Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Munster, Indiana USA

Bottle. Amber color. Outstanding aroma, sweet with strong citric, piney and peppery hops. Some aromas of grain, straw and alcohol in the background. The sweetness and the strong american hops continue in the flavor. Finishes bittersweet with piney and peppery hops. Excellent, could be dryer though.

Bottle. A hazy amber glow with an off-white head. The aroma has an intense grapefruit and fresh pine nose. Thick, sweet, chewy, warming, bitter, vinous, carmal, honey and hop fueled delightful flavor. Overwhelmingly rich and not in the last bit harshly bitter. Rating number 1,400, thanks to hopscotch for the trade.

I’ve been a fan of Three Floyds since my taste buds first became acquainted with the flavor of Alpha King. Now, I am happy to have concluded a 22oz. server of another of their fine, over-the-top, wham-bam-thank-YOU, ma’m brews, the delicious, the delirious, the damnedfine Dreadnaught IPA. On first cracking the crown, a heavy waft of fruit invades the atmosphere, though the bottle and glass are both held at arm’s length. Appearance: a bright, beautiful ruby red, with a good, fluffy, creamy head. Aroma: bows to no one. Sharp pine resin, grapefruit, spruce?, tar, citrus fruit, and that’s it, but that’s quite an it, and IT’S in full effect, y’all. An invasion of flavor, an armada embarking it’s onslaught upon every sensory receptor open and ready to receive. Tasty fruitiness recurrs with every sip, rewarding the drinker anew, long-lasting finish, almost sticking in the throat and taking up residence permanently on the palate. Malt is nearly an even match for hops, almost, barely, but at least they provide quite sufficient ballast and body that makes this quite a drinkable brew. Fruit factor turns a trifle sweet after a time, but hop bitterness is always at hand to combat it. This would count among the list of beers to spoil myself to death with, if I were so inclined, and were capable of...I’ll have another, and another, and a..whoops! too much! But, to quote Louis Jordan, "I’ll die happy!"

Medium orange color, not a whole lot in the way of head. The aroma is concentrated hops, filled with grapefruit, peaches, spruce, and pineapple. The flavor revolves around pineapple, along with some grapefruit and pine sap. The malt, although not strong, is still enough to keep the hops from becoming overly brutal. Very nicely done, with surprising complexity of flavor. I think I prefer the Ruination overall, although this beer is probably a tad more of a subtle sledgehammer.

09.20.04 Yeeehhaaaa!!!! Bomber thanks to Joe (Marinaro500)...I’m enjoying this tonight as one third of a personal IIPA fest to celebrate the Eagles/Vikings Monday night game. Brilliant orange-golden glow; light head for the style. Aroma is a sweet hopfest of sugar coated orange and grapefruit slices dipped in pine sap. Light hints of cotton candy and blueberry. Body is a thick, sweet, and soft mouth full, sharply bitter. Nice, fresh bready and sweet malts. Big time hops make the mouth numb, the gums tingle.

The thing I like most about this marvelous beer is the thought that if this is the best, then I’m not missing much. This is great, but I can’t see much, if any, jump over the other great examples of the style: Smutty Big A, GD Hercules, Stone Ruination, DFH 90min...they’re all great in their own way. This one’s mark is made by it’s velvet mouthfeel, but I could easily find something better in all of the other great IIPAs. That’s not a bad thing at all. Thanks Joe!

22 oz. bottle, golden orange color with small soapy head, delicious aroma of fruit spice citrus and evergreens, great body and great hop finish

Bottle. Utterly massive grapefruit nose noticeable from cap removal, sweet and fruity with hoppy hints of resin and pine. Beautiful amber orange body, but all traces of head are gone after about three seconds. Delicious hopbitter taste; very bitter, all the way through, but hoppy-sticky and certainly bearable. Hops, hops, hops. Pine, touch of flowers, citrus, and light alcohol. Monstrously thick body, not so much oily as undiluted essence of hop. Very dry, long finish. Amazingly, I taste something like 40-50 IBUs instead of 100 [a Jever tastes bitterer], and the beer has a unique rounded character - it’s something greater than merely its ingredients - a truly original synthesis. This is artistic, cultivated hop juice, a sort of legendary ambrosia, the object of doubting whispers and blissful, neverending dreams. It’s not as complex as, say, an Andechser, but it is a masterful creation, and it may very well be the best of its style.

This is an intensely sensual and marvelous beer, especially when fresh. Gorgeous deep apricot body with nice alluring viscosity, thick frothy cream-colored head, and flaky floating particulates. Thick heavy lacing; almost filmy. Unparalled aroma. Smells like candy for grown-ups. Includes vanilla bean, flowers, buttery caramel, cognac, grapefruit citrus and stone fruit. Although there are hops all over this mother, it’s astonishingly smooth and mellow considering the IBU’s and alcohol content. If you have regular access to this beer, consider yourself blessed.