Gold Leader
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
3 Floyds Brewing Co.
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
Japanese Rice Lager
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.76 | pDev: 15.96%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
30
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 14, 2013
Added:
Dec 19, 2010
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by cadaugherty from Illinois

May 14, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by WeisGuy from New York

May 10, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by antoines15 from Indiana

Apr 15, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by tmarretti from Indiana

Apr 01, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by birdsellam from Indiana

Feb 16, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by qwertyiop from Indiana

Jan 28, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by Hellvis from Illinois

Jan 27, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by mmmhopslam from Illinois

Dec 25, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by spycow from Illinois

Dec 13, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by RTrain12 from Illinois

Nov 27, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by FievelGoesWest from Illinois

Nov 19, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by IPx from Illinois

Nov 19, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by THEOPTIMATOR88 from Illinois

Nov 18, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by sbricker from Illinois

Nov 14, 2011
Photo of AgentZero
Reviewed by AgentZero from Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A - Light golden beer with a fluffy white head that left some decent stick on the sides.

S - Grainy, lager yeast, some hops, light honey and pale malts. It smells pretty good, as I can enjoy a nice rice lager once in while.

T - Rice lager taste is pretty spot on, with some floral hops and lager yeast. LIttle bit of fruit with some bitterness that gives the end a nice complete finish.

M - Moderate carbonation, fairly smooth, nice dry finish.

O - A good beer, sometimes you're just in the mood for a rice lager, and this one hits the spot. Would gladly drink this again if they make it.
Jul 24, 2011
Photo of aasher
Reviewed by aasher from Indiana

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I tired this one at the brewpub earlier today. This beer arrived looking like a smoother version of Bud Light with a ring of soapy bright white head. The aromas were very strange and interesting. It was very, very grassy and had herbal undertones and perhaps some lemon. It also had this odd sweetness, kind of like muted honey. It wasn't necessarily appealing. It tasted odd as well. It tasted of light honey, lemongrass, tea leaves, and corn. This wasn't the most drinkable beer in the world. It was just odd. I love new and eccentric brews but I just couldn't get behind this one. It drank really light in body and was both smooth and crisp. The flavors were just a little too out there for me.
Mar 28, 2011
Photo of salvo
Reviewed by salvo from Indiana

4.52/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Soapy light bright white foamy head above a murky unfiltered sunlight yellow beer. Lovely bubbles flowing through the hazy beer keeping the head alive.

The nose is of candy and hints of sour to come. Tart smelling, but not the farmhouse style of sour, more of a sourpatch or pucker candy sour.

The taste ... no other way to put it. It's Sweettart Candies. And it is wonderful, and a complete flavor explosion for such a light and low alcohol beer. Sweettart candy on the tongue and in the nose, rich fruity esthers and sugar sweet malts on the tongue. Finish is quick and light with some lingering dryness. Light mouthfeel.

I think this is a beer that is going to receive mixed reviews because it is very flavor-forward and unusual. It happens to strike me right where I want a lighter beer to hit me.

In many ways, Gold Leader realizes the dream begun with Japanese ingredients like sorachi hops: 3F's Samurai Gazebo, Brooklyn's Sorachi Ace, etc. Looking forward to six packs for summer, but doubt it'll happen. Please, Floyds?
Mar 12, 2011
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Full pint at the Map Room. Hazy yellow orange, golden clarity with a light murkiness to it. Compact head of white foam that leaves a crown of lacing all around. A skim remained across the surface, with a sudsy ring around the edge.

Nose was unique with an indistinct herbal grassiness and earthy tropical fruit, though not at all sweet. After a few sips it resembled coconut and papaya, with some traces of green tea.

Tea leaves, vanilla, coconut, dried papaya. Moderate grassy bitterness, not unlike tea. The Sorachi Ace hops lend some lemongrass notes under the dominant coconut and dried fruit elements. Certainly more complex than your average pale lager, showcasing the unique hop varietal. Medium bodied, with light carbonation.

Could have certainly had more than just a pint, and hopefully will have several in the future. Seems to be a logical progression from Samurai Gazebo, FFF's Sorachi Ace lager which debuted last year.
Mar 11, 2011
Photo of rpardon7
Reviewed by rpardon7 from Kentucky

3.76/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
This beer poured a bright clear straw yellow with a soft bubble bright white head. Smell was malt grains and some fresh cut and citrus hops. Taste was simple and balanced grain and malt up front with a small bready cracker feel followed by a snappy dry hoppy finish of lemons and grass. Mouthfeel was light and well carbonated, the carbonation lends itself to the hops brings them to the front. Drinkability is very high, well crafted american pale lager by three floyds this would be an excellent grill out hot weather lager!
Feb 13, 2011
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.77/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Who says American Light Lagers have to taste like those from the industrial-type breweries. This crisp, clean, and hop forward example proudly states otherwise.

Gold Leader pours with a similar stature as German Lagers- medium straw in color, bright clarity, and streaming carbonation. A bright cotton-white foamy head sits on the beer and hold firm for the first half of the session before falling short.

Part-malt, part-grain aromas give off notes of light breads or crackers along with raw barley kernels. Grassy, lemony hops allow for a very herbal, floral scent to round thing out. Not an over complex aroma but mild and refreshing throughout.

Flavors closely replicate the aromas with an early grainy-sweet flavor that rounds into cracker-like malts at mid palate. Where most domestic lagers die, this one allows for the snappy bitterness of lemongrass and fresh cut hay.

Creamy early, at least until the carbonation subsides; then the beer makes a quick fade to an airy, dry, and fleeting finish. A minty cooling and grassy bitterness lingers in the finish but otherwise, the beer is bone dry.

High quality malts, flavorful hops, and strategic placement of flavors at key points in the beer experience makes this one a standout in an otherwise banal style. I almost detect a soapy flavor just before the finish that could be a bi-product of the Sorachi Ace hops that are used and becomes the only deterant.
Feb 10, 2011
Gold Leader from 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 30 ratings