Zes Zes Zes - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

bears256

4.8/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is amazing. I have been waiting for a great follow up from some of the stuff released at Dark Lord like to live a rich life. This is great. Just picked up the Cognac Moloko and Risgoop as well as Camulet Queen last night. I have already taken down three of the Zes Zes Zes because it is so good. Diffently the stand out of all of them. I don't know how they do it. But 3 Floyd's remains the Kings of the beer world. And there isn't a close second.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 20:04:13 | More by bears256

timc100

Illinois

4.76/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Notes from a review on 11/30/12

This is the biggest 'saison' in every way. It pours a completely opaque hazy gold/orange with a great white head made up of mostly small, tight bubbles. The aroma is very yeast/cereal like with HUGE citrus hops - ripe grapefruit and mango, orange juice. The tastes follows the nose - very bready but also very bitter from a strong hop presence. Just crazy huge citrus hops.

This is a fantastic beer - don't know if I would call it a saison, but more of a DIPA with saison ingredients.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 14:58:13 | More by timc100

mikul93

California

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A Pours a beautiful murky rich gold. Bubbles streaming up. Nice lacing.

S Wonderful smelling brew. Citrus, Honey, Yeast and hops.

T Citrus, bread notes, honey, sweet malt, spice and hops. Very refreshing and delicious beer.

M Medium body with nice carbonation with a dry finish.

O A downright delicious beer. Very refreshing. Glad I got a few. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 23:54:10 | More by mikul93

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Tim for sharing this bottle...
The beer pours a rich looking amber with no head. The nose is pure grapefruit hops with a touch of funk...barnyard zombie dust? There just as much grapefruit in the taste and aftertaste along with good yeast character and sweetness. The beer's mouthfeel is medium with ample carbonation.
This is a great beer and an unexpected highlight at our tasting.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 19:28:57 | More by ThePorterSorter

sleuthdog

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle poured into FFF Teku glass

Appearance: Zes is a murky orange color with one 1 &1/2 finger head with a careful pour. Head is soft white with tight bubbles and I can see a ton of bubbles rising up along the side of the glass adding to the tight bubbles that settled on the head. Some sticky lacing is present.

Smell: Funny I am getting a boat load of tropical notes up front. Some orange, pineapple and citrus aroma and a honey sweetness. Didn't expect that up front. There is some grassy hop notes there in the middle and a bready, yeast smell at the end.

Taste: Again the tropical aspect takes center stage. Citrus and sweet as hell for the style to me. There is some mid-palate bitterness that grabs some of the sweetness and pulls it back a notch. This is followed up by a tangy bready finish and a s This is a huge Saison.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation and fairly dry finish.

Overall: Truly did not expect this for the style. It surprised me in every aspect and I really enjoyed this one. I picked up two but will make a stop tomorrow for a couple more. This has that signature FFF taste and they just know how to knock it out of the park almost every time.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 01:20:29 | More by sleuthdog

merc7186

New York

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a snifter glass.

A: Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Tropical Fruit Explosion (passion fruit, pineapple, oranges), Grapefruit, Mild Corriander

T: Grapefruit, Passion Fruit, Mild Corriander

M: Decent Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet, Mildly Spicy

Overall, a really solid saison with a strong tropical fruit nose and taste..but worked.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 01:51:07 | More by merc7186

Kelly88

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer on tap at Cock and Bull two blocks away from my new place in Covington! Served in a 10oz tulip glass.

This beer pours a nice light copper. Think the color of sweet tea with plenty of ice in the glass. Beautiful off white head remains in top for awhile until it transforms into a thick ring of foam around the glass with some archipelago of skim in the middle. Sporadic random sticky lace is here and there after each drink. Saison?

Hoppy and sweet would be my first two thoughts. My nose can never really decipher smell that good in bars but this is strong. Bitter aromatic hop buds clash with almost a candied peach To create an interesting nose.

Taste is great. The hops and I guess the Saison yeast hit you first but the refreshing peachy pineapple keeps it from being harsh. Saison? This beer is great notated what they want to call it.

Mouthfeel is all over the place. Light but then it gets a little oily which creates a smooth finish. I like it a lot I just would like a little more consistency.

Overall a fantastic beer. I love the way the two breweries have taken what they know and creating something unique.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2012 22:21:40 | More by Kelly88

Shagtastic

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Patty and Jay for this one!

Poured into a Goose Island wine Glass

A: Pours a dark orange color with minimal head

S: Loads of citrus here. Really wasn't expecting this much even though I'd heard a ton about it.

T: Citrus is right up front there. Not much of a traditional Saison taste but really delicious regardless.

M: A little heavy for me with a saison but hides the abv pretty well

O: What a great beer. I was not expecting it to be as good as it was even with the hyped up previews I had. It almost tastes like a saisonified Zombie Dust (Patty you were right) Grab this one if you get a chance!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 00:33:43 | More by Shagtastic

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Three Floyds Brewpub, served in a tulip glass.

Served with a two finger fluffy white head hazy golden with amber hues. A fair amount of wispy lacing is evident as the head recedes. A combination of citrus, fresh cut grass, and notes of farmhouse yeast on the nose. Quite complex, citrus sweetness, lemongrass, some bready accents. Finishes dry with coriander-like spice and light citrus flowery hop bitterness. Suprisingly on the heavier side of medium-bodied well-carbonated. Malty and sweet for a saison however an extremely unique brew--almost seems to be a saison/DIPA hybrid. Throughly enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 03:27:17 | More by chanokokoro

emerge077

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip glass, quick review from written notes.

Dripping spotty lace, lasting veil over the surface. Bright orange body. Savory tropical aroma, alternating sweet and dry. Huge papaya and dried mango flavors. Finishes dry and clean, some lingering fruitiness with a bubblegum aftertaste. Impressions of fuzzy fruit skins and distinctive dried papaya. Great balance and unique flavors on display here...

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 16:45:05 | More by emerge077

chicagoanbeerone

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I smelled the great citus hops when i first opened the beer and that famous three floyds smell. The taste is a bitter sweet taste that is very fucky but delisious A very good tatsing beer not disspointed at all and met all the expectations The saision added a good twist of flavor done right and beer had a good kick
i would drink this all the time

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 18:10:07 | More by chicagoanbeerone

barczar

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque ruddy copper color with a solid half inch ivory head that dissipates slowly into a film covering the surface.

Tangerine, grapefruit, and coriander are the first aromatics I detect. There's substantial belgian yeast character, a bit of musty, sweaty barnyard, and an underlying tropical fruit character of mango and pineapple.

Flavor explodes with tropical fruit. Cantaloupe provides the background, with huge lime, mango, and pineapple notes dominating the initial sip. Grapefruit clears the fruit parade, which ends somewhat abruptly with a fairly dry, powdery, peppery finish. Barnyard funk is subdued. The malt character is slightly bready but somewhat grainy, as well.

Body is moderate, with high carbonation that lightens the mouthfeel. There's noticeable alcohol warmth.

Overall, a fruit bomb of a beer, extremely complex. Lacks a lot of farmhouse character, but would be interesting to see how this develops over time.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2012 21:07:22 | More by barczar

Higy

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vessel - wine glass, stemless
Pours - bronze body cloudy but settles after the head, pale straw head about 1" quickly fleeting
Aroma - Rose floral scent, citrus, light amount of pine
Taste - lemon, pine neddles, pineapple
Mouthfeel - medium body, palate cleansing carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 03:31:54 | More by Higy

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber, no bottled-on date, poured into a tulip glass. Name translates to 666 in Dutch.

A- Pours a hazy orange color, produces a thick inch of creamy beige head, settles down to a thick layer, nice retention, leaves loads of thick, crusty, gorgeous lacing. It looks amazing.

S- Holy crap the smell, absolutely huge, fresh, juicy citrus aroma, lots of grapefruit and mango. Also getting some nice dank, herbal hops, a bit of yeast and some spicy pepper.

T- Sweeter than I would have expected at the outset, with some sweet orange and tropical fruit flavor, mid-palate some herbal, floral hops pick up, along with a considerable dose of spice and some smooth belgian yeast. The finish is herbal and bitter. Alcohol is very well hidden.

M- Medium-bodied, nice carbonation, smooth crisp feel.

O- An interesting cross between a saison and an IPA (what do you expect from FFF), and it's done extremely well. The hops on this thing are incredibly bold and delicious, while the Belgian yeast and spiciness complement them nicely. A great collaboration. Hail Satan.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 07:19:41 | More by WillCarrera

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.23/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 10.9.12

A - Pours a cloudy dark orange with a foamy one inch light tan head with good retention.

S - Hoppy orange and tropical fruit.

T - Fruity, citrus, candy. Sweet and tropical.

D - Good carbonation with a light-medium body.

O - Sweet and fruity - Nice saison with a 3F twist.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 06:41:51 | More by HuskyinPDX

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This poured out as a hazy looking orange color with a nice looking white head on top. The head settles a bit but does leave behind a decent amount of retention and some lacing on the glass. The smell of this beer gives off some very interesting autumn aromas, like un-spiced pumpkin notes and some sweet grains in there too. The taste presents itself with even more unique flavors such as apple and more pumpkin like flavors, there is a hint of some spice or herbal flavors but nothing that I've ever tasted before. The mouthfeel was a bit heavier than I expected but still nicely done. Overall this beer is really neat, I wasn't sure what to expect at all from this but I left an empty glass with a sigh saying to myself "this was a really interesting brew". I would recommend trying this one for sure.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 04:02:02 | More by Knapp85

Auracom

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at FFF. 8 oz. served in a tulip on August 18th, 2012.

A - Very cloudy, medium-golden coloring, with a white fluffy head and fantastic lacing.

S - Buttered rye bread, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, fresh grass, and herbs.

T - Pretty big for a saison. Mid-palate has a great citrus bitterness blended with a sweet bread and rich caramel. Generally sweet but delectable.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, semi-dry finish. Well-hidden 8%.

D - Favorite at the brewpub on this day. More robust than refreshing but quite drinkable and dangerous.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2012 16:15:31 | More by Auracom

Treebs

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap the source. Served in a stemmed tulip.

A: Pours a semi clear amber color with a thick white head forming on the pour. It's about one finger in height and it recedes slowly leaving behind sticky sheets of lace.

S: The citris hop profile on the nose really jumps out at you with some orange and lemon zest as well. Sweet Belgian yeast cuts through on the back end with some refined malts.

T: Spicy belgian yeast, with a little bit of pepper and clove, is up front. Nice grassy hops and citrus zest with a semi-bitter grapefruit pith on the finish. Sweet malt body. Well hidden booze for 8.5%

M: Medium bodied with a little heft to it. Great prickly carbonation with a drying finish.

O: A well crafted saison with a little body to it. Obviously I'd like it a little lighter to make it a little more easy drinking, but the flavor profile gets you past that. Definitely recommed for any saison fan.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2012 20:12:21 | More by Treebs

dirtylou

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber, split 3 ways, cheers @suncrust

appearance: served in my great lakes chalice, bright (but hazy) orange body, full creamy white head

smell: distinctively 3 floyds - bright citrus hop bouquet, juicy citrus, distant peppery spice

taste: Sure, it's not to style, but it's much better than Rabbid Rabbit. FFF influence is strong - De Molen is no stranger to hops either but outside of the label design, I would never have guessed they were involved. Bright juicy hops - tangerine, grapefruit, lemon.

mouthfeel: bold hop profile, slight dry finish

overall: very enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 17:39:03 | More by dirtylou

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 12/29/12 notes. Big thanks to BigSexy410 for sharing a bottle of this one; almost interested in trying a new FFF beer.

a - Pours a orange, murky brown color with one inch of bright white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of oranges, citrus hops, fruity malts, yeast, spice, pepper, tropical fruits, and earthy notes. Loads of citrus hops, especially oranges, which I am a huge fan of.

t - Tastes of citrus hops, oranges, fruity malts, floral hops, pepper, spices, yeast, hay, grains, and bready malts. Not quite as hoppy as the nose and more spices come through. Nice, but I like the nose a lot more.

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

o - Overall a really nice beer, though it is very hoppy, which is not what I think of in a saison, like others have noted. Either way it is a good beer, more like a Belgian IPA, with an awesome hoppy nose full of citrus and orange. Worth checking out and I'd like to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 16:39:31 | More by mdfb79

Etan

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a Brooklyn tulip.

A: Pours a darkish orange with a great white head. Awesome lacing and retention.

S: Huge tropical dry-hopped aroma. Thick pineapple, pale malt, hint of pepper.

T: Big hop bitterness and peppery esters dominate the palate, with some pineapple and grapefruit and vanilla cake coming out from under the bitterness. Hints of lactose as well.

M: Light with crisp and slightly frothy carbonation.

O: The hop profile on this beer is amazing - it smells like straight pineapple juice. It certainly doesn't taste or smell like a saison, however...(more like a Belgian DIPA).

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 20:13:04 | More by Etan

tdm168

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - dark orange with a thin white head

S - oranges, yeast, peaches

T - yeast, oranges, orange rind, faintly bitter

M - dry, very well carbonated, smooth

This is a very nice saison. It has a nice citrusy character that is very refreshing and offers a great drinkability. My only complaint is that there is a rind-like dryness throughout. Nonetheless, this is a quality beer that is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:55:57 | More by tdm168

mynie

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I assume that "zes" means a word in Dutch, maybe "hello" or something like that. There's words written on the side of the bottle but good god am I in a drinking mood, reading is for suckers. I also assume that this beer isn't going to be all that great, considering FFF's track record with Belgian styles, but I'm still interested because the label is badass and this wasn't priced all that egregiously.

Pours thick and dark with a small head. Smells... aggressively, nicely American but still with enough of a spicy kick to make its saisonyness apparent. Sweet hops, dry yeast--a very nice Floyditization of the style.

Tastes not quite as good as it smells, unfortunately. The dry and the sweet never quite come together. There's oranges and grapefruit and, like, super dry yeast that's almost like the aftertaste of a good champagne (like, Korbel or something).

Neat beer, and a solid try at something different. It doesn't quite leave the park but it's a clean base hit.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 02:57:42 | More by mynie

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Smooth grapefruit juice, hoppy yet not bitter, a great balance of spice and malt makes it a very tasty beverage indeed, also some melon and candy. Grapefruit aroma. Cloudy grapefruit appearance with some retained head. Thanks for the extra bottles, John

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 04:46:02 | More by northyorksammy

GJ40

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sampled in a chalice from a 22oz bottle purchased at the brewery. No date on the bottle.

A - Golden and hazy with a dense, creamy head. Some lacing as the glass empties.

S - Fruity (orange) and spicy (black pepper). Seems like it has some American hops.

T - Rich flavors with fruit and a firm bitterness. The alcohol is apparent and warming. I started at 50 degrees but it gets even better as it warms.

M - The creamy head greets you and leaves a "got milk" feeling on your upper lip. A silky consistency with a moderate carbonation of fine bubbles.

O - Flavorful and interesting. Feels a bit big for the typical saison characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 21:50:44 | More by GJ40