Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter

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

01.27.05 Bomber via trade with doubletriple. Deep, near-black pour; minimal tan head. Aromas - wow, this is wild stuff! Pine sap, roasty and burnt coffee, chocolate, grapefruit, and alcohol. Like all FFF beers, the palate is amazing, perfect: this porter is coating and full, wanes to a thinner, crisper, clean finish and a lingering bitterness that is sharp in a pithy way. Lots of hops, grapefruit, and yet a great, malty, roasty balance. 3 cheers for 3 Floyds; these guys have a knack for making hops rock. Thanks millions, George!

bottle, pitch black color, a little brown foam, aroma of leather, hops, bean curd, coffee, flavor is great mix of coffee, chocolate, some praline, hops are hidden until the finish

Bottle. Strong chocolate nose, light hops and light roast. Pours utterly opaque, pitch-colored black with a dark brown lacing head. Crisp and delicious (and very strong) roasted bitterness, chocolatey. Very bitter and surprisingly salty finish, taste lingers for years. Hugely hoppy with a hint of coffee, though that’s largely due to the roast. Harmony! Full-bodied with occasional notes of sugary sweetness and puckering sourness. This one really has it all!

2003 vintage. Ultra-black body and a huge and dense light tan head with tiny uniform bubbles. Smells like the world’s first India Porter. Major hop action in the nose! Aroma also includes roasted coffee, light smoke, and Mexican chocolate. TTB and I spent about 15 minutes getting high on the fantastic aroma while we waited for the relentless head to fade. The flavor basically matches the aroma except more subdued. Includes some nice fruity sour notes. Also a bit soapy. Medium body is less than expected. Truly a world class porter. 10,5,8,4,18

2004 vintage was less enthralling.

Is this Rogue Skullsplitter, or is Rogue Skullsplitter really Alpha Klaus? Poured dark red-brown with a thin light tan head. Piney, floral hops aroma with underlying dark chocolate/mocha. Piney, spicy hops dominated the flavor profile while chocolatey roasted malt stayed in the background. An unusual porter, or is it a schwarzbier? I did enjoy the spicy hops bouquet and the chocolate malt combination, although the beer is definitely slanted to the former.

Courtesy of MattaA at the First Annual Florida Ratbeer Gathering. <P> This had been aged a few years so the hop element was toned down, but still much more lively than an average porter. Piney hop notes with chocolate cake and coffee in the aroma. Foretaste is roasty followed quickly by dark chocolate and espresso and then a kick of hops int he finish. Reminds me a lot of Gonzo Imperial Porter.

Mahogony red when held up to the light with a nose that speaks of subtle roast grain and not so subtle hops. I couldn't help but think that there were too many hops in this for a porter, but damn what a great beer. Lots of fresh green hop flavors all through this beer (this is from a bottle sample and I hope to try it on tap). Other flavors of molasses, oak, sweet coffee, some chocolate. The hops in this porter worked for me. Thanks to Mike (BBB63) for the bottle.

Bottled. Pours black as pitch with a huge head. Roasted and malty. Notes of coffee and dark fruits. Hints of dark bitter chocolate and spices.