RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Free State C3 IPA


 Percentile 
98
overall
Brewed by Free State Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA

Lawrence, Kansas USA

bottling
unknown

on tap
available

Local Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |

 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
453.98/5.03.83/5.07.8%87.4Snifter, Tulip
View Statistics  P 

Commercial Description:
The latest evolution in beer styles has come from the West Coast where they don't believe that there is such a thing as 'too much hops'! The style is Imperial IPA and ours features 3 very potent American hop varieties, Columbus, Chinook and Cascade - hence the name C3. Hops are added at just about every stage of the process from the mash all the way through to a very generous 'dry hop'. This beer needs a lot of strength to support all those hops so note the high Original Gravity. O.G. - 19.85P/1082. Hops - 95 IBUs. (theoretical)
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 pantanap (1323), Chicago, Illinois, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/515/20
Aug 13, 2009  
gtmw09...pours a mostly clear apple cider brown with a medium white head... aroma has an abundance of tropal and floral hops... flavors are more of a dank green hop but it was all pretty nice. good balance, very drinkable and tasty....why am i giving out so many 3.8s?!


 topherh (878), Kearney, Missouri, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/517/20
Aug 11, 2009  
On tap at the brewery. Pours a slightly hazy orange with a moderate white head. Big hoppy aroma with lots of maltiness. Flavor is very balanced with lots of hoppy bitterness and caramel malt to make it very enjoyable.


randolphjj (88), Raymore, Missouri, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/105/516/20
Aug 8, 2009  
Punchy! Nice citrusy nose on this one that follows up well with bitter hops and a velvety mouthfeel. A little caramel on the back end as well. Nicely done IPA.


 Harsebrau (164), Kansas City, Missouri, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/516/20
Aug 2, 2009  
Poured from G’s growler in his kitchen and enjoyed from his living room. E running the remote control truck like a pro. Back to the beer... Appropriate aroma for a double IPA - strong hop, candy grass and citrus hiccup. Dark gold with an apricot hue. Due to the growler the head was faint. Flavor-wise it is quite good but less punch than expected for a double/Imperial. Round on the tongue with fruit. I feel good.


Grizzle (44), Lawrence, Kansas, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/516/20
Aug 2, 2009  
Tap -> Growler -> English Pint glass. Celebrating the July 27th birthday of Papa Larry and the Aug. 10th birthday of mine with the folks, the sibling & his family, and my family. Pours a dark apricot amber, with a slight haze, and lt. brown head. Smells of hops, but not as hoppy as would be expected by the C3. Very balanced hops, grass, and citrus. Tastes the same, plus "something sweet." Great beer with some funk and presents. As James Brown said, "I feel nice."


 kp (8400), Woodstock, Georgia, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/515/20
Apr 2, 2009  

Date: February 25, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Appearance: hazy copper, fine beige head
Aroma: sweet caramel and crystal malt aroma
Flavor: sweet malt flavor with a good combination of crystal and caramel sweetness, lots of balancing hops, touch of fruity orange and tangerine, touch of peppery alcohol along with other spicyness, light bitterness
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4


 beastiefan2k (1590), Lawrence (formely NYC), Kansas, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/515/20
Feb 28, 2009  
I hate to be that guy, and then again, am I drinking a completely different beer. Or is everyone enamored with Free State so much that they are too biased by the old ratings? Either way, this beer is extremely overrated, as far as I am concerned. Tap at the 20th Anniversary celebration. Color is clear amber. Aroma is thick with yeastiness (dough) and lots of sweet biscuit malts. All this really hides the cube-ness of their hoppiness. The hops come off sticky and there is too much residual sweetness. This is mimicked in the flavor as it becomes a bit cloying for me. Its also very candy-like in the mix of residual sugars and hops. Its fine as an IPA but nothing special, I’ll take the Copperhead any day.


 Gregis (1132), Shawnee, Kansas, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Feb 21, 2009  
On tap for the 20th Anniversary/Birthday celebration. Ah the elusive C3 IPA. After two years of visiting Free State, I finally get the chance to try this highly regarded beer. It pours a cloudy dark amber-orange with a creamy beige head that laces nicely. The nose is a big hit of "C" hops (shocker, given the name) with an emphasis on the grapefruit, backed by a sweet caramel/pale malt in support. On the light side of medium-bodied with a slick mouthfeel, it transitions to a controlled but tongue-squeezing bitter finish; remarkably drinkable this beer has the potential to be quite dangerous. The flavor is of solid grapefruit and piny hop notes blended with a pale malt backing, transitioning to a lingering bitter finish. Unlike many IIPA,s this beer actually seems to become more bitter as it warms. This is easily the best brewpub IPA that I have sampled.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5

What's Your Opinion?
Tell us what you think of this beer. Start your free RateBeer account now.
» Click here.

More Imperial/Double IPAs

Russian River Pliny the Younger (4.26)

Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA (4.25)

Russian River Pliny the Elder (4.22)

Bells Hopslam (4.16)

AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale (4.12)

Valley Brew Uberhoppy Imperial IPA (4.1)

Alpine Beer Company Exponential Hoppiness (4.06)

Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA (4.06)

Stone Ruination IPA (4.05)

Bells The Oracle DIPA Ale (4.02)

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA (4.02)

Pizza Port Hop 15 (4.01)

Goose Island Imperial IPA (4)

Pizza Port Lou P. Lin (3.97)

Marin Eldridge Grade White Knuckle Double IPA (3.96)


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC