Alpha Klaus Christmas (Xmas) Porter - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown color with a speck of ruby, with a fuller spectrum of cherry red colors in the edges of the glass. A fluffy, creamy beige head forms on the pour and lingers for a while, leaving lacing to cling to the glass.

Smell: Chocolate malt, lots of pine hops and some light earthy and grassy hop aroma.

Taste: This is sort of a simple porter. It starts off with some chocolate malt, but the pine hops are the focus. Some earthy and grassy hops are present as well, mimicking the aroma. Lingering hop bitterness. It seems like I do not agree with their recipe, but as usual, the execution was skillful.

Mouthfeel: Moderately full, with medium creamy carbonation. The hops pull at my taste buds a little bit and leave the tongue dry, with some residue behind my lips.

Drinkability: Heavily hopping this beer just was not a decision that coalesces with what I am looking for in a Christmas Porter. This is quite possibly the first time I will want a less-hopped beer and most likely the last.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 01:38:02 | More by KickInTheChalice

quirkzoo

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this one a while back from Chadquest, I believe.

Pours a very dark black body with a small tan head. Straight up porter aroma, lots of roasted grains with a hint of vanilla sweetness behind it and a slight smell of alcohol. Very balanced on the palate. A little bit of burnt bitterness, good dark roasted malt, not too complex but enjoyable. Mouthfeel was a touch thin but not watery, very drinkable. Overall this is a solid porter, I didn't pick up on anything exotic that made this a "Christmas" porter but it was still very good.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 16:20:48 | More by quirkzoo

JohnnyMc

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A Christmas seasonal!!

Pours out black with a nice 3 fingers of mocha/tan head.

The aroma is extremely hoppy, there is a ton of burnt sugar (probably the Mexican sugar) and some subtle chocolate notes.

The taste is pretty bitter with a bunch of grassy, piney hops followed by a bitter burnt sugar (again, probably the Mexican sugar) and finishes with subtle chocolate and coffee notes. There is really no sweetness to balance the beer and it finishes pretty dry.

The mouthfeel is creamy and it has a medium body.

This is not your typical Porter (which Three Floyds points out on the bottle), but I'm not a huge fan of it. I would like a little sweetness to balance out all the bitter notes and the coffee and chocolate notes could be more pronounced. It's an interesting beer, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 23:58:44 | More by JohnnyMc

triplecoil

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into a snifter.

Poured a very deep black with some dark brown highlights and a very thin head that stayed around to the edges. Nose is hops with a little bit of coffee. Taste is roasted malts with a heavy hand of hops, some coffee. Mouthfeel is the highlight for me on this one--viscous with a moderate amount of carbonation.

Wasn't really a huge fan of this one...too much hop for me sullying up the big maltiness. There's a fine line between balanced and lopsided and I think this one leans too much on the hops.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2008 20:42:37 | More by triplecoil

mdwalsh

Iowa

3.48/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Black as Black can be. Head is tannish, less than one finger and goes away pretty quick

S: Very little malt/roast smell. very very citrusy hoppy. Maybe a little sweet

T: Very hoppy, but after a bit the grain comes through. Slightly warm on the way down. A light hoppy burp comes back after a little bit of drinking.

M: Thinning, but pleasing. Ok porter for a hot day, but not for a cold one.

D: I don't think I'd get this one again.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 19:28:07 | More by mdwalsh

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle from zrab11 (thank you!). 2012 release. Served in a Terrapin snifter.

Pours dark brown with about one finger of clumpy tan head. Small patches of lace.

Smells of cocoa, roasty malts and a little bit of piney hops.

Taste is a blend of dark malts, cocoa, bark and earth with a kick of hop bitterness in the finish.

Creamy medium light body with plenty of loose fizzy carbonation. Bitter roasty aftertaste.

A solid hopped-up porter that reminds a little bit of Cigar City Jose Marti. It borders American black ale territory but that roastyness dominates first and foremost. Not the strongest entry I've had from Three Floyds but worth a go if you have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 05:05:28 | More by ThickNStout

AwYeh

California

3.43/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bomber poured into pint glass; received in the 2011 Black Booty BIF; thanks seeswo!

A: Pours an opaque dark brown/black with two fingers of foamy, creamy light brown head.

S: Roasted, toasty malts, and lots of milk chocolate. A light earthy mustiness, and a good deal of pine and citrus hops- not sure that their combination with the chocolate malts is one of my favorite beer smells ever, but its quite enjoyable and the combination does form an interesting, Christmasy, fruity, spicy aroma.

T: Bittersweet chocolate and pine hops both really dominate the flavor here. Light roasted malts come in in the middle of the flavor and hang around on the finish, along with a good dose of pine hop bitterness- almost like a dark malt version of a West Coast IPA.

M: Medium bodied with quite a lot of carbonation for a porter, somewhat creamy.

D: A good beer but I somewhat quickly tired of the flavor on this one. One glass of this was enough for me; not particularly anxious to pick it up for a second time, but wouldn't be opposed to trying it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 02:59:14 | More by AwYeh

scott

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Great find for Ohio this time of year-2005 vintage, I presume.
Beautiful pour of a black bodied beer. Is this a stout in disguise? Amber rim with very little head retention.
Smell is a robust welcome from your favorite coffee shop.
Taste started off gnarly, but led the way to a disembodiment from it's 38 degree state of stasis, only to become a very watered down version of a very good stout. Very close to Guinness. You can pull it to your lips and smell huge coffee, but you end up tasting water. No shit.
Mouth of fluffy dark water that is only reminiscent of coffee, and I'm so glad to have bought a bottle instead of a case.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2006 00:45:44 | More by scott

tjthresh

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is the first pint that I enjoyed at the Three Floyds brewpub. It was presented in an English pint glass. Dark brown with a huge dense rocky head that didn’t want to go away. The nose was all hops. Amarillos if I had to guess. Some chocolate and roast flavor. A touch sweet, but the hops were the feature act here too. A bit on the thinner side. Overall, Alpha Klause did not live up to expectations.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2006 02:38:16 | More by tjthresh

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a thick two finger beige head that slowly fades into a lasting ring. Chunks and streaks of lace coat the glass on the way down.

Roasted malt aroma that's slightly smokey with hints of chocolate, caramel, oatmeal and toffee. Slightly balanced by earthy, piny hops.

Thinner bodied than expected with some tight carbonation, possibly the beginning sign of oxidization. The hop presence is much stronger than the aroma hinted at making it very dry and bitter, outshining the roasted malt notes. Just too hoppy for the style in my opinion. Roasted malt backbone with dark chocolate, oatmeal, toffee, caramel and dark fruit. Smoother as it warms but still too hoppy with a dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 04:02:10 | More by corby112

tut2528

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

thanks to woodjjacct for opening this one!

A: typical sout, black as night, creates slight head that is slight tan in color.

S: big tobacco, leather, roasted malt, coffee grounds, dark chocolate and oak come through along with a slight hop note.

T: basic stout with a FFF hop twist. big coffee grounds and hoppy profile, and smoke. it also has a moderate tobacco and leather character that adds a bit of complexity. i'm not picking up on any kind of creaminess.

M: medium bodied, but doesnt leave much on the palate.

O: find this one just above average, and think that the variant would be awesome... especially the Plum. there needs to be a sweetness in this to make this one more balanced

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:07:13 | More by tut2528

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bomber poured into SA perfect pint.

A- Pours a deep brown with a khaki colored head that sinks down slowly and leaves decent lacing on the side of the glass. Pretty opaque on initial view.

S- Big roasty malts, some bitter coffee and dark chocolate. A faint amount of hops on the tail end. Maybe some dry cocoa which goes with the coffee and chocolate.

T- Like the nose, cold pressed coffee with a little bitterness, dark chocolate and good toasted malts. No real hops to speak of. The more sips I take, the more pronounced the coffee and chocolate become. Seems more like a coffee stout than anything.

M- Medium bodied that has some bitterness to go along with it. Dry on the finish and a little carbonation feel.

D- A decent porter but reminds me more of a normal stout. Good flavors but a little too dominant in the coffee, chocolate flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 21:30:21 | More by Wisconsinality

samie85

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Pours a deep coal color with a cappuccino foam, two fingered head.

S-The nose is led by huge amounts of grapefruit Centennial hops with some dark chocolate and roasted notes and some vanilla.

T-Bitter pine and orange with some grapefruit and some pretty deep roasted notes.

M-Seems a little thin in the mouth, although strangely creamy as well, with medium carbonation, and a lingering dryness.

D-For the reputation this beer has, I was pretty disappointed with it. The bitter/hoppy notes don't seem to meld well with the porter notes.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 02:55:55 | More by samie85

mcallister

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

So I happened across a bottle of this and figured I better pick it up considering it's 3 Floyd's and I love porter and I forgot to purchase one in the "holiday" season.

Pours a dark burnt brown with an enourmous fizzy off tan head with significant lacing. Main smells of choclate and oats with a little vanilla lingering way back in the background.

Very smooth porter with good roasted choclate malt, very oaty and grainy mouthfeel but not necessarily in a off way. I don't know this beer has left me a tad dissapointed. Not a bad brew at all but for the price many other beers are around to be taken. This beer lacks in complexity and mouthfeel. Still not bad

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2006 22:20:33 | More by mcallister

steve8robin

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Got this in the 2010 Secret Santa BIF. Loved Alpha King, let's give this on a go. 22oz bottle opened on Christmas night 2010 poured into my new Pumpking tulip...

A: Super dark with no light shining through. A 1 inch mocha colored head that fades extremely slowly leaving a huge fluffy lace on the glass. Very good.

S: I get some mild roasty chocolate blended with earthy citrus hops. Some lemon quickly follows in the middle with some piney spices on the backend. Some molasses and black licorice hideout on the backend. Smells kind of like a Black IPA or a Black and Tan. Good.

T: Tastes of roasty licorice upfront with some watery vegetable dishwater in the middle. Ok.

M: Medium body with a good carbonation. A dry finish. Decent.

D: Once you get past the strange flavors, this is ok.

All in all, this is an ok brew to try around the holidays if you have access. Don't bother hunting. Many better brews in the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 01:48:40 | More by steve8robin

maundythirsty

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Black with brownish edges and a big, persistant tan head. Heavy lacing. A very attractive beer. Smells like Three Floyd's hops -- a little floral, a little pine, a little grapefruit.

Can I find any of the advertised coffee bitterness in the taste? It would be a Christmas miracle. All hops, all the time. Substantial carbonation, but it comes off as creamy, medium mouthfeel.

Have to admit that I liked this stuff. I would drink more of it. However, I would consider labeling the bottles "IPA" before putting them in the fridge. I knocked the smell, taste and drinkability some points because I was turned off as a porter lover, though not as a beer drinker. It doesn't taste like much more than the usual Three Floyds hops profile.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2007 02:37:44 | More by maundythirsty

silenius

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

2004 vintage just picked up today. I think it was released for 2004 within the last day or so.

Pours a dark brown black with a nice 1 finger choco-like head. Lacing all up and down the glass.

Smell at first is almost solvent chemical in nature. Very pine-sol like. After a bit that blows off to just reveal some very resiny green hop aromas. No citrus or floral smells here, boys, just a buzz-saw hoppy green resin aroma. Strange for the style even if FFF is known for its hoppy beers (which I happen to like). Too hoppy and the malt to balance it is much too small. Only faint smoky chocolate aromas find their way through (or is it just my expectation that it would be there).

Taste is hoppy for sure and (thankfully) the smoky chocolate malt reports for duty. Green hop burps bring back memories of the Dark Lord sludge. *shudder* Hops definitely predominate this one, but the malt plays a bigger role in the taste than in the nose. A nice sweet-smoky chocolate that leaves a pleasing combo of smoky-roasted malt with hop bittering on the finish. I still think the hops are too overdone.

I think a much better example of a hoppy porter that is properly balanced comes from Goose Island in the form of their XXX Porter. Had it the other day and was floored!

Mouthfeel is round with some light prickling from the carbonation. I keep thinking of a nice charcoal grilled steak when drinking this beer.

I think with age this might balance out a bit, but for now it is too hoppy for a porter. At the very least it doesn't have the stuffing to stand up to all the hops foisted upon it.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2004 02:57:11 | More by silenius

maggotbrain

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer is black with a thick tan head. The head dies down to a bubbly layer of film. There is quite a bit of lacing on the glass.

The beer smells strongly of pine. Not really expected with a porter, but this is a Three Floyds beer and mega-hopped beers are their thing.

There is a lot of pine in the taste as well. Somewhere in there meek hints of dark chocolate and coffee attempt to make themselves known, but are crushed behind a wall of pine. This would be great if Three Floyds called this a black IPA, but they don't, they call it a porter, and I'm having trouble figuring out what is supposed to make this beer very porter-like.

Mouthfeel is medium with a moderate level of carbonation.

The drinkability of this beer is pretty good, goes down easy.

Overall this is a pretty good beer, but it is certainly not worth $8.99 for a 22 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2005 03:08:45 | More by maggotbrain

bkilpatr

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass. 03/19/08.

Pours a dark brownish black, with almost two fingers of light tan head. Aroma is quite hoppy for what I expect from a porter, with some chocolate, and a little spice.

Taste is interesting. When I first started drinking this, I thought the hops were overpowering. As I got toward the end, and as it warmed, the hops seemed to fade a some, but still a bit on the hoppy side. Didn't get much malty flavor in this. Not very balanced. Some slight roasted chocolate tastes as well, and some spices.

It's full bodied, low carbonation. Sticky mouthfeel afterward. Drinkability is alright, considering the heaviness.

The hoppiness turned me off a bit, and there isn't much spiciness for something that is labeled a winter beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2008 05:44:35 | More by bkilpatr

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Sam Adams sensory pint glass.

Thanks to VDubb86 for a taste o' this!

Not sure why Dexter was on, but at least there's beer. And Alex is talkin' this one up, too. It pours a pitch black-brown topped by a finger or so of tan foam. The nose contains a strong contingent of green hops, with some chocolate and light roasted malts in the background. The taste holds a touch more roast, but it's still only a vain attempt at countering the hops, which have maintained their strength. The body is a light-ish medium with a light moderate carbonation. Honestly, I can see why people could like a rather hoppy porter like this one, but I am not one of these people. There's just not enough roast to provide any kind of appreciable balance.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 23:47:07 | More by TMoney2591

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a black color porter with an above medium dark foamy head with good retention. Aroma of pine is really non-expected but enjoyable nonetheless when mix with roasted malt. I couldn’t really detect any chocolate or coffee, which I would have expected. Taste is dominated by the pines and IMHO doesn’t leave enough places for roasted malt and bitterness. I guess I’m kind of surprise this is rated so highly since it seems to be liking character and I must say that I’ve had much better beer from 3 Floyds.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2005 17:19:02 | More by Phyl21ca

getkrunkhoe

California

3.23/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

consumed on 5-17-09 (from notes)

App-dark, opaque,no lace to thin lace head, disappears quickly.very inviting.

Ar-where do i begin? roast presence is there;but its not your typical roasty note, this is different.I get Horchata and maybe "mexican chocolate(?)". has a lot going on.

T- very similar to aroma,horchata (which is rice water with cinnamon and sugar), mexican hot chocolate comes to mind,coffee,finish has some bitterness/earthy note to it.

MF-carbonation isnt in your face,but it has some thickness to coat your mouth.

D-if you dont mind a complex beer with lots going on,then go ahead.not to easy of a drinker but it was great trying it.

as much as i wanted to "love" this beer I was a bit disappointed.smells better than the taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2010 20:32:55 | More by getkrunkhoe

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very dark brown in color. There was at least a two inch head sitting atop this beer. Smell is subdued hops and some chocolate malt. Taste is much more of the malt with a little bitterness as well. There is a grassy and pine flavor of course coming from the hops. Pretty decent medium full on the mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2008 23:58:20 | More by FtownThrowDown

Mudpuppet

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Poured from a bomber into a snifter. Pours a root beer color with no head.

S- Dark malts, coffee, chalk. Not overly strong.

T- Hops on the front receding to coffee, and dark chalky malt. You get a strong alpha hop profile throughout. Not quite as malty as I would expect.

M- A bit too carbonated. And a bit too thin for a porter.

D- Overall a well crafted beer but I have lost all the porter notes in this to an alpha taste that I cannot shake from my palate. I want more malt which isn't there. Better on the first few sips than the last of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2008 20:40:17 | More by Mudpuppet

Bung

North Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 oz. Nearly black pour, white head. Surprisingly piney aroma, some peat and roast malt. Flavor is also surprisingly crisp, very dry and hoppy. This over-rides the earthy malt, chocolate and coffee. Nearly creamy, but the bittyness hurts the mouthfeel a bit. Finishes with some linering coffee and hop bitterness. Really too much hops for the style. More alcohol warming as well than I would prefer, even though it is not that terribly high an abv. Drinkability is pretty meh. Unfortunately I had rather high expectations for this. Hopefully with some age this will mellow out a bit.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2009 05:41:43 | More by Bung