On the way to Wisconsin for Memorial Day weekend we decided to stop in Munster, Indiana.  There isn’t much in Munster, but the layover allowed me to taste the beers of Three Floyds Brewing Company, a small brewery famous for their Dark Lord Stout, a beer sold one day a year at the brewery. 

The brewery is located on a scarcely populated industrial road off of the main drag in Munster.  At first I was skeptical that a brewpub existed next to the brewery—while breweries are usually located near large industrial parks, the brewery’s restaurants are rarely in the same area—but after reaching the parking lot I noticed a colorful Three Floyds sign; we made it.

Due to the rarity of Three Floyds, I have never sampled any of their brews in New York.  The beers rarely leave Indiana and unless you are drinking in the Hoosier state or in a Chicago tavern, you are out of luck. 

After we sat down at a bar table we ordered up a sampler.  Four small glasses soon arrived: Alpha King, Pride and Joy, Robert the Bruce and Dreadnaught IPA. 

Robert the Bruce was my favorite of the group.  Robert is a dark-copper colored Scotch Ale with a smooth malty body. The Dreadnaught was a close second, a strong-nosed IPA with a creamy body and very deceptive 9.5% ABV.  My heart lies with malty brews, so if you’re a hop head you’d probably like the Dreadnaught much more.

After tasting the sampler and a delicious sausage and pretzel plate, we ordered up two more Floyd’s creations: Rabbid Rabbit, a deliciously smooth and peppery 8% ABV Saison and Heyna!, an equally smooth and mild Belgian-styled ale.  Both were tasty, but the Rabbid Rabbit was much more aromatic and complex.

Overall Three Floyds was a bit disappointing.  I don’t say this because the beers were bad—they were quite the opposite—but I think that I was expecting more.  Dark Lord put Three Floyds on the map, and various beer websites and periodicals have nothing but praise for the brewery.  The extolments gave my tastebuds a lot of hope, and I may have been anticipating more than it was possible for Three Floyds to deliver. 

Three Floyds is a fun brewery overall.  Dark Lord Day, the only day enthusiasts can purchase the dark stout, is a much-loved holiday by beer lovers and the beer is often called one of the best in the country.  Unfortunately, Dark Lord is hard to get a hold off and I was unable to finagle a bottle at the brewery. 

The other brews left me wanting more and despite the seven beers I tried, I was left unsatisfied.  While I was paying the bill, I did pick up a bottle of Popskull, a heavy brown ale brewed in collaboration with Dogfish Head Brewwery from Deleware.  I haven’t cracked this beer yet, but I’m stashing it away for a later time with the hopes that Three Floyds will give me something to get excited about, something more than just beer-geek praise and the satisfaction of sipping hard-to-find brews.