3 Floyds "Turbo Reaper" IPA

Once again, I find myself looking at the can of a 3 Floyd's beverage and wondering what world these guys are in. It appears that they have embraced the mid 80s metal band ethos, and they possibly have some Dungeons & Dragons thrown in there. As a result, they have really strange designs on their cans like this one with a Nazgûl riding a black wing. I'm not sure if that's actually what this is, or it might be a Dementor riding a dragon, but it does look pretty kick -ass. As well, the name makes no sense, but Turbo Reaper is still a cool name. These guys get it.

The hazy, orange beer has a white head that simmers down to an incomplete cap that looks more like a hurricane pattern on a national radar. The aroma is sublime and very fruity. It smells sweet, and the juices are flowing. I am reminded that the wild can designs that they have, along with the kick-ass names are not typically reflected in the sedate and rather delicious beverages.

First sip is orange, tangerine, bitterness, some pine resin, and it's a little dry on the backend. It's pretty good, but I could see that this might be a challenge to someone who is new to IPAs. It has taken me a while to get used to pine resin as a desirable trait in my beer, and I'm not sure I've ever fully embraced it. Nevertheless, the orange and tangerine seem to be doing a fine job of adding a juiciness that overcomes the resin. That juiciness, however, is not enough to overcome that dry finish. Let's see if it's still there in a swig.

Tip in the is orange, tangerine, bitterness, and light carbonation that somehow manages to still feel… fluffy? The middle is a delicious river of thirst-quenching orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and maybe a little pineapple that has a twinge of bitterness imbued by the pine resin, and it is tremendous. The finish has more of the pine as the fruits turn to peels and the dryness settles in.

Bottom Line: It's quite a Slayer.

4.5/5