Behemoth Blonde Barleywine - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

MickeyBeer

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Had this out of the tap at Firkin, poured into a snifter

A- Pours a deep brownish color that is a beautiful red when held up to the light. A finger and a half of head that had nice retention.

S- Great floral aroma from the hops, malty with a hint of alcohol.

T- Taste is sweet with a little less hop presence than I had expected. Hint of alcohol as well, which is not surprising at over 10% ABV.

M- Mouthfeel is almost creamy for a barleywine. Carbonation is light and it has warming feel on the way down. Very sticky.

O- A very enjoyable barleywine, but could have used more hop bitterness in my opinion. All of the beers by three floyds are great, but this one might be a little better when aged in a bottle. I will have to purchase it at the store and give it another try to see how it compares.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-07-2013 23:59:21 | More by MickeyBeer

Ncpogs

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

I don't think many people know what a barley wine style beer is, and very few I talked to like this style of beer. Well, if you ever want to convince someone of a barley wine, give them one drink of Behemoth! Typically I am a huge IPA fan, but this may be one of my most favorite beers ever.

It's has a lot of IBU's but is definitely not overly bitter. It has a nice smooth quality to it as well but still boasts a high alcohol content. A perfect balance of citrus type hops/malt/honey gives this beer a special quality.

This is a beer aficionado's must try.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 15:10:59 | More by Ncpogs

overnightstorms

Illinois

4.64/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2013 Barley wine from Three Floyds

Poured in a wine glass (best glass available)

A- clear whiskey amber brown. Nice head, with fine lacing

S- earthy and floral with sweet alcoholic notes. Burnt sugar. 

T- rich and flavorful, sweet, hoppy, alcohol stings the nose, caramel, fruity wine notes

F- feels like wine, so rich it's chewy. 

O- I love this beer. It's really fueled my barley wine obsession. Always look forward to when the beer comes out. Love the artwork and of course the wax. 

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 06:20:41 | More by overnightstorms

SerialHiker

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours a slightly deep, caramel brown…mildly transparent, I can see some sediment floating about inside…about a finger width, off white head formed and remained and sticks together nicely…tons of life when I swirl it around…looks fantastic…(4.25/5)

Smell: Sweet caramel malts, some alcohol heat, pale malts, citrus (lemon, pineapple) hops, earthy bitterness…its got a little lemony disinfectant spray aroma…very balanced, plenty of pale, sweet, caramel malts mixed with citrus and earthy hops…(4.5/5)

Taste: Yum! Rich caramel malts balanced nicely by zesty lemon/pineapple citrus hops…there’s definitely an earthy/damp forest hops resin flavor happening here as well…very balanced…its sweet, robust, full flavored and hinted nicely by alcohol and citrus bitterness…not a totally unique flavor, but when it’s done right, you can taste it, and it’s done right here…(4.25/5)

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium to full carbonation…fluffs up nicely bringing sweet caramel malts all over the palate…chewy, fresh, zesty…citrus/earthy bitterness shows in the after taste…(4/5)

Overall: This beer is really good…the guy at the brew pub said this was one of their more sought after beers and I can see why…Three Floyds do a fantastic job with their citrus hops flavored beers and here they’ve got them playing so nicely with sweet, caramel malts…a hint of the higher ABV, but that’s to be expected from this style and it does add to the overall flavor…it’s superbly drinkable and wonderfully flavored, my only knock is the price tag…I paid $15 for a bomber (total splurge I bought at wholesale, I’m not sure what they’d charge at a store) and while it’s good, I have a hard time recommending anything that expensive…is it good, YEAH…is it worth $15, maybe…but if your like me and occasionally spend for beers typically out of your price range, this is a good experimental choice…(4.25/5)

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 02:57:26 | More by SerialHiker

Malty_Matty

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A- a beautiful amber to ruby red hue. A slightly off white head.

S- a malt sweetness with a citrus hop aroma that doesn't overpower.

T- the sweet malts balance beautifully with the citrus and spicy hops, I personally can't put into words how well thought out these flavors are.

M- sticky and slightly thick. We're in barley wine country here.

This is my favorite beer by 3 Floyd's. I wish more people appreciated this brew like I do.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2013 23:47:12 | More by Malty_Matty

JakeMorgan13

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The appearance is a dark amber color. the smell is really fruity. It tastes fruity as well,but you can tell their is a good amount of alcohol in it. Not a real hoppy one, if any at all. nicely carbonated. overall I would and will drink this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2013 04:07:46 | More by JakeMorgan13

DmanGTR

New York

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 (white) wax vintage. Review from notes

Poured deep gold, almost a tangerine-ish hue adorned with a huge, fluffy white cap, which took forever to diminish. Smell is a jumble of sweetness, like a rich honey type mixed with biscuit and orange blossom. Hugely hoppy towards the back of the palate. Much bitterness with a semi-citrusy/herbal/sprucey quality. Boozy finish. Nicely carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 03:39:33 | More by DmanGTR

ruckus232

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22 Ounce brown bottle with red wax over the top poured into a tulip glass

Appearance: Brown opaque in color with a whole bunch of really foamy off white head

Smell: There is an earthy floral scent with a nice hint of hoppiness

Taste: At first it has the floral hoppy bitterness that is similar to an IPA but then it is followed by a sweet almost malty flavor that is really a nice compliment. It finishes with a slight bitterness that is a cross between a roasted and hoppy bitter.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 19:52:52 | More by ruckus232

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 bottle. Thanks SourNotes.

Appearance. pours a cloudy light brown with a little amber and a thin, light tan head.

Smell. Brown sugar and a bunch of fruit. Mainly apple, pear, orange, peaches and pineapple. There's also a touch of floral pine.

Taste. Caramel, piney hops, not nearly as much fruit as the smell would lend, but there is some orange in there for sure. Alcohol is pretty well hidden

Mouthfeel. Medium-full body, medium-low carbonation. Just a little warmth from the alcohol.

Overall. A nice barleywine, but to be honest I was expecting a little more based on what I've had from these guys. I'd like to try a fresh one some time.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 01:36:21 | More by Rutager

Immortale25

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter. Bottle sealed with red wax.

A- Pours a dark, reddish amber color with a 3/4 inch off-white head that retains a bit before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a thin sheet of surface foam plus a patch of bubbles right in the center. Full sheets of resilient lacing.

S- Wonderful aroma of citrusy hops and a fair amount of caramel sweetness from the malt. Smells juicy with not much alcohol detected.

T- Certainly a hop-forward flavor but there's a toasty, bready malt backbone that's undeniable. Alcohol is very subdued to the point that I wouldn't think for a second that it was anywhere above 9% if I didn't know otherwise. Notes of grapefruit, wet grass and even some dark fruit like black cherry and raisin, especially in the aftertaste.

M- Semi-creamy with lots of snap from the hops and a bit of alcohol heat. Medium carbonation and a solid body.

O- This is a potentially dangerous brew since the alcohol content is concealed so well. I could see myself going overboard with this if it were readily available to me. If I ever find this on tap, it's all over. Endless thanks to IrishHockey for hooking this one up!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 03:15:50 | More by Immortale25

cfrances33

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Special release red wax (October 2012) bottle. Enjoyed 11/13/12, so pretty solidly fresh! Served in a FFF teku.

Pour: A mostly clear copper, with a two fingers of off white, nearly light tan head. Leaves really nice sticky lacing, and the head hangs around as a film.

Smell: Nice grapefruit and pine up front, followed by a hefty biscuit and caramel sweetness. Caramel is BIG on this one, but the resinous aspects of the hop profile remind you this isn't your usual barleywine.

Taste: Follows the nose with a big dank resinous pine, and some tangerines. Huge caramel comes through, and closes the taste.

Mouthfeel: Very sticky, and a medium/nearly heavy mouthfeel. Leaves a hefty bitterness on the back.

Overall: Really nice American barleywine, but not my style of choice.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 05:44:40 | More by cfrances33

argock

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from blue wax topped, 22 oz brown bottle into a clear glass snifter. Received as a very nice gift form my little sister Tami for my birthday in August 2009. Cellared at 65-70 degrees. Served at 60 degees.

A: Poured russet with thick frothy light amber-beige 1-finger head with good retention and Christmas tree formations of lace. (4.5)

S: Not getting much hops other than some earthy herbal and mild floral tones. The maltiness is remarkable with dense toffee and nougat, fig, rum raisin, and brown sugar finished with a light roast note. (4.0)

T: Delicious with hefty caramel and toffee blasts up front. The hoppiness is there, but mainly in the bitterness and in a touch of citrus, herbal almost honeysuckle flavor. THe maltiness returns with some maple/vanilla and a light roast which helps to dry the finish. A really masterful barleywine -- I see why it is sought after and so highly regarded. The malt is prodigious without being cloying or syrupy. There is minimal to no alcohol heat -- whatever there is provides an earthy, woody presence that works well with the dense maltiness. (4.5)

M: A bit prickly, but not from alcohol heat or carbonation issues, but more from the whopping sugariness and counterpoint bitterness. The middle is slick but coats with caramelly goodness. The body is full without being too thick. Great job. (4.5)

O: Wow -- I'm glad I pulled this one because it was a joy to drink. My cellar is a little on the warm side, so I thought it would be good to take a crack at this guy. I am glad I did -- it is a malty masterpiece with a good dose of bitterness to keep this very drinkable. THe hop nuances are long gone, but that doesn't matter -- this is a superb barleywine. (4.5)

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 02:32:00 | More by argock

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.9/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz, 2009 vintage (blue wax)
Hill Farmstead wine glass

A: Pours a deep orange amber color. Only a small ring of bright white head. Still has some carbonation. Alcohol feet inching up the sides of the glass when you move it around.

S: Still getting some hops on the nose. Pine and orange like citrus. Some marmalade. Breadiness from the malts, leads to that slight caramel note. Not the best nose I have had on a barleywine.

T: Definitely still some hops in this beer. Nice sharp pine on the tip of the tongue. Some of that orange character. Then the big maltiness comes into play. Get some caramel, some mild toffee, soft vanilla. BA would be killer on this. Finish lingers for a while.

M: It's a big medium. Not quite full bodied. It's rather chewy though.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 17:15:30 | More by inlimbo77

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 Bottling. Poured from a bottle into a Lost Abbey Teku. Pours a fairly clear, beautiful burnt amber with a nice rocky white head that hangs around a short while and leaves some nice lacing on the glass. The nose is typical of the style. I get sweet toffee-like notes, a bit of cherry, a surprising bit of hoppy aroma (considering this beer is several months old), and a nice faint scent of alcohol.

The beer has a full body and a super slick, velvety feel. Nice, sweet malt flavors greet you first. There is a nearly perfect accompaniment of hops that enter at mid-palate and the flavors develop into over-ripe citrus and dark dried fruit notes. The finish is oaky, perfectly dry, and well-sustained. This beer has about 7 months of age on it, but it still has a little bit of hop bite.

I know that this beer is incredibly hoppy when it's fresh and almost drinks like a IIPA or IIIPA. After several months, the hops have receded a little and the beer is now drinking like a GREAT barleywine. It is a must-try for fans of American Barleywines. I hope to buy it every year.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 17:10:06 | More by deadonhisfeet

abrand

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 green waxed bottle poured into pint glass

Pours a hazy copper color with a quick fading 1 finger head that doesn't leave much on the glass. Smell is pretty sweet with fig, fruits and sugar. Plenty of malts also on the nose. Taste is surprisingly bitter. Not nearly as sweet as I thought it would be. Still some alcohol on the palate. Lots of hops. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Overall this is really good. Not nearly as straight forward as most barleywines. I like the hop characteristics which balances the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 01:26:28 | More by abrand

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.
2011 Vintage

Dark brownish murky amber with a stable half-finger of tan fuzzy foam that lasts for several minutes. Medium-full body with a mildly sticky texture and medium carbonation levels.

Smells of heavy pineapples (in syrup), figs, raisins, toffee, mangoes and grapefruit pith, and gooey caramel sauce with medium levels of booziness. You can really tell that this is a heavy malt bomb from the aroma alone. Tastes of medicinal / piney resinous hops over caramel sauce, peaches, and apricots that partially dries up in the finish with some herbal hopping and a rising boozy hotness.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 22:57:23 | More by WastingFreetime

Dope

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle (white wax)

A: Pours a murky rusty red with a good sized tan head. Fades slowly leaving a thick and uniform patchwork of lacing behind.

S: Strong aroma, I can smell it from across the room. Loaded with fig and raisins. Toffee and caramel sweetens it up even more. Perhaps get even a little bit of grape skin.

T: Toffee up front with some nice sweet caramel and more dark fruits. Turns surprisingly bitter in the middle with some earthy and piney hops. Maybe even grapefruit. A little toast in there too. Swear I get some oak in there even though I'm not sure if it's aged on oak. Touch of cocoa here and there. Finishes somewhat dry and fairly bitter.

M: Fairly heavy, thick, astringent almost.

O: This is a great american style barleywine. Very hoppy, perhaps one of the hoppiest I've had. It's not overly sweet or overly bitter, great balance of flavors with tons of complexity. I'm not sure I could identify all the flavors, myself. Must-have if you're a fan of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 02:42:55 | More by Dope

tewaris

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Dave!

2009 vintage. Dark caramel colored with good clarity; either I am night blind or this is not blonde at all. Perhaps blonde refers only to the lady on the label and not the beer inside.

Anyway, sweet citrus and fruity maltiness stand out in the aroma. The bitterness is definitely not up there in the taste although you can tell it has hops. Good, sweet maltiness shines. Medium feel.

It's good and I like it but it is certainly not great. There are better barleywines out there.

4, 4, 4, 4, 3.5

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 22:58:31 | More by tewaris

jsulko

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2012 vintage bottle

Bottle poured into a tulip glass

Pours an amber color with a decent slightly off white head.

Smell is very malty and sweet.

Taste follows the smell. Taste is very sweet almost to the point of off putting. Alcohol pretty well hidden in all the sweetness.

Hard to put a finger on this one for me. Sweetness seemed just a little too much.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 03:43:38 | More by jsulko

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this

Appearance: Pours a clear, amber-brown - with a decent off-white head, leaves some nice spots of lacing - far from "blonde," but whatever

Smell: Chewy, cooked, interesting malts - caramel and some toffee - nicely hoppy, as one would expect from Three Floyds, with some great citrus and some light tropical notes - some grainy alcohol in the back

Taste: Rich malts and some nice citrus - chewy grains, lots of caramel, some toffee - about as cooked as a typical American Barleywine, so I'm not sure what is necessarily "blonde" about this - orange and grapefruit, with some tropical flourishes - some sweetness and some booze

Mouthfeel: Heavy, smooth, adequately carbonated, with some alcohol heat and some slight stickiness

Overall: Good stuff

This is quite a tasty American Barleywine with some nice complexity in both the malts and hops. This is a fresh bottle, and I bet the malts would get better with age... but the hops may not. So, I guess you have to decide on your priorities.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 23:50:50 | More by angrybabboon

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Amber leaning toward copper. Head is white, bubbly and loose. Drops to a bubbly collar with tiny wisps of cap. Minor lacing.

Smell: Toasted malts. Vanilla. Caramel and light toffee. Some slight citrus coming through from the generous hopping. Grapefruit. Some oily pine. As it warms the hops start to dominate the malts. Some pale bready malts in the background. Slight punch of alcohol.

Taste: Pale and caramel malts. Nice burst of citrus. Pushes some tangerine, but mostly grapefruit and orange. Biscuit and bready sweetness. Alcohol rounds out the back. Toffee and vanilla. A touch of wood. Toasted grains. Bread crust and a faint touch of graham cracker. Raw sugar. Cooked, roasted, and toasted.

Mouthfeel: Pushes full but never quite makes it. Nice mellow carbonation. Finishes clean and delightful.

Overall: Three Floyds continues to show me that they are masters of big beers. Crazy depth of flavor with some insane hopping to make it even better. Malts are well balanced and big. Get it, drink it, love it.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 23:36:15 | More by Goblinmunkey7

FosterJM

California

3.88/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1460th Review on BA
Bottle to Tulip
22oz

2011 Yellow Wax OH release

CA Gang Bang BIF

App- The color of a new undribbled basketball. Highly orange without a head to speak of or lacing. Looks like a clearer juice in the glass. A good see through color.

Smell- It has some good aromatics behind it. The booze is quite prickly on the nose and then the malts come in to add a rich aroma. Lastly is the citrus and hops. A bit dry and a bit piney.

Taste- I will admit this took time to enjoy. At first the citrus hops combo mixed with the high abv didnt sit well. Once the beer warmed the flavors were more developed and layered.

Mouth- A lighter medium body with a medium thick carbonation level. Sweet and malty on the finish with resdidual bitter citrus hops.

Drink- Its flavorful, just not used to the blonde aspect still. I would have an older vintage to see how develops.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 21:03:19 | More by FosterJM

Gobzilla

California

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured a burnt orangish brown in color with yellow highlights with a finger of good bubbly lacing that left plenty of lacing sticking to the glass.

S: citrus grapefruit was potent upfront on the aroma with lots of caramel sweetnes, hints of pineapple, and had a good amount of hop character as well.

T: the caramel was more dominant on the palate alongside citrus grapefruit and lemon zest but with a decent piney hop profile.

M: the brew was medium in body with good amount of carbonation which had a sweet citrusy, piney hoppy and oily finish.

O: definitely a solid barleywine and glad I've had different variations of this great brew

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 18:19:35 | More by Gobzilla

phishsihq

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Three Floyds Behemoth 2010 vintage, pours an attractive ruby-amber color, and a thin, off-white head casts a good amount of lace. Flowery hop aromas surprised us at first, but upon our second sniff the flowery aromas invited us in with a slight breadiness underneath and a subtle hint of alcohol. The brew starts out sweet with a slight alcohol burn that quickly fades into a delightful hop bitterness before finishing dry. Medium in body, Behemoth is medium-light in carbonation, and not a beer for the week of heart. Wish we had another....

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 22:09:58 | More by phishsihq

matttttYCE

Arizona

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011/white wax poured into a snifter.

The head is light tan, luscious and creamy, and about 1 finger high. Sticky lacing clings to the glass as the head does a fine job of trying to stick around. The color of the beer is a clear and deep ruby, blood orange, and amber mixture.

The nose is insanely complex in my opinion. Plenty of sweet, caramel malts, caramelized/candied sugars, butterscotch candy (Worther's!), toffee, hoppy and fruity notes (though you can tell they've faded a bit) of grapefruit, blood orange AND hints of some lemon, mango, and pine, with fresh green apples, smells that hint at cherries or black cherries(?), notes of apple cider, and twinges of cinnamon(?) or some kind of spice. This is why I love barleywines!

In the taste, the complexities continue to abound. Lovely sweetness, candied sugars and caramelized malts, toffee, hop bitterness, butterscotch, bright green apple, fruity, pineapple, blood orange, pine, and hints of cherries.

Big mouthfeel. Carbonation is medium, Rich, almost syrupy consistency, sticky, full body, and a finish that's not too short, but not too long either.

Overall this is an awesome barelywine. Huge and complex and wonderful! I don't know how I took this long to try it already when I've had 2 for some time now. Huge thanks to Azdback and whoever else sent me one of these! I apologize for the fact that I can't remember who else sent me one. But the bottom line is that this beer is very good and I'm looking forward to aging my second one for a while, if I can make it that long without drinking it!

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 09:52:07 | More by matttttYCE