Hey now…All Star from 3 Sons Brewing is quite delicious!!
A little under a year ago my friend brought me back a beer from 3 Sons Brewing Company, out of Dania Beach, Florida. And, since it was so good, I have made it a mission to get my hands on more of their beers.
Well that day has finally come, as I was able to snag a can of their All Star.
All Star is a hazy Pale Ale that was double dry-hopped with 100% Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand’s Freestyle Hops. It features a solid 5.5% ABV and I was able to get each 16-ounce can for about $6.
The brew poured a cloudy, yet bright, golden straw color with minimal head building up. The eggshell white foam barely measured a finger tall and was quite light, disappearing almost instantly. After about 30 seconds, all that remained was a single cloud in the middle and one or two bubbles along the edge of the glass, with no lacing what-so-ever.
On the nose, the beer was light and inviting with a blend of hoppy characteristics. The Nelson hops offered up fruity notes of white grapes, citrus, and grapefruit rind along with an herbal and resinous dankness that had a twinge of diesel. Quite the combination for such a light beer.
My first sip was, as expected, quite light. It had a thin and watery feel but packed a bunch of flavor! And it mirrored the aroma almost exactly.
There were big bursts of juicy citrus fruits, like tangerine and papaya, that marched side by side with the sparkling grape flavor that Nelson hops are known for. But, as with the smell, there were also massive spikes of dank diesel and some resinous grassy flavors. And it seemed to switch every sip and nearly every few seconds as to which flavor profile you would get more of.
It was an epic and tasty battle that played out on your very own taste buds.
Usually Nelson hopped beers can end rather pithy and dry but All Star does not. It finishes super cleanly. Towards the bottom of the pint, there was a bit of grapefruit peel and dryness that lingered for a second or two but, for the vast majority of it, this was a super clean brew.
Overall, this was a delightful Pale Ale that really showcased the two sides of hops in each and every sip. Those two sides fought back and forth as to which would lead…sometimes the fruits would win, sometimes the dankness would win. But no matter which flavor combination led the way, your taste buds won. This was a damn good beer.
