Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter

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

black pour with a thin cream head and it smells like a bar of chocolate. perfect on the palate with a huge chocolate flavor and a great aftertaste.

22 oz. purchased at the brewpub last December. So the two lowest ratings on the current page I’m looking at were ratings below 3 points. Interesting. One claims the beer to be too sweet. One too dry. Again, interesting. I don’t rate often enough but I felt compelled to do so here. I’ve had this a few times, last night being one of them. The Alpha Klaus starts with this big chocolate aroma that is complimented by big piney, floral American hops. Similar to their Black Sun Stout, but not as creamy/rich/heavy in aroma. The layers of complexity on the nose lead to more on the tongue. Roastiness and a bit of milk chocolate to start. Mid palate the bitterness chimes in, pushing those showoff roasted malts to the side. The mouthfeel on this was really amazing: Slick and somewhat thick. It cleans itself up well. A dry, light roast finish with that signature citrus American hop. This really is the ultimate winter warmer to these lips. Incredible beer.

Above the black depth an enormous tan foam erupts to produce a fascinating spectacle. A large plateau initially expands upwards, while a ravine sinks at its center – a preamble worth the admission. Dry, roasted; a subtle smoky aspect laces the bitter chocolate and coffee. Delicious tones of bacon and black pepper balance the fragrant act followed by vanilla ice cream, sweet butter and hints of grapefruit. The flavor remains surprisingly in control. I say that after my first experiences of Three Floyds, namely 2004 Dark Lord and Behemoth. The crazy fudge is nowhere to be seen, and instead a sweet smooth consistency provides the perfect vessel for beautifully roasted dark chocolate and coffee. Almost no bitterness is involved and amazingly the hops are relatively subdued. Real vanilla bean is present, while toffee and oozing caramel add a pleasant depth. Alpha Klaus redeems my hope that Three Floyds is capable of a working beer, not just roller coasters. Excellent. (Probably a 2004 bottle, consumed on 07/04/2007).

Poured opaque black into the glass. Aroma seemed quite weak overall, but picked up piny hops and chocolate. Taste made up for what the aroma lacked. Nice big chocolate notes as well as some forward hops. Very nicely balanced and drinkable. Good stuff.

22oz Bomber - Trade - Pantanap
Aroma – Huge Porter aroma, Dark malts this had lots of chocolate.
Appearance – Brown in color, Nice head and hazy.
Flavor – This was a great beer to drink. The deep rich malts and strong chocolate and coffee were great.
Palate – Nice Mouthfeel, good texture with a dry finish.
Overall – One of the best porters I have ever had. This was a great beer strong with flavors to match. Not your everyday Porter this will grow hair on your toenails. Big beer for the big boys.

Bottle: Thanks to JoeMcPhee: Deep brown pour with a light brown film of head. Aroma is chocolaty, some molasses, with earthy, piney subtleties. Creamy body with a chocolaty flavor. For the most part it’s pretty straight forward, but tasty. Some dark malt character with a subtle milk chocolate sweetness and a balancing piney bitter finish. It seems the time mellowed out the intense hops of this Porter.

pours thick black with thick tan head. i catch coffee in the aroma. i taste chocolate and coffee in the roasty flavor. it finishessweet to me, much too sweet, cloyingly so. still, i’m glad i drank it.

Big 22oz bottle from The Epeeist on 2/2208. Thanks Chris! Pours with a thick brown medium bubble head, settling to a thick microbubble foamy cloudy over the black liquid. Looks great. Lots of bitterness and chocolate and roastiness. I’m not sure I like this variety of hops. Too dry for me. I really prefer sweetish beers. I hate putting these low ratings in, but I just don’t like it. Bummer. Maybe a wad of cheese would help.7,5,4,2,11:2.9 Rerate: 06 bottle in jan 09: mellowed: 8,3,6,3,15:3.5