Utter Destruction Through Udder Delight

Historically, I have not been a big fan of IPA's. Mike has been telling me for some time that as I try more beer I would eventually come to crave IPA's. To say I was skeptical would be an understatement. I flat did not believe it. In recent months, Mike's prophecy has come to fruition. Last year, when Mike praised this rendition of the Double IPA, I wasn't very interested. This year my interest was peaked.

Brew Details: I am reviewing a glass of Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow. This is one of their takes on the Double IPA.

Serving Conditions: Mike poured about a quarter of the bomber into a snifter for me. This was straight from the fridge, so I'm guessing it to be at about 45 degrees.

Appearance: The brew poured with a very slight head that did not endure long. The color was a cloudy dull yellow.

Scent: Every time I have a Three Floyds brew, I can barely wait to bring the beer to my nose and enjoy the aroma. The fragrance of this brew was full of floral, pine and citrus notes. When I took my second whiff, I noticed orange peel and sweet grapefruit. Three Floyds has mastered the art of making their brews smell fresh and inviting and Apocalypse Cow is no exception.

Taste: The initial taste of this complex brew is an explosion of citrus flavors that scream fresh, quality hops. As the ale flows to the middle of my tongue I taste what almost seems to be sweet grapefruit and candied papaya. Finally, there is a mildly bitter finish.

The hops have been subdued and embellished by the sweet lactose sugar and the 10% alcohol content is hidden unbelievably well. Even when trying to notice it, I just can't find alcohol in either the scent or the taste.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is smooth, soft and a bit syrupy with light carbonation.

Drinkability: This is an easy drinker. It's so smooth that it just can't help but go down easy. I think that the syrupy texture would limit the quantity that I could drink, but I will say that it was difficult to put my glass down. While I've had IPA'a that are more drinkable, I've had none that were more enjoyable.

Notes: Warming this beer to room temperature finally brought out some booziness in the scent and taste. I had wondered where it had been hiding. The lactose sugar became more apparent as I also noticed more of the candied papya taste.

Three Floyds pride themselves on making flavorful, quality and unusual brews. Apocalypse Cow embodies all three of these traits.

So Mike was right: I now seek out and enjoy IPA's. My journey into India Pale Ale's developed slowly but Three Floyd's Apocalypse Cow completed the utter destruction of my previous presupposition that I would never be able to enjoy an IPA. Now, as I survey the vast post-Apocalyptic scenery, I find myself craving the freshness that only an IPA can deliver. Nothing will ever be the same.

I give Apocalypse Cow a 9.5 out of 10.

Eis Igian,
Randall