Alpha Khan Mongolian Pale Ale
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

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From:
3 Floyds Brewing Co.
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.17 | pDev: 11.03%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
21
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 16, 2020
Added:
Nov 06, 2004
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  0
Alpha Khan, feared General of the Alpha King. An experimental style bordering on IPA. Summit hops and light spices.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.25 by aasher from Indiana

Feb 16, 2020
 
Rated: 3.88 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Feb 02, 2020
Photo of JohnnyHopps
Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance - from the tap, the beer poured a yellow color with a white head crowning the top of the glass. Carbonation was very visible.

Smell - Mild grassy notes lead the way, some of the grains also came through.

Taste - Sweet cereal grains lead the way, followed by definite tea notes. I would tend to associate the tea notes with the spice. The profile was not overly bitter, leaning more sweet with light citrus notes. The finish was appropriately dry.

Mouthfeel - For the style, the beer was very full bodied and well carbonated.

Overall - After all these years, they finally brought back Alpha Khan. How about bottles next?
Jan 20, 2020
 
Rated: 4.14 by ronn from Indiana

May 22, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by birdsellam from Indiana

Feb 16, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by sbricker from Illinois

Nov 14, 2011
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Reviewed by TheodorHerzl from Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Enjoyed on tap at brewery.

It was presented in an imperial pint glass with two fingers of white head sitting on top of a nice amber hued body. The smell is all hops with heavy scents of pine and a slight spice scent I can't really put my finger on. I like it, but I am not sure what scent it is. The taste is really striking. Caramel malty sweetness upfront followed by a medium bodied grapefruit and pine flavor. The flavor profile is perfect and very well balanced. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with very light carbonation. Drinkability is very high, and I wish they sold this in bottles.

Great offering and a great anytime beer.
Oct 02, 2007
Photo of dirtylou
Reviewed by dirtylou from Oklahoma

4.23/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
It just so happens that "mongolian pale ale" is my 2nd favourite style behind japanese rice lager

appearance: served in an imperial pint glass at the brewpub...glorious shining amber body with a nice fluffy and creamy beige white head and strong lacing

smell: aroma shockingly (read: sarcasm) dominated by pungent citrus hops and dripping pine, sweet tropical fruits and caramel malts

taste: very tasty brew that is some transformation of an ipa in my opinion...tropical fruits, passion fruit, strawberry and citrus take turns rising to the top as pine and citrus hops burst on the tongue...grain and malt definitely noticeable in the background, black pepper, fairly bitter

mouthfeel: smooth and bitter

drinkability: good
Sep 26, 2007
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Reviewed by Generik420 from Indiana

3.08/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
What is a Mongolian Pale ale? Well if you take the tour of 3 Floyd's brewery it appears to be an inside joke with them and actually doesn't refer to any specific style of beer. It is their way of bucking convention and forging their own path. I can respect that.

This beer is decent, but in small quantities. The appearance looks great, deep amber color and crystal clear. Smells good, nice hoppy aroma. The taste though, left something to be desired for me. I enjoyed it initially, but found myself ready to be done with it midway through the pint. The interesting thing is the flavors found in this beer seem like something you would find in 'Mongolian' food. I had a friend in highschool from Afghanistan. There was always an aroma in the house of the traditional food his mom would make, and this beer kind of captured that. I don't know if there is actually some spices added to this, or if it was just the combination of the hops that produced it. All in all, I am pleased to have tried it, but I wouldn't drink it again.
Aug 04, 2006
Photo of hero27
Reviewed by hero27 from Minnesota

4.57/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On-tap at the brewpub..

Glowing dark orange.
A blast of hops right off the bat..the aroma is a magnificent display of what hops can do for a beer. The freshness is quite apparent, and mouthwatering to say the least. The taste has a mild spiciness to it, with fruit flavors mixed in with the overwhelming bitterness of the piney hops. Certainly seems to fall under the Double IPA category, but it's listed as a strong ale currently.. *shrug*

After enjoying this beer tremendously, a trip to Mongolia may be in order..
Overall, this is an excellent brew that flirts with hop perfection.
Jun 04, 2006
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Reviewed by ultralarry2006 from Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
This was served in a pint glass at the 3F Brewpub. Had a good two finger head with good retention and excellent lacing. Body was an orange copper.

Smell - Piney and resiny hops, very west coast style. That is, not the usual grapefruit and citrus you expect in a 3F beer. Hint of bread.

Taste - like the smell. Bitter (good bitter) pine and resin pretty much all but smothering the bready malt. The taste finishes with more bitter pine, of course. Totally a west coast hop style, I'd have called it an IPA, and was a little surprised to see it listed as an American Strong Ale, but what do I know ?

Mouthfeel - full, smooth, low carbonation. Thick hop oil coating, and very dry feeling from bitterness without actually drying you out.

Drinkability - I could drink this all session long in any given session. At 3F I had only two, so that I could sample the other things there you can't get elsewhere. I wish they sold this in bottles. Good stuff.
Jun 03, 2006
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Reviewed by znarf from Wisconsin

4.82/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Compares well to their Flagship Alpha King on steroids! Hops to die for, a hop heads dream. Potent, dark golden brew with a bitter finish that thankfully stays with the drinker. Worth the drive from Milwaukee to Munster to experience. Almost sensory overload of flavor. Great with the food served at the brew pub. Hope they bottle. Likely to go back for more.
Jun 03, 2006
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Reviewed by GreenWBush from Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Half-pint at the pub.

This one comes to me in a cute bowtie glass with soapy bubbles creeping above the rim. The beer itself is a dim red/orange, looking quite similar to the now-ubiquitous Alpha King. Lace stick continues the FFF trend of lingering well after the beer has gone.

The nose is full of piney, citric hops with a certain zing of nondescript spice. Sort of reminds me of childhood memories of drinking Tang.

Flavor is consistent with the Floyds' hopping ratio; late-boil fruity hops pop on the tongue, but this time there's a certain kaffir-leaf like herbal quality. Mouthfeel seems a bit overwhelmed by the prickle of hop-bitterness. I had no idea this one was 7.5%, however.

After drinking Dreadnaught and Gumballhead fresh off the tap its a little difficult to differentiate this from other somewhat standard-issue hoppy FFF offerings. Tasty, however, and got my wine-drinking friend interested in IPAs.
Jun 01, 2006
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Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours into an imperial pint glass deep red brown, the color of fine furniture in a furniture commercial. Almost no head.

Smells like big hops, the slight pungent twang of harsh natural chemcials, and light, sweet caramel.

Tastes like big, orange rhind hops. There's a fruitiness in these hops that pops out like a picture in a magic eye puzzle--out of a speckeled haze there comes an eerily clear picture of a sailboat. All this is backed up with a strong, sweet finish of caramel malt that lends a great drinkability to the brew.
May 16, 2006
Photo of CRJMellor
Reviewed by CRJMellor from Arkansas

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured a dark brown color with amber highlights. Big puffy coluds of white foma leave a shee curtain of lace on the glass.
Aroma is a large dose of citrus covering up some serious evergreen needles. Hints of pine tar and sap.
Flavor is a strong base of caramel, hint of nuttiness and an incredibly spicy, tangy hop bite. Spiciest hops believe I've ever had. A light Citrus bittering comes through as the brew warms a bit.
Mouthfeel is smooth and very creamy and full. The spiciness is truly unique and a very intriguing twist.
Drinkability is high but I think the spiciness would just about ruin your pallet for the afternoon/evening if you had more than one.
May 12, 2006
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Reviewed by mcallister from Ohio

4.44/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Nearly a perfect pour. An inch of frothy white head with thick engrossing lace.

Spectacular nose of a boquet of flowers. Big citrusy grapefruit, and big great hop smell. One of the best smelling pale ales I've ever stuck my nose into.

So if a blind man were drinking this it may be confused by him for grapefruit juice. Enourmous grapefruit flavor, with other citrus side notes of lemon, some blood orange, lime, and did I mention the great hop complexity. Overall a great tasting beer and spectacular mouthfeel. Could drink many but is somewhat tannic hence the hop content.

Tried at 3 Floyds brew pub day before Dark Lord Day
Apr 28, 2006
Photo of mochunk
Reviewed by mochunk from Illinois

4.65/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Trying to remember, been a couple days since I finally visited the brew pub and tried this fine ale. Didn't take notes.

Expertly poured from the tap into a lovely Imperial Pint glass.

Slightly amber tinted caramel looking brew with a finger thick head in off white.

Nose is earthy, almost spicy. Others have noted grass, that may have been it. A slight fruity hop makes it's way through with subtle malt.

First taste bites with that earthy spicy and malts, which follows through with a slightly dry but fruity hop finish, delightful! This is very interesting in how it mixes the familiar 3F hop character with the spicy almost herbal front and subtle malts.

Plenty of lacing and it just invites you to have another sip to taste it again and watch it lace some more, before you know it, your pints empty and you're ready for another. A very interesting offering and another winner for 3f. Highly Recommended.
Apr 15, 2006
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Reviewed by HoboAGoGo from Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A deep rusty color, orangish, with a thick head that lingered. Smell was of intense hops, very citrusy with a fresh grassy kick as well, a bit of sweet malt shines through as well. Taste was of intense citrus, very orange rind, with grassy hop and deep sweetness behind it. A very good brew that I am glad to see Floyds is offering again.
Apr 08, 2006
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Reviewed by DrunkMcDermott from Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On Tap at 3F’s. An intensely grassy smell from a fresh beer loaded with a little-used hop (Glacier, I'm told). While it’s very clearly got lots of alpha, it doesn’t have the puckery quality of other overhopped beers. Instead, a nice piney and floral quality goes with that fresh-mowed lawn smell. The malt is darker in color, but retains a nice sweetness instead of roast
Aug 18, 2005
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Reviewed by orbitalr0x from Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Poured a deep creamy amber brown color with a wonderful frothy off white head. The smell is a mix of robust, earthy caramel malts and grapefruit citrus hoppiness..wow..it just smells so damn good.

Taste is big and bold with a deep caramel/toffee malt profile and a perfect balance of spicy, cirtus grapefruity heavenly hops. Everything comes together exceptionally well here.

Mouthfeel is luscious with a great full body, nice and creamy. This goes down so smooth. Drinkability is off the wall. Another kick ass brew from 3F's that I could drink all day long...too bad it's only available at the brewery. Highly recommended.
Nov 14, 2004
Alpha Khan Mongolian Pale Ale from 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 21 ratings