Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

This is a good beer! It is a lot like DFH 90 minute, but the finish is a bit harsher. This one starts off with an infinitesimal head (I thought it was flat), and it was bursting with hop flavor. Very piny with hints of red grapefruit and tangy citrus. I like it very much, but the finish was too much. I would LOVE to try this fresh at 3 Floyds.

Rerate: Fresh bomber.

Well, drewbeerme heard me bitching about this beer being overrated in some drunken forum post of mine, and he took it upon himself to set me straight. Try it fresh, he said, and a few weeks later - after the most recent release - a bottle arrived on my doorstep. I opened it the next day (had to give it one day to sit after its long journal) and dang if he wasn’t right. I’m not saying this is the best IIPA I’ve ever had and I’m not even saying it deserves its >4.2 rating, but it’s certainly a world-class IIPA that belongs right up there near the top at >4.0. Huge leafy aroma, peppermint, herb, resin - the right amount of malt to balance, maybe a slight vegetal off-taste detracting a notch, not too sweet, alcohol hidden away masterfully, light grapefruit and pineapple and just more of that leafy deliciousness. Very nice. I’ll let this new rating supersede the old one rather than averaging, as this is clearly the state in which the beer is intended to be sampled. Now I really want to try this one fresh on tap!

Original rating 3/5/08. Bottle courtesy of sprinkle -- thanks!

I’m actually a bit disappointed by this one, and some of that is my fault. I should have opened it the moment it arrived on my doorstep, and instead I waited a couple of months. I’d like to try fresh on tap some day. In the meantime, the following is all I can say:

Pours a clear orange with very little head. Perfumy hops on the nose, striking malt presence in the aroma is well. Powerful flavor dominated by soap-and-perfume hops, backed by substantive malts as well. The soap comes on pretty strong, maybe peach/mango flavored soap, but soap nonetheless. And unfortunately this one already showing some oxidization as well. That mars the flavor somewhat, and I’m left with a beer that is definitely burly and enjoyable in that it’s not a too-sweet IIPA -- but it’s a beer that I’m not blown away by. Mouthfeel, at least, is very good with the alcohol not at all apparent. 7% would be entirely believable.

Gotta try it fresh, I guess. 7/4/6/4/15=3.6

Overrated? Hard to tell. Transparent orange, amber color with a thin, creamy, white head. Aroma is more mild than I would have imagined, plenty of citrus, grapefruit, definitely some tropical fruits and peach. Although mild, the aroma was rather unique and no pine aromas that accompany other DIPAs. Flavor has plenty of sweet, subtle malt with toffee and butter flavors at first. Next the hop flavors overwhelm the tongue, grass, grapefruit, grapes, peach, basically any fruit you can think of you can find in the hop flavors - again, a distinct lack of pine and not very resiny. Finish is bitter, but not killer, and the beer has a very full, slightly thick, mouthfeel. Extremely well balanced from nose to finish. For my money though, I’ll take a HopSlam before I’d reach for this.

Not bad, but I tend to like my IPAs a little more toned down on the aftertaste. This is like Two Hearted Ale times 5. It is thicker, hoppier, but I can’t say better. It seems more fruity and floral than other IPA’s I have had and that is what stood out with me. Alcohol is not apparent so that is a big plus with me.

Simply one of the best IPAs around. Like other Three Floyds brews it’s perfectly balanced, with a good waft of pine and citrus, and peach in the nose. Strong, but not overly sweet malt backbone and a pleasing citrus and pine resin finsh.

Pours syrupy, dull faded amber with little head, seemingly undercarbonated. Citrus aroma with the mentioned peach and mango and a hint of meatiness. Rather still on the tongue. Big hop flavor again mostly citrus and tropical fruit. Has some vegetative and metallic notes. Soft palate and perfect bitterness. Little perceived alcohol. Maybe this years not as good as past but i find this to be both over rated and not as good as times I’ve had previously.

Split from a bomber, part of a great trade with StFun. Poured a cloudy orange with a slight head. Might have poured it too cold. "Amethyst," says my buddy Brendan. Floral hoppy aroma, not as powerful as I expected. Taste: Wow... not as overwhelming on the hop end as I expect. Citrusy hops ride atop a very pronounced caramel malt backbone. Extremely well balanced. Alcohol is hidden remarkably well. Very smooth, long lasting finish. Wish I could drink this beer all the time. Addendum: Compared side-by-side with Bells’ Hopslam. The aroma on the Dreadnaught is very different from the the Hopslam’s piney assault -- it has more caramel, toffee notes. The FFF has a lot more body.. Hopslam seems a bit fizzy in comparison.

[Bottle, big thanks to STLWill for sharing] Pours orange-amber with a small off-white head. Aroma is nice, sweet malt and citrusy (mostly tangerine). Taste is caramel malt, a good deal of the citrus again, and quite a bit of bitterness mainly in the long finish. Pretty smooth. A very good beer, but I was left just slightly disappointed. I hope to be able to try this on tap some time. Old rating: 8/3/7/4/16=3.8. Re-rate: [On-tap at Three Floyds] Pours amber with a nice off-white head that leaves good lacing. Nice citrusy nose with a little grassiness as well. Some sulfur after awhile. Big hoppy taste, but solid malt and restrained alcohol. Great mouthfeel, creamy, thick and has a good dry finish.