Zombie Dust - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Groppis.

Golden yellow, solid white head. Lots of tropical fruit. Very fragrant. Flavor is similar to the nose. Pineapple, mango, grapefruit. Carbonation is smooth. Solid easy drinking American pale. I had no problem putting away several pints.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2011 14:32:11 | More by beerwolf77

hardy008

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Amber with a 3 finger foamy white head, with excellent retention and a lot lacing on the side of the glass. Smells like grapefruit, oranges, and pineapple. Smells like it should be both hoppy and sweet.

The taste has grapefruit, oranges, orange zest, pineapple, pine, and grassy hops. Not as sweet as the smell suggested. A good deal of bitterness, balanced by some sweetness.

Medium bodied with average carbonation. There is a bitter aftertaste, and this beer finishes dry. A very good Pale Ale, which I recommend trying if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 01:29:31 | More by hardy008

pmarlowe

California

4.2/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to auracom for this. Tulip glass.

A: Pours medium gold, with brilliant clarity. Two and a half fingers of dense, fluffy white head. Leaves rings of lacing as the head slowly deflates. Beautiful.

S: Lots of juicy citrus hops, some grassyness, a bit of pine bite, all supported by moderate caramel malt.

T: Biscuit and some caramel malt in the forefront, some hops (orange) which impart a mild to moderate bitter finish. Needs a little more hop "pop" to really bring this together.

M: Medium body and medium-light carbonation. Really smooth.

O: Very good pale ale, really easy to drink, but could use more hop flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 04:05:00 | More by pmarlowe

DocJitsu

California

4.2/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, deep golden color with no head. Head never developed as a consequence of the care taken in the pour by the attendant. Incidentally, it was nice to see that the 3 Floyds staff were just as cheerful as ever *sarcasm*. Even as guests of Firestone-Walker after having been invited to their beer festival, the 3 Floyds staff were lifeless, provided no information about their beers, and couldn't even muster a smile or spare a "you're welcome." Anyway, back to Zombie Dust. The beer has a glorious floral bouquet with just a hint of peat. The mouthfeel, which enjoys a decent balance of carbonation, is good for the style. The flavor is grapefruit forward with notes of peat. A good effort.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 19:30:10 | More by DocJitsu

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a shaker pint glass at The Firkin.

Missed this one before, but now I get to try it on cask. Second chances rock. It pours a clear, bright, lemony straw topped by a finger of cream-white froth and populated by some minor floaties. Were it not for that last bit, this would probably look damn near perfect. The nose comprises orange zest, grapefruit, lemon zest, apricot, very light leek, and mild caramel. The taste holds notes of orange zest, orange rind, lemon peel, grapefruit (both red and white), light pine, mandarin orange, and some even milder caramel than before. The body is a rather light medium, with a very light carbonation and a rich, smooth feel. Overall, a very nice APA. I probably didn't think as highly of it as many, but it is a damn fine beer, let me tell you.

Serving type: cask

04-24-2011 23:25:08 | More by TMoney2591

Phelps

Arizona

4.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed from the tap at the Three Floyds brewpub, poured inside a nonic pint.

Very hazy honey color, with only a shadow of a finger visible behind. A fluffy, one-finger head of pure white sits atop, and great sticky walls of bubbles grip the sides as I descend through the glass.

Crazy-good citrus hop aroma. Incredible, actually. Pine, grass, dank weed, onions, honey, crackers and a light earthiness.

Not as bitingly hoppy as nose would suggest. Fresh grass, onions, hints of citrus and honey. Pale cracker malt sweeps in at the clean, crisp finish. Very hoppy for a pale ale, but the balance never gets out of whack.

Lightly prickly carbonation, amidst a hefty, silky-smooth medium body. Alcohol numbs the tongue just a bit, as do hints of micro-bubbled fizz. Crisp, clean finish keeps you coming back for more, and quickly.

I hope Three Floyds does what everyone around me was suggesting and puts this on their regular rotation. Incredible complexity for a single hop IPA. Citrus hops are much more versatile than I thought.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2011 22:33:16 | More by Phelps

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle thanks to yeahnatenelson.
Poured into my Three Floyds Pint glass.

A - Pours a very cloudy meium orange with a slight cream-colored head. Some light lacing is left on the glass.

S - Pine, grass, citrus - Lemon and grapefruit.

T - Grass, pine, oranges.

D - Average carbonation, heavier than expected body.

O - Just a wonderful APA.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 03:50:24 | More by HuskyinPDX

Jammies

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A- pours a light golden orange with a quarter of an inch of foam. Great retentions

S- very citrusy odor with a sweet grassy finish

T- citrusy taste with a slight hoppiness to it.

M- Light and smooth. Slightly watery. Hops are prevalent but don't coat the mouth or linger

O- If you could breed gumballhead and apocalypse cow this would be the offspring.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 15:20:32 | More by Jammies

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a wide flute

A: Pours a light orange color with three fingers of dense white head. Beautiful lacing and wonderful retention. A bit darker than what I'm used to for the style, but i won't fault it there.

S: Lots and lots of fresh citrus smells. Almost like smelling fresh lemon and orange peel. I get a bit of floral hops in the background, but this one is a dry smelling citrus bomb. Simply amazing.

T: Fairly significant bitterness starts off with faint floral and citrus hop flavor. Slight sweetness and bready malt flavors work in with the hops. While this flavor is by no means bad or even average, it is a huge disappointment from the aroma. Having subsequent bottles I find the taste a bit more intense.

M: Light, good carb - great for a APA.

O: Interesting. The aroma is very enticing but the citrus hop flavor just isn't strong enough for me. The bitterness is there, but I was hoping to taste those delicious citrus hop aromas I smelled. This is a solid APA for sure, but it's not world class IMO.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 02:21:00 | More by coreyfmcdonald

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle, bottled 1/29/12, thanks to hurfer for sending!

Pours a chilled golden orange with a slow stream of carbonation supporting an initially thick cream head. Fades to a thin layer with extensive sheets of lacing. Aroma is green, fresh and raw. Citrus rind, grapefruit pulp, mild pine, and light caramel malt. Not quite as aromatic as some of the HF APAs, but very well balanced and nuanced. Medium thick, chewy body with moderate carbonation and a slightly wet, thin finish. Strong biscuit malt and earthy body with resiny and pulpy citrus hops buttering the finish. An exceptional, citrusy APA, but a little too much alcohol presence for the style and not quite Hoppy Birthday or Edward. Regardless, I will seek this out every time it is released.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 20:53:30 | More by yourefragile

AgentMunky

California

4.16/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a a 12 ounce bottle into a Dogfish Head signature glass.

A: A finger and a half of head tops an plain-looking auburn beer. Clearish, orangeish, and full of effervescence. Not much to knock.

S: Dusty, musty, and strange. This could be just raw hop oil that smells almost like hash; it's vegetal, bitter, and pungent. Not entirely pleasant. I am unsure what to expect from the flavour.

T/M: Hmmm. Wow. Very hoppy, but very thin. I suppose this is what it would taste like to overhop a pale ale to its breaking point. The body is not substantial, but is full of carbonated pale malts, crisp and dry. It's very refreshing...or it would be, if the monumental hoppiness weren't distracting. It tastes great, don't get me wrong. It reeks of soft juiciness, blueberries and mango, pine needles, faint-sweet citrus. The hop bitterness is significant. The aftertaste is biscuits and bitter herbs.

O: I wonder if this bottle wasn't a little out of date, and I'd be keen to try it certainly fresh. As it stands, it's an interesting experiment that might be a little extreme. But I like it, maybe even love it. Recommended, but potentially overhyped.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 04:45:25 | More by AgentMunky

bheilman

Indiana

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

I grabbed this at the Trion in New Haven, IN near Fort Wayne. It was on draft and they offer takeout growlers. I heard about it from a couple friends who couldn't say enough about it. I would definitely agree it is a great beer and was a nice surprise (that's a biased statement, I'm a big 3f supporter). It is a very clear light golden color. The smell is great with a very fresh hops dominance. The taste is good, and very light on the malt presence. I was expecting something closer to alpha king, but it doesn't have the richness. It's unusually smooth, light and refreshing. Definitely has a potent hops presence, with lots of citrus spice. Seems like a great session beer and would be great with some spicy food. I hope it becomes a regular.

Serving type: growler

01-08-2011 23:27:49 | More by bheilman

maximum12

Minnesota

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

Big thanks to malty who lugged this from the brewery to our cooler at the Great Taste of the Midwest, from whence it traveled back to the Twin Cities. Now, finally, two weeks later, we get a chance to crack it open after I forgot to bring it to a tasting (doh!).

Cap twists off with a soft but satisfying hiss: carbonation intact! Pour is clear pale yellow with mild revving carbonation & a head that proves the beer still lives. Smell leans heavily on the hops, citrus on the fruit plate mingled with all manner of tropics. All hop, no malt. OK by me.

Zombie Dust stomps all over the chalk outline delineating India Pale Ale from American Pale Ale. This beer is all about the hops. There is still a pale malt character underneath, but it's second fiddle. The hop flavors are lovely: plenty of pine, citrus, pineapple, with a follow-up nip of bitterness that's aggressive enough to chew my palate up. Not sure if it's the malting or not, but this gives off a lighter 'feel' that your typical IPA, & goes down like cool water. Tasty cool water. If this came out of drinking fountains...oh, sorry. Almost got lost in my fantasty world.

Not quite the life-altering experience I'd hoped for, but easily one of the top five pales ales I've ever had, clearly behind only its brewery-mate Alpha King. Excellent beer. This is going to be a good evening.

Serving type: growler

08-28-2011 01:53:52 | More by maximum12

BeerAndBourbon

Ohio

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

Thanks for the bottle Cam!

A. Pours a somewhat murky yellow orange with a two finger creamy off-white head that dissipates leaving some residual lacing.

S. Lemon zest, subtle orange, lemongrass - a nice herbal lemony scent, and a nice subtle malty sweetness.

T. Grapefruit is the most apparent flavor on the tongue with some lemon and a biscuit malty sweetness.

M. Fairly thick and creamy for a brew like this.

D. I enjoyed this beer, but not quite as much as my another Chicago-area pale ale - the supreme reign of Daisy Cutter continues. (It's a shame too since I'll be able to pick this up locally.)

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 17:45:22 | More by BeerAndBourbon

DarthKostrizer

California

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

Thanks to ehammond1 for this tasty morsel

Look: See through orange with a 1/4 inch head and no real retention

Smell: Citrus hops all over the place and of course the ever beautiful aroma of citra

Taste: To be honest based on the nose I really expected more from this beer. The flavor matches the nose just in a more muted form

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium carbonation and goes down incredibly smooth

Overall: Really good beer with high drinkability glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 18:19:13 | More by DarthKostrizer

Agold

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Got a sixer at the binnys accross the street from GI brewpub. Had it on tap ~6 mos ago, but I suspect the keg was not quite as fresh as it should have been. This is much more lively than I remember.

Bright golden color with a nice white head with good lacing and good duration. Aroma is very citrus hop forward kind of juicy. Grapefruit, clementine, tangerine. Very nice. Flavor is clean nice citrus hops with similar citrus notes as the aroma. Mouthfeel is ok. Could be a touch drier, and there is not enough carbonation for me. Overall its a damn good beer. Great offering by FFF.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 02:38:39 | More by Agold

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

Aethien

Netherlands

4.15/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As soon as I opened the bottle there was already a very clear hop smell, very much like an IPA which scared me a little as IPA's are the one type of beer so far that I don't like.
Once poured into a glass the beer has a really pretty dark honey colour with a small white head.
The smell still has loads of hop but I can also smell lots of tropical fruit and citrus in there with some hints of pine.
The taste is a little less hoppy than the smell although the hop bitterness is still there, especially at the start. The fruitiness is also more present now than it is in the taste, strong citrus and tropical fruit flavours once the initial hop bitterness fades. It ends dry and bitter with a bit of a pine flavour coming through.
Medium bodied and I would have liked a little stronger carbonation but it's not a big problem.

Overall I went from anxious when I opened the bottle to being very pleased with the complexity of the taste once I got used to hops.
It's not going to be one of my favourites as I'm much more of a fan of malts than hops but it's a really good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 15:01:29 | More by Aethien

BeRanger

Michigan

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

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass.

A: Orangish color, about a half finer of white head that disappears rather quickly. Not as much lacing as Dreadnaught.

S: Hops, Citrus, Grapefruit and other tropical smells.

T: I had to take a couple sips of this to figure this out. It's certainly well balanced, the tropical fruits and hops go together perfect. However this particular type of hop I'm not as huge of a fan of. While they mesh well and finish clear, the flavors arent as promounced as I would have liked.

M: Light, good carbonation - very crisp.

O: It's definitely a good APA and for the price, I wouldnt disagree that it's the best in class. However I was hoping for a little more flavor-wise. Coming off KBS day perhaps my pallate has gotten a little spoiled. I'll come back to this review over the next four bottles I have.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 23:55:37 | More by BeRanger

DmanGTR

New York

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

On tap at Hunahpu Day. Review from notes.

Poured a nice strawberry blonde with maple tones. Huge hop floral nose. Tropical fruits, grassy/herbal notes, grapefruit rinds. Very light malt background. The grassy/herbal bitterness dominates the flavor however. I would have preferred more of the fruits. Regardless, a nicely made pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2012 16:31:00 | More by DmanGTR

dbossman

Nebraska

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

A: Golden apricot hue with a thin foamy head and great retention

S: Citrus and tropical fruits up front with just a touch of weed; but those tropical fruits--mango and pineapples especially are at the forefront; man, this smells good--so much pineapple

T: Quite dry and of course, the tropical fruits are prevalent--mango and pineapple again especially; this is grainy and bitter and fruity and really quite good

F: Great carbonation and oily and sticky, which is exactly what it should be

O: This is a tropical hop bomb; it's not nearly as citrusy and hoppy in the taste compared with what's in the aroma but it's good stuff

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 04:17:17 | More by dbossman

illidurit

California

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

Bottle on the RBSG 2012 bus. Clear orange with a sudsy white head. Piney aroma, grapefruit, pineapple and nectarine. Flavor tends a little more toward herbal with sap and resin, snappy citrus fruit framed by subtle malt. Crisp, flavorful, dry. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 05:49:07 | More by illidurit

tarheels86

California

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

355mL thanks to vw73182. Bottle release from the XV anniversary party. About two weeks old. Pours a clear amber orange with a towering, massive, rocky, off-white head. Sheen appearance with ridiculously insane, webby lace. Big sheets of complete lacing. Nose is huge orange juice, ultra dank mango, pineapple, mild sweet onion, pineapple flavored alcohol. My girlfriend thinks it smells like caramelized onions with meat...not necessarily bad. It certainly is not just a citrus/floral hop aroma. I would place the nose more at something like tamarind or other meaty Asian fruit we are not as familiar with. As it warms it gains more starchy character and sweet potatoes. In general, the nose starts off explosive and mellow out so no reason I see to let this decant like most beers. Taste has a nice biscuity quality to stave off astringency. Huge orange juice, ultra quenching malt character, with mild pineapple like alcohol and meaty fruits like jackfruit and durian. Very soft biscuity, quenching mouthfeel with decent amounts of butterscotch richness I get from Sculpin, Duet, and Alesmith IPA. Hot damn this is good. I’ve now had about three bottles of this over the past few days and the palate gets super quenching, small orange juice acidity, citrus fruitiness. Whoa. Like APA category demolition right here. Forget about topping this ever. Well, maybe fresh Spring Peeper. Perhaps a little boozy for the style but who cares. Would be dangerous as a session beer. 12/1/2011 8/5/8/5/16=4.2

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 17:25:15 | More by tarheels86

lurpy1

Minnesota

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

Thanks to Savearth for throwing a few bottles this in as extras in our IP trade. I have been interested in this one for a while, only to have it elude me. The hopophobe wife passed on beer last night, meaning it is Zombie Dust time. Fittingly,also Walking Dead time.

The pour gives a lot of head and a cloudy, burnt orange pour. The smell is fruit forward. Juicy fruit gum comes to mind with a wallop of hops thrown in. Taste is similar, but comes with a chaser that I associate with Libby's Fruit Cocktail. medium in body and carbonation, easy drinker.

Really good stuff. Not the life event I was hoping for, but I enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 20:07:09 | More by lurpy1

blakelive784

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Thanks to Docrock!

12 fl oz bottle served in a pint glass, reviewed live:

A - Pours a murky golden orange color with two fingers of off-white, thin head. Retention is poor.

S - Pungent. Sweet citrus, bready yeast, orange peel, lemon zest, caramel and grapefruit. Amazingly well balanced. A fresh hoppy aroma while remaining incredibly well balanced. As well executed as I've come across for the style.

T - More woody and piney then I'd found in the nose. The freshness of the hops is amazing. A sturdy crystal malt backbone counters the hops nicely. Tangy citrus and resinous pine come through on the finish.

M - Crisp and light. A bit dry even. Oily.

D -Incredibly drinkable. I wish I had a year round supply. Great beer. My first beer from Three Floyds, and I can't wait to try more.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:58:36 | More by blakelive784