Beer O' Clock -- Holiday edition

Got a lot of catching up to do.

I've held back on these because I want to keep this as Hawkeye-centric as possible, but hey, why not? If anyone really objects, just let me know.

I've been on a heavy Three Floyd's kick.

This is Three Floyds' Dreadnaught, an American double/imperial IPA.

It has a 9.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). It's nearly pumpkin orange in color with fresh hoppy smell and a light fruitiness to it.

I love this beer. A review on Beer Advocate declared a "Fruit Loops" taste, and I have to say I agree. Wonderful, beer-flavored Fruit Loops. Who wouldn't like that? There's some grapefruit kick to it, too, which I really enjoy in a hop beer. I'd rather have the fruit than the coffee with this style, which keeps me away from most Dogfish Head products. A bitterness to the end that is fitting and a warming alcohol on the backend.

I've gotten this in Madison, Wis., and Chicago. Beer Advocate rates an A after 960 reviews.

Apocalypse Cow is another American double/imperial IPA from Three Floyds. The kick here is a malt body that is balanced by -- here's the cow part -- lactose milk sugar.

The aroma is citrus and floral hop. It's a 10 percent ABV and is rated an A- at Beer Advocate.

The flavor is a hop bomb. Piney grapefruit bitterness that doesn't let up. Some sweetness can be found after warming.

Rabbid Rabbit is a saison/farmhouse ale from Three Floyds. Saisons aren't my favorite style, but I do welcome the lightness and drinkability to some of the motor oils I decide to tackle (proud member of the "UNI Tuesday night stout club").

This is a 9 percent ABV. This is a golden, complex and spiced Belgian ale. Chamomile and rock candy are added to the brewkettle for challenge to the mouthfeel and flavor. There is a slight haze that's due to bottle conditioning, where yeast is added to the bottle for secondary fermentation. This beer rated a B+ with 219 reviews at Beer Advocate.

The flavors are great and the aroma is beautiful. The mouthfeel is a touch thick, but this beer is insanely drinkable. 

PopSkull is the creation of Three Floyds and Dogfish Head. It's an American brown ale with an ABV of 10 percent.

It pours a very dark brown with a tiny white head that quickly disappears. The carbonation is slight but typical for a high alcohol brown ale. The smell is sweet malt, sugar and honey. The taste delivers bitter dark malts that are accented with a sweet sugar flavor that gives way to a bit of a boozey burn at the end. This is an incredibley drinkable high alcohol ale.

It rates an A- on 79 reviews at Beer Advocate. Friends picked this up for me during Three Floyds' "Dark Lord Day" last April.

Wild Devil is Victory's Belgian IPA. It's a 6.7 percent ABV that I picked up in Madison. It's gotten a B+ on 292 reviews at Beer Advocate.

What makes this a Belgian IPA is the Brettanomyces yeast, which has given many Belgian ales its sharpness and funk. It's trying to smush the best of Europe and America. And it works, with floral hops making its way through this amber ale.

The Brettanomyces dominates the hops. Not too much going on underneath all the funk but a faintly sweet malt backbone and some mild, leafy hops. If you don't dig the Belgian, though, leave it on the shelf. I enjoyed the challenge.

This is Sierra Nevada's Estate Ale, an American IPA with a 6.7 percent ABV. I picked this up along with SN's Life and Limb collaboration with Dogfish Head.

I admit I love Sierra Nevada products. It's the yeast and brilliant hops. Estate, which means it was produced by the hops and barley grown on the brewery's Chico, Calif., premises.

This is one of SN's finest, if you're into hoppy bitterness. Faint haze on this ruddy amber colored brew, good head retention as expected. Light floral, citrusy and herbal hops aroma. The alcohol is noticeable but definitely warming. I tasted a hint of caramel, too.

Estate has an A- on 195 reviews at BA.