Three Floyds Alpha King

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

Nice looking pour with bubbly head. Very citrusy (in particular grapefruit) aroma screams HOPS at you without even taking a sip. Flavor is very strong hops from beginning to finish. Some light caramel malts try to stand up to the intense hops, but didn’t have quite enough backbone to stand up; flavor was enjoyable nevertheless. Bitterness lasts long after the drink is over. This beer was incredible on the palate...unlike any other Pale Ale I’ve ever consumed. I would consider this a very good drink, but not excellent (but I’m not really a true hophead). As a side note, the hop bitterness loses a bit of its edginess with a bit of warming...

I have the honor of entering the 1000th rating of this highly regarded American pale. Bottle purchased at Crown #15 in Fishers, IN. It pours a deep copper with a few floaties and a thin, creamy, beige head that leaves behind patchy lacing. The nose is sublime: a perfect balance of big citrus, light pine and earthy hops along with a solid, sweet malt backing that smells of candy sugar. Quite nice. The mouthfeel is medium-full bodied and slick with a controlled bitter hop finish. The flavor is big piny, citric and resinous hops along with a solid, moderately sweet malt backing. While lingeringly bitter at the finish, the malt backing is such a perfect match that the balance of flavors is seamless. This is an amazingly flavorful beer for one so quaffable. Each sip compels you to take another. I can see myself drinking these one after another until I go blind, pass out, or see God. If I lived in Indiana or the Chicagoland area, this would be, without question, my staple beer.

stong hoppy intese nose of beautiful cascade flowers. nice citrus grapefruit cut grass feel on the pallate. smooth and silky. a solid pale ale probably almost more of an american ipa.

The second or third time I’ve had this and, boy, have I changed my mind. The super-aggressive hops are pretty unpleasant. The citrus in palate is more like bitter pith. I’d have to be in the right mood for this one to go down.

Bottle thanks to drewbeerme. Poured a deep amber color with a nice off-white head. Aroma of grapefruit and hops. The balance on this beer is spot on. A nice, spicey malt backbone greets you and leads you into a fruity hop hit that tingles your tongue. Very smooth beer. My first Three Floyds beer, and hopefully not my last. Very good.

[Bottle] Pours dark amber with a long-lasting, light tan head. Surprisingly thick with a medium-long finish. Excellent. Malt and fruity (grapefruit and something else) hops blend nicely in the aroma. Also, a small amount of spice appears as it warms. Fruitiness was more pronounced when cold, but as it warmed the caramel malt took control up front yielding to the grapefruit hops towards the end. The finish is citrusy and bitter. My first Three Floyds product, and it was very well done, especially the mouthfeel which is amazingly thick.

(bottle) Pours a dark copper with a lingering white head, that leaves a nice lacing on the glass, just a great appearance. Aroma is wonderful, very fruity with grapefruit and lychee with some slight floral notes too. As it warms however, a spice-like character develops and complements the fruity aroma. The taste is amazing, very fruity initially, somewhat like an ambrosia salad, with a lot of pineapple in the forefront with lingering hop bitterness that lasts forever. Upon warming caramel is thrown into the mix, and perfectly complements the fruity flavors. The mouthfeel on this beer is great, thick and chewy, by far the thickest APA I’ve ever had. This beer is the perfect example of an APA.

Damn I like this beer. Sampled at the Map Room in Chicago. Fresh, citrus hops attack the nose luring you into the first blissful sip. Splendid malty backbone over which a blanket of hops has been scattered. Many IPA/APA’s are more bitter. None impress me as much as this.