tropical fruitiness and sweet malts. This finishes with lingering dry notes of pine and bitter pith, which while aggressive, still manages a fresh and bright feeling itself that hangs in the mouth. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a firm prickly creaminess that blows up in the mouth but then gets slicker on the sides as this heads towards the swallow. That 6% ABV feels spot on in the mouth, giving this a touch of assertiveness on the palate but without any warming alcohol flavors to speak of.

This is a just another in a long line of awesome hoppy beers from Three Floyds, as this stands right up there along such other fantastic APAs from them as the Alpha King and Pride & Joy. There is a LOT of fruity sweetness to this from those Citra hops, which took me a bit to wrap my palate round, but once more of that balancing grapefruit bitterness came out to play, I was fully on board. I hope rumors of the eventual bottling of this come to fruition.

Serving type: growler

05-09-2011 16:47:50 | More by Kegatron

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.84/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Light orange and gold pour, a pretty decent appearance head wise despite the hoppiness. Aroma is luxurious. Massive citra hop aroma. Big big big, even before you pour it.

Taste, plenty of pineapple flavor to the beer, pale malt, moderate sweetness creeps into the mouthfeel, but this is just about the hoppiest pale ale out there. Reminiscient of the Jupiter XPA and Bruery Humulus xpa, but this is has a little bit more alcohol and sweetness noticeable, less sessionable.

Overall, a phenomenal display of what a pale ale can be like with the citra hop, a softer touch to it than the SN Torpedo citra or Kern river, much less in the malt department to let it stand out, it just has a more flowery and delicate aura to it here. Big points for keeping the bitterness down and the hop mouthfeel very high.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 02:35:10 | More by Beerandraiderfan

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.48/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Many thanks to Dyan for the opportunity to try this excellent beer.

The beer pours an orange amber color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is just amazing in this beer, and I assume is the result of a "whole bunch of" citra hops. In any event, I get orange citrus, dank weed, light pine, and a hint of leather. This kind of nose would be impressive in an IPA, but in a pale ale, it's just astonishing. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely, and I'm impressed by how dry and bitter this beer is on the finish. There's so much flavor in this beer, and yet at the same time it's light and refreshing, begging you to drink more, and more and more (except I only have the one bottle). There's just enough malt to keep all the hoppy goodness in check, and drinkability is just exceptional. For all that, this beer comes across as very well balanced, and alas my one bottle was gone all to swiftly. Just an all around delicious beer that I wish was available where I live.

Sampled on tap at the 3 Floyd's pub in 3/13. This beer was every bit as good on tap, and as with the bottled version, is a beer I would order all the time if it were only available where I live.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 14:23:14 | More by johnmichaelsen

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

First had: bottle, extra courtesy of pdeepak, amid the great Mikkeller glasswale debacle. Thanks!

Decanted into a Three Floyds teku glass, of course, yo, light copper-colored liquid, pale and slightly hazy, capped off with a foamy white head that seemed to last forever, and that left waves of soapy lacing on the glass. Juicy citra hops greet the nose, and pretty much take control of the aroma, though there are hints of a pale malt sweetness in the background. In the taste, again, hops are the dominant factor, as I would have expected, lots of orange zest and some pithy bitterness, biscuity malts taking the edge off slightly, keeping this on the fine line that separates IPA from APA. Body on the lighter side of medium, crisp and clean, and a tasty, drinkable treat. Nothing here that I haven't had before, and nothing really that screams "greatest APA in the world," but it's still a solid and tasty brew, will always be welcome in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 03:24:57 | More by Rifugium

DoubleJ

California

4.15/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Some things arrive in the darnest of places. In truth, I already knew that there were a few bottles of Zombie Dust at the apartment I was staying at in São Paulo, so I wasn't too shocked. A big thanks to Sergio (srbcurti) for sharing one of the bottles. On to the beer:

Brilliant orange color that lights up the room, topped by small puff of head. The nose is a beauty, no question. Bitter grapefruit starts off the show, then generous doses of mango and tangerine arrive with a thin coat of sugar coating.

Zombie Dust is like running water through hops. It's quite bitter for an APA. White grapefruit starts it off. Bitter citrus, pineapple, and a dose of resin compliment the profile. The bitterness does tail off some, while makes it slighty more "juicy". It's medium bodied, with avery pleasant "bubbly" sensation, NOT like a champagne however, a different type.

An intense hop experience. It is good, but not great as expectations led me to believe. I like my pale ales just a little more balanced than this. But it sure was fun to try!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 21:03:37 | More by DoubleJ

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My utmost thanks to my local trader, tone 77, for somehow scoring an ADDITIONAL bottle to pass on to me! My jaw hit the floor when I began going through his latest goodie bag and if he needs references, hopefully mine will suffice.

There was no gushing when I removed the cap, but there was a finger of thick, tawny head by the time that I finished with the pour. Color was an oh-so-slightly hazy orangish-amber. Nose was rich with citrus - grapefruit and orange in abundance. Mouthfeel was medium to full with a citrus intensity on the tongue that killed off all of the weak taste buds that got in its way. I felt like the fellow in the old Maxell tape commercial - blown back in my seat by the intensity of the experience. The finish was literally breathtaking - I really felt as though my breath had been taken away for a second or two after the swallow. The next thing to hit was the intensity of its dryness as I tried to catch my breath. The hops were toying with me to see if I measured up and I was doing my best to rise to the challenge. I suppose that my loss means that I will be transformed into a zombie at some point, but if a transformation must take place, better in my mind to be a zombie this way than a Cyberperson via a Minhas product.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 18:16:39 | More by woodychandler

HopHead84

California

4.4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4/15/2011

On cask at Pizza Port Real Ale 2011.

A: Translucent light orange with a large and impressive creamy white head which shows remarkable retention. Nice color.

S: Light tangerine with some grassy and herbal notes. I get some peach and orange. Expressive citrus. No malt influence. Very nice.

T: Malt is slightly grainy but not real influential. Low bitterness with a lot of hop flavor: tangerine, orange, and a little grapefruit. All flesh, no rind. Exceptional flavor.

M: Upper light in body with nice upper low cask carbonation. Smooth, dry, and sticky mouthfeel.

Overall: Outstanding stuff. So damn drinkable. I had 3 pours of this.

Serving type: cask

05-05-2011 05:16:57 | More by HopHead84

kojevergas

California

4.04/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap (and nice art, for that matter) served into a Uinta brewing pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are through the roof given its current ratings and the hype surrounding it. I believe this is my first purely Three Floyds review - though I did have the Boogoop collaboration. No visible bottled on date.

Served straight from the refrigerator and allowed to warm slightly over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Paired with salted pretzels.

Some foam ballooned out when I opened it, but there wasn't any upsurge of beer or anything. It might be a bit overcarbonated.

A: Pours a three finger luscious beige colour head of nice cream and thickness, and good retention. Body colour is a hazy copper-gold. Vibrant and appealing. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Delightful floral hops and some lemon citrus twang. Grapefruit. Lemongrass, lemon zest. Hints of pine. Pale clean malts. A good balance of floral and citrus hop notes. I'm excited to try it, but the aroma itself isn't blowing me away. A moderate strength aroma, and a pleasant and fresh one.

T: Delightful floral hops throughout, but with an underlying soapy hint (maybe a bit too long spent in primary?). It's a minor issue, but it does distract. Some pleasant grapefruit and lemon citrus esters introduce themselves mid-second act and hang around through the climax. Pale malts provide the clean, unobtrusive foundation - letting the hops take the forefront but also giving a bit of sweetness to hide the hop bitterness. I actually get a bit of alcohol warmth in the stomach - shocking at its mere 6.40%, but I'd consider this a pleasant warming sensation in the winter. Hints of a candi sugar like sweetness beneath the surface. It's very nicely balanced and rather refreshing. Delightfully built. I'm not blown away by its complexity, but it's well put together and succeeds within the style. I get no yeasty notes. A bit too much buttery character on the finish.

Maybe I expect a hoppy character on par with a good IPA, but I have to remember it's a pale ale. It's a masterfully brewed one at that, but I do think there's room for more complexity within the style.

Mf: Chewy, smooth, soft, wet. Carbonation and thickness are ideal. Good presence on the palate. Has enough body to present its flavours. Refreshing. Slightly oily. Even a touch buttery - too much so on the finish.

Dr: Probably its best attribute is its high drinkability. I could down this one all night. Dangerously drinkable. It's a great pale ale - amongst the best I've had - but I have to admit I expected more given the hype. It's not a perfect beer as its current 100 rating might suggest. It doesn't hide its relatively modest ABV all that well, and it doesn't bring the complexity I think a perfect beer in this style would. I'm glad I got to try it and I'd definitely have it again - preferably fresh on draught. I want another already. Wow. I can't wait to try more beers from Three Floyds.

Constructively, I will say that its main flaw is that it uses a buttery quality to hide the hop bitterness on the finish. It works here, but lacks the seamless subtlety of more masterful brews. A great example of the style would integrate its hop bitterness as a positive characteristic. It's tough to do here because this is a pale ale with the hoppiness of an IPA but not enough of a malty backbone. I appreciate the experimentation within the style, but with some work this could be truly amazing.

B+

Best consumed sans food, or perchance with some unsalted pretzels or bread.

Serve cold.

A poor candidate for aging. Drink fresh.

----

Taking some more notes on this having received a bottle from the gracious Duff27 in a trade.

A: Pours a soft appealing frothy head of good cream. Body colour is a vibrant pale copper. Appearance is good for the style, but not special or unique.

Sm: Hoppy and bready, with hop character of juicy citrus, light grassy character, grapefruit, lemon zest, light pine, and heavy floral character. It's a bit murky yet still fresh; maybe it's a bit too grassy. Pleasant. I don't get any yeast or alcohol.

T/Mf: Juicy bursts of refreshing citrus hop notes and nectary character. Ideal crisp pale malt foundation. Smooth and wet. Very refreshing and pleasant to drink - a highlight of the beer. Delightfully well balanced and built, with impressive subtlety for the style. Not as grassy as the aroma. Clean. Good carbonation. It's not biting or sharp. Hop-forward without being too assertive or overbearing; they packed a lot of flavour in here.

Dr: Extremely high. I could easily chug this. Very impressive. I could stick with this all night and never grow tired of it. Quite delightful. This was definitely more fresh than the first bottle I reviewed.

A-

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:26:38 | More by kojevergas

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a FFF pint. The brew pours a clear orange with slight off-white cap. Rising bubbles of carbonation maintain a thin layering atop. A swirl revives a half finger of almost tan coloration.

The smell is juicy with hops. Rindy with fruits and a floral component giving way to fresh herbs. It is tangy with a soft touch of alcohol across the nose. Overall a very fresh, enjoyable smelling brew.

The taste is juicy with hops. Floral, fruity and herbal with rindy and zesty bitterness leaning towards grassy but not quite. An accenting fruity alcohol touch and an undertone of toasty malt provides enough sweetness to really make the hops pop. There is no joke here, this brew is all about the hops. I love how flavorful this brew is without the bitterness getting overdone.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. It is crisp and very easy drinking. If made readily available to me, I would drink this regularly and in excessive quantities.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 15:10:03 | More by stakem

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Like it's 1999! (review #).

6.2% and 50IBU? Most brewers would call this an IPA, and I'll review it as such. It's a great IPA.

A: Golden-bronze with a white head, some retention, great lace.

S: A great 'new-school' hop aroma, tangerine, lemon zest, chardonnay-like gooseberry aroma with a hint of cattyness.

T: This is mainly about the hops: Tangerine; lemon rind; piny resin; goosebeery, but there's some underlying quality malt that leaves hints of sponge toffee and biscuit. Solid bitterness, but not harsh. Alcohol sneaks up on you.

M: Well-attenuated, moderate body is fairly smooth with a pleasant hop acidity.

D/O: Like hops?

Big thanks to Rutager!

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 19:41:58 | More by Derek

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Huge thanks to Chris for this one.

Pours a finger of white head with decent retention leaving a bit of lace. Color is a slightly hazed golden orange.

Aroma: Fresh, dank, and fruity. Floral with grapefruit and pineapple flavors. Some other citrus flavors mix in there.

Taste: Very fruity and very hoppy. Floral and piney. Grapefruit, pineapple, and lemon citrus. No malts show.

Mouthfeel: Bitter, but clean. Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Ends a little sticky and hop resiny.

Overall, this was a great APA. Very drinkble and very fresh. I opened this up and knew I would enjoy it. This stuff is legit. Get some of this now.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 01:21:38 | More by mothman