Three Floyds Alpha King

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Munster, Indiana USA

12oz bottle from archer liquors poured into a pint glass. *updated with a fresh bottle from DLD ’09* pours a very pleasing yet slightly cloudy copper/ruby color with a thin white head and good lacing. aroma is best described as pure, extremely fresh hops with subtle notes of orange, lemon rind, grapefruit, and sweet apricots and peaches with a background of caramel and nutty sweetness. flavor was simply delicious. lovely hoppy bitterness and citrus up front with flavors of orange peel, lime, and grapefruit, with subtle peach and cherry notes. perfectly balanced with a malt bitterness and nutty flavors of walnut and pecan and a long, dry, floral hop finish. palate was very smooth with great carbonation. overall, the best APA i’ve tasted and a finely crafted, well balanced beer that is incredible when fresh.

Bottled. Pours a clear bronze colour with a thin white head that dissolves quickly. Big aroma of pine and spruce hops. Wow much more malt than expected in the flavour and great balance with the bitter hop finish. This is a phenomenal APA and I would gladly purchase again.

Nice dark copper color. No head in the snifter. Very hoppy aroma. Floral and pleasant. A rich sweetness as well. Somewhat piney. Flavor is outstanding. Nice and fully balanced. Bitterness is richly blended with a mellow caramel like sweetness. Delightful hops. Well done.

Bottle: Pours deep copper with a thick lasting tan head. Nicely aromatic- piny hops with lots of grapefruit, soft caramel sweetness on the back and some lychee. Chewy and creamy feel. Has a great rounded, clean caramel malt sweetness which is balanced by a solid grapefruit citrus sharpness and a long, drying piny bitterness in the finish. This is an awesome APA, with near no flaws.

bottle. Pours a nice clear copper body with a soft off white head. Nose is full of sweet caramel malts and toasted nuts, with deeper notes of citrus peel and grapefruit coming in later.

Enjoyed often by bottle and tap, but never got around to rating it. One of the benchmarks of the style enjoyed on tap at the DogFloydApalooza at the Bottom Lounge, Chicago. By the pint ,with a clear,amber/orange hue and decent white head and good lacing. Aroma is dry and more citrus (orange and grapefruit) than piney but both are potent. A hint of floral essence completes the nose. These follow into the flavor with some nice, malty sweetness that balances well with the everpresent hop bitterness. Again potent, but refreshing!

Aroma started off rather weak but picked up a little bit. Nice orange appearance, obviously filtered. Great bitter flavor. Lots of grapefruit that has a nice long finish. All in all, one of the top 3 IPA’s I’ve ever had.

A ruddy copper, hazy, with good carbonation. Smells intensely of hops from the Northwestern US -- very citrusy and piney. Tastes like an IPA but without the bitterness (it’s still quite bitter, however). Like their Gumballhead, this beer is heavily hopped for flavor and aroma. Quite possibly the best Pale Ale I’ve ever had, it perfeclty captures the essence of the style. There’s enough malt to back up the hops and the intensity almost cloys at your mouth as it lingers on. Tastes like oranges, grapefruit, and resiny candy. Some caramel nuttiness is also present. If only I could have another!