Three Floyds Zombie Dust

Brewed By: Three Floyds Brewing Company in Munster, Indiana
Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 6-pack purchased at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, Illinois; 2012
Style/ABV: American Pale Ale, 6.4% 

 

There's a lot of hype (or was) around Three Floyds' Zombie Dust. But then, what Three Floyds beer doesn't command a ton of hype. Zombie Dust was formerly known as "Cenotaph," and I believe may have only been available on tap when it went under that alias. A few years ago, Three Floyds announced they would be bottling the beer, and changed the name to Zombie Dust. Zombie Dust is a much cooler name than Cenotaph, although Cenotaph literally means: "a tomblike monument to someone buried elsewhere." Creepy shit, right? Zombie Dust is pretty creepy too, and also doubles as a narcotic cocktail of Triazolam and Cocaine. Mmmm...cocaine. Actually, Zombie Dust is known for its use of Citra hops. Citra hops are relatively new and relatively distinct: they bring tropical fruit notes to the table. With all that said, let me talk about Three Floyds and then tonight's beer:

Today we go to Munster, Indiana, where Three Floyds has been brewing beer since 1996. The brewery was founded by brothers Nick and Simon, and their father Mike Floyd - hence, the name, Three Floyds. The first brewery was originally located in Hammond, Indiana. Eventually Three Floyds outgrew their original location, and moved to Munster, Indiana. After moving to Munster, and seeing an increased demand for their beer, Three Floyds began to bottle their beer. Since 2000, the brewery has continued to grow. And in 2005, the brewery opened its first brewpub. The brewery is probably most famous for their Dark Lord Stout. If you haven't heard of it, Google "Dark Lord Day." And then weep at the beer you probably will never be able to drink.

If you go to Three Floyds' beer page, you can read about Zombie Dust. Clocking in at 6.4% ABV, and packing 60 IBUs, this is an intense pale ale. The artwork on the bottle is awesome, and is done by Tim Seeley. I have to say, Zombie Dust is flirting with being more than just an APA. Coming it at 60 IBUs and 6.4% ABV, this is outside the typical range for the style. But whatever. American Pale Ales remind me of the true younger sister/brother to the Imperial IPA. So seeing these extreme American Pale Ales kind of makes sense. Let's glass it.

Three Floyds Zombie Dust

 

Zombie Dust pours with a huge, foamy, fluffy, 3-fingers worth of head. The head has a nice yellow tint to it from the body of the beer. The beer itself is a darker yellow color, with a nice haze. There may even be a bit of sediment in here. The beer has moderate to high carbonation, in the form of small bubbles rising upwards. The head dissolves into a nice, thick, centimeter coating, and it leaves some nice lacing behind.

I'd say the fun starts with the massive tropical fruit aromas you get off this beer. I'm pulling out giant tropical fruit notes: peach, tangerine, mango, strawberry, pineapple, and kiwi. You know, that spectrum of aromas. There is a little bit of grass and lemon, and some cleaning products/soapy aromas. It smells fairly acidic. There is maybe a hint of bready malt, but mostly tropical hops.

The taste is phenomenal, with a bittering pull towards the front and middle palate, followed by a short malt kick, and then grassy, lemony, lingering hop dryness. This is creamy and smooth up front, thanks in part to the sustaining head and carbonation. I am noticing a nice malt presence, in the form of caramel, bread, and biscuit. I'm getting lemon, pine, grass, tropical fruits, grapefruit, and cleaning products/soap/acid. 

 

This is just a big, tropical, fruity, bitter beer. At 60 IBUs and hopped to high heaven, this is a bit turbulent on the finish and unbalanced. But the reward is worth it. Complexity is very high, and palate depth is huge. The mouthfeel is medium-light, thanks in part to that creamy beginning and carbonation. The finish is a bit biting and dry. There is a slight density to this beer, and it is a bit resinous and sticky from all the hops. I'm guessing this is dry hopped? Nevertheless, drinkability is good if not great. Up front I get carbonation, a dash of malt, and then some hops; the middle is more hops; and the back end is malty, then fruity from the hops, then bitter and dry. 

Rating: Divine Brew

I'm going to have to conform to a Strong Divine Brew rating on this beer. I don't know if this is the perfect American Pale Ale, or the king of the mountain. But it's a lot of fun, and it's incredibly big and bold. It lives up to the hype with giant mango, pineapple, and tropical fruit notes. It is unbalanced for sure, and may even be outside the typical style guidelines...but isn't that ever the case these days with all the new beers coming out. Style guidelines seem to be increasingly traditional, if not restrictive. Useful, yes. Dogma, I dunno. Anyway, if you can get your hands on this...pick it up.