Three Floyds Broo Doo

Three Floyds Brewing Co.   Munster, IN

Notes:

American I.P.A.

22oz Bottle

7.0% ABV

From the bottle:

BrooDoo Harvest Ale is a seasonal ale that glorifies American hops.  BrooDoo is brewed using fresh green “wet” hops picked right from the vine and put into our beer vats, from vine to brew house in 1 day!  BrooDoo also uses the best American malt money can buy.  Enjoy.

Appearance:  Pours a deep golden apricot…fluffy, cloud-like off white head formed and a finger width remains…dense color, not overly transparent, though I can see tons of bubble action when I look close…good looking brew…(4/5)

Smell:  Got earthy/piney hops aroma as I poured it, very hop forward…when I stick my nose in the glass, I get tons of (mouthwatering!) robust earthy/piney/musty/resinous hops mixed with strong caramel/toffee malt aromas…sweet and some mild citrus (orange, mandarin)…it’s nice, but I fear the hops have lost a bit of life over the past few months, leaving the sweet caramel/toffee malt to dominate…side note, I definitely get a little bubblegum, tropical fruitiness from the inside of the bottle…(3.75/5)

Taste:  Much like the nose, wet hops abound…tons of robust/musty/earthy/piney/resinous hops flavor up front followed by sweet caramel malts…the flavor is somewhat robust but not overly exotic or dynamic…this brew certainly doesn’t have the same life that I normally find from FFF…it has their classic sweet/caramel malt flavor, but lacks in the zesty citrus flavors that I normally expect from them…I do get a touch of lemony citrus bitterness, but it’s faint and certainly could be more…rather straight forward and somewhat plain…(3.5/5)

Mouthfeel:  Medium body…medium to frothy carbonation brings a hint of lemon/citrus bitterness…chewy, smooth, a touch dry in the finish…the feel is really the liveliest part of the brew and saves it from mediocrity…(4.25/5)

Overall:  This is a good brew, but I’m sadly thinking it’s lost a step over the last 4 months as Broo Doo wss bottled in October...the hops flavor is not zesty, lively or fresh and barely hangs on to the sweet caramel malts that dominate the flavor at this point…it’s good and drinkable, but just leaves my palate wanting…I’ve had other IPA’s (Clown Shoes Supa Hero being one) that were a bit aged, caramel malt dominant, but where the citrus hops, or any hops for that matter, still were apparent and influential in the overall flavor…I’m a huge fan of Three Floyds and would put that brewery up there with the best and maybe only second to Bell’s (born and raised in MI), but this brew was a bit disappointing…I wouldn’t recommended rushing to the store in Michigan City, IN where I got this from, but I would try it again next fall when it was a lot fresher…(3.5/5)

Score:

(3.78/5)