Calumet Queen - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

secondtooth

Indiana

3.3/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a heavy golden, with no lace.

Aroma is grainy, malty. Nothing outstanding.

Flavor is toasty grains. Very malt-forward. There's a hint of citrus towards the finish, as well as some fruit. Really a typical lager, nothing more and nothing less.

Overall, a solid kolsch, but unremarkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 09:50:55 | More by secondtooth

RickS95

Indiana

3.41/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

22 ounce bomber

Pale golden in color, a partnership of clarity and haziness. Good carbonation. The head is very white and bright, and thick. Stopped mid-pour because it looked like the floor might get a drink had I continued. Two and a half fingers of tiny bubbles. Great retention. Foamy lace.

Malty, biscuity nose. Lemongrass and flowers. Green grape with a touch of pepper.

Tastes like a stronger version of a macro with an extra helping of citrus. A combination of pale and pilsner malts and savory Noble hops. Nothing to write home about. Maybe a style that shouldn't make a comeback.

Earthy, flowery feel. Very crisp. High carbonation to scrape the tongue dry after each sip. No alcohol presence. Light bodied. Sour, bitter finish. Acidic, citric finish.

Overall, it might be a good beer, but if it is, the style doesn't work for me. It was a hot day and I still didn't care for it. Tastes only slightly different than a run of the mill macro, only with more character. Not something I want again.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 03:22:56 | More by RickS95

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.69/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very lightly hazy medium straw yellow in color with significant amounts of visible carbonation and just a hint of golden yellow highlights. The beer has a finger tall dense foamy head that reduces to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of biscuit malts with slightly heavier amounts of white grape. There is a light amount of honey sweetness.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of biscuit malts with some light amounts of white grape and just a touch of toasted grain.There is a very light amount of honey sweetness. Light to moderate amounts of bitterness in the finish which lingers slightly.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp with a light amount of dryness in the finish.

O: This is enjoyable and easy to drink but is not anything special. I would have preferred if this beer had a little less sweetness and a little more hop bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 21:52:46 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.56/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is slightly hazy light yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin bright white head that hardly died down.
S: Sweet aromas of bready malts are present in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste is slightly sweet and has flavors of bready malts and white grapes with a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light-bodied (but not watery) on the palate and has a moderate to high amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has interesting flavors of grapes but seemed a little sweet for the style and could use more hop bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 21:50:00 | More by metter98

ruckus232

Illinois

3.61/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 Ounce brown bottle poured into a pint glass

Appearance: Light yellow slightly hazy with a little bit of head that diminishes moderately fast.

Smell: Mildly sweet with a little bit of a hint of alcohol.

Taste: Slightly tart/citrus type flavor with a sweetness following up. For the most part this is fairly mild in taste but not bad, just not very complex.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 02:03:01 | More by ruckus232

DocJitsu

California

4.21/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

My first ever Kolsch style! Pours a gorgeous, light, slightly hazy, yellow golden color with a pure white, foamy head. The head has decent retention. An 1/8 inch white cap sits on top of the beer and is perpetuated by carbonation bubbles rising from the bottom. Tart Czech Pilsener nose. A bit of green grape and some unripe banana peel. A pretty surprising mouthfeel given the appearance and the bouquet. One would expect something lighter and crisper. The mouthfeel is full and a bit thick, nearing chewy. Smooth on the finish. Really nice balance in the flavor. Sweetness and tartness work together nicely. Nothing obtrusive. It's a really good beer overall. However, it shouldn't be $7.99 a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 02:17:19 | More by DocJitsu

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into pint glass; no bottle dating, but purchased recently. Pours lightly hazy golden straw color with a foamy 1-2 finger bright white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of lemon, pear, apple, cracker, bread, honey, grass, floral, herbal, and earthy spiciness. Nice, pleasant, and well balanced aromas with decent strength; on par for the style. Taste of pear, apple, lemon, cracker, bready grain, grass, floral, herbal, and earthy spiciness. Light yeast tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of light fruits, cracker, bready grain, grass, floral, herbal, and earthy spiciness on the finish for a short bit. Very nice balance of flavors; with a typical flavor complexity for the style; and zero cloying flavors on the finish as expected. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and lightly crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice Kolsch style! Nice balance of flavors with solid complexity; and extremely smooth and crisp to drink. Very enjoyable offering, and on par with the style as expected.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 07:42:31 | More by superspak

BradtheGreat7

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Review taken from notes: late summer 2012

1 pint 6 oz. brown bomber style bottle. Label is pretty sexy with what they claim to be Alpha King's girlfriend lol. I prefer this label to the older Calumet Queen who to me looked like Alpha King's sister. But anyway, this is more great art from FFF. Poured into a stange glass I dug out from behind my other glassware.

A - clear golden with a yellow tint to it. A few shades from crystal clear clarity. Very thin white head that vanishes very quickly leaving the smallest ring of lace. No real stick to note.

S - very pilsner like malt aroma but without the corn notes I get from a pils. Sour apples and a whiff of fruitiness. Some bready grains and even sourdough bread.

T - Somewhat lemony with the faintest of orange rind. Sour apple and a lager like yeast to it. Pretty crisp and clean flavor with almost no hop profile as expected from the style. Does have the FFF water source flavor like all of their brews and I suppose that
made it worth finishing.

M - Light bodied and as thin as it gets. It is crisp and refreshing and is enjoyable on this hot humid afternoon. 3F has a very unique water source that has a 1 of a kind flavor. You just know who it is and honestly this was the sole reason I could finish this. Then again, I'm just not big on this style.

O - FFF is my one of my 2-3 favorite breweries and I consider them the worlds best without question. While im not a kolsch fan at all it is a decent style for the summer. An ale with lager like characteristics. Hmm.. Idk.. while Calumet Queen wasn't horrible I can't say it's worthy of being Alpha King's girl friend or anything close to having a relationship for that matter. You are talking big time class in alpha and just so so with calumet. It was cool to get a not always released bottle from FFF and this experience will not stop the fact that I'll buy anything FFF if I see it, but this wasn't good enough for me to want again. But then again I don't think it's 3 Floyds, I think it's just the style. I mean in terms of this German style they hit it out of the park, but the kolsch ball park isn't all that big IMO. Worth a try, but nothing to get your hopes up on. This is one of my least favorite German styles and 3F did well with it.. But this just shows how hard it is to make a really good kolsch. But hey, that's just my tastebuds. I give them credit for doing it well, but how well can one do a kolsch? I doubt any better than Calumet. It shows how good FFF are, but in turn shows me how bad the Kolsch style is.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 15:43:32 | More by BradtheGreat7

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I'm stoked! Been wanting to try this one for years!

Served in a shaped, see-through glass of some sort. Hell, I'm visiting non-craft beer peeps for the holidays and it's all they have.

A: Ever the slightest of chill haze on an overall clear, golden brew with mustard highlights. Tons of visible carbonation and one of the most massive white heads I've seen all year. Seriously, I had to wait for it to subside.

S: Actually, I did manage to get a bit of the delectable FFF hop profile, along with a good bit of sweet grains, barley, and sourdough bread.

T: Okay, perhaps the FFF profile was my overactive imagination, because I'm not getting it any more. Crisp, with the bitter finish played to perfection. Grains, but also a good amount of fresh filtered water in the middle. Great!

M: Cushiony and bubbly in spades, with suds staining the glass as I siphoned off the liquid. Not too bitter, not too sweet, just perfect!

O: FFF amazes me around every turn, and for them to turn out a hit from a style that in lesser hands tend to be bland, speaks volumes as to their talents. Now, if they could only do something about their poor attitude.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 05:13:40 | More by Chaney

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Perfectly clear light gold/bright yellow. Head is small, bubbly, and drops to a small cap and loose collar. Lively carbonation. Very clean.

Smell: Toasted grains. Some bready malts. Lightly buttered toast. Some grass. Mild earthiness coupled with a light dusting of something akin to citrus. Some hay and lemon rind as well. Pale malts add a little sweetness. Touches of honey. Very light and clean. Earthy damp lemon.

Taste: Crisp toasted bread. Seriously, this is made of toast. Some edges of honey and lemon rind. Dustings of hay with a nice clean earthiness. Pale malts and some nice underlying sweetness. Vaguely soapy and floral. Grass and hay. Lingering earthiness. Biscuit and raw grain. Not pretty, but that's what makes it solid.

Mouthfeel: Clean with a moderate to light body. Missing some of the fuller edges I would expect. Nice and smooth.

Overall: A fitting match for Three Floyds King.

I'm not sure how Three Floyds does it, but they've managed to make yet another easy drinking, relatively light lager. Nothing aggressive or insane. This would be a fantastic beer in the dead heat of summer...or ever really. It's good.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:38:48 | More by Goblinmunkey7

tdm168

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - clear, bright yellow with a soft, white head that has great retention

S - faint yeast, a hint of fruit, lemon grass

T - grass, cereal grains, sweet, lemon

M - light bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is a really nice, lighter offering that is enjoyable and highly drinkable. If I had one complaint it would be the cereal grains. At points they were intense enough that it came close to eating corn flakes. But on the whole it was balanced and well put together. If you like Kolschs you'll like this.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 10:04:09 | More by tdm168

rlee1390

Indiana

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Clear yellow, slight orange as well. not much carbonation or head either.

S-Bread and butter, slight toast notes, wee bit of grass as well.

T-Similar to the nose, sweet bread, mild toast, some grass. No bitterness.

M-Light, some carbonation and crisp.

O-Not a style I'm a fan off, easily the worst FFF beer I've had. Still decent, would be a nice summer drinker.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 19:13:40 | More by rlee1390

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Ray (baybum) for bringing this and many other FFF goodies to our Nov. '12 Philly 'burbs bottle share. It's good to have some non-wales from an otherwise wale-driven brewery.

I'm not a Kolsch/pils/light beer guy, it's no secret. But this one was not too bad, and worked good as an interlude between some of the heavier beers we tasted during the session.

Clearish straw-yellow pour, with a cap of foamy white head that settled to a thin layer of bubbles. Looked Kolschy. Thin aroma, toasted grains, light malt sweetness, grassy hops. Smelled Kolshy. Taste...you guessed it: Kolschy. Toasted grains, light biscuit malt and honey sweetness, light notes of citrus and grass, with a bit of a metallic aftertaste. Pretty crisp and light-bodied, and good overall for the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 07:29:51 | More by Rifugium

chicagoanbeerone

Illinois

3/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

smooth not bitter at all, it is light on flavor and texture and not to heavy on alcohol either reminds me of alagash more of a smooth refreshing crisp beer. not a heavy beer at all and had a good but funky light flavor
overall this beer is worth a try but noting that special i was a bit dissapointed would not buy again

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 19:05:32 | More by chicagoanbeerone

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

If this really is named after Calumet City IN/IL (about 5 miles from Munster, site of Three Floyds), it’s the only recognition I’ve seen from this city. Here’s hoping for a good first impression.

A: Whoa, where’s the head? Pours like sparkling grape juice, shining golden with a bubbly body and almost no retention: just a spattering of light white soda fizz. Minimal stringy retention.

S: Light lager scents of doughy bread and husky grain, more like an American macro-brewed lager than I expected. Seems like quite the average beer. Quick dose of lemony, rindy hops (much less than Three Floyds brews typically have) and a little banana before it closes out.

T: Much better flavor here, thankfully: soapy, lemony hops present sweet floral hints of lavender, lemongrass, and orange peel, mixing with a clean malt sweetness of honey, banana, corn, and buttered toast. There’s a little vinous grape and peach flavor to it, a mild candi syrup character, and grain husk to boot. Finish is crisp yet sweet, a final exhibition of balance. Well done.

M: Light and thin, without that sustained lager chewiness that would go well with the palate. Feels clean, though, I guess you could say.

O: Chalk up another satisfying release to Three Floyds – lots of flavor for a seemingly limited style. I’d enjoy this as a year-round release, especially since nobody seems to be able to put out a nice, flavorful lager.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 04:25:16 | More by BarryMFBurton

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle opened on 10.8.12

A - Pours a hazy dark yellow-light orange with a few white bubbles that are gone instantly.

S - Wheat and lemons.

T - Lemon, wheat, sweet carmel malts.

D - Lower carbonation with a light body and a sweet finish.

O - Sweet, citrus, and light.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 06:34:38 | More by HuskyinPDX

KDawg

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle. Pours a clear yellow color with a small head.

Crisp aromas of crackers, biscuits, grains, and noble hops. Not as higher toned and crisp as I'd like.

Lighter bodied, but not extremely light. Balanced with a somewhat lacking feel and notes of crackers, noble hops, and grains.

Didn't seem fully like a kolsch. Instead it seemed more like a pilsner. Still, it's a solid beer that is easy to drink

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 00:19:49 | More by KDawg

chanokokoro

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Three Floyds branded imperial pint glass

Pours a glimmering gold with a two finger bright white head. Light pale malt, grass and flora, accents of apple and pear on the nose. Opens with grassy hops joined by apple peel with a touch of bitterness, a touch of honey, toasted grain, and some light citric notes. Finishes fairly dry and crisp. Light body with bubbly carbonation that tickles the inside of the mouth. Overall, a very solid kolsch.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 17:02:12 | More by chanokokoro

Strongarm81

3.45/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A. Pretty golden color, looks like most pilsners. Light head.

S. Typical kölsh smell, crisp.

T. A hint of lemon and grapefruit, A hint of sweetness.

M. A bit of a bite, but great drinkability. Minimal after taste.

O. Refreshing, drinkable, but not incredibly memorable. Would drink again at the right price.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 20:36:28 | More by Strongarm81

Treebs

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bomber served in a pilsner glass.

A: Pours a clear gold color with a pure white head forming on the pour. Recedes quickly to a thin film. Pretty standard.

S: Pretty typical kolsch smell. Light pale malts, some mineral qualities with a light grassy hop note. Sweet, lagery yeast as well.

T: Pretty much lines up with the nose. Pale malt sweetness, some slightly ester yeast component. A grassy hop profile is somewhat assertive here, but the malty sweetness really brings it home on the finish.

M: Light bodied with a medium high carbonation level. Has a malty sweet finish with a high drinkability.

O: Pretty solid flavor profile for a kolsch and it had a little more hop bite than normal which is on par with FFF. It's a little too cold in Chicago now for this guy, but on a hat summer day this would be great. Seasonal summer six packs would be good.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 23:57:11 | More by Treebs

Etan

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a Brooklyn snifter.

A: Pours a translucent light gold with a big head of coarse white bubbles.

S: Light grain with the usual floral and slightly fruity esters from the yeast.

T: Grain, touch of citric hoppiness, slightly buttery, mild apple and honey esters.

M: Light with tingly carbonation.

O: Not the most flavorful kolsch I've had, but it does the job.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 22:30:47 | More by Etan

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.85/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Split a bottle with the gf while watching football.

Pours light straw with a small patchy white head fading into a ring. No lacing.

Aroma is grainy with some honey and sweet bread.

More biscuit in the flavor than I associate with a kolsch. Grainy and malty and not particularly crisp. Slight lemon.

Medium bodied and carbonation. Finishes a little sweet for my taste for the style.

Went down smooth, but really not much to write home about. Kolsch is a style that I don't always crave and when I do there are certainly better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 17:44:48 | More by jmarsh123

Florida9

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear light yellow color. Forms a large foamy head on an aggressive pour, but it eventually settles to thin surface coating with moderate ring around the edge. Some light lacing.

S: A mix of grains and lightly toasted white bread. A bit of honey and a little green apple.

T: Toasty grains, cracker, and summer fruits: grapes, green apple, and pear. A little bit of a honey sweetness. Glycerin finish.

M: Thinner body, moderate carbonation with a pleasant brightness to it. Virtually no bitterness, but the finish is so dry it gives the impression of bitterness.

O: Tastes like a Kölsch. A well made Kölsch, but its not exactly the most exciting of beer styles. That said, I do wish FFF would have put this into distribution at the beginning of summer instead of the beginning of fall, but I guess that's FFF for you.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 02:10:02 | More by Florida9

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This poured out as a clear looking yellow color, very nice looking brew with a soapy white head on top. The smell of the beer is grainy and has some sweet corn aromas on the nose. The taste of the beer is very refreshing, it's clean and has some sweet grains and corn-like flavors in there. The mouthfeel is very light bodied with a good carbonation. Overall this beer is quite good for the style. I found it to be really impressive and I wouldn't probably drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 03:23:56 | More by Knapp85

MasterSki

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Jason. Served in a tulip of some sort. I've had this beer on-tap but I've never bothered to review it.

A - White foam settles to a thin collar, wisps, and minimal lace. Transparent straw body. Looks like a Kölsch.

S - White grapes, sharp grains, a dab of honey. Pretty clean and crisp aroma, but somewhat understated.

T - The taste has more in the way of honey sweetness and biscuity malts. Some lightly toasted grains, fruity notes, and a clean and refreshing finish.

M - Medium body, with pleasant carbonation and a dry, crisp finish. Very easy to drink.

D - Not as musty or grapey as some German examples I've tried, but still pretty authentic as most German offerings are from 3 Floyds.. If you like Kölsch, you'll like this as it's a good American take on the style. Jason and I finished the bomber in roughly 10 minutes, so it's definitely a lawnmower sort of beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 20:02:22 | More by MasterSki