Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter

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

22oz bottle. Pours black with a good sized, creamy, light brown head with good lace and good retention. Smells of sweet and dark roasted malts. Slight dark fruit and slight chocolate. Tastes of sweet roasted malts, some chocolate, slight dark fruit flavors. Very, very nice. One of the best porters I have had in a while. Medium body, nice velvety carbonation.

On tap at Binnys South Loop. Pours black with minimal tan head. Very heavily carbonated. Aroma is of chocolate, toasty malt, vanilla, smoke, and floral hops. Taste was of hops, with a toasted malt backbone. Had a strong coffee bite, with notes of chocolate, vanilla, spice, and caramel. Nice alcohol burn to finish it all off. Creamy, thick mouthfeel. Very hoppy for a porter. Better than I had anticipated.

Black, medium tan head. Aroma of smoke and chocolate. Bitter smoky finish, like a stout. Interesting.

Pours a dark brown/black with a medium mocha head. Aroma is pine needles, roasted malts, some caramelized sugars, and some hoppiness. Taste is muchI dont think that it is as hoppy as my bro does, but it is dominated by this freakin weird pineyness. Just strange.

Thanks to my brother for sharing this. Pours a rich dark brown with thin tannish head. Aroma is intense pine, chocolate and light roasted malt. I love hops but not this much an Imperial Porter. Overall the flavor is good but for me, it just doesnt cut it for me.

Thanks to yem25 for trading this bottle from 2007. Pours a thin black from the bomber with a trim brown head. Smells and tastes of roasted coffee, mild cocoa, and plenty of hops. A bit lighter than I was anticipating, but definitely lives up to the the FFF standard.

I was quite disappointed in this years batch (2008) of the Alpha Klaus. Three Floyds needs to expand out of it’s hop profile, and try something new. This beer tasted similar to the Dreadnaught with a touch of coffee on the finish. Absolutely no mouth feel, thin and watery, the flavors were simply awful, and this beer made very little impression on me in a positive light. Hopefully next years will be a better outing.

This is a great porter, however, is too close to be a thick, velvety stout. For me, it’s too thin, the mouthfeel is off, and the carbonation is too much. The flavors are ingenious for a porter! Very robust, complex, and round. Obviously the "FFF" hops are phenomenal and work perfectly with this as well. I’d drink this again.