Bourbon Behemoth With Cherries - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

StoneTSR

Colorado

4.58/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On the way down to Nashville, TN from Chicago my girlfriend and I stopped in for lunch at the Three Floyds brewery in Munster, IN. Very glad we did.

After eating at the bar and tasting a few beers one of the servers walked by and saw that I was drinking Behemoth and he suggested that we try the Bourbon Cherry Behemoth as well since it would only be on tap for a few days. I never would have tried it without the suggestion, but I am very glad that I did. Thanks to the server with the giant gauge things in his ears - awesome suggestion and very friendly guy. Here's what I found:

APPEARANCE: Poured a very dark, reddish brown color with a brilliant and pristine, thick white head resting on top. It looked gorgeous in the snifter. The only drawback in appearance was that it had almost a complete lack of lacing.

SMELL: The smell instantly made me realize this was a perfect beer for dessert. Sweet cherry aromas with the faint hint of bourbon in the background.

TASTE: The bourbon wasn't very strong in the nose, but it sneaks up and gets you on the first sip. Nice, strong bourbon flavors compliment the not-to-sweet, but very tasty cherry flavor. This is certainly a unique beer.

MOUTHFEEL: Oily, but somehow not mouthcoating at all. A little touch of the bubbles on the way down, but not very sparkly. Overall a good feel, especially for an after-dinner (or in this case after-lunch) drink.

OVERALL: The Bourbon Behemoth with Cherries made for the perfect finish to our time at Three Floyds. I've never tasted anything quite like it, and in fact, usually wouldn't have even tried it. But, they did a nice job making it drinkable, even to the person who doesn't particularly care for sweet beers. I'm a serious IPA drinker, but I am craving this one and hoping they still have a little left in the barrel by the time we head back up through Munster on Monday. We shall see. If you live near FFF, go now and check it out.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2011 15:51:27 | More by StoneTSR

brian4beer

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

05-13-2013 17:48:12 | More by brian4beer

Hopbully

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

05-12-2013 05:33:35 | More by Hopbully

sweemzander

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

04-28-2013 21:11:39 | More by sweemzander

cfrances33

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -11.6%

04-15-2013 04:56:24 | More by cfrances33

Docrock

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +12%

04-09-2013 00:46:27 | More by Docrock

Gonzoillini

Illinois

5/5  rDev +17.9%

03-21-2013 16:14:28 | More by Gonzoillini

NikkoE82

Indiana

5/5  rDev +17.9%

03-19-2013 15:57:35 | More by NikkoE82

coffygrinder

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +12%

03-03-2013 09:03:42 | More by coffygrinder

MordorMongo

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

01-13-2013 20:15:40 | More by MordorMongo

antoines15

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

04-15-2012 16:19:07 | More by antoines15

rfraga77

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

01-15-2012 22:52:08 | More by rfraga77

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5.7%

12-13-2011 22:57:45 | More by spycow

awdturboiv

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

12-10-2011 13:34:26 | More by awdturboiv

dannyfrost

Indiana

5/5  rDev +17.9%

11-14-2011 08:20:00 | More by dannyfrost

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap in the brewpub on DLD '11.

A: Cloudy red-brown body with a ring of frothy off-white head. Looks big.

S: Big, sweet, slightly plastic-y. Bourbon, vanilla, and caramel all show up, as well as some fruity booze. Nice, but where are the cherries?

T: Huge, sweet, and crazy. Caramel, toffee, cherry (finally!), oak, bourbon, and vanilla. The cherry really asserts itself nicely, with plenty of dry tartness complementing the big barleywine sweetness. Some grassy hops bitterness shows up, too. Wow, that's complex and amazing.

M: Fluffy. The carbonation really explodes, filling my mouth with lively effervescence. Interesting.

O: Terrific BA Barleywine. The cherries really provided a thrilling touch of complexity, and all the huge sweetness and hoppiness of the base beer was just enhanced by the bourbon and oak. I was really surprised to see that this was rated a B+ overall, as I thought I was kind of hard on it in everything but taste, and still gave it an A-. Huh.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2011 15:38:47 | More by woosterbill

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

on tap at DLD
Not sure why other have reviewed this worth than the regular Bourbon Behemoth.

Almost identical to the standard Bourbon Behemoth but with a nice touch of subtle cherry. A bit tart but also adds some sweetness. A great addition I feel to this beer. Couples so nicely. This is up there as one of my favourites from the day!

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2011 13:59:31 | More by Urbancaver

AgentZero

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Rusty brown beer with a white head that had a little bit of stick on the side.

S - Smell of sweet cherries infused with the caramel and burnt sugars of the barleywine. Very nice stuff. Not as much of a hop presence as the regular Behemoth.

T - Sweet cherry flavor, touches of oak and bourbon. This drinks a lot lighter for me than the regular Behemoth, and is very good. Just enough hop character is maintained to balance out the sweetness. Bit of booze in there, but perfectly acceptable for the ABV.

M - Smooth, decent carbonation, medium bodied.

O - Beer is quite good, particularly as I don't like cherries. Would like to have this regularly.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 05:35:03 | More by AgentZero

nrbw23

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a murky brownish red color with pretty much no head just a handful of bubbles here and there.

S- Smell is malt and wood. A bit of cherries. A nice bourbon smell as well.

T- Follows the nose well with wood, bourbon and cherries. Not quite sure where the hops have gone.

M- Fuller side of medium in body and lighter in carbonation.

O- I think I like the regular and barrel aged versions better. Maybe just a tad bit too much cherries.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2011 20:45:00 | More by nrbw23

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at DLD.

The beer appears reddish brown and fairly hazy. The head is rather small, but sticks around for a few minutes before fading away.

The aroma is quite different from regular Behemoth, with much less of a hop presence, as well as the obvious new scents of oak, booze, and cherries.

I, for one, enjoyed this brew much more than regular Behemoth. Flavors were very forward, yet well-balanced. Lots of cherries and oak shine through. This beer is dangerously drinkable at 12.5%. Alcohol content is elegantly masked. There was far less hop presence than is found in regular Behemoth, as was indicated by the aroma. Overall, a very enjoyable brew, and one I certainly recommend trying, should you have the opportunity.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2011 19:47:36 | More by Huhzubendah

beertooth

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at the pub, served in a bowtie.

Muddy brown sun tea with a crispy ring of off white foam.

The nose is sweet, oxidized barleywine. Lush dried stone fruits, wet wood, stale bourbon, and milk chocolate.

The taste follows with waves of oaky vanilla, dried fruits, chocolate, and sweet malts. Hops are there and bring some pretty big bitternes for an aged barleywine. The booze is there and hot, but not harsh. I'm usually not a fan of FFF's barreled beers, but this is nice.

The mouthfeel is a little slick and chewy with decent carbonation.

Nice offering, but a one and done. Something to try for a barreled barleywine or Three Floyds fan.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 22:45:26 | More by beertooth

mmmhopslam

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Very nice dark red and brown colored beer. I found myself becoming lost in this drink when I should have been looking into my girlfriend's eyes. Nice lacing here.

S - Bourbon just slaps you in the face. Big bourbon nose with a hint of cherries. I can see where this would be overwhelming if it's not your favorite style.

T - Hop character is all but gone. Big bourbon taste with a taste of cherries on the back end. Very sweet beer. Teetering on the precipice of cloying, even for a guy with a sweet tooth like myself. Bourbon is so front and center here that you may be able to convince someone that it IS bourbon. Not to say that the beer is that hot. Slight heat in the drink but the sweet fights it off handily.

M - This beer feel OK in the mouth. Creamy and smooth but a little syrupy. Seemed to stick to my mouth at times. Had to lick it off of my lips almost vigorously after each drink. That wasn't completely unpleasant.

D - I could not see myself drinking more than one of these at a time. Such a big behemoth of a beer. So strong and so sweet but certainly worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2011 15:09:43 | More by mmmhopslam

busternuggz

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap in a tulip glass at 3 Floyds.
Murky orangish brown with a 1/2" creamy head. The head settles to a thin film. Leaves thick, clingy lacing.
Big bourbon and oak nose, some vanilla, hint of cherry if you look for it. Some brown sugar and/or caramel. Smells big and rich, a bit too bourbony.
Big, rich monster. Lots of caramel and toffee, golden raisin, nice subtle touches of bourbon and vanilla in the middle, delicious caramel and light tobacco finish with a little bit of sweet cherry. Slightly bitter/dry finish with a little more tobacco and a touch of toffee as it fades. Malt forward but nicely balanced.
Medium bodied and somewhat viscous, but not too thick, keeps the flavors from being too overwhelming.
Tastes big but I wouldn't guess it was 12%. Pretty drinkable for its ABV and big flavor.
A well done barrel aged beer, gives nuances of bourbon notes and alters the present flavors without overwhelming them. Very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2011 18:59:05 | More by busternuggz

MasterSki

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Three Floyds. Served in a snifter/goblet-type glass.

A - Murky dark red-brown color with a hint of orange at the fringes. A half-finger of big-bubbled quick-dissipating surprisingly whitish foam that leaves a ring. I don't expect a ton out of 12.5% barleywines, but the color on this one is pretty nice.

S - Woah - lots of bourbon in this one - lots of vanilla/butterscotch flavors, along with a copious amount of overripe cherries, complete with pits and skins. There's some burnt sugar and malt character, but the barrel and cherries have taken over this brew. Intense smell that leaps out of the glass, especially as it warms up.

T - The taste has a little more of the base beer, with brown sugar and caramel malts, and a little bit of hop bitterness that mingles with the tannic bite in the aftertaste. It tastes a lot like it smells, with tons of bourbon, vanilla, wood, ripe cherry, and the aformentioned malt flavors.

M - Full bodied, smooth and creamy, a tiny bit more carbonation than I would expect from a 12.5% barleywine. Some nice heat, but not overly boozy.

D - It tastes less hot than 12.5%, and I actually find it just as drinkable as the 9% DIPA I just had, even not a tiny bit more so. (This is odd, as IPAs and DIPAs are generally my favorite style)

Not sure why others didn't dig this brew - I like it quite a bit. It's very different from fresh Behemoth - the massive hop character is quite faded - but I dig the barrel and cherry flavors quite a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2009 21:55:25 | More by MasterSki

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at DL day. The regular bourbon behemoth is one of my favorite beers of all time, so I was eager to see this different twist on it.
Pours a murky brownish red in color. Just a little carbonation and bubbles racing to the top, no head on the pour.
Smell is lots of oak and malt. There's a hint of subtle cherries underneath. Taste is more of the oak and some more of the cherry flavor comes through in the taste than in the nose. Very creamy and big on the mouthfeel. This is good, but I prefer the regular bourbon behemoth by far. What a great base beer the behemoth is for both these tests.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2009 18:40:31 | More by FtownThrowDown