500# Super Sack
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing to blur the lines between pale ale and IPA, the hop masters at Three Floyds embark upon the hops with a sharply decided citrus character to frame the taste, texture and fragrance of a hop forward pale ale like a five hundred pound super sack!

So that becomes the name: 500# Super Sack pierces the olfactory senses with a piquant citrus scent with a complement of nuanced melon, herbal and tropical undertones. Pale straw and crowned with a frothy white stance, even is appearance looks the part of citrus juices. Light sweetness of pastry, honeysuckle and a hint of simple sweetness lays a buffer of malt on the early palate ahead of the full on hop display to come.

Fading sweetness ensures a full and hoppy taste on the middle palate. Tangy with the high citrus impressions of all-things-lemon, the peppery and tangy flavors are joined with lighter grapefruit, under ripened orange and a tinge of bitter lime. As the flavors swirl, the tastebuds pick up on more nuanced character of white grape, papaya and pineapple before trending woodsy, spicy and peppery like potpourri, sassafras, wine and tea.

Medium bodied but seemingly lighter because of the hop's inherent resiny dryness, the malt sweetness is no match to balance the hops in any true pale ale proportion, but the character of these piquant and tangy hops add a complex dimension that will send any hop head guzzling with glee. A medium long aftertaste of sharp lemon verbena and lemon pepper extend past any sweetness and ultimately frame the overall impression of the ale.

Pours lightly hazy with white head. Nice nose with mild hoppiness. Taste carries the hop flavor forward and on. Good tasting beer with good amounts of hops

 

Yes... that is how it's spelled. With a pound sign.

This appears to be a New England IPA? It pours like one, at least: very hazy but thin, pale yellow, with a wispy head.

Aroma is pleasant but tame: mild tropical fruit, light bitterness. Not bad at all, but very faint.

Tastes... strange, but not at all unpleasant. Kind of like orgeat syrup up front (like Fruity Pebbles), and this gives way to an intensely bitter middle, ending sweet again with strong nodes of pineapple juice.

The flavor is by far the best part, even if it took a few sips before I got a bead on it.

12 oz pour into a shaker pint

A: light gold amber body with great clarity very little head.

S: citrus papaya mango light bitterness

T: honey papaya citrus light bitterness some caramel malts grape flavor

M: medium bodied good carbonation

O: solid beer easy drinking fruity with a nice malt backbone

 

 

 

 

Interesting IPA here. I get a lot of white grape on the nose and taste. A bit similar to the white grape notes in Alpha King, but this is less bitter. More fruit and hop spice.