Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

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

If there are any flaws in this beer, it's the strong aroma and the alcohol taste. There's a nasty pinge in the aroma, probably from the hops, but more tart than bitter. The taste, on the other hand, is outstanding. One of the best beers brewed on this earth.

One huge beautiful bouquet of citrus and evergreen. Followed with an equal assault on the palate. Bitter yet sweet. one great brew.

The nose on this beer reminds of pineapple and orange zest sprinkled with pine bark. The head and lace are lasting and very visually appealing. The palate is full and silky with a wonderful intense flavor of hops. The beer is very tropical in flavor, tastes a lot like exotic fruit juices blended with Pacific Northwest hops. I find the beer to perilously drinkable for its gravity and high hopping rates. The finish maybe my favorite part of the beer, the finish lasts for a good fifteen minutes leaving me with a malty sweet citrus hop bonanza. Overall, I really like this beer because its not just straight forward hop bitterness. This has some finesse for a big beer.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry - courtesy of him. Big thanks to Harry for sharing this one - although I don’t know if having it at the end of a tasting where we were already half in the bag was a great idea, as I paid for it in the morning. Ah well, it was worth it. Orange-amber colour with a small white head. Aroma is hoppy as hell, but holds some really interesting tropical fruit notes (pineapple, mango) and lots of citrus and tea. Mouthfeel is soft and smooth, just luscious. Flavour - oh my lord, this is just so good - citrus, spruce, tea, wood, mild caramel and malt - I can’t believe that flavours can be so big and so well balanced, and can hide the alcohol so damn well. This is a stunning beer. Thanks again, Harry!

7/28/04. Poured out of 22 oz. bottle, bought at Sam’s Wine & Spirits in Chicago, IL 5/21/04. Pours a bright orange amber with fluffy, shimmering, crystalline off-white head (slightly orange-pink in hue) that lingers moderately with interesting patterns of lacing. Nice substantial appearance wtith some heft and a stately glow. Love the hops on this beast. Wonderful aroma, floral and hoppy as hell. Taste is a medley of citrus fruits, mostly orange and grapefruit, but with a unique stone fruit flavor linking the two. Also some resin and sweetly succulent malts. Very nice balance. Slick, full body with a stinging dirty bitter hop bite in the finish, piney with overripe orange and grapefruit pith, and somewhat dry. Extremely smooth mouthfeel and transition from the initial taste to the finish. Wonderfully drinkable. Very sticky on the lips, adding to the suggestions of resin. I have to say, it reminds me a whole lot of the other Three Floyds beers (and that ain’t a bad thing), just ramped up to 11. I’ll take it.

This monster may be brewed to last a voyage around the globe, but the voyager won’t last very long, and may get lost along the way. The trippy bottle, leads to the proper assumption - this beer is a trip. The aroma is heavy on citrus and other light fruit, and less on the floral aspects. The appearance is slightly dark (light/med amber) for an IPA or even a double. Let’s move on to the best part - THE FLAVOR. Savor the Flavor. Flava Flave in is heydey never had so much flavor. This was like sucking the last juice out of a sweet ruby red grapefruit, with the kick of alcohol on the palate to keep you honest. The mystical reputation this beer has is jusified. Just-if-I’d found this sooner...

This beer is one of the most massive I.P.A.s I have ever tried (and I’ve tried a few.) Big up front with a sticky grapefruit hop aroma, the beer grabs hold of your tongue and doesn’t let go. I only wish it was available somewhere in NYC (other than Brewtopia, of course.) Hands down the best in show.

Bottle 22oz bomber - I had the 3 kids tonight and after running around from 4:00 to 8:00 taking them here and there I knew I needed a good brew to relax... This one did not disappoint me! Pours deep amber with a nice half inch fluffy offwhite head that laces very well. An absolutely beautiful pour. Aroma is big pine and citrus hops that I could sniff for hours. Flavor is a beautiful blend of caramel malts and mindblowingly bitter hops that blend together in perfect harmony. On the palate this is very smooth yet full bodied. It has a good dose of both malts and hops. It starts out with some sweet caramel malts that soon get blasted off of the tongue by a great grapefruit hop flavor. I really think that this was hoppier than Ruination, but it is so well backed up by the malts that by the end of the bottle you hardly remember them. The alcohol is covered very well and this is a fantastic brew. I really enjoyed this!