Live A Rich Life - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle from the brewery, 650ml into a tulip.

Dark orange with some copper hues. Dense offwhite head, excellent retention and lacing. Nose is bold but not abrasive by any stretch. Tropical fruits, mango, clementine, tangerine, honeydew melon and a sugary, cookie-like malt. Perhaps some honey Some mild herbal and piney notes also. Complex. Taste is just as hoppy, more of the same in terms of tropical and citrus profile with grassy and herbal notes highlighted in the finish. Strong malt presence as well. Only a suggestion of some Belgian character, perhaps imparting a bit of dryness. Full feel, medium high carbonation. A superior Belgian in real FFF character - awesome, I really don't know how this style gets much better.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 23:48:24 | More by liamt07

cosmicevan

New York

4.05/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

bottle tossed my way by stxSS07 who also hooked me up with the fancy new FFF glassware. cheers matt, very much appreciated.

a - brew poured a murky orange with a 2 finger cream colored head that hung out for photos. as the head dissipated chunky milkshake like lacing clung to the glass. some carbonation could be seen along the side of the glass.

s - classic ipa. wonderful citric and grapefruity hops. some belgian sugar in there, but more classic ipa to me than belgian ipa. my mouth begins to water.

t - the belgian of this ipa comes out more in the flavor than the nose, but in general an assault of bitterness on my palate after my initial detection of belgian candied sweetness. kind of a one trick pony, just a bitter blast. as my palate adjusted to the assault of bitterness, i noticed a nice malt backbone with some good caramel balancing notes.

m - in a word...bitter. medium to full bodied with lively carbonation.

o - overall, i had heard that this was the same beer as shark pants but only brewed at FFF? not sure if that's true, but my impressions certainly are the similar. this is a bitter bomb. the shark pants i had from de struise was way more barleywine like so i wonder if it wasn't as fresh as this? either way this is a hophead's dream. this is a nice beer and worth seeking out while still fresh. didn't blow my mind, but a solid ipa...not so much belgian.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 00:26:05 | More by cosmicevan

thydarkprevails

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber poured into a duvel tulip. Pours a copper amber orange with a thick 2 inch off white head that slowly recedes and leaves great lacing. Aroma is tropical fruit. Pineapple, grapefruit, mango, lemon, fresh cut grass, earth, bread, and caramel. Super complex, maybe one of the most complex DIPA's as far as aroma goes. Taste is similar. Lots of pineapple, mango, grapefruit, lemon, and a hint of Belgian yeast. Mouthfeel is medium and chewy and alcohol is well hidden. This is like dreadnaught with Belgian yeast. Awesome beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 03:17:02 | More by thydarkprevails

SpottedZombie

Illinois

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had the pleasure of trying this on tap and from the bottle, both mediums being outstanding. This review is for the bottle.

A: pours a coppery red with a thick off white collar of tight bubbles.

S: huge notes of grapefruit rinds, passionfruit, pine, and a light touch of spice. one of the best smelling iipas I've come across, world class aroma thanks to Nick and his heavy handed hop additions. almost better smelling than tasting... Almost.

T: starts with a wash of grapefruit and tropical fruits, and as it moves into the middle of the mouth the hugely bitter hop bomb sets in. sweet citrus notes and a heavy malt backbone offset the incredible amounts of alpha acids that peel the enamel off your teeth.

Overall, this is one of the best beers FFF has produced, they seem to be outdoing their year rounds on purpose. This has all the bitterness you'd want from an iipa, like Dreadnaught on steroids and with tropical fruit abound.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 15:39:42 | More by SpottedZombie

Arbitrator

California

4.45/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Chilled bottle into a glass, from lurchingbeast. Thanks, Frank!

I had the (dis)pleasure of trying this as a bottle of Struise's Shark Pants, courtesy of alfrantzell. I'm sure it was old, and it was Struise, but it tasted pretty awful. So I was apprehensive about this one.

A: Pours a clear, reddish copper body with a finger of well-retaining off-white head. Hop oils create a sticky swath of lace that coats the glass as the beer diminishes in my glass. A moderate collar and a broken film cap the brew. Quite nice.

S: Lemon peel, mango, with a wet pine needle backing and pale malt sweetness. I don't pick up much of what could be Belgian yeast -- if there are esters, they're overpowered by the pungent hops. If there are phenols, they blend in with the slightly earthy hop undercurrent. Looks like Three Floyds' touch is dominant here.

T: As you'd expect from FFF, the beer explodes with hops. It's citrusy, but with a unique mango-lemon twist instead of the traditional grapefruit-orange I find in the style. I like it. The back end reveals moderate earthy and pine bitterness that is tempered with pale malt sweetness. Exhalations are pure pine with a small peppery burst, but that latter part could be the power of suggestion. There is a small sweetness in the aftertaste.

M: This is medium-bodied; the carbonation is appropriate and gives the beer a creamy feel. It finishes dry, with a small amount of lingering oils.

O: This is solid. I don't know how I'd tell this is a Belgian IPA; if you gave it to me blind, I'd swear it was an American interpretation. Maybe it's the dryness. Either way, it's damn good.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 05:36:58 | More by Arbitrator

warnerry

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a beautiful clear deep copper color with three fingers of creamy tan head. Head has great retention and leaves nice rings of lacing. A steady stream of carbonation rises.

S - Big citrus hops aroma, with grapefruit and orange zest. Also a bit of pine, some caramel malt and only faint Belgian yeast. The caramel malt adds a definite sweetness to the aroma.

T - Lots of citrus. Not just hop bitter citrus, but some juicy citrus as well. Taste is quite floral and somewhat sweet. Bitterness is assertive, but not overpowering. Very nice.

M - Medium, creamy mouthfeel with a bitter dry herbal finish.

O - Very nice. The Belgian aspect is pretty muted, but this is a nice DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 23:07:54 | More by warnerry

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.58/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.
Bottle thanks to jeonseth

A - Pours a cloudy medium orange with a big light tan head. Good retention and foamy lacing.

S - Hoppy and sweet pine. Wow! Really great.

T - A very nice pine and bready malt hits you first, then lots of mango citrus goodness.

D - Smooth and nice. Good carbonation and a medium to light body.

O - Smells and tastes great. The label says Belgian, but I got more west coast ipa. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 07:07:40 | More by HuskyinPDX

jokeefe89

Illinois

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Absolutely love it. Once again a new beer from these guys still suprises me. Just goes to show this is the best brewing company around. I walked in, asked about the beer, got an honest response, purchased it an it was even better than described. These guys are their own scene and their beer is the best. Period

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 03:45:43 | More by jokeefe89

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Thanks to Wowcoolman for sharing this one at jmgrub’s tasting.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is quite exceptional with citrus fruit, citrus zest, and tropical fruit aromas. Taste is of citrus zest, slight tropical fruit, malt, and some Belgian yeast flavors. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good tasting beer with a fantastic smell.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 05:11:08 | More by UCLABrewN84

Jaycase

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: cloudy orange with a thick white head. Very nice lacing

s: citrusy hops. grapefruit, orange, mango. hint of yeast

t: from the aroma to the taste - explosion of citrus hops. Belgian yeast flavor takes a back seat but the presence is there. mild spiciness

m: medium body, moderate carbonation

o: Picked this up at DLD '12. Such a good beer. Tropical fruit delight...could easily drink this with breakfast. If you have a chance, please pick this one up.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 02:18:55 | More by Jaycase

Florida9

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Cloudy deep golden honey color. Forms a large white head that has some pretty good retention. Leaves some moderate lacing on the way down.

S: Aromatic and hoppy with lots of citrus and tropical fruit. Orange, mango, pineapple and a bit of spice. This one has a regular old fruit salad going on with it.

T: The taste is very nice. Much better than I expected. Again there are lots of citrus hops along with a bunch of fruit. Orange dominates, but it is accented by notes of tropical fruit and mango. There is a touch of Belgian yeasty spice, but it is more of a compliment to the fruit and hops than a main character. Finishes with a touch of pine and a bit of alcohol.

M: Medium bodied. Carbonation is approaching the heavy side of things, but this one is not at all over-carbonated. Mild bitterness. A bit of alcoholic heat on the finish.

O: Picked this one up on a whim at DLD and now I'm wishing I picked up a few more. This is an excellent beer and really was much better than I was expecting it to be. Paired it with some charcuterie from Smoking Goose and it couldn't have complemented it any better. Fruity, juicy, and hoppy, make this one a very easy drinker.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 01:07:52 | More by Florida9

Duff27

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

White head on a orange base. Crazy lacing, good head retention.

Aroma produces mostly citrus (a la Zombie Dust), very faint Belgian yeast characteristics.

More citrus with a bitterness that comes in at the end. "Fresh" would guess at 9%abv.

Highly drinkable althought this is one of my favorite style. For whatever reason this is much tastier than when I had it last summer on tap from FFF. Thanks egrace84 for the revisit!

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 02:03:41 | More by Duff27

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bomber into dimple glass mug. Pours bright orange with a good white head. Beautiful lacing that lasts throughout. Wonderful citrus and floral aroma. Mild hops, beligan yeast, some pink bubblegum, and sweet fruit. Medium bodied, great carbonation. Stickymouth feel. Overall a really nice “tamed down version of Dreadnaught”!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 16:01:14 | More by CuriousMonk

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.23/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. No bottle date, like all FFFs stuff. Purchased at DLD '12. Poured this into a Deschutes tulip.

A: Pours a typical DIPA clear orange color. Tons of carbonation. Tiny bubbles streaming off the bottom of the glass. Two big fingers of fluffy bright white head. Already leaving nice lacing. Billowing marshmallow head.

S: Very hoppy brew, but a different hop profile than others FFFs brews. Don't get much of the Belgian straind. This has nice fruity hop aromas. Mango, grapefruit and papaya.

T: It's a hoppy beer, but there isn't a ton of bitterness. It's actually really pleasant. Easy drinking DIPA. Mild bitterness on the tip if the tongue. Then you get nice smooth fruity hops in the middle of the mouth. It's strangely creamy actually. You get some of that mango and overripe peach in the flavor.

M: Medium bodied.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 14:09:41 | More by inlimbo77

jegross2

Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewing the Live A Rich Life (Shark Pants) belgian IPA, a collaboration between Three Floyds Brewing Company and De Struise Brouwers in honor of the memory of Rich Sheppard -- a Three Floyds' employee that passed away on 04/12/11. Thank you Robbie Moy for hooking me up with a bottle after I forgot to pick one up before leaving the Three Floyds' grounds at Dark Lord Day! I got to sample this one tap at Dark Lord Day, and it was fantastic.
Score: 96

No bottle stamp, which is par for the court with Three Floyds. I picked up this bottle at Dark Lord Day (04/28/12). Served in a Dogfish Head snifter and enjoyed on 05/07/12.

Appearance: Pours a slight cloudy/murky/translucent golden-orange color. One finger of off-white seafoam head at pour settles to a thin foggy layer atop the beer. Excellent lacing and retention. Amazing cling. My glass was not sedimenty at all because I poured my glass first, but my roommate's pour had a big clump of dead yeast settle to the bottom of the glass. If not for my roommate's sedimenty glass, I probably would have given this beer a five for appearance. 4.5/5

Smell: Strong notes of zesty citrus, a little bit of fruit and light yeast. Candied grapefruit, lemon zest, hoppy orange, mango, sugary pineapple and a little peach. Floral and piney hops too. Touch of creamy grain and residual spice. The Belgian yeast is essentially in the background of the nose, acting as a nice compliment to the citrus. Absolutely amazing aroma here. 5/5

Taste: The taste is not quite as pronounced as the aroma, but it is still quite delicious. Zesty and hoppy orange and a little clove and yeast upfront. Fruity hops, juicy citrus and clove. A little bit of earthy hoppiness. There is a subtle menthol-like cooling on the back of the tongue in the aftertaste. Sweet-and-sour grapfruit lemonade and mango/pineapple throughout. Piney hops and residual banana-yeast in the finish. There is a fruity hop aftertaste that seemingly gets stronger as it layers. There is a very, very mild onion flavor towards the finish that does not add a lot of flavor, but adds some the oniony warmth you'd associate with earthier IPA's on the back of the tongue as it hits room temperature (supplanting the initial menthol-like cooling). That residual fruitiness really lingers. Very refreshing, very drinkable. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation that makes the piney sweet-and-sour citrus and hops pop on the tongue. Juicy mouthfeel. Sweet-and-sour finish with mild bitterness and very modest dryness. 4.5/5

Overall: A stand out beer from arguably the best brewery in America at making hoppy beers. Not nearly as fruity/yeasty as the Bedlam, this is truly an imperial IPA with a Belgian twist. If you are a fan of the sweet-and-sour IPA style (Heady Topper, Ghandi Bot, Antihero, etc.) then this is a beer you should hunt down before it goes stale. I seriously hope Three Floyds' considers making this beer a mainstay.

Recommendation: This stuff is almost as good as Heady Topper, and it's just as good as, albeit different from, Artic Panzer Wolf and Dreadnaught. Seek this beer out while it is still fresh.

Pairings: Grilled chicken.

Cost: $15 for a 22 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 05:55:01 | More by jegross2

stxSS07

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber into a tulip.

A- Pours a nice cloudy golden-orange with about a finger's worth of eggshell head that hangs around for a bit before fading to a 1/4" cap. Leaves awesome sheets of lacing.

S-Nice burst of citrus hops that mingles with a pretty big Belgo-yeast component. Notes of mango, grapefruit, and peach stick out to me. Just a touch of piney/earthy hops. There's a sweetness to it as well...almost caramel-like, but the bready/spicy yeast helps keep it in check. Awesome.

T- Bitter piney/earthy hops show up first...much more prevalent than the nose suggested. Followed by a mix of caramel sweetness and spicy/bready Belgian yeast. Citrus/tropical hops show up as well, but are a bit overpowered by the piney notes. Pretty tasty.

M- Medium bodied with adequate carbonation. Maybe a bit low, but it doesn't detract from the experience.

O- I haven't had many, but this is my favorite Belgian IPA. Great FFF hop character that is only enhanced by the tasty Belgian yeast. I'll definitely pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 02:32:10 | More by stxSS07

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle I picked up at DLD 2012, no bottled on date, poured into a snifter.

A- Pours a clear reddish/orange color, topped with a finger of creamy tan head that recedes to a ring around the edges, leaves good lacing.

S- Oh man, wonderful hop aroma, huge vibrant citrus, mango, grapefruit, orange, big yeasty background, subtle spiciness and sweet malts.

T- Follows the nose with huge tropical fruits, pine and resin, floral as well, seriously the hops on this beer are excellent, has a smooth Belgian yeast flavor towards the end and some spice. Light malts, some slight alcohol warmth.

M- Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, has a smooth, very creamy feel, dry finish.

O- This is an incredible beer, really blends the glory of American hops with Belgian yeast in a great way, can we get this in six packs?

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 07:25:51 | More by WillCarrera

jeonseh

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a FFF tulip

A - A reddish copper with a one finger slightly dirty white head. Slightly reflective and very clean looking

S - Tropical, sweet fruit in the nose. Pineapple and tangerine dominate the sweet nose. There is nice banana presence that lies underneath in the nose and gives hints of the Belgian yeast strand. overall, the nose is very sweet smelling as well.

T - At first, I get a slight pine hop presence that hangs on for a second before a sweeter pineapple and tangerine come through. There is just enough hop in here to prevent it from being cloying or too sweet. In the finish, there is a slight bitter kick that comes through with a hint of banana. Not as Belgiany on the flavor as I would expect

MF - Medium body with light carbonation. A bit syrupy as well which leaves a slight stickiness.

O - What happens if you take Dreadnaught and brew it with Belgian yeast? You get this beer. Solid DIPA. However, I was hoping for the Belgian aspects to shine through a bit more instead of playing such a small role.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 00:15:54 | More by jeonseh

71gto

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour alone made me thirsty. A beautiful hazy orange with a nice lingering head.

Smell is subtle hops and lots of citrus as far as hops go for FFF it is on the lighter side.

Taste of the citrus and hops blends very well making this an easy drinker. I wish I had bought a second bottle, would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 02:58:19 | More by 71gto

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another amazing brew picked up from DLD 2012.

Pours a hazy deep orange color with a finger of cream colored head. There is an ample amount of lace.

The nose has some sharp dank hops working. Very piney and earthy hops are very prominent here. There is a slight Belgian yeast with those fruity esters involved.

The flavors are very hoppy with a light amount of Belgian yeasts. The pine hops are in-your-face and aren't afraid to show themselves. There is a sharp bitterness that comes with the hops.

The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth textured right before the bitterness slaps you in the face. There is a nice level of carbonation involved and it works nicely for this brew.

Overall, this is one of the best Belgian double India Pale Ales out there. Floyds once again takes a style and dominates it with those amazing fresh hop notes. Don't overlook this one and grab it if you have a chance

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 22:25:08 | More by ChugginOil