3 Floyds Alpha King

 

Alpha King is a great pale ale.

Brewer's notes: The first beer we ever brewed at 3 Floyds back in 1996, Alpha King is a bold and assertive American Pale Ale, utilizing seven different malts to create both balance and complexity. Spotlighting Centennial hops, the beer that started it all features a slight caramel sweetness and pronounced citrus hoppiness.

BeerAdvocate: A bold yet balanced American Pale Ale with slight caramel sweetness and aggressive citrus hoppiness. This is our flagship beer.

68 IBU

Tasting Notes

20260503

Another trip to Indy = another six pack. Yummy! 

Rating = 6 glasses

19 July 2024

The 5th of a six-pack I purchased on a recent trip to Indy prompted me to reiterate what a great beer Alpha King is. Hoppy enough to be an IPA but retains the balance and sweetness of a true pale ale. It may be the best pale ale I have tasted. Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale may rival it. 

Rating = 6 glasses

08 Oct. 2020

I am revising the rating.

Rating = 6 glasses.

13 Sept. 2020

Alpha King is a fantastic pale ale. It balances malty sweetness with subtle hop bite to create a flavorful, complex beer that is good enough to savor but begs to be gulped. It is more English (sweet and balanced) than American (hop-forward). It paired wonderfully with a Tex-Mex carnita burrito covered in enchilada sauce.

Rating = 5 glasses. I need to try another Zombie Dust to decide whether the best rating is 5 or 6.

Lawson's Vermont Strong

Vermont Strong is a wonderful American Pale Ale

Brewer's notes: Vermont is a state we love. Vermont Strong is a benefit brew in support of the many friends and neighbors who have been affected by the catastrophic floods of Summer 2023. This project was created to support the Vermont Community Foundation and their efforts to help our brave little state respond, recover, and build back even stronger.

Make a donation to the Vermont Community Foundation

BeerAdvocate

2312: A can courtesy of ML. I really liked it. A clean hop bite with a pleasant malt backbone. 

Rating = 5 glasses. May change with more tastes.

The Veil Lock Lock, Bend, and No More Flowers

Lock Lock is the Veils take on a West Coast IPA. It is wonderful. A deep bitter bite mellowed with some citrus from double dry hopping. 55 IBU

Brewer's notes: 6.5% ABV, 55 IBU. Lock Lock is a DDH West Coast-inspired IPA hopped with Citra, Centennial and Simcoe. Clean, crispy and relatively dry with flavors orange fruit cups and Juicy Juice.

Rating = 6 glasses

Bend is the Veil's take on an American Pale Ale. Some sweet, some bitter, and some dry hopping. 40 IBU.

Brewer's notes: 5% ABV. Bend returns! Our American Pale Ale hopped with CTZ, Amarillo, Citra, and Cascade hops. Brewed with a clean American yeast strain, a light touch of caramel malt, and flaked oats. Very fruit-forward with resin oil and hoppy orange-blossom flavors.

Rating = 3.5 glasses

No More Flowers is the Veil's take on Kolsch. It is the best example of the style I have had. I think it too is dry hopped. The dry hopping adds some citrus and complexity to what is a sweet malt-forward beer.

Brewer's notes: 5.2% ABV. No More Flowers is our Kolsh-inspired beer. Clean and crispy from weeks of lagering with a distinct soft and delicate ester profile balanced by a light German Tettnang hop addition. Quaffable notes of spring flowers and lemon poppy seed loaf.

Rating = 5 glasses

Why my head hurt this morning

Nov. 14, 2022

I started with a Great Lakes Oktoberfest.

I also drank a Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue. Pseudo Sue is a hazy American pale ale. Nice balance of sweet and hazy hop flavor. A titch understated imo.

Rating = 4 glasses, well below its standing on Beer Advocate. My aversion to hazy continues.

Bell's Third Coast Ale

Nov. 14, 2022

Another bottle with about 6 years of age. A delightful combination of brown sugary malt, hop bitterness, and a tiche of sour from somewhere. 

Rating = 6 glasses (and thought about 6.5).

Aug 25, 2019

With second dessert I drank a Bell's Third Coast Ale, an American barleywine. The bottle was relatively fresh. Brown sugar flavor but not sweet. The aftertaste was sort of sour. I think this beer gets better with age. Ratings based on beers aged about 4 years = 6 glasses. Previous review. Today,

Rating = 5 glasses.

3 Floyds Zombie Dust

10 Oct. 2020
Still yummy but I am downgrading the rating to 5 glasses. I prefer Alpha King's sweetness.

Rating = 5 glasses.

07 Sept. 2020
Zombie Dust is a wonderful example of American pale ale: nicely balanced but not sweet, with loads of pleasant hop flavor and bitterness. Yummy.  

Currently ranked #1 American pale ale on BeerAdvocate and #35 overall. 

Rating = 6 glasses.

Alewerks Chesapeake Pale Ale

Chesapeake Pale Ale is a nice pale ale. It is balanced, flavorful, and quaffable.

Rating = 4 glasses.

Back Bay Nothing Better to Do

Nothing Better to Do is a double dry hopped American Pale Ale. It is all about the hops and reminds me more of a session IPA. I think it needs for malt and body.

Rating = 2 glasses.

Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale

Brewer: Sierra Nevada

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (1010) Slight sweetness up front followed by wonderful bite - a tiche of resin and a tiche of pine. (0811) Another fine bottle. Nothing too strong: tamer than the description that follows. (0810) Sweet malt w/ resiny musty hops. Very nice. (0710) A 24 oz. bottle. Resiny, musty hops. May rate a 5, but it is the best example of American Pale Ale. My tastes have changed. Upgraded from a 1. (????) Well crafted but too much pine

Comment: This is a seasonal release (Fall) that uses fresh hops. Sierra Nevade trys to use them the day that they are picked.

Top 100: 29 December 2005

Previous ratings: 1 glass

Rating: 6 glasses

Summer Ale

Brewer: St. George

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (1006) English style pale ale.

Rating: 2 glasses

Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale

Brewer: Sierra Nevada

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (1006) Nice hoppy pale ale. Upgraded from 3 and may rate 5. (0805) A English version of an APA? Nice. Lacks bite of the regular harvest ale.

Rating: 4 glasses

Pride and Joy

Brewer: Three Floyds

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: See previous review.

Rating: 5 glasses

Dale's Pale Ale

Brewer: Oskar Blues Style: Pale Ale Tasting notes: (1103) A 6-pack from Best Value. A bit musty. Thought about a downgrade to 3 glasses. (1004) On Draft @ Water Grill. Hoppy with a little funny sour taste. I wondered if the line was clean. (0910) On draft @ Joe's Inn. A nice, hoppy, pale ale. It blurs the line between pale ale and IPA. Thought about upgrading to 5 glasses. (0806) 3rd of the 6. Downgraded from 5. Tastes "tinny". (0806) 2 from a 6er. Some piney hops. Good but not great. Downgraded to 5 and thought about a 4. (0805) A can from CK. Very pleasant. A little tiche of sweet malt, a nice dose of hops. Very drinkable. May rate a 5 based on taste but gave it a 6 for the style and drinkability. Would be a wonderful session beer. Rating: 4 glasses

Pale Ale

Beer: Pale Ale

Brewer: Sierra Nevada

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: Ditto as previous review.

Rating: 4 glasses

Red Seal Ale

Beer: Red Seal Ale

Brewer: North Coast

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (0908) A bottle as a Bday gift. Nicely balanced red ale. Close call but downgraded to 4 glasses. (0803) Another bottle @ Avalon. Nice, malty, easy drinking pale ale. Upgraded from 4. (0612) As bottle warms pine begins to dominate. (0608) A bottle at Avalon. A nice balance of malt and hops.

Note: BeerAdvocate now classifies the beer as a Red Ale.

Rating: 4 glasses

Full Nelson

Beer: Full Nelson

Brewer: Blue Mountain

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (1012) On draft @ Joe's Inn. A wonderful pale ale, Crisp hops w/ nice malt balance. Better than SNPA. Upgraded from 3 glasses to 5! (0905) On draft @ brewery. Made w/ hops grown @ the brewery. A nice pale ale. May rate 4 glasses.

Comment: The brewery is located in or near Nelson County in VA.

Previous rating: 3 glasses

Rating: 5 glasses

Four recent beers: Clipper City Loose Cannon, SNPA, SN ESB, and Ommegang Rare Vos

Beer: Heavy Seas Loose Cannon
Brewer: Clipper City
Style: Double IPA
Tasting notes: A malty brew balanced with a nice dose of floral and orange hops. Previous review.
Rating: Recommended without reservation
Beer: Pale Ale
Brewer: Sierra Nevada
Style: Pale Ale
Tasting notes: (7) Some bottles from a 6-pack purchased in Mathews. Good beer. Easy to drink with enough flavor to be interesting and sippable. (6) My appreciation of the beer continues to grow. Simpler than downgrading several 4's and 3's. (5) Sweet caramel malt up front nicely balanced w/ hop bit at end. (4) "Ummm, beer!" The perfect beer when you want a "beer"? (3) 1st of a 12-pack. Good beer. Easy to drink with enough flavor to be interesting and sippable. Nice balance of sweet and bitter. (2) A draft and a bottle @ 2 different restaurants. The draft was quite tasty. A solid choice. (1) A good beer with a relatively wide distribution in restaurants.
Rating: Recommended with qualifications

Beer: Rare Vos
Brewer: Ommegang
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
Tasting notes: The notes on the label are spot on: mellow, fruity, and elusively spicy. Light fruits up front with a pineapple/ginger tanginess that lingers on the tongue. Went well with pork tenderloin w/ chutneyand pineapple and apples w/ fontina cheese.
Rating: Recommended without reservation

Beer: ESB
Brewer: Sierra Nevada
Style: Extra Special Bitters/Beer
Tasting notes: (3) Easy drinking and flavorful w/ a nice bitters finish. (2) Noticed a roasty malt. (1) Great w/ food; great in gulps. Previous review.
Rating: Recommended without reservation.

Friday night: Legend Golden Ale and Victory Old Horizontal

Beer: Golden Ale
Brewer: Legend
Style: Pale Ale
Tasting notes: On draft @ Joe's Inns. A tiche sweet, w/ a funny finish. I wondered if the line was clean. Not much hop.
Rating: Poor. (This may be too harsh; but, I did not want any more.)

Beer: Old Horizontal
Brewer: Victory
Style: American Barleywine
Tasting notes: (5) 4.25 year-old bottle. Ditto. (4) 3.75 years before best before date, 1.25 or 2.25 years old. Caramel malt, some dark fruits, a sour/bitter hop bite at end. (Too) easy drinking - Old Aleish. (3) A fresh one I think. Much tamer. Some sweet malt and then some bitter hops. Hot alchohol. Needs more kick. (2) About 1.25 years old. Wonderful sweet malt up front - English barleywine style. Then a deep, bitter, slightly sour bite at end that lingers. All this with an alcohol blast. (1) A bottle dated about 9 months ago. Lots of malt and bitter hops. Finish has a sour and "hot" (alcohol?) taste. I think it will improve with age wonderfully.
Top 100: 29 December 2005. (Not 10 March 2007 or 03 April 2009.)
Rating: Recommended with qualifications

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Bass, Founders Breakfast Stout, Leffe Blonde, and Legend Brown Ale

Beer: Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

Brewer: Sierra Nevada

Style: American Barleywine

Tasting notes: Yummy. Muted hops. Vanilla.

Previous reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4

Comments: It is a screamer when fresh and gets better with age.

Dates on which reviewers at Beeradvocate.com rated it as one of the top 100 beers on the planet: 29 December 2005. (Not 10 March 2007 or 30 January 2009.)

Rating: Top 10ish

Beer: Pale Ale

Brewer: Bass

Style: English Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (2) Light, refreshing, and a tiche bland. (1) Easy drinking, light, lemon-fruity, spicy w/ touch of hops, and a slight sour twang. Would be an nice summer quencher.

Rating: Good

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Beer: Breakfast Stout

Brewer: Founders

Style: Imperial Stout

Tasting notes: A complex and well made beer but not my style.

Previous review

Dates on which reviewers at BeerAdvocate rated the beer as one of the top 100 on the planet: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 20 December 2008.

Rating: Good

Beer: Blonde

Brewer: Leffe

Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (3) Blonde w/ clove. Something between a belgian pale ale, a hefe, and a wit. Doesn't hit the mark. (2) Yeasty and wheaty. (1) Balanced with many subtle flavors - a little sweet, thick mouthfeel, some orange. Easy drinking and pleasant.

Rating: Good

Beer: Brown Ale

Brewer: Legend

Style: Brown Ale

Tasting notes: (2) 2 pints recently @ Joe's Inn. Pleasant - a tiche of roasted sweet malt followed by a touch of bite. A decent option in restaurants. (1) A glass on tap on 14th. Reminded me of a stout w/ a weak body.

Rating: Average

Three Floyds Pride and Joy

Three Floyds Pride and Joy is delightful. Floral citrus hops are nicely balanced w/ a tiche of sweet malt. It is a wonderful "small" beer.

The classification for the beer is ambiguous. The brewer states that it is an interpretation of a Dark Mild Ale. BeerAdvocate classifies it as American Pale Ale. I think APA fits best.

Dinner Party

I tasted 3 beers @ a dinner party last Friday: Michelob Pale Ale, Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout, and Sierra Nevada BigFoot Barleywine Style Ale. The Loves came to celebrate Emily's birthday with us.

Michelob Pale Ale was better than I remembered. A passable and pleasant Pale Ale.

Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout was a tasty treat. The smoke and chocolate flavors accompanied well flank steak and formed a fantastic combination w/ cinnamon gelati ice cream.

Sierra Nevada BigFoot Barleywine Style Ale formed the nightcap. The bottle I drank was just under 3 years old. This bottle had lost some of its earlier aggression and the body seemed weaker than I remembered. It is still a tasty flavorful treat. Piney bitter hops drive the taste and they are balanced by a strong malt backbone.

SNBFBW a great example of an American Barleywine. A fresh one is a flavor explosion caused by a collision of a massive malt backbone and two tons of bitter northwest hops. Reviewers on BeerAdvocate rated SNBFBW as one of the top 100 beers on the planet on 29 December 2005. It goes great with sticky sweet desserts like carrot cake with creamy icing.

SNBFBW occupies a significant portion of my cellar. It is released early each year. I have bottles from 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. With age the hops become more mellow and the malt emerges and evolves. Reviewers report that port and chocolate flavors emerge over time. I hope to test for the presences of these flavors thoroughly myself in the coming years.