Three Floyds Dreadnaught

Three Floyds Brewing Co.  Munster, IN

Notes:

American Imperial I.P.A.

22oz Bottle

9.5% ABV

99 IBU

Appearance:  Pours an almost amber golden color, very transparent and clean looking…it’ s light golden on the bottom and a dark caramel golden on the top…capped by just off white head about a finger width thick…tons of bubble action in the middle, I can also see some floating sediment…when I swirl it around, the big bubble head tightens up into a nice thick tiny bubble/foamy head, even after a half hour of sitting in my glass…a good lookin’ brew…(4.5/5)

Smell:  Fresh and zesty citrus hops, tons of lemon, grapefruit, mango and pineapple…very tropical without a floral or perfumy tinge...I’m also getting a bit of piney resinous hops aroma as well…balanced nicely by rich caramel malts which hold their own with the freshness of the citrus hops…this is a hop head's dream...(4.75/5)

Taste:  Yum!  Tons of flavor, holy moly!  The first sip is a blast of robust earthy/piney resinous hops flavor and sweet/caramel/toffee malts…it’s a liquid kick to the face…great flavor, pineapple, mango, orange, mandarin also very present…there’s a creaminess to the flavor that is very nice and smoothes out an edge or two…some lemony citrus bitterness shows up towards the end and lightens the mood a bit…it’s a malty IPA for sure, but everything has a genuine freshness that creates an outstanding flavor…as it warms, the alcohol heat becomes more apparent…(4.75/5)

Mouthfeel:  Light to medium body…medium carbonation…robust and chewy, this brings heavy earthy bitterness to the palate and well into the after taste…there is a light citrus bitterness also in the background but fades to the dominance of the robust earthy/piney feel…(4.25/5)

Overall:  This is an outstanding brew, a personal favorite of mine…one part west coast IPA, one part rich caramel, toffee, earthy malt, creating something unique and delectable…it’s definitely a robust I.P.A. and I can feel all of it’s 9.5% ABV, but the flavor is so enjoyable…this is a very popular beer around Chicagoland and I can see why…I highly recommend going to the brew pub/to go store, their beer is much more affordable buying it directly from them…plus you get the freshest product possible…this beer is a leader in the field and should be sought after by hop heads everywhere…if you see this and haven’t tried it or are traveling down 80 through Indiana, this is a must get…a perfect brew to sit back and relax with after a hard day of work or on a sunny day sittin' around on the porch…pick up two of these, one is not enough…(5/5)

Score:

(4.64/5)