Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine

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

Bottled 65cl. Very hoppy. Fantastic aroma- great taste. Complex. Extremely pleasant. Hints of lavender, rose and rosemary throughout.

on tap at maproom, amber with big white head, PNW dominate aroma, grapefruit, mango, peach, reminds me of dreadnaught. taste is extremely hoppy with caramel, butterscotch, red fruits, great fruity hoppy notes. no alcohol in flavor more a IIPA than barleywine. but as is this is easily the king of American Barleywines. I think i could drink a dangerous amount of this. 8/5/8/5/17 is equal to 4.3

2005 vintage (almost 2 years aged). pours deep ruby with big off white head. nose is sweet with cotton candy, caramel, sweet plums, tobacco, and slight alcohol. flavor is pretty sweet but not cloying, delicate balance of tobacco, ripe plums, cherry pits, caramel, tar, and a hint of smoke. hops have faded out. very complex and aged well but still needs a few more years. alc is well hidden. mouth feel a tad thin. after 30 minutes the nose is really alcoholy. this is more of a fine liquor than a beer, aging well, 7/5/8/4/17 is equal to 4.1.

11/17/07, 2007 vintaged brewed 11/06 (12 months ago). 22oz bottle, yellow wax. pours a murky reddish brown with creamy white head. nose is strong with aged notes, tobacco, some vegetable, and plum. flavor is a lot less hoppier than i was expecting, the hops have almost all be fallen off with some faint citrus and grapefruit notes, mostly aged malts of tobacco, plum, and caramel. no alcohol is noticed at all body is a tad thin. this has aged really fast, not sure why, it is clear that this much aging this fast has not allowed the malts to age and integrate gracefully, instead it is sort of a mix a roughly aged malt notes. it is still tasty but it was much better fresh. with how fast this has aged i can’t see this getting better but i guess anything is possible. 7/4/7/4/15 is equal to 3.7.

11/21/07, 05 vintage (aged 2 years), this is pretty oxidized and the hops have really fallen off now. lots of tobacco, plums, and tar. no alcohol noticed at all. the nose is pretty bad and mostly vegetables. i’m enjoying this despite the fact that it hasn’t aged gracefully. this may have another year left in it. 4/4/7/4/14 is equal to 3.3.

2/26/08, 2008 vintage, bottled a few weeks ago. pretty much the same impressions as notes at the top of the 07 tap rating. lively, hoppy as hell and juicy. wonderful and fun to drink. but my beer experience has convinced me that this is a IIPA not a barleywine. oh well, its awesome and now surpasses that struggling recent vintages of dreadnaught.4.3.

6/22/08, 2008 vintage, aged 6 months. on tap at Piece. I guess FFF likes Behemoth with some age on it because they are finally letting some kegs go to Chicago. I prefer it fresh as possible, but aged a bit it seems more barleywine and super fresh it is just a really big IIPA. I was surprised how 6months keg aging has toned the hops down a notch and the malt has already started to take on some aged notes. I can’t believe how fast this beer ages. not that it tastes 10 years old or something but quite a bit different than when fresh. 7/4/7/5/16 is equal to 3.9.

(Bottle 65 cl) Very dark, clear amber - almost like bourbon - with a tiny, off-white head. Extremely floral hop aroma - you almost don’t need to taste this brew, you can sit for a looong while simply sniffing and enjoying the fantastic aromas. Full-bodied with a shipload of malt and caramel. The aroma hops also leave quite some bitterness, but it’s never overpowering - even for my palate. A truly great brew. 031205

Courtesy Solan. Pours a glowing luscious red with a light white head. Great nose on this one! I get alotof grapefruit in this one with sweet malts, and some pear. Very fruity in the taste and they mask that 12% alcohol masterfully. Extremely smooth. Get alot of that grapefruit especially in the finish, some raisins, cinnamon, malts, and other spices. The balance is fantastic. Quite enjoyable. Thanks SoLan.

Thanks Boboski! Good way to start off the night. More hoppy than sweet (I’m not complaining) and more like a IIIPA than a Barleywine (in my opinion, clearly). My teeth are sticky and I don’t know why (though I could guess). Reminds me of the autumn and caramel apples. Burnt-orange and I don’t remember the head. Insane lacing sticking to the glass, not moving. Mmm....

22 oz. bottle. Poured ruby amberish witha very nice off white head. Aroma was a complex experience of dates, grapefriut molasses and pear. It starts out beautifully sweet with dried friut cherries and pear sweet cigar and citrus overtones. finishes with a whallop of warmness and silky coating on the tongue. A huge complex beer fit for the most dicriminating of palates. Awesome!

Bright, clear copper pour with thin head that quickly disappears leaving tight-knit bubbles floating on top. The nose is strong and filled with grapefruit, overripe fruit, nuts, earthiness and alcohol. The flavor is a nice balance of bitter hops, sweet brown sugar, caramel, leather and citrus. There are notes of earthiness and a peppery bite from the alcohol. The palate is thick and chewy. The long aftertaste starts bitter and finishes sweet. It leaves a nice coating of resinous hops. This is a barley wine for hop lovers who appreciate depth and balance. Another excellent beer from Three Floyds.

22 oz bottle, 2005 release, via TChrome. Pours a clear dark garnet colored body under a small fizzy light brown head that faded to a whispy film. Light sediment in bottle. Aroma is quite pungent and in your face. Intense resiny hoppiness over a thick toffee and fruity malt base. Some grapefruit and a touch of alcohol as well. The hops just smack you awake with the first sip. Intensly hoppy and bitter, yet amazingly balanced because of all the toffee maltiness. Lighter notes of smoke, alcohol, and citrus. Long lingering finish. Mouthfeel is thick, chewy, and sticky with nice moderate soft carbonation. Very warming on the finish. Overall, a very big, certainly American, Barley Wine. Really bordering on IIPA status to my tastes, but who cares what it’s classified as, it’s good.