Three Floyds Bourbon Behemoth with Cherries

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Munster, Indiana USA

Draught at FoBab ’07. Molasses, bourbon aroma similar to Goose Island Imperial Brown Goose. Virtually no head. Cloudy, reddish amber; excellent color. Somewhat salty. Fruit is evident, but doesn’t improve the beer. Some caramel notes. Not as good as the standard Behemoth.

On tap at FoBAB 5. This beer poured a murky brown color with a thin, creamy, beige head. The aroma of the brew included caramel, vanilla, bourbon, and tart cherries. The flavor followed suit, delivering strong notes of slightly sour, tart cherries, followed by subtle bourbon and vanilla, while being held together by a strong caramel backbone. The mouthfeel was full-bodied and slightly oily with minimal carbonation. An interesting spin on the Behemoth. Quite tasty!

On tap at FoBAB ’07. Dirtybrown with smal tan head. Bourbon, cherry aroma with big malt and caramel. Vanilla and cherry flavor, earthy, big bourbon, too much. Medium to light body, sticky, syrupy. Too much bourbon, not as much finesse.

FOBAB ’07.... appearance: reddish brown and pretty muddles. thin head....aroma: strong bourbon component and heavy on the caramel malt....taste: bourbon was a little too forward for my taste. sweet candied malt and a soft and subtle cherry accents. wish the cherries came through a little more. overall a bit too sweet overall

had again at the brewpub on 9/23. Overall opinion is thatthe brew is just too sweet and syrupy for me. Almost on a medicinal note for me.

FoBAB 2007. I didnt even rate this because i didnt think anybody would make a new entry for it. i kinda thought this was a letdown. really thin and clearly based off the weak 2007 behemoth. the cherries dominated, surely, but it was kinda messy and there was hardly any balance or purpose. sorry guys.

On tap at FoBAB 2007. I’m glad to see this one. Pours a murky orange red. Fruit, alcohol, malt, oranges, cherries. Some sour notes to go with the sweet ones. Caramel malt is the base. With cherries, fruit, piney, alcohol, and a sweet syrupy flavor. Sticky palate. Too much alcohol, and cherries for me. But still enjoyable.

I could see settling down for the evening with a few snifters of this one. Not pretty to look at, a headless, cloudy, near murky brown... but what aroma and flavor. It smelled warm, if possible, with scents of sweet cherries, pale malts, vanilla, and a touch of booziness. Very smooth drinking, warm with a light bitterness filling the mouth. It tasted of toffee, cherries, vanilla, soft nuts, oak, and alcohol, all skillfully blended together. This should have come in tops at the festival.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve of Barrel Aged Beers, Chicago, IL 11/03/2007<font size=-1>

On tap at FoBAB 5. Poured cloudy, garnet-tinted brown with little if any head. The aroma picked up sweet, heavy vanilla and darker fruity notes with fresher oak not far behind.. bourbon and ever-so-subtle cherries emerge with warmth and tickle the nose hairs as a final impression. The flavor was remarkably sweet, which got in the way a bit.. vanilla, fruits, and bourbon formed the basis for the brew, with warmer vanilla bean, toasted oak, and a delightful cherry tartness gracing the back-end.. this grew on me, but remained too sweet. Medium-bodied with low, but spritzy carbonation across the middle.. the tart cherry twist worked very well on the back.. the warm finish was highly satisfying.