And Rabid Rabbit is an intense beer…sort of. Perhaps it’s just not intense in the ways one might expect. Is it hoppy? No sir. Is it malty? Umm, not really. Is it heavy? …ish… Is it light? In color, yes. What IS it?

Well, in a word…yeasty; quite possibly the “yeastiest” beer I have ever encountered.

Let’s count the signs, shall we? It’s a cloudy, translucent liquid (1). It smells like bread…pungently so (2). It tastes like you poured a packet of yeast in your mouth (3). And that about proves my point.

Ok, so the beer does have some nuance. In keeping with the style, it possesses a creamy mouthfeel despite the high carbonation. It pairs its yeastiness with a peppery spiciness and tangy finish. And I’ll be darned if it isn’t one of the driest beers you’ll ever come across. Ever wondered what it would be like to have all the moisture sucked from your tongue? A few sips of this and you’ll be well on your way to finding out. Finally, it subtle-ly tricks you into believing it’s a light beer because of its hazy gold color and effervescent qualities. But Three Floyds has again ramped up the alcohol content just enough that it hides behind the flavors but goes straight to your head if you’re not too careful. There really is a lot going on here if you care enough to notice.

As a disclaimer, I honestly must say that my mouth and Saisons do not have a very agreeable relationship. But I also must admit, despite this fact, that Three Floyds has again created a complex, quality beer that is true to style. Perhaps where I found the beer lacking was its overly traditional approach to the style. I was prepared for a unique interpretation (a la Three Floyds), and only got a slightly stronger version of the original. But I suppose going 12 for 12 is nearly impossible…

The taste is akin to perhaps some well browned toast with grapefruit marmalade (if that even exists); maybe with a splash of coffee. It’s bready and tart, sweet and crisp and smooth. Even at 40 IBUs, the Amarillo hops never really let up. But they aren’t potent, just refreshing and aromatic. They do cut through at any temperature, but as I’m sure you’ve heard many times before, letting a beer warm a bit will really amplifies its malty backbone. And I heartily suggest doing so here.

Perhaps the best part: Brian Boru is uber sessionable … much more so than many of its more powerful Three Floyds Seasonal brethren. And it’s the kind of beer that fits perfectly in the transition period between Winter and Spring. Have at it, lads and lasses. Grade: A-

Tom: TGIF! I just got home from work and needed something to wrap up my work week and celebrate the new weekend. Luckily, I had a bomber from Three Floyds in the fridge. Preferring to wind down and relax after a long week before figuring out dinner plans, I find myself sitting in my recliner, with beer in hand. Today’s selection is Brian Boru Irish Red ale that is quite interesting.

A couple months ago I finished a book by Stephen Mansfield about the legacy of Guinness. At the risk of promoting a competing publishing company, I would highly recommend all beer lovers to read it. It provides a wonderful look into the development of Guinness, Ireland, brewing, religion, and world history. Check it out here. I’ll save you the history lesson and encourage you to buy the book, but Brian Boru’s release is timed perfectly with St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner.

The beer itself is classic Three Floyds. Underneath the high hopping this beer is relatively true to style. They used my favorite hop (Amarillo) which provides aromatic citrus notes. The bottle says that pineapple is one of the main flavors and I would agree. Essentially, there it smells very tropical. Irish ales from across the pond usually accentuate the malt side of things and while this beer is American, it does not shy away from these roots. Rising up from between the fruity hops was a rich caramel, mildly roasted (or toasted?) grains, and toffee highlights. In terms of appearance, the color was a clear reddish/copper with a one finger head.

As I kept taking sips an aroma of alcohol became apparent. I found this odd since the ABV was only 5.5%. At that percentage this beer is session worthy. The ingredients listed included Irish oats and honey. They did not shine through enough to pick them out individually, but the oat most likely added to the mouthfeel and the honey served to supplement the sweet malt flavors.

Brian Boru was very drinkable. The aftertaste had hints of toffee and bread notes. This was covered by a fruity, oily hop resin (which Matt alluded to on our hop discussion). Before I knew it the entire 22 oz. bottle was gone before dinner. Grade: B+

Exhibit A: Behemoth Barleywine, January Seasonal.

Thoughts: I’ve already declared in a previous review that Three Floyds brews big beers. Clearly, if you have a vocabulary, this beer fits into that category (although some would say 10.5% ABV is low for an American Barleywine). And upon cracking it open fresh from the fridge, you might think they have a point. I don’t smell alcohol, I smell hops. Delicious, piney, citrusy, American hops. Which is great, but it (initially) smells more like an Imperial/Double IPA than a Barleywine.

The first sip proves my nose doesn‘t lie. Darker, caramel and fruit flavored malts give this beer some added nuance to differentiate it from the Imperial IPA crowd, but the 80 IBUs make their presence known. Your mouth is awash with flavor: peach, grapefruit, raisin, toffee…and perhaps even a hint of licorice. Behemoth definitely strays toward the “fresh” side of the Barleywine genre, opting for a powerful American hop punch above a thicker, sweeter malt body. Mouthfeel isn’t all too syrupy, and it’s highly carbonated for this style in my opinion. But these nuances just complement the hop-juice-like freshness. A bitter kick lingers on your tongue, even as you realize that the amount of malt used must be fairly epic in order to provide the balance and subtle sweetness that also refuses to go away.

But wait, what’s this? An hour later…and I’m eating my words. Upon warming, this beer morphs into a completely different animal. Malts and alcohol are dominant, proving that Behemoth really is “best enjoyed while keeping warm in the brutal winter months.” It’s sweet, smooth, and stings the back of your throat a bit; like having a dessert that goes straight to your head, not your stomach. The hops are still there, but sugars prevail. Wow; a true two-for-one. A bit more alcohol and this could pass for a nice glass of port.

Conclusion: This beer is legit. Think Arctic Panzer Wolf and Dirty Bastard combined and you’ll be on the right track. Congratulations, Three Floyds. So far, I’m convinced.

Even just the names of their beers conjure up images of power: Dreadnaught, Behemoth, Dark Lord … Arctic Panzer Wolf?! I don’t know who’s coming up with them, but they’re perfect. And what I do know is, if you pick up a Three Floyds brew of ABV 8.0% or above (and there are quite a few), you’re in for a treat.

Enter Blackheart, Three Floyds’ salute to the Brits. This “English Style IPA” uses all English ingredients and is aged on toasted oak to give it even more of a “just shipped from England to India” taste. At 8.0% ABV exactly, I suppose it’s right at the low end of my strong beer continuum. But it qualifies … and rightly so, because it’s delicious. Sweet, almost sticky malts combine with a subtle hop aroma as you pour (I didn’t catch any oak, but I was unaware of the aging process before drinking). My guess is it’s not dry-hopped very heavily; the smell has a mead-like, honey quality to it. Balance returns, however, as you sip…the 70 IBUS of grassy English hops blending perfectly with the honey sweetness, which is magnified a bit more by the alcohol and lingers long after you put your glass down. It’s thick, syrupy, and boasts a small layer of froth despite its low carbonation…a welcome diversion from the thinner body and crisp bitterness of many American IPAs. Smooth and mellow aren’t your usual adjectives for this style, but here they’re right at home, most likely because of the oak-aging. Trust me, though; mellow or not, it’ll go to your head all too quickly on an empty stomach, especially if you try to tackle a bomber alone.

My hesitation to give Blackheart a firm “A” has to do with the fact that it’s a May release beer…and I drank it in January. Yes, it’s my fault for keeping the bottle on the shelf so long, but I’ll have to revisit the brew in a few months when it’s fresh to really get a sense of its character. But something tells me it won’t disappoint…

When dispensed, this smooth, clear, brew ends up on the lighter sided of the Lovibond spectrum. In classic 3 Floyds style it is ripe with hoppy goodness from the moment of breaking the seal. At 7.0% abv, it clocks in two percentage points below that of Arctic Panzer Wolf and only 20 IBUs less than Apocalypse Cow.

Holding the glass up to my nose you get the typical big citrus blast common in most of their brews. While it was very fresh I was looking for that mellow wet hop quality, but instead found a spicy and piney component. I’m not sure what varieties of hops were used (wet or dry) and when they were added. One thing is for sure this is more aggressive in its approach. Generic citrus notes were present and I was able to locate that peach aroma I’ve found true in a majority of fresh/wet hop brews.

The taste was dank, floral and spicy on the hops side of things. Normally, 3 Floyds IPA end with a great dry finish that I appreciate, but this one had a juicy hops character which I’m confident I can attribute to the wet hops used. I will say that even though this beer is delicious in its own right, it is too close in flavor and aroma to the above mentioned brews. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good IPA, however when compared against other wet hop brews I found this one to be a little too bitter (limiting my exploration of base flavors of the hops used).

If you are a huge fan of this beer I’d be interested to hear how you think it compares to Dreadnaught, Arctic Panzer Wolf, and Apocalypse Cow. I was hoping for something a little different and found too many similarities.

ABV: 7.0%

Grade: B-

When the waiter brought me the beer it had a pleasant hazy orange glow with light straw highlights. The head looked smooth and creamy like any good German lager. With great anticipation I took my first whiff. Glorious! One word that popped into my mind was, “bright!” It had classic lager characteristics of bready yeast, light pale malts, and floral hops, yet had a little more life to it. Let me try to unpack that. Most lagers have a floral, herbal hops aroma and flavor. What I got from the Sorachi Ace was just that with another dimension added to it. That pop was a citrus tang or a bright tropical fruitiness. However, the fruits were not of grapefruit, orange, lemon, or pineapple. Instead, I recalled interesting fruits such as papaya, mango, kiwi, tamarind, peach, and guava that I had tried while on missions trips to Honduras and El Salvador. The malts provided a grassy hay-like aroma, which paired together to give it an overall smell of PB&J. If you have ever had GLBC Conway Irish Ale you’ll find the aroma is similar.

The taste was just as interesting and pleasant. I literally thought I was drinking a PB&J which I happen to love. My thought was, “I bet this is what Short’s Brewing Co. was trying to do with their PB&J Ale.” The mouthfeel was jammy and very smooth as the fruity hop flavors blended with the light and somewhat nutty malt notes.

I would say that this lager has some life to it. It is refreshing, finishes smooth and crisp, and is highly sessionable. I remember having a sweet malt/floral hop hiccup that was unique and enjoyable. If you see this on tap anywhere…order it without hesitation.

ABV: 4.8%

Grade: A-

All that was alleviated when I was offered a sample of this collaborative brew as it cleared my sinuses, awakened my palate, and melted away my driving woes. On Half Acre’s blog they mentioned that the goal for this brew was to make it with “fewer raw materials” but do so in a big way. I think their aim was to keep it as simple as possible, yet create a power packed IPA.

I must say, that goal was achieved! First things first, the label art is ridiculous. The picture captures Spartan-looking men being weaned on the teats of a giant female wolf. A little awkward at first given the imagery, I did appreciate the detail and creativity that went into the artwork.

Pouring the initial glass from my growler brought forth a huge bouquet of hops and a golden liquid. It almost looked like Mead or a Pilsner as the color was slightly hazy gold/straw in nature. The head was fluffy and white producing a nice lacing down the glass.

I was really intrigued by the aroma. It was definitely a hop blast with tangy fruity-citrus overtones. I’d say it was almost a combination of two aromas from 3 Floyd’s Dreadnaught and Half Acre’s Daisy Cutter. There were hints of peach, lemon, grapefruit, orange, and pineapple along with an herbal mint quality that gave it some spiciness. It was grassy and very fresh. The malt profile was simple, light, and bready like a Pils. I could pick out a faint alcoholic smell from the 7.8% ABV, but it was very minor.

The flavor and drinkability of this IPA was great. It was simple, yet brilliantly crafted. There seemed to be only one malt used allowing me to focus on the hops, which while on the lighter spectrum of pungent, still come out strong. I’d say it had the classic Daisy Cutter appeal with 3 Floyds hopping handy work. Most of the hop profile hit my nose in a big way right before the sip. The opening flavor was a fruity/herbal bitterness-minty (had a mouthwash tingle). If you let it sit for a while the ABV does come out. Shewolf reminded me of Goose Island’s IPA in its approach. The minty quality might be from a piney hop used which gave an interesting dynamic to the fruity hop flavors. The light pale malts roll over the middle providing brief sweetness that eases into a bitter finish which is also herbal (minty), tingles the throat, and was drier than most IPAs I’ve had. The aftertaste has a definite hoppy quality that is somewhat resinous, but allows the minor bready malts to shine.

I really enjoyed this IPA in all its uniqueness. It was different than most out there and hope they offer it again in the near future. If you have a chance to make it out to Half Acre pick up a bomber or growler…you won’t be disappointed.

ABV: 7.8%

Grade: A

It poured smooth and silky into my mug producing a creamy half inch head. The hue was mixture of light (helles) orange and yellows that danced in the glass when the sun hit it. As for the aroma there was a wonderful sense of malts and hops present…surprisingly so for a lager. There was a nice cold, crisp lager characteristic both noticeable in the smell and taste. Supporting that was a toasty, bready, sweet, light Pils malt profile. Similar to Three Floyd’s fashion and Half Acre’s hoppy APA this beer incorporates their passion for this ingredient. A pronounced floral nose producing aromas of light citrus (orange), honey, fresh spring flowers, and freshly cut hay took center stage. As I sipped the 6.5% ABV became slightly evident in the aroma.

The taste was a pure delight. A very hoppy lager that was clean, crisp, and refreshing. Common of most Bocks there was a hearty malt quality, yet this style was lighter allowing for more attention to be given to the hops. Both ingredients played off of and complimented each other well. The mouthfeel is smooth and sessionable with a low-moderate carbonation level. As I sipped away at this brew a couple things stuck out to me: 1) the hopping was bold, yet was not overpowering for the style, and 2) I could easily get use to this beer being a year-round offering.

Dear Half Acre and Three Floyds,

Please make this beer again!

Thank you,

Tom

ABV 6.5%

Grade: A-

Popping the cap notice a unique hop aroma and emptying the liquid get the deep, dark, roasted/burnt grain notes common in stouts. The pour was like black motor oil which coated the glass and gave me the feeling I was about to enjoy a meal. It has a high viscosity which delayed the head from forming. Eventually, there was a rich, frothy mocha/dark tan head that only added to the attraction of the beer.

It smelled glorious!!! Deep burnt grain, coffee, chocolate, and some licorice notes provided a firm foundation, while the hops produced a very fruity citrus explosion I had never experienced in a stout. There were hints of orange, pineapple, and grapefruit that made a simple dry stout come alive. I did receive a floral piney/woody aroma hidden behind the fruity notes.

The taste was unreal. I liken it to dipping fruit into a chocolate fondue. Yummy and bold it gave me all the classic flavors of a Dry Stout while providing a lighter aroma than most. There was a clean, dry finish with residual chocolate, toffee, and coffee highlights under a citrus zest/tang. The mouthfeel was not as heavy as I expected making this beer smooth, creamy, and easy to drink. It was very well-balanced and possessed character, depth, and complexity.

Quite possibly the best stout I’ve ever had I would strongly encourage you to pick up a bomber.

ABV: 6.5%

Grade: A+

From the label (I’ve learned to read these): A hophead’s dream beer. This Imperial India Pale Ale has an opening salvo of mango, peach and citrus hop aromas that sit atop a pronounced caramel malt backbone. Although Dreadnaught is a strong and intensely hoppy ale, its complex flavor is both smooth and memorable.

Poured this bad boy out into my favorite snifter. Half a finger of head, faded quick. The color is a hazy reddish brown. It looks like there’s been a hell of a lot of brewing done to achieve this beer: an elixir with mysterious ingredients galore. Or, just a ton of hops. The smell is wonderful: super fruity/citrusy. The label says mango and peach are in the mix as well, but I’ve got a slight sniffle and I couldn’t pick those up as much. Still, the smell was just excellent.

The taste was out of this world. I am telling you, this is the hoppiest beer I have ever had. It kicks you in the tongue, the back of the throat, the tonsils, and even the hippocampus. However, the finish is not strong at all: it’s the best combo in an IPA, a supermassive taste experience, with no ill-tasting after effects. If you’re in the mood to try a serious IPA, this is definitely a good one since it will deliver the hops but they won’t stick around after you’ve swallowed.

I cracked this beer at around 8pm, and it’s 9:17pm as I’m writing now. I still have about 12 fl. oz. to go in the snifter. The Dreadnaught has been my evening companion, and it hasn’t let me down. It’s mellowed out and come up close to room temperature nicely. Definitely a sipper. No guzzling this one. My hat’s off to Three Floyds again for another great brew. I do think I like their Alpha King better than this Dreadnaught, if for no other reason than it isn’t so heavily hopped and filling. But honestly, this Dreadnaught IPA has to be one of the best of its kind. Hands down. I would highly recommend it to any serious hophead.

ABV: 9.5%

Grade: A