Three Floyds Alpha Kong

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Munster, Indiana USA

The beer almost seemed flat as it barely poured any head and what it did pour quickly dissipated leaving no lacing. While immediately worried, once I put my nose in the glass it releaved all fears. Scents of cotton candy, caramel, orange rind, spicebox, banana and currant flowed from the glass. In the mouth it was full-bodied with lots of weight and a rich texture that coated the mouth. This is all likely due to the high alcohol but it carries it well. While the beer does linger in the mouth the finish is a bit dry and minerally.

Pours a dark, kinda hazy red-orange with a solid, beige head. Aroma is mostly sweet and candyish at first, with brown sugar, big caramel, bubblegum (the most attractive it’s ever smelled in a beer to me), and a lot general fruity yeast biproduct notes (phenolic was the word of the night). Huge sweet taste of brown sugar, gum, caramel, cloves, bread, and sort of Weizenbock-like spice and funk. Finishes a little toasty with only a gentle amount of heat. Thick texture, creamy and pretty well-carbonated too. My sample didn’t really do this justice, but I really loved it. Very much like Avery’s the Beast, but I’ve picked that beer apart so many times I know that it has much to offer. This one *probably* has as much, but I couldn’t detect it all yet, but it’s even more well rounded and integrated in its flavors. I’m impressed!

Bomber. Clear, brilliant orange/amber with a small light tan head. Nose is lots of sweet malt and tropical fruit, a bit of bread and yeast. Body is on the full side of medium. Fruity flavors, bread, light brown sugar and yeast. Hops finally make a small appearance in the finish, but it’s mostly sweet. Very good!

(22oz bottle) Pours a clear orange body with a spare off-white head. Aroma of coriander, bubblegum, orange, banana, apricot, sugary pear skin, and clove. Flavor of orange, caramel malt, somewhat medicinal/vitamin (found the same in their saison), and candi sugar. Was surprised to find this one clocked in at 16% abv.

22 oz bomber. Pours a semi clear orange caramel with a small white-beige head. Aroma of sweet candied malts, bananas, cotton candy and caramel. Taste is very sweet with hints of banana, candied malts, cotton candy, orange candy rings and caramel. An extreme beer with hidden alcohol that creeps up on you. Excellent !! Gets better as it warms.

Lumpfest 2008 - dark murky pour with some dark dry fruits on the nose. really thick and very sweet. couldn’t even tell that it was 16% until someone mentioned it.

Found in a Chicago bottle shop at 9 AM. The baby was in the stroller. Rich caramel and candy flavor. Sweet Belgian style, like a serious tripel. 16 percent? Damn. Why does my wife want to share this? I want it to myself. Excellent beer.

Bottle: Pours a dark caramel color with a minimal tan head. Sweet caramel, bananas, nutmeg, orange rind and a subtle maltiness come through in the nose. Ridiculously full-bodied, silky and smooth. Big banana flavor with some hints of clove, nutmeg and some citrus. The alcohol really comes through as it warms almost to the point of becoming distracting.