Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter

06-Mar-06 (22 oz bottle: Obtained 17-Sep-04 in trade with CaptainCougar, thanks Tom!) This is a well-aged bottle, at least 18 months old, and it has been refrigerated the entire time it’s been in my possession. Just last week, I had a sizeable sample from a recent bottle (courtesy of SDbruboy), so that memory is still fresh in my mind. Whereas bright hops were at the forefront of the fresh bottle, here, the hops are expectedly subdued so what I’m sampling this evening is an earthy, roasty, chocolaty, and moderately sweet, yet still wonderfully delicious porter. Moderate-to-strong roasty bitterness stays on the palate the entire session, regardless of how much time elapses between sips. A bit of toasty malt emerges on the palate long after I’ve swallowed, somewhere around 15 to 20 seconds later. And as the beer warms up, the chocolate becomes more pronounced, pulling even with the roast, eventually surpassing it, and a fair amount of smoke has its moments too. Obviously, lots of transitions with this beer and I find the aftertaste to be very pleasant and exceptionally long-lasting, but I’m most enamoured that every sip seems to offer something different. Earthy, roasty aromas abound, but unfortunately the nose just can’t quite match up with the excellence of the flavor. Medium-full bodied, substantial for sure, but not heavy or sticky, but again, as the beer’s temperature increases, so too does the body. Carbonation is light to medium, so coupled with the smooth, rich and creamy mouthfeel, this beer drapes every corner of the mouth in luxury. Deep brown in color, not black, but still dark enough that it’s opaque in my tulip glass. The tulip helps build the head to nearly an inch in height on the pour, and having a tall, light tan head contrasting so vividly with the dark body is very attractive. The head gradually settles to a patchy film surrounded by a wide ring, and lacing is also fairly patchy. If the hops is what makes this porter so special for you, then drink it fresh. But if earthy, roasty, chocolaty, less-hoppy porters is more your speed, this is an exceptional candidate for longer-term aging. I fall into the second group, and have found this aged bottle to be significantly better. Just a wonderfully complex porter, one that filled with transitions, one that seems to continually presents new and exquisite flavors. Possibly the best American porter I’ve ever tasted.

26-Feb-06 (22 oz bottle: Shared by SDbruboy, thanks Cliff!) Quite an unusual porter, but not so surprising for a Three Floyds beer. This is a porter where the hops really works from a position of strength. Plenty of moderately sweet chocolate complemented by the herbal hops, but surprisingly, the bitterness is relatively mild. And it’s not especially roasty either. The nose is grassy, lightly roasty, yeasty and mildly sweet, but there’s a bit of earthiness that doesn’t really show up in the flavor. Medium-full bodied. Very dark brown in color, but ruddy at the edges. Light tan head shows nice retention. I have a bottle at home of this and I look forward to seeing how this compares. (6, 3, 7, 4, 15 = 3.5)

Amazing thick head, the kind of head that stays to shape if you make an indentation in it. Roasty aroma. Flavor is roasted coffee and chocolate with a nice hop backing. A well rounded beer that really fills the palate nicely. A damn good beer as expected from 3F

WOW. I certainly didn’t expect this to have such a strong hops aroma, but it is from 3F’s. Great roasted aroma really mixes well with th ehops. Long lasting, rocky head. I haven’t had many porters, but this beer is outstanding. I have a couple more I thought I’d save till next Christmas, but I’ll drink them soon so I can enjoy the hoppiness.

Pours black in color with a huge light brown head. Aroma is dark chocolate malt with a hint of licorice and a little pine in the background. Flavor starts with chocolate and caramel then a little coffee bitterness finishing lightly dry with creamy mocha and a lingering orange rind bitter aftertaste. Medium full body, creamy texture, soft carbonation.

22oz. bottle. Deep black pour with a creamy stone coloured head and fantastic lacing. The aroma is rich extremely dark chocolate, roasted espresso, and a massive impact of herbaceous hops. The flavour equals the aroma in intensity and depth of flavour. The hops really add a holiday xmas tree quality. Resinous though not harsh. I like it!

Bottle. Pours black with a beautiful foamy brown head. Moderate lacing. Interesting aroma of pine, vanilla, and dark roasted malts, with the pine being dominant. Initial flavor of dark roasted coffee beans and bitter chocolate, and not much residual sweetness. Mouthfeel was too fizzy on the tongue. I did not dig the finish on this one, as it was too bitter and has too much burnt flavor for a porter. Don’t get me wrong, I am a hophead. This is not what I personally enjoy from a porter. Being a Three Floyd’s fan, this is the weakest offering I have had so far. Not worth the $9 price tag either.

Pitch black beer with a little grey-ochre rim for head. Coffee, cigarette ash, chocolate - but nowhere bitter smelling !! Quite surprising. Finish with faraway moccha or coffee cream, and - really sorry! - vomit. Surprising hops initially in the taste, going over in coffee bean sweets, with a dry, but hardly stout-like dark malts background. Very well bodied, slick but pleasing, coffee/cigarette aromas to the very last end. I’d be hypocritical pretending not to like this, but it is unsettling in some ways, not at all what the name would suggest.

Huge tan head, very dark color. Overly hoppy with carbonated mouthfeel. Flavor of coffee and grapefruit. "Like eating the forest." Coffee aroma.