In 1996, Mike Floyd and his two sons founded a brewery that would go on to produce some of the most sought-after beers in the world. Many producers in the beer industry fail to get it quite right and struggle to find their niche, however The Three Floyds (named after the family) quickly excelled and now produces a beer that ranks at 32 in Beer Advocate’s rankings.
After originally opening in Hammond, Indiana, they made the move to Munster at the turn of the millennium. Next door to the brewery, they opened a brew pub and kept receiving rave reviews from locals as well as the many experts that would stop by. Furthermore, one visit to their website and you can guess what sort of beers they produce as it shouts over-the-top and punchy flavours. The Three Floyds soon produced a beer that would enter conversations with the world’s best and they named it ‘Zombie Dust’. Actually, in the interest of full information it was originally called ‘Cenotaph’ when it was on tap but they changed the name to Zombie Dust when they started to bottle the drink.
With 6.4% ABV and clocking in at 60 on the International Bitterness Units scale, it’s fair to say that this pale ale is intense and packs a punch. When it comes to pale ales, the statistics mentioned are actually well outside the ‘usual’ boundaries and maybe that it why this has become such a popular brand. When you first pour the drink, you may be surprised by the beautiful orange that comes out; it is less pale and more medium. Also, it gives quite a large head at around three fingers which disappears relatively slowly.
When you first bring the ale to your mouth, you will be hit by the intense flavours that fill your nostrils. The aroma is strong but once you move past the initial beer smell, you should be welcomed into a whole different world with grapefruit, wheat grass, pine needles, citrus fruits, and more all coming to meet you. In the first taste, it will follow from the aroma. Zombie Dust offers a really nice fruity taste where you should pick up lemon, orange, grapefruit, mango, and even pineapple. However, this is in no way over-powering and it doesn’t take away from the core values of a good beer. You will often find a crossover between different beer styles and Zombie Dust seems to sit on the side of pale ale whilst flirting with IPA, however we don’t see anything wrong with that!
As a whole, Zombie Dust is a well-rounded, powerful beer that is only getting more and more popular. Whether you choose to make it your go-to alcoholic beverage in the future or not, you will almost certainly have some fun experiencing the tastes for the first time.