Three Floyds Bourbon Behemoth

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

On tap at Sals. 200ml. Poured a auburn colour with no head. Huge nose though little bourbon present. Med to full body. Very heavy and tongue coating. Lots of raisins, sugar, vanilla and apricots. Lots of coating on the glass. Solid but perhaps the full flavour had died a little due to the aging. Still a treat to enjoy.

On tap at DLD ’09. Pours a very deep, dark, murky brown body with a thin and bubbly, soapy, white colored head with some nice khaki brown lacing on the glass. Almost looks like a glass of scotch. Aroma is initially straight-up bourbon whiskey, but after the shock it does have some nice wood and a good amount of robust, sweet malts. Faint floral citrus hops in the background, melons, and candy sugar resembling the original Behemoth smell. The flavor is dominated by the bourbon whiskey as well, but never gets excessively boozey. Stays pleasantly drinkable. Very light tasting malts up front with a nice assortment of melons and citrus. Some light hoppy bitterness in he finish as well as molasses and candy sugar. Dry in the finish with a sweet whiskey and malty aftertaste. Palate is very smooth with a mellow cask conditioned feel to it. Extremely clean. Overall, a very interesting twist to the original Behemoth. It stays true to the barley wine style, but is clearly over the top IMO. Despite that, I enjoyed it as a warming sipper.

This poured a dark ruby red/brown color with pretty much no head. Aroma was bourbon, dark fruits, sweet malts and booze. Flavor is pretty sweet, complex bourbon, dark fruits tiny notes of hops and some shoe leather as well. Pretty good stuff.

On tap in the brewpub at DLD ’09, served in a goblet. A good amount of bourbon and whiskey that initially takes you takes you back a bit, but a nice mix of sweetness and hops creep in after with candy sugar, light molasses, pears, peaches, apples, earth, and piny hops that are more evident than expected. A large bubbled cloudy white head, dissipates fully and then looks almost like a glass of scotch, with a crimson dark tan color. Maybe this one was slightly over done with the bourbon woody scotch, but nonetheless still a great beer. A great warming feel throughout, and really not that boozy. Quite fruity actually with good complexities in the flavor. Sugary candy berries at the beginning, medium fruits, also cinnamon, brown sugar spice, molasses, citrusy zest, earth bitter as well. Maybe alittle too much sweet and booze in the finish. Not as good as the standard stuff, but quite enjoyable. I still loved it.

On tap at DLD into a plastic cup. Sweet, sugary cake frosting aroma, with bourbon and maple and bacon notes. Decently complex, albeit still pretty massive. Crazy perfume and intense bourbon flavor, strong and rough, with some boozy finish hops notes. The hops at this point have lost most flavor and just lend bitterness. This is one of the bigger beers I’ve ever drank, but the beer coming next soundly crushed it.

Girlfriend found this somewhere at DLD 09. Absolutely awesome deep red pour with some head. Big, bourbony aroma. Small glass, but still the flavors in this were over powering and delicious. Lots of bourbon, butterscotch, and amazingly well balanced. Absolutely loved this.

On tap at 3F. Clear honey brown with a hazy cap. Nose is oak, caramel, grass and bourbon. I knew i had entered nirvana after a 12 hour overnight drive from Philly. Smooth and buttery medium body with a slight tingle. Taste is caramel, oak, bourbon; like the nose but perfectly balanced. Incredibly delicious. My favorite barleywine to date. Bring on an Angel’s.

[Draft at the brewpub] Poured a lightly hazy, red amber color with a medium sized, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla, bourbon, dark fruits, citrus, caramel, pine, and floral hops. Taste of sticky caramel, pine resin, tobacco, dried fruits, vanilla, bourbon, and alcohol in the finish.