Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Munster, Indiana USA

Poured from a 22 oz. Bomber. Is that the grinch on the label. Nevertheless, an interesting label. Poured into a snifter and it was filled with a large, almost obnoxious head. Typical porter aroma, but you can tell there’s also some hoppiness to this brew. An absolute joy to smell, oh wow! It’s extremely inviting. Having to wait to taste as each pour contributes a massive head, which slowly disappates. As it warms, I just can’t wait to start sipping this. Excellent porter, maybe the best I’ve tried to date.

Growler. One half of one gallon. Poured and consumed the same evening. Pours as blank and black as the time before you were born. Excellent head. You couldn’t see through this if you held it up to the sun. Smells like grapefruit death hops mixed with raw porter chocolate. Wow. Nearly as hoppy as the Alpha King only with a wonderful malt balancing it out. Tastes; mix a perfect IPA with a perfect porter and somehow have them both retain their perfect complexity and not bash into each other and this what you get. The stages are so distinct it’s like you’re taking a sip of one beer and then a sip of another. Big bread, yeast, and grapefruit hops in stage one, hitting you all in a rush. Followed up by earthy roasted chocolate, raw like potting soil or summertime sex, growing into a more processed, candied chocolate, and ending on a big hit of hops.

I couldn’t distinguish this one from several other very good stout / porters (it wasn’t unique, but it was very good). Poured a dark brown to black with a very thin head that didn’t lace much at all. The aroma was of chocolate and light hops. The flavor was much of the same (roasted malts included) and the hops (somewhat piney) were light enough to be enjoyable in a style I don’t like them exagerated in. Mouthfeel was fairly heavy and somewhat creamy.

Thanks to px2grafx. Black body, ridiculously large pillowy head that refused to die. Like saisonesque. Excellent lacing. Aroma is roast, coffee, chocolate and caramel. Flavor is very bitter roast. While I can’t really pick out any flaws here, I still think there are better examples out there. This is one of the most bitter ones I’ve had from roast alone. There’s still a hop presence, but nothing crazy. I couldn’t get any notes of sugar like the description said.

Appears a dark chestnut brown and black with a small tan head that fades into a a mild cap. Tons and tons of spotty and scattered lacing is all over the glass. Smell is of roasty malt with vanilla, dark chocolate, bitter citrus hops, and mild coffee, and chestnut notes. Taste is of the same aromas with a decent hop expolosion and dark fruit. Mouthfeel is bitter, roasty, full bodied, along with a coffee like finish.

Black Forest cake aroma,hop laden of course, body is black with specs of ruby red, Taste is dark malt licorice, molasses, bitter coffee and bitter hop aftertaste, High carbonation gives this a slight carbonic bite, drys out in the end.Soften this up a tad and it will be great

Jet black beer with resinous hop aroma combined with rich, dark roasted grains. The flavors fought eachother a little, and added to the confusion was a definite, hot, alcohol presence. Somewhat fruity with distinct bittersweet chocolate. A pretty tasty beer, but a little rough around the edges.

Bottle Pours a clear dark brown with a fizzy light brown head. Head is pretty diminishing with good lacing. Has a great malty aroma of good chocolate. Has a little grain too and just enough hops to keep in blended very nicely. Has a thin texture and a mediun body. A decent amount of carbination. Has good flavors. Definately not a beer that would make you afraid of the dark. Has a nice light bitter finish. This is very good, well done 3F’s.