One of Indiana’s premier craft brewers lives in Munster – da Region – and is, in fact, responsible for a brew some have claimed is the single best beer in the world. The beer is Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout - which is available for exactly one day in April every year at Three Floyd’s. While we wait, there’s a monumentally hoppy pale ale sold year round, and it’s the flagship brew from the Floyds; Alpha King. Lucky us.

Cloudy and copper-colored with a hefty head, the nose is assertive and rich, signaling that this beer will deliver what’s promised both in the nostrils and on the label: big, citrus-y hops that are bitter but balanced: Centennial, Warrior and the unmistakable Cascade hops are ingredients given on the company’s website. The lace is strong and hearty, the finish is complex – this beer seems to reveal every kind of expression of fruited Vitamin C possible. Was that a Clementine? A tangerine? Lemongrass? The beer’s feel in the mouth seems closer to the head than the body; almost Belgian for a pale ale of the American ilk.

As ales of this variety go, a true hophead will likely be ruined for most others; only Sun King, Bell’s and Dogfish Head breweries have mastered the monster-hop expression so vividly and with such poise. A near perfect experience.

Ed’s score: 9.9 out of a possible 10 (only because I’ve yet to taste the Dark Lord)