Beer Review: Live A Rich Life (Shark Pants)

Reviewing the Live A Rich Life (Shark Pants) belgian IPA, a collaboration between Three Floyds Brewing Company and De Struise Brouwers in honor of the memory of Rich Sheppard -- a Three Floyds' employee that passed away on 04/12/11. Thank you Robbie Moy for hooking me up with a bottle after I forgot to pick one up before leaving the Three Floyds' grounds at Dark Lord Day! I got to sample this one tap at Dark Lord Day, and it was fantastic.
Score: 96

No bottle stamp, which is par for the court with Three Floyds. I picked up this bottle at Dark Lord Day (04/28/12). Served in a Dogfish Head snifter and enjoyed on 05/07/12.

Appearance: Pours a slight cloudy/murky/translucent golden-orange color. One finger of off-white seafoam head at pour settles to a thin foggy layer atop the beer. Excellent lacing and retention. Amazing cling. My glass was not sedimenty at all because I poured my glass first, but my roommate's pour had a big clump of dead yeast settle to the bottom of the glass. If not for my roommate's sedimenty glass, I probably would have given this beer a five for appearance. 4.5/5

Smell: Strong notes of zesty citrus, a little bit of fruit and light yeast. Candied grapefruit, lemon zest, hoppy orange, mango, sugary pineapple and a little peach. Floral and piney hops too. Touch of creamy grain and residual spice. The Belgian yeast is essentially in the background of the nose, acting as a nice compliment to the citrus. Absolutely amazing aroma here. 5/5

Taste: The taste is not quite as pronounced as the aroma, but it is still quite delicious. Zesty and hoppy orange and a little clove and yeast upfront. Fruity hops, juicy citrus and clove. A little bit of earthy hoppiness. There is a subtle menthol-like cooling on the back of the tongue in the aftertaste. Sweet-and-sour grapfruit lemonade and mango/pineapple throughout. Piney hops and residual banana-yeast in the finish. There is a fruity hop aftertaste that seemingly gets stronger as it layers. There is a very, very mild onion flavor towards the finish that does not add a lot of flavor, but adds some the oniony warmth you'd associate with earthier IPA's on the back of the tongue as it hits room temperature (supplanting the initial menthol-like cooling). That residual fruitiness really lingers. Very refreshing, very drinkable. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation that makes the piney sweet-and-sour citrus and hops pop on the tongue. Juicy mouthfeel. Sweet-and-sour finish with mild bitterness and very modest dryness. 4.5/5

Overall: A stand out beer from arguably the best brewery in America at making hoppy beers. Not nearly as fruity/yeasty as the Bedlam, this is truly an imperial IPA with a Belgian twist. If you are a fan of the sweet-and-sour IPA style (Heady Topper, Ghandi Bot, Antihero, etc.) then this is a beer you should hunt down before it goes stale. I seriously hope Three Floyds' considers making this beer a mainstay.

Recommendation: This stuff is almost as good as Heady Topper, and it's just as good as, albeit different from, Artic Panzer Wolf and Dreadnaught. Seek this beer out while it is still fresh.

Pairings: Grilled chicken.

Cost: $15 for a 22 oz bottle.