2 O'Clock Tasting: 
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

Updated on April 05, 2016

The Midwesterners among us were giddy with excitement for our tasting of the Munster, IN-based 3 Floyds Brewing Company. Started in 1996 with a 5 barrel wok-burner-fired brew kettle, 3 Floyds moved to its current location in 2000 and opened a brewpub adjacent to their brewery in 2005. 25 miles south of Chicago, 3 Floyds has grown to become one of the most critically acclaimed breweries in the Midwest.

We tasted five beers from 3 Floyds: Man-o-Awe, a pale ale, Arctic Panzer Wolf, an imperial IPA, Dreadnaught, another imperial IPA, Live a Rich Life, a Belgian-style IPA, and Topless Wytch, a Baltic-style porter. Read our tasting notes below and leave your own in the comments!

1. Man-o-Awe

   6% ABV

   We began with this dull marigold-hued pale ale. Super fine carbonation bubbled through the bronze colored brew. The aroma was that of apple juice and we were reminded of a hot toddy. On the tongue Man-o-Awe tasted of malty bitter tea, with notes of honey.

2. Arctic Panzer Wolf

   9% ABV

   A more vivid variation on Man-o-Awe's marigold color, the appearance of Arctic Panzer Wolf reminded us of well-done cornbread. This massive IPA - 9% ABV and 100 International Bitterness Units (IBU) – had a slight citrus hop aroma, and we also picked up minerally notes that smelled like wet stone. The beer had a slick mouthfeel and tasted floral in a way that called to mind lemon Pledge.

3. Dreadnaught

   9.5% ABV

   Another 100 IBU IPA, but at an even boozier 9.5% ABV, the Dreadnaught was clear and had the color of a good honey. Sweet and malty aromas dominated the nose, and the beer had a full body (no doubt contributed by the 9.5% ABV) and the taste was full of the hoppy bitterness you’d expect from such a powerful IPA.

4. Live A Rich Life

   8.7% ABV

   Brewed in the memory of Rich Sheppard, a 3 Floyds employee who passed away in 2011, Live A Rich Life is a powerful IPA brewed with Belgian yeast. Very clear and copper colored, the nose was full of butterscotch and brown sugar with a slightly spicy warmth. Boozy with a thick mouthfeel, the beer tasted of malty butterscotch and reminded us of a strong bourbon cocktail.

5. Topless Wytch

   7.5% ABV

   A strong Baltic-style porter, Topless Wytch had a cola color reminiscent of Pepsi. On the nose the beer had a slightly sweet roasted aroma that was also a bit bready and lactic. Topless Wytch had a thick and highly carbonated mouthfeel that was roasty; it almost reminded us of a latte.

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