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

RockyTopHeel

North Carolina

4.88/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted on tap at the Three Floyds Brewery Pub in Munster, IN, 12.28.06.

A dark brown offering with a foamy, light brown head. Surprisingly strong, piney hops in the nose, along with roasted coffee beans. The taste is full of thick, luscious roasted malts, bittersweet chocolate, French roast coffee, and more crisp, chewy hops. The hops really make this beer stand out - despite all the rich, thick roasted flavors, you can still taste and get a nose full of the IPA-like dry hopped elements. Very smooth and nicely chewy. Quite possibly the best porter I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2006 04:09:34 | More by RockyTopHeel

FirkinDave

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A perfect beer.

As a Three Floyds beer, I expected a great balanced mouth of hops, and it was delivered. What I wasn't ready for was the drinkablilty factor.

A touch of granny smith apple flavor, slight hint of caramel, overtaken by roasted coffee bean/ chocolate malt. Then the surpise.. The finish dropped off to a light dry hop which forced me to do the whole experience over.

Sampled at 40 degrees and 65 degrees, the more toward room temp it got, the bigger the greenapple carmel/coffee roast got. Soft light brown head, very dark in color, an exceptional beer. The porter base was well chosen.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2006 08:36:37 | More by FirkinDave

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

aforbes10

Iowa

3.93/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at 3 floyds brewpub

Fantastic looking beer. Good head although it was more bubbly than creamy. Tremendous laving. Black as a steers tuckus on a moonless night. Odor was nothing exeptional, just some hints of coffee and malts. Taste was a surprizing hit of hops first, then a chocolateness and then a heavy roasted malt taste. Creamy and dry in the mouth. Good drinkability...i could have another or 10.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2006 17:04:07 | More by aforbes10

mynie

Indiana

4.88/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Growler. One half of one gallon. Poured and consumed the same evening.

Pours as blank and black as the time before you were born. Excellent head. You couldn't see through this if you held it up to the sun.

Smells like grapefruit death hops mixed with raw porter chocolate. Wow. Nearly as hoppy as the Alpha King only with a wonderful malt balancing it out.

Tastes; mix a perfect IPA with a perfect porter and somehow have them both retain their perfect complexity and not bash into each other and this what you get. The stages are so distinct it's like you're taking a sip of one beer and then a sip of another. Big bread, yeast, and grapefruit hops in stage one, hitting you all in a rush. Followed up by earthy roasted chocolate, raw like potting soil or summertime sex, growing into a more processed, candied chocolate, and ending on a big hit of hops.

One of the very best beers I've ever had.

Serving type: growler

01-01-2006 20:39:16 | More by mynie

jlh8643

Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served in an imperial pint glass at the brew pub. Very dark with slight ruby tinge around the edges and a tight tan head that sits on top leaving good lace down the glass. The aroma gives you a ton of pine with hints of cocoa and chocolate and dark roasted malt. The pine hops lead initially but the dark malts take over with the malty sweetness and taste of molasses coming from the mexican sugar. The beer finishes somewhat dry with hops again bringing up the rear. Another great beer for the holidays from 3F's

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2005 16:06:45 | More by jlh8643

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I don’t quite grasp the hype surrounding this beer. It’s quite good but I don’t see why it’s worth paying so much for it when equally or better brews like the Fitz, Tommy, and Great Dane’s Cascade or Black Earth are available for half the price.

Pours a bronzed cocoa with moderately lasting sticky white-brown head.

Smells of citrus hops and cocoa, dark roasted malts and grape fruit. Also bits of anise.

Tastes cakey but also of iced down chocolate milk. A bit thinner than I would like, fluffier too. I want cream and am only getting iced milk. Sweet front, dry finish.

Very drinkable.

I’ll pick of a bottle of this and try it again soon. Maybe their was something wrong with the keg I had or my taste buds that night but like I said, I don’t get the hype.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2005 03:37:59 | More by DaPeculierDane

clvand0

Kentucky

4.83/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this on tap at Rich O's Public House. Pours a very dark color with a small head that doesn't stick around too long and leaves great lacing on the sides. The aroma is very hoppy for a porter, but very nice. The flavor was much less hoppy from the aroma - very well balanced hops here. Big maltiness and creamy chocolate goodness. Wonderful body and exceptionally easy to drink. Loved this one on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2004 18:40:56 | More by clvand0

oracle

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

After hearing months of talk, all anxiously awaiting this particular brew, I waited breathlessly for Roger to bring me my 20 oz imperial pint (serverd in a traditional english pint glass). Maybe I need to drink more porters to compare, because this was just not quite as good as I was led to believe it was, although it is quite good. It's just not one of the all time greats.

This was a deep dark black hole of a beer, from which no light could escape. It had a 1/2 inch head of dense creamy tan foam that left slightly less lacing than I expected it to, based on the way it looked.

Smell was pleasant. Lots of sweet malt, with mild toffee and carmel notes.

Tasting this beer was a very very slight let down. I guess that based on all the comments I had been hearing, in my mind I had built this up to be the be-all and end-all of all porters. Now don't get me wrong. This is one darn fine porter. I'm just not sure it's worth getting as worked up over as some people I have seen do.

It's rich, smooth and delicious. Lots of mild sweet malt, small coffee flavor in the finish.

Overall, it's a very good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2004 17:34:18 | More by oracle

soper2000

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My roommate and I picked up a sixtle of this among other offerings at FFF, I decided that 2004 edition especially on-tap merited a rereview. Pulled the beer into my Sam Smith pint glass. Pours a nice black with the edges turning a beautiful ruby when held up to a light. The 2 finger head ever so gently fades into a tan lacing. Aroma is a little weaker than last years but coffee, chocolate, and "sticky" hops meld to form an intoxicating aroma. Taste has a slightly harsh finish but has the same attributes as the nose. Mouthfeel is nice and creamy. Overall this is a great beer but it could use a little time to mellow out the finish before coming something legendary.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2004 00:23:23 | More by soper2000

DrunkMcDermott

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed this at its “Release Party” at the Map Room, courtesy of Nick Floyd. Solid brown body, with a thin, lacy head. Very low alcohol taste, but that's only the perception. Rides the very thin line between chewy and watery mouthfeel like a porter should, but with the addition of the 3 Floyds “mouth full of hop pellets” effect. Hop effect can’t help but overrun the chocolate malt taste. Starts out somewhat grapefruitty, but then hangs around when you’ve finished to playfully bitch slap your uvula!

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2003 14:49:06 | More by DrunkMcDermott

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on tap in July 2003 at The Blind Tiger. Christmas 2002 vintage.

This porter poured jet black with creamy, tan foam that coated the glass a bit. The smell was strong, "chewy", green hops (floral) with a bit of dark malt. The taste was dominated by the hops but the malt almost balanced with flavors of chocolate, cocoa, and caramel. The mouthfeel was smooth, and relatively sweet and a bit fruity. The body was medium with medium carbonation. This was a very nice porter -- kind of a Porter meets IPA. Very enjoyable as a porter and as a highly hopped ale. This keg had apparently lost much of its spiciness after 7+ months cellaring.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2003 04:36:42 | More by UncleJimbo

dwarbi

New York

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This was one of my two favorite three floyds. Fantastic beer. It's a solid black beer. Can't see it at all. Lovely tan head. Smells of cinnamon and homemade bread. It tastes malty and a little bit like chocolate. Perfect thickness -- feels very good on the palate and incredibly drinkable.
(Tasted this beer at the Blind Tiger's Three Floyds event)

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2003 20:24:13 | More by dwarbi

Shiredave

New York

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark chocolate brown, thick tan head, big aroma of chocolate and flowery hop w/ some smokiness in the back. Just lucious as it enters your mouth - not a big beer but huge on flavor and drinkability. Incredible blend of flavors in a medium bodied porter. Lingering hop bitterness remains after the hop and dark grain flavors fade. No specs on alcohol content from web site or distributor but my guess is around 6.5%/ Vol.
I am surprised my numbers came out so high but when I look back, I dont want to change a thing. I just took another sip.... IMHO its nearly as good as it gets.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2002 21:42:52 | More by Shiredave

zerk

California

5/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Sampled this one on tap at the brewery, and again from my growler at home.

From a Three Floyds pamphlet: Rich and chocolatey, with English chocolate and Mexican sugar.

Just when I thought Three Floyds couldn't wow me anymore than they already had, along comes Alpha Klaus. Black with an amber tint... a persistant tan head... leaving beautiful lace all the way down the glass. Aroma of sweet chocolate and quite a bit of pine. Flavor is very bold, and somewhat sweet... pine, chocolate, toasted malt, and some noticable alcohol. The pine hop flavor is what really dominates... almost as if they had extracted the pine flavor from the hop, and left the bitterness behind. Mouthfeel is very smooth and creamy, with a delicate carbonation, and medium body. I don't know the ABV% on this, but I would imagine it's pretty high, based on the flavor and the punch that it packs.

A truely astounding brew from 3f, and *dare I say it* probably even better than Dreadnaught!

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2002 05:48:49 | More by zerk