Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

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

One of the top three IIPAs I’ve ever had. Great grapefruit and citrus floral aroma whets the appetite. Great cloudy brooding color, seems to be roiling and churning in the glass. Tastes of intense hops (citrus and pine) with a sweet malty undertone. Great bitter finish, but never out of control or over the top. These guys know what they’re doing. (Sampled fresh at the brewery tasting room.)

Wow! I finally had a chance to sample the vaunted Dreadnaught Imperial IPA, and I have to say it lives up to the ratings. Bottle (from a trade with Marinaro500 thanks dude!). Poured thick and deep amber, slightly hazy and cleared as it warmed up. Off white head lingered and left some lacing. The aroma is amazing, rich, heavy malts, pine and citrus hops and lots of 'em. Flavor is about as close to heaven as I can imagine. Really amazing combination of sweet, thick, roasted maltiness, honey, gluten, with a twist your tongue and pucker your lips hoppiness and a lingering finish that defies description. Mouthfeel is almost syrupy, smooth and round with the right amount of carbonation. This is my first Three Floyds and I love it. Stone Ruination (which is readily available to me) is close to this, but doesn't quite hit the same mark. I want more!!!

Finally, I come to the big boy. Have been waiting along time for this one since I am quickly becoming a hop-head. Decent sized off-white head of fine bubbles with the light carbonation. Succulent aroma. Not as hoppy as I though. Some grapefruit and a bit of spruce. Decent malt balance in the aroma though. Usually an imperial is dominated by hops in the nose and you can barely detect the malts. Color is a slightly cloudy dark orange. Wow. Nice malt backbone. The dominant note in this beer is the malt and not the hops. Hops are still there but act to enhance the experience. Smooth and creamy in the mouth with a touch of orange, butter and pine. ALcohol presence also and warms slightly as it goes down. Crisp and slightly bitter. Long bitter, resinous finish. Not as clean as some of the other IIPA’s which give the brew it’s long finish. One of the best balanced IIPA’s I have ever had. Great big thanks to bunkypop and joe (romero?) for this gem.

A step beyond Stone’s 5th and regular IPAs into the maelstrom that is excessive hop presence and incredibly sweet thick malt. Positively resinous...sticks to the side of the glass. Very fresh and piney tasting. Did I say thick? Grapefruit, yes, pine, yes, but also...pure cane sugars? I dunno...did I say it was thick? Positively gelatinous. And thick. Thanks hopsrus for this wild wooly treat. Thick and sweet and bitter monster of an ale.

22 oz bottle. Slightly hazy orange body with a big creamy head. Aroma is citrus hoppy – lots of it! Flavor is of course hoppy but also very well balanced fruity and malt. A great experience that clearly shows it’s possible to make fine beers at extreme IBU. Enjoyable.

Amber-orangeish color, with a fluffy white, leaving laces, candied orange peel nose with a nice apricot flowery hop accent, with some cedary, coniferous, resiny pine niddle notes and a hint of hemp leafiness in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a yeasty, toasty malt, candied apricot, orange peel, marmalade character, than wow!! a nice flowery hop lush conefirous, cedary, resiny, pine niddle flavor, kind concentrated hoppy pallet , but well balanced with a mellow sweetness, leading towards a citrus, lemony, lime, cedary, leafy hop bitterness finish.

Bottle. Nice garnet bottle with minimal head. Has flavor notes of lemon, hops, pine, bitterness, citrus, and grapefruit. Nice velvety soft mouthfeel. Very good balance of malt and hops. Overall very mellow and enjoyable. Big thanks to BBB63 via Kevin for this.

Dreadnaught. The word conjurs up images of a powerful battleship. At least it does to me. The HMS Dreadnaught. Big. Fast. Potent. Making all warships before it obsolete. Massive. Impressive. Deadly. A flagship. Well, Folks, that’s what this brew from Three Floyds is. Pouring hazy amber from bottle conditioning, foamy off-white head. The aroma is intensly grapefruit/hops. Any other notes are inconsequential. Sniff and enjoy. Intoxicate your nose. Move on to sipping. The feel in the mouth is rich and creamy and full. Slight tingle. And the flavor. Hops. Grapefruit. Intense. All guns blazing. Knocks you on your ass. Delicious. The flagship for IPAs. Oh, yes, I do like this beer. Dreadnaught rules the IPAs.