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

marburg

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Maybe I'm crazy, but Scotch Pine and cocoa powder don't really mix well to me.

Chocolate covered grapefruit for breakfast? Nah.
Christmas trees in my roasty-toasty brews? Nah.
Bitter-smelling citrus and Hershey's? Nah.

The aroma just doesn't work for me here. It's strong, unique, unexpected, powerful, crisp, and original. But so what? Chocolate and pine needles don't mix in my mind, and they certainly didn't mix well in my nose. I can give it points for those other attributes -- predominantly originality -- but not every combination works well. The dominant force is a heavily sappy pine aroma that fades to more of a citric nose as the beer warms further. A pure chocolate aroma develops along the same timeline.

After smelling it, the real surprise was that it managed to have a real solid, balanced flavor. The hops are nearly 100% aromatic. Slick hot fudge flavors dominate and find themselves laying in the toaster oven blackening to a nice roasted flavor. A little thin but not really to any sort of detriment -- and exceptionally drinkable. Hops show up as the roasted cocoa fades and dominate the aftertaste. Just really kind of an odd mix in the nose...but intriguing! Thnx to Tim for the sample!

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2004 01:41:07 | More by marburg

ZAP

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Huge resinous hop nose...leafy...tobacco....cannibus...all mixed with an underlying chocolate aroma...truly fascinating...

Rich black appeareance...some light shines through when held directly to a light...and that adds some crimson notes..small black head..

The taste is a slight let-down off the nose..Big Cannibus/tobbacco flavor...chocolate notes...very subtle but they add a nice touch..flavors really mold together nicely as it warms...

Creamy, medium bodied...maybe a tich watery feeling..

This is a hell of a unique porter...unlike any I've had before...hat's off to them for their creativity...this has the feel of a "Special Occasion" beer...I wouldn't want to drink it everyday like I would Dreadnaught, but I would greatly anticipate enjoying a bottle or two every winter..

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2004 02:23:09 | More by ZAP

CRJMellor

Arkansas

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours very deep brown with a dark off-white head. Aroma confused the heck out of me, was this a chocolate IPA ? Heavy, resiny hop aroma that hides some dark chocolate notes. Had some folks at my house give it a whiff and the range of answers was pine trees to marijuana. Taste was roasted coffee, semi-sweet chocolate and the overpowering hop bitterness. If you sat down 10 blindfolded folks, at least 9 of them would guess this an IPA by aroma and taste. Mouthfeel was good but I look for a little more chewiness and depth in a porter.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2004 00:38:04 | More by CRJMellor

putnam

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

After a good thump of this nut-brown liquid into my Bohemian 20 oz. crystal the head rose up mightily and stayed for a while. One whiff and I knew I was heading to piney, grapefruit hop paradise. Of course, there were delicious, fatty, bitter chocolate notes there too, but the elemnt that most challenged my expectations was the hops. Green tea and pine cones with a chocolate crust, this was a tannenbaum dipped in bitter chocolate and marzipan. Coffee, sweet cream and roasted nut meats appear to soften the experience in the middle, yet succumb eventually to blackened herbs...the latter bitterness remaining sticky and difficult to expunge from the palate.
Impressive. Good for listening to Nascar soundtracks with headphones. Not for any food other than packaged, powdered, flavor crystalized corn puffs or cheesy cream vegan burgers.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2003 02:16:20 | More by putnam

BierReise

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Klaus poured a deep mahogany color that when held up to the light looked a deep cherry red. Head was thick and airy which slowly reduced in size. The aroma is an insane amount of hops that seem to be primarily cascade but I could be wrong. Really pine-like and reminding me of spruce and Christmas trees. There’s an underlying aroma of roasted malt and hints of cocoa or chocolate. This is definitely not normal. Think a cascade chocolate malt. Body is creamy and smooth. Flavor is most original in my opinion. Almost indesrcribable. Hops are really in the flavor and it’s taking me some time to get a grip on this brew. There’s a good amount of chocolate malt here giving some cocoa flavors along with the piney citrus hop flavors that are trying to blend. I’m not sure whether they really do though. Has some uncomfortable bitterness in the finish. By the way, the alcohol is invisible but slowly kicking in. Overall a very unique seasonal. One I enjoyed, yet one that puzzled me to no end.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2003 00:23:37 | More by BierReise

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

Indybeer

Indiana

4.78/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle. Poured a deep brown with reddish highlights, massive tan head that slowly receded, and lots of lacing on the glass. Aroma is roasted malt, chocolate, and hops. Taste is more of the same, malty with chocolate and coffee hints. Just as with their Dreadnaught, 3F's know how to use just the right amount of hops to give it that distinctive flavor, without the harsh bitterness. This is one smooth drinking beer. I need to pick me up a few more of these!

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2003 20:02:42 | More by Indybeer

Gusler

Arizona

4.55/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer disembogues a deep brown to almost black with ruby high lights and the head behemothic in size, spumous in texture and the color a beauteous light tan with the resultant lace a thick sheet welded to the glass to seal it from the light. Marvelous floral aroma at the front, sweet toasted malt, molasses, crisp and a real treat for the schnozzle this one with the start ambrosial and nicely malted, top is middling in its feel to the senses. Finish is temperate in its acidity and the hops puissant in their spiciness, quite dry and long lasting aftertaste. One of the best porters I have had in years, and certainly will move into my porter top ten

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2003 01:02:24 | More by Gusler

Jon

Illinois

4.95/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The first bottling of Alpha Klaus yields incredible results.

The pour exhibits an opaque black with reddish tints at the edges. A foamy taupe head appears, too, and sticks around as long as the liquid in the glass.

Nose of piney hops, freshly roasted espresso, chocolate maltiness and a hint of spiciness.

Flavor-wise, I don't know if I can ask for much more. A huge "porter" with a magnificently hopped character shows vast notes of pine, bubble gum, chocolate, and espresso along with a light toffee flavor. While the hop addition is clearly copious, this beer possesses more of a sweet and spicy character than a truly bitter profile. Almost like a Robust Porter/Double IPA hybrid. Vastly complex and if nothing else, delicious.

Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with some turbidity.

Furthermore, Alpha Klaus possesses an uncanny drinkability. I don't care if this beer is 10% abv and is only available in a handy 22-ounce economy size bomber, every bit is savored. I love this beer and anxiously await its release each year.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2003 03:28:02 | More by Jon

beerguy101

California

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Dark black color. Medium head. Aroma is chocolate malts and floral hops. A medium bodied porter. The roasted chocolate malts are offset by a surprising amount of grapefruity hops. A flavor fest: chocolate, coffee, vanilla, cheery/berries and caramel. Smooth taste. Very well balanced. Soft round taste. Very nice beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2003 17:31:23 | More by beerguy101

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

jcalabre

California

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottled by hoprus. Originally sampled on 19 December 2002. Yet another winner from Three Floyds has been poured into my glass. Alpha Klaus has a roasty flavor w/ coffee tones along with hints of cinnamon. It is medium bodied and brown/dark red in color. Very nice

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2003 20:09:11 | More by jcalabre

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