Three Floyds Brewing Co.

BeerAdvocate Top 100

At the beginning of the year I like to take a look back at the BeerAdvocate’s Top 100, see what’s moved up and down the charts, what’s new new on the list, and how many I’ve been lucky enough to try over the past year.

No surprise, Heady Topper is still number one and Hill Farmstead takes the most spots on the list. Cantillon, Three Floyds and Russian River still dominate here, and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon, same with Alpine’s excellent hoppy offerings. The new Bourbon County variants have made a huge splash since their release, all landing on the Top 100.

Newcomer Toppling Goliath has taken a few spots with their PseudoSue, Morning Delight, and KBBS. Nice to see Jester King, Prairie and Perennial show up this year, and I’m sure Cory King’s Side Project will make an appearance next year as more of the product gets in the hands of BAs.

Beers highlighted in bold are beers I’ve had in the past:

  1. Heady Topper – The Alchemist 4.7 5274
  2. Pliny The Younger – Russian River Brewing Company 4.65 1797
  3. Pliny The Elder – Russian River Brewing Company 4.64 7920
  4. Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.64 3160
  5. Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout) – Founders Brewing Company 4.62 6142
  6. Zombie Dust – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.61 4521
  7. Trappist Westvleteren 12 (XII) – Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren) 4.61 3708
  8. Bourbon Barrel Aged Vanilla Bean – Dark Lord Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.6 661
  9. Parabola – Firestone Walker Brewing Co. 4.58 3288
  10. Double Sunshine IPA – Lawson’s Finest Liquids 4.57 1069
  11. Cantillon Fou’ Foune – Brasserie Cantillon 4.56 1204
  12. Bourbon County Brand Stout – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.55 6008
  13. Supplication – Russian River Brewing Company 4.54 3556
  14. Abner – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.54 992
  15. The Abyss – Deschutes Brewery 4.52 3796
  16. Citra DIPA – Kern River Brewing Company 4.52 910
  17. Founders Breakfast Stout – Founders Brewing Company 4.51 9336
  18. Bell’s Hopslam – Bell’s Brewery, Inc. 4.51 7212
  19. Trappistes Rochefort 10 – Brasserie de Rochefort 4.51 5650
  20. Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout – Cigar City Brewing 4.51 1791
  21. Duck Duck Gooze – The Lost Abbey 4.51 741
  22. §ucaba (Abacus) – Firestone Walker Brewing Co. 4.5 2502
  23. Bell’s Black Note Stout – Bell’s Brewery, Inc. 4.5 1886
  24. Black Tuesday  – The Bruery 4.5 1799
  25. Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel Aged Plead The 5th – Dark Horse Brewing Company 4.5 1217
  26. Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Fourth Dementia – Kuhnhenn Brewing Company 4.5 1124
  27. Bourbon County Brand Barleywine Ale – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.5 1094
  28. Abrasive Ale – Surly Brewing Company 4.49 2135
  29. Beatification – Russian River Brewing Company 4.49 1317
  30. Cantillon Lou Pepe – Kriek – Brasserie Cantillon 4.49 896
  31. Ephraim – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.48 550
  32. Trappist Westvleteren 8 (VIII) – Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren) 4.47 1374
  33. Barrel-Aged Abraxas – Perennial Artisan Ales 4.47 342
  34. St. Bernardus Abt 12 – Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV 4.46 5779
  35. Darkness – Surly Brewing Company 4.46 1909
  36. Cantillon Saint Lamvinus – Brasserie Cantillon 4.46 1104
  37. Everett Porter – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.46 1104
  38. Double Galaxy – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.46 441
  39. Consecration – Russian River Brewing Company 4.45 2855
  40. Permanent Funeral – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.45 870
  41. Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.45 253
  42. Mornin’ Delight – Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 4.45 203
  43. Temptation – Russian River Brewing Company 4.44 2254
  44. Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic – Brasserie Cantillon 4.44 1632
  45. Chocolate Rain – The Bruery 4.44 965
  46. PseudoSue – Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 4.44 546
  47. Cable Car – The Lost Abbey 4.44 487
  48. Adam From The Wood – Hair of the Dog Brewing Company / Brewery and Tasting Room 4.44 408
  49. AleSmith Speedway Stout – Bourbon Barrel Aged – AleSmith Brewing Company 4.43 828
  50. Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout – Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 4.43 149
  51. Cantillon Blåbær Lambik – Brasserie Cantillon 4.42 473
  52. Double Citra – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.42 462
  53. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier – Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan 4.41 4895
  54. Enjoy By IPA – Stone Brewing Co. 4.41 4244
  55. Samuel Adams Utopias – Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) 4.41 1327
  56. Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Lord Imperial Stout – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.41 436
  57. Sculpin IPA – Ballast Point Brewing Company 4.4 6263
  58. Dreadnaught IPA – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.4 3904
  59. Nelson – Alpine Beer Company 4.4 1472
  60. Mother Of All Storms – Pelican Pub & Brewery 4.4 1061
  61. Imperial Eclipse Stout – Elijah Craig (12 Year) – FiftyFifty Brewing Co. 4.4 866
  62. AleSmith Speedway Stout – AleSmith Brewing Company 4.39 3546
  63. Péché Mortel (Imperial Stout Au Cafe) – Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel 4.39 2931
  64. Prairie Bomb! – Prairie Artisan Ales 4.39 766
  65. Hoppy Birthday – Alpine Beer Company 4.39 407
  66. Society & Solitude #5 – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.39 393
  67. Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage – Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen 4.39 345
  68. Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout – California Brandy Barrel Aged – Cigar City Brewing 4.39 323
  69. Victory At Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter – Ballast Point Brewing Company 4.38 2841
  70. Duet IPA – Alpine Beer Company 4.38 1253
  71. Melange No. 3 – The Bruery 4.38 974
  72. Exponential Hoppiness – Alpine Beer Company 4.38 833
  73. Cascade Sang Noir – Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub 4.38 708
  74. Cantillon Lou Pepe – Framboise – Brasserie Cantillon 4.38 599
  75. Susan – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.38 533
  76. Tröegs Nugget Nectar – Tröegs Brewing Company 4.37 5028
  77. Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute Ale – Lagunitas Brewing Company 4.37 4691
  78. Matt  – Hair of the Dog Brewing Company / Brewery and Tasting Room 4.37 488
  79. Society & Solitude #4 – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.37 365
  80. Backyard Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.37 347
  81. Ten FIDY – Oskar Blues Brewing Company 4.36 5332
  82. Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break – Evil Twin Brewing 4.36 1551
  83. Edward – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.36 1082
  84. Cantillon Lou Pepe – Gueuze – Brasserie Cantillon 4.36 486
  85. Bad Boy – Alpine Beer Company 4.36 338
  86. Imperial Russian Stout – Stone Brewing Co. 4.35 5506
  87. Founders Imperial Stout – Founders Brewing Company 4.35 3858
  88. Lunch – Maine Beer Company 4.35 1828
  89. Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeekse Kriek – Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen 4.35 591
  90. Atrial Rubicite – Jester King Brewery 4.35 286
  91. AleSmith Speedway Stout – Kopi Luwak (Bourbon Barrel-Aged) – AleSmith Brewing Company 4.35 280
  92. Murda’d Out Stout – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.35 219
  93. Baudoinia – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.35 215
  94. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock – Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying 4.34 4260
  95. Double Jack – Firestone Walker Brewing Co. 4.34 4135
  96. Blind Pig IPA – Russian River Brewing Company 4.34 3223
  97. Wisconsin Belgian Red – New Glarus Brewing Company 4.34 1795
  98. Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA – Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon 4.34 1696
  99. Pure Hoppiness – Alpine Beer Company 4.34 1515
  100. Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze – Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen 4.34 1471

As for how many of these beers I’ve actually been able to try? Last year at this time I had 47 out of the beginning of 2013’s Top 100. Today, I stand at 90 out of the beginning of 2014’s Top 100. A respectable jump in numbers. I’m sure I’d be saying otherwise this time last year but I don’t think the last 10 would be that hard to try if I really was interested in getting my hands on them (although I shudder to think about the amount of Hill Farmstead I’d have to give up to do so).

How many on the list have you have you had?

Random Ass Beer Tasting with Merc and Jon

— You guys didn’t actually think that Merc and I sat down and only had two beers when we did the Pliny vs Pliny tasting did you?? C’mon, we’re talking about me and Merc here. Fifty percent of all of the times we drink until I end up calling in the next day.

It wasn’t our best tasting, and there were definitely a few duds but that doesn’t mean you guys shouldn’t check em out. Luckily I cracked open all of the Tree House growlers I picked up from that weekend’s visit to offset some of the bombs we opened. Here was the line up for the night:

  • Batch #69 Double Cream Ale by Cigar City Brewing – another dud from Cigar City, kinda disappointing considering that both Cucumber Saison and 110K+OT were not my cup of either and it’s one of my favorite breweries
  • Black Phoenix by Bootlegger’s Brewery
  • Horseneck Golden IPA by Just Beer
  • Julius by Tree House Brewing Company
  • Miller High Life by Miller Brewing Company – this was when I was still going for my All-American badge. Don’t judge me.
  • Old Man by Tree House Brewing Company
  • Sea Bass by Cigar City Brewing – sludgy, and kinda gross. This one did not cellar well AT ALL.
  • Talon Extra Select Double IPA by Mendocino Brewing Company – the week of their release. Like most Mendocino beers, completely forgettable
  • That’s What She Said by Tree House Brewing Company
  • Zes Zes Zes by Three Floyds Brewing – Merc really hyped this one up but honestly it didn’t knock my socks off. The artwork on the label is fucking killer, though.

Annnnnd surprisingly the not worst beer of the night (Sea Bass took that crown for me):

Three Floyds Zombie Dust

Three Floyds Zombie Dust

— Good lord is this a delicious beer. In your face Citra on the nose, perfectly balanced malts, great carbonation and lacing, tons of juiciness rounded out by just the right amount of lingering bitterness. This beer is incredible.

Can’t thank yetanotherbeerblog enough for giving me the chance to experience this one. Cheers!

Beer Mail from Illinois, Part Deux

— Little bit of a delay on the follow up from this one but I’ve finally got some Zombie Dust! I’ve never had it before, gonna crack one open tonight. If it’s as any good as Dreadnaught I’m in for a treat. Not to mention the new Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout which just came out (which means it should hit shelves in Upstate NY in about three months, if at all). Thanks, Yet Another Beer Blog!

Three Floyds Brewing Co. – Dreadnaught IPA [#Beertography]

We reviewed this beer back on Super Bowl Sunday on Jay’s Beer Review so I’m not going to go into a full review or anything. It was no less than fucking fantastic. This is one of those beers that I’m on the fence about and I go back and forth between this and Heady Topper being my all time fave DIPA. I just can’t make a decision and it usually comes down to whatever I’m drinking that day.

HT has this tidal wave of hops but without so much bitter found in a lot of DIPAs because there’s also a ton of grapefruit and orange juice flavor to it. Dreadnaught comes back with almost as much hops with a bunch of mango flavor but has this extremely well-balance malty back-end that Heady Topper just can’t match.

I think I’ll just have to suffer through it and just keep drinking both.

Dreadnaught IPA – Three Floyds Brewing Co. [Beer Review]

Jay came over before the game on Sunday to do a beer review. Let’s get this out of the way: there are two epic things going on in this video. 1) The beer. 2) THESE MUTTONCHOPS. I pretty much couldn’t stop laughing hysterically (maniacally) every time I looked at myself that day. Waaay too funny.

OK, back to business. I think this is my first time on Jay’s Beer Review since… Mancamping? Does that sound right? Damn. Been a while. Anyways, I got to share this phenomenal beer from 3 Floyds called Dreadnaught, a Double IPA weighing it at 9.5% ABV and 99 IBUs. As you can tell from my reaction at first sip I was pretty floored by this beer. It’s ranked #10 on Beer Advocate for the style, behind beers such Heady Topper and Pliny the Younger/Elder (neither of which I’ve head yet, but they’re very high on the want list). The more I think of it, the more I want to say the malts in this beer make it a more well-balanced beer than Heady Topper, but Heady Topper still eeks out the win.

Being Super Bowl and all I had to try out a couple new recipes that I’ll cover later in the week. On to the text review:

Serving Type – 22oz bottle a friend received in a trade. Poured into a Perfect Pint glass modified with a Giants logo (sticker) for Super Bowl Sunday.

Appearance: Amber with a slightly cloudy appearance. 

Smell: Hop bomb with strong citrus aroma.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Tons of hops and a nice malty backend. Very deceiving alcohol content. Malty sweet finish that’s lacking from my current DIPA fave: Heady Topper.

Overall: This doesn’t knock Heady Topper of its crown for me but comes really close if not possibly even a tie. If I had the chance to try this again I would love to taste the two side by side to see which was king.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)