Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

Visiting Wisconsin on a Sunday means one of many things. My favorite is buying beer at a liquor store. On a Sunday, can you imagine it? And beers we don't get here, like Three Floyds. So many favorites to reacquaint myself, as well as the new and untried.

Here's what Dreadnaught looks like in 2020.

In 2003, I was bitten by the trading bug. Not just content to try brews for far away, I was determined to knock out the entirety of the BeerAdvocate Top 50 (it's now the Top 100, and it's nearly impossible to do. Think I've got a little over half.) I set the goal to meet this task by my 500th review as well as my birthday that year. And Dreadnaught was one of the last of them on my list.
An Indiana trader offered to help out, and his wish in return was a growler of Masala Mama as soon as growlers became legalized a few months later. What a guy, what a heck of a guy.

Here are the notes from the first taste, back in June, 2003:


Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA. 9.5 % ABV. 100 IBU.
Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN.

I've been a fan of Three Floyds since my taste buds first became acquainted with the flavor of Alpha King. Now, I am happy to have concluded a 22oz. server of another of their fine, over-the-top, wham-bam-thank-YOU, ma'm brews, the delicious, the delirious, the damnedfine Dreadnaught IPA.

On first cracking the crown, a heavy waft of fruit invades the atmosphere, though the bottle and glass are both held at arm's length.

Appearance: a bright, beautiful ruby red, with a good, fluffy, creamy head.

Aroma: bows to no one. Sharp pine resin, grapefruit, spruce?, tar, citrus fruit, and that's it, but that's quite an it, and IT'S in full effect, y'all.

2011 bottling.

An invasion of flavor, an armada embarking it's onslaught upon every sensory receptor open and ready to receive. Tasty fruitiness recurrs with every sip, rewarding the drinker anew, long-lasting finish, almost sticking in the throat and taking up residence permanently on the palate. Malt is nearly an even match for hops, almost, barely, but at least they provide quite sufficient ballast and body that makes this quite a drinkable brew.

Fruit factor turns a trifle sweet after a time, but hop bitterness is always at hand to combat it.

This would count among the list of beers to spoil myself to death with, if I were so inclined, and were capable of...I'll have another, and another, and a..whoops! too much! But, to quote Louis Jordan, "I'll die happy!"

An Imperial India Pale Ale with an intense citrus hop aroma, a huge malt body and a crisp finish.