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3 Floyds Brewing Co.

 

 

Had this one on draft at 3 Floyd's.

A: Nice golden yellow color. Lots of bubbles and a little lacing left behind.

S: Not much here. Very faint aroma. If I breathe in deeply I can detect a slight grapefruit aroma.

T: If I had to rate it I would call it a distant cousin to Dreadnaught. It is not as forward or flavorful as Dreadnaught. But, it could pass as its half cousin. There is a little bit of grapefruit hops with a nice malty sweetness. I realize not all their beers can taste the same but 3 Floyd's is known for big bold beers. This one is not that.

M: Medium bodied beer, but very drinkable.

D: I liked it. It came in a half pint glass, but I honestly would have liked a full pint.

Overall: Nice brew. Not your normal over the top 3 Floyd's brew, but would be big for most brewers. The taste was nice and it was light enough to put down several. Drinking it in the 3 Floyd's pub was experience enough.

on tap at Three Floyds

wow, here's a rarity - a 3F beer I didn't like. I'm pretty sure this is the first.
Started out well, looking good in the 1/2 pint glass with a light orange color and a white head that laced the glass nicely.

Unfortunately I guess I got a batch similar to MABZ, as there was NO aroma on this beer. I asked the server if I got the correct beer, and was reassured that there was no mistake. First time I've ever had any sort of IPA without any hops smell. Weird.

After many doubtful looks from the nose, I was willing to admit I got the right beer only after the first taste. Most of it was pleasant with some citrus and a reasonable amount of bittering, but after the swallow I was left with a big raw cereal aftertaste I didn't like. I asked a couple regulars if they detected anything "off" with the beer, thinking I could blame bacteria and come back and give this another shot next time, but was again reassured that this is how it always tastes.

Carbonation was on the light side, and the body fairly full. If it left less of an annoying aftertaste I'd say this would be a pretty decent beer, but as it is I was glad that the standard serving size at the brewpub of this beer is a half pint.

I can understand why some people didn't really feel this beer on Dark Lord Day, especially with some of the other beers that could be tried that day (achem, Slave Princess), but I really liked this beer. It was like a cross between Dreadnaught and a Blue Moon, odd as that sounds. Maybe it was the fact that the weather was great, and I could drink it outside, but this was a great summer beer. Hoppy like you would expect from an IPA, but with a great orange flavor, if they bottled this, I might even drink it over an Oberon.

On tap at Dark Lord Day 2007

A: Dull peach copper color, low carbonation with a minimal off white head. The beer had an overall still presence to it.

S: Grapefruit rind, lymon, honey and a bit of oj

T: Very fruity with white peach and cherry notes. Mandarin orange comes next with weak sugary crystal hop resins. Finishes with a medium bitter wash.

M: Medium body, smooth with a nice carbonation.

D: Tasty beer but not overly complex to say the least.

This is one of the most disappointing beers I've had in a long time. I expected a lot from a IIPA from FFF, especially considering how much I love their hoppy beers. This beer was not my cup of tea, however.

The beer was served in a clear plastic cup at the brewpub. Don't know why, considering every other beer I ordered was served in proper glass. Appears a slightly hazy peachy orange color. Thin white head with poor retention. I suspect this is in part due to the plastic cup.

The aroma was not existent. Nowhere to be found. Not even a little bit. WTF? This is an IIPA and I can't even smell hops? No malt even? Sure the plastic cup couldn't have helped, but at the same time it couldn't be causing an odor vacuum, robbing me of all succulent hops aromas.

The taste is also very odd. When it first hits your palate, it doesn't have any taste aside from a very, very, very light malt flavor... just your typical run-of-the-mill 2-row pale malt. Nothing interesting. It isn't until after you swallow that you can finally taste the hops. They are biting, ashy, and piney. To quote Ralphie from the Simpsons, "Tastes like burning."

The body is fairly thick and carbonated. Biting bitterness in the finish, but no delicious hops flavor to go along with it. Not easy to drink, even though the alcohol is almost as well hidden as the hops. I would recommend against it. To quote Three Floyds, "It's Not Normal." Definitely not normal...

Copper/amber with many carbonation floaties. A small white head left a great thin sticky lace down the glass and now rests atop the elixer with great retention.

Citrusy and sweet floral hops lead the way through this olfactor highway. A buttery caramel aroma keeps things at bay. And then a blast of pine breaks through.

A little thin, but very nicely balanced. The caramel malt keeps the hops at bay and keeps this beer very drinkable. Mid palate is filled with pine and floral arrangements, then deep into the mid and on the finish the citrus takes over and leaves you puckering. A bit of alcohol is noticeable in the finish and hurts drinkability slightly.

served on-tap at 3f pub, this was a fine example of an american dipa. orange/amber in color, nice clarity. wonderfully intense and complex in the nose with citrus and and sweet malts dominating. nice caramel malt sweetness upfront with the big bittering hops quickly rushing in to clear everything out with a long, pleasant finish. medium/heavy in mouthfeel/viscosity. just has that unique 3f's aroma and taste to it. a bit of sweetness but well-balanced. sixers, please? another excellent offering from 3f.