Three Floyds Alpha Naught (2008)

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Munster, Indiana USA

Just tried this at 3F brewpub. 6% alc by volume according to the menu. Served in an 8oz glass. Seemed very light and thin. Aroma was of citrus style american hops, and i love that about it. Flavor was also pretty good, though not great as it was a bit lacking on the malt backing. It had no real mouthfeel or body to it. Overall I thought it was pretty good though not great. Well worth the try.

gtmw 08.... semi-transparent golden yellow pour with a moderate soapy white head....earthy/grassy hops in the nose. very much more subdued and held-back than what i was expecting.... flavors of sweet earthy, pine resiny hops adding a nice bitterness in the finish. very easy drinking. i went back for more than one sample of this.

Tap GTMW 2008 Wow, one of the best of the fest. Aroma was huge passion fruit and hoppiness. I also get some spiciness. Taste is citric, crisp, bright hoppiness. Finishes dank and resinous. Awesome.

On tap at Three Floyds. Absolutely headless golden yellow, still, clear. The nose is huge with hops. Gummy bears really. Fruity tropical hops, less pineapple than gummy bear. Maybe some small aspirin. The mouthfeel is still, but not watery. The flavors are absolutely popping. Big bad hops over a just strong enough malt, with a bit of caramel, but mostly not descript malty sweetness. The hops are again tropical fruits, but mostly gummy bears. Lingering hop bite. Lovely. I’ve love to see this bottled!

Small sample, on tap at Great Taste of the Midwest. Consumed on 8-9-2008. Pours an effervescent, hazy gold. Lemon, lime, and salt combine to create a great, Sprite-like aroma. Really nice, citrus and pine-hoppy taste. Medium to full body. Crisp and sharp on the palate. Delicious and refreshing. One of my favorites of the festival.

at any rate, i found this to be a wildly good alternative to dreadnaught. the fruit in the nose and flavor was overwhelming and highly welcomed! this very really excellent and they need to bottle it asap! while dreadnaught just clobbers you with bitterness, the bitterness here is tempered with the FFF citrus in a form that its never been seen before in. this is definately worthwhile!

Draft at the brewpub. I’m a little confused here, the ABV listed at the brewpub was 6%. Poured a dark deep golden hue with orange notes that was slightly hazed. Small head that laces, but doesnt really stick around that well. Magical apple juice, perhaps? Aromas are largely hops, pine and citrus dominate as the malt profile is almost indiscernable. Initial is hoppy, pine and citrus with a floral nose, touches of grapefruit and zest. Balanced by some nice sweet malts that aren’t assertive enough to handle the hops in my book. A very nice hopped beer, but hops don’t win ratings anymore. Would drink again, but I’d like a little clarification on what the ABV is for this beer. I think I’d rate it higher if it actually was a 6% beer. Otherwise, it kinda moved back to the center of the pack so to speak.

Draft at FFF. Poured light amber with a sturdy cream head that produced significant residual lacing. Aroma was the slightest whiff of sweet malt and a LOT of hops. Resiny pine, grass, citrus, floral - you name it, it was there. The hop profile in the flavor was equally balanced, but there certainly wasn’t the typical malt sweetness to bail you out. Anesthetizes the taste buds about halfway through the glass, so probably a better choice for ending a tasting session rather than starting one. (Like I unfortunately did.) Much lighter body than expected. Definitely feel lucky for the opportunity to try this one.