Three Floyds Pride and Joy

Three Floyds Pride and Joy (bottle)
Munster, Indiana
6.5% ABV

I picked this up while driving through Indiana on the way back from my sister's wedding. Can't remember the name of the liquor store, but Scott texted me directions to the store and I had a perfectly nice experience chatting with an employee with a totally awesome green mohawk. It's off 96th street right near the I-69 offramp and it's totally worth a visit if you're passing through.

Anyway. The bottle claims this is an English Mild, while BA calls it an American Pale Ale. I've had two bottles of this so far, and I'd say it's somewhere in between -- a bit hoppy and overly alcoholic to really be a traditional mild, but too dark, malty, and with a bit too much caramel to really be a satisfying APA. Either way, a very nice beer, but probably a bit too strange for those looking for traditional interpretations of the respective styles.

Let's do the standard review thing anyway, shall we? Pours dark yellow/orange, clear with only a slight translucent quality, with a thin white head that dissipates the soapscum immediately. Smells bitter, strong sweet notes of caramel, almost like a very standard traditional mild.

Flavor is similar, sweet caramel maltiness up-front with a bit of a bitter drying aftertaste. A very slight hint of citrus. Mouthfeel is moderate, with a dry hoppiness and a moderate carbonation.

Overall? Yeah, see above. Probably too hoppy and alcoholic to really satisfy those looking for an English mild, but as an overexaggerated American version of same, it works pretty well. American Pale Ale is probably a style broad enough to contain this beer, but just barely.

My overall BA rating: 4.0/5