Three Floyds Caligulan Imperial Cream Ale

Aroma: Faint malt notes. A sweet, corn-like aroma. Hop aroma low . Faint esters present Appearance: Golden medium head with high carbonation. super clear Flavor: medium hop bitterness. moderate maltiness and sweetness, malt prevails in the taste. A low to moderate corny flavor from corn adjuncts and some DMS. Mouthfeel: light and crisp, although body can reach medium. Higher gravity slight alcohol warmth.

This didn’t do it for me. The amber body with weak white head released aromas of hops, clover honey, yeast, Illini sweet, and fresh cream. Creamy in the mouth but the aromas didn’t translate into flavor. It was a bit too bitter for a cream ale.

On tap at the brewpub 12/16/2005: Pours a transparent golden bronze with a nicely-lacing white head. Sweet, mild cream corn aroma has a good malty presence. Starts with some sweet pale maltiness and some peppery hops. Well-balanced and very drinkable, an interesting and well-done brew.

tap at brewpub-pours lightly cloudy orange with a soapy white head with good lacing all around the english pint glass. light citrus, faint vanilla cream, with a light funky yeast twang. french vanilla here. flavors are sweet cream, toasted grains, light hops (piney/earthy) with a husky malty finish. alcohol is detected but not overpowering. nice balance with an earthy hop finish to balance out all the cream sweetness. Nice work FFF!

2005 growler shared with OldGrowth on 1/1/2006. Acquired in a great trade with the generous RoofTopRogue.
Head recedes to nothing over a matter of about two or three minutes, though initially it pours large and beige colored. Shining, burnished brass/straw body is clear. No lacing, yet there is a light film left on the glass. Initial aroma smells strongly of coconut shavings, malibu rum, very light isopropyl-like alcohols, and something more that I can’t put my finger on. I come to the conclusion of "fancy bath soaps" and OldGrowth immediately suggests, "French milled soap". Yes! That’s it. An undeniable likeness to french milled bar soap. And, surprisingly (to me anyways) not in a bad way at all. The coconut eventually fades and the yeast that seems to be producing it becomes more clear as the beer warms, though it is still lightly sourish and fruity-dry. Alcohol notes in the nose never strengthen, and probably recede as the beer warms, making it of little concern overall. The flavor begins with coconut to the max, very yeasty and a dry, bitter, leafy hoppiness. Citric, dry, light pine. As it warms, it takes on a very round and fruity flavor, soft, with very dry pale maltiness, though hardly even honeyish in nature. Very much like dried out white bread dough, though the light touches of caramel add the needed sweetness. When cold, it has an almost creamy, lemon-vanilla cake icing appeal, that seems to fade as it warms. Low carbonation, but not thin or watery at all. The bubbles are small and minimally expansive, engaging, moderately, the palate. But it proves to be a very slippery texture overall, gliding down seemlessly, with only a bite on the end from the yeast, mixed with a light kick of alcohol. Actually very well-to-style, if you extrapolate what a double cream ale would be. It’s enjoyable to find a beer that actually benefits from drinking at colder temperatures.