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

shippos

New York

4.65/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

courtesy of clvand0

poured witha tan fluffy head that faded to an average thickness and clumpy underneath an almost black body. fresh hoppy aroma with a bitter black malt character. moderately thick mouthfeel witha an excellent blend of toasted and chocolate malts. bit on the chewy side without becoming heavy but has some sugary notes. aroma is completely opposite of the taste. grassy and hoppy and finishes with a rich malt finish. very excellent.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2005 15:14:24 | More by shippos

whartontallboy

New York

4.65/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a rich cola-brown with a finger and a half of dense tan foam that fades slowly and leaves a decent amount of lace.

Smell is rather intense, and it's hard to unpack at first. The initial wave in your nose is pure West Coast hoppiness, almost like you're sniffing a pale ale. A seriously bitter pine/spruce hop nose kicks in, but underneath there's a solid roasted maltiness with some coffee and chocolate.

Flavor is more of the unusual same: a big, IPA-ish wave of evergreen hop flavors that then mellows out into a slightly bitter, balanced chocolate and coffee flavor. The lingering aftertaste is an interesting blend of bitterness, both from the coffee and hop flavors and sweet chocolate/roasty tastes. Quite unique. Some little spices slip in as well, notably cinnamon, but I also get a little tiny licorice flavor. Mouthfeel is creamy and pleasant.

Overall: I didn't buy this one last year because I thought it was too much for a single bottle. Wow. I was wrong. A completely unique porter that really uses aggressive hopping without being over-the-top and losing all of its porter characteristics. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2005 03:59:07 | More by whartontallboy

franksnbeans

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours black with ruby highlights when held to the light, the most rediculous amount of head Ive seen and slow to die before it laces, dammit it spilled over a little. Wheres the warning label Wowza! Awesome smells of some floral...hops perhaps? roasted malt, molasses, chocolate coffee? This is a treat to the senses. Tastes every bit as good as it smells with a little spice and a carousel of flavors. Medium in the mouth with some nice carbonation. Drinkability? I could make quite a night out of these. Went in with good expectations, came out a believer. Cant wait to try a fresh one.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2007 01:43:25 | More by franksnbeans

zeff80

Missouri

4.65/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Poured out an opaque, thick dark, dark brown color with a small, foamy, bubbly tan head that left some sticky lace.

S - It smelled of dark chocolate, roasted malt, some coffee beans and a floral hop aroma. Very interesting for a porter.

T - This is probably the best tasting porter that I've ever had. Great dark chocolate flavor with a smooth roasty malt quality. It had a sharp hop bite from the hops that also added a subtle citrus taste.

M - It was soft and smooth with a crisp finish from the hops. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This is quite possibly the best porter that I've ever had! Just and amazing blend of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2008 12:37:01 | More by zeff80

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

deep brown color, with crimson highlights peeking through, blessed with a thick, prodigious cocoa-tan head...
Aroma: mmm,roasty-toasty, cinnamon, ginger,toffee,coffee, and cream...oh, yummy, oh, very good...nice as it gets...
Taste: Very smooth, yet terribly dark and full in the body, full in the flavor, ...a spicy, tastiness rings through the edges and uplifts and illuminates every aspect of the experience...nutmeg and clove...
Body never flags, stays full, and continually delivers flavor...finish isn't as strong as I'd like, but hangs on well enough...
overall, an excellent winter warmer/spiced ale, not a surprise from this outstanding brewery...wish it were easier to find though...

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2004 00:00:00 | More by feloniousmonk

asabreed

New York

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So here it is. I've been looking for this for over a year now, and finally I saw a bomber and snagged one. I was going to grab both left on the shelf on general principle of Three Floyds kicking ass and the beer's reviews, but alas, at $8.99, I opted just for one.

Why pour this into a pint glass when it certainly would go much better, as far as presentation and aroma go -- along with the deep sipping -- in an oversized wine glass? So in the glass it goes.

Appearance: Head stays beautifully frothy despite its at-first possibility of dying quickly. Rather than a Belgian, it bubbles up slowly, then hangs out and refuses to go anywhere, like the top of a malted milkshake. Lacing's thick, clumpy, with layers folding atop one another down the glass. Body is thick and oh-so-close to near opaque black, though the faintest hint of dark amber can be discerned.

Smell: Oh the beauty of the citrus and piney hops. I don't know exactly what's used, but that's the backbone, and beneath it lies the subtle flavors of burnt-to-all-hell toasted malt, dark and deep unsweetened chocolate, molasses, and slight maple and raisins. Also somehow some dark and tropical fruit flavors inch their way in as it warms. Just awesome, especially when the hops lessen slightly and the malt (and slight fruit) character gets more dominant and complex when it warms. Tons of stuff going on, and it's all extremely well balanced.

Taste: Total malted milkshake at first, walking the line between burnt and frothy and creamy, it brings the party to the mouth. Dark and burned chocolate malt come next, sliding into the maple, vanilla, and raisin combination for some subtleness. Then it finishes beautifully dry, with the hops lingering on the tongue along with the malted milkshake divine thickness and taste.

Mouthfeel: Thick, creamy, a bit velvety but somehow a bit astringent, and somehow it works really well. I like the slight astringency, yet it's not quite up to the standard of a five, though close.

Drinkability: The biggest thing decreasing its drinkability is the price. In addition, it's so thick, complex, and tasty that to me it's more of a sharing porter, or else a nightcap to be enjoyed but maybe purchased months down the road for another treat. Still one of the best porters out there though, and one of the best that uses a fantastic combination of hop and malt to near perfection, in a porter to boot. It ain't easy, and Three Floyds have it down. At least snag one of these to see what you think.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2006 04:15:02 | More by asabreed

fretlessman71

Colorado

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pertinent Preliminary Comments: Many thanks to Chazwicke for sending this along.

A hallowed brew that I’ve had once before. Three Floyds is one of those breweries that, somehow, someway, can’t manage to make a bad or even mediocre beer. Nothing like a Christmas porter at the end of April, but what the heck…

APPEARANCE: Jet-frickin’ black. If I squint, I can see ruby mahogany highlights when held to the light. Serious tan head, fantastic lacing.

AROMA: WHOA. Malt, coffee, chocolate, molasses, dark fruit, hops, this baby has it all.

FLAVOR: Wow… reading the tasting notes from the BJCP, I could almost copy it straight over. Hoppy, sure, but a good sweet-but-roasted black malt vibe. Good dry finish. Smooth all the same. Espresso and chocolate are strong here. Never knowingly had a beer that used Mexican sugar, but I think I can taste it as well in the complex sweetness. Maybe not. It’s a great blend either way. There’s still head at the bottom of the pint! Now THAT’S staying power.

MOUTHFEEL: Very smooth. Good proper weight; somewhat high carbonation.

DRINKABILITY: At 7.5% ABV, it’s not quite a session beer, but it’s not supposed to be. This is a Winter Warmer of a porter, and on a chilly night in Indiana, this gets my first choice.

OVERALL COMMENTS: This beer is stellar in every way – it’s got it all. Not a weak link anywhere to be had. Nothing like Three Floyds, man – even on a warm Sunday afternoon, this beer hits the spot. Now we just have to get them to distribute to Colorado.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2006 19:58:50 | More by fretlessman71

tapman

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a oz. bottle into my favorite Unibroue snifter.

Black body with dark brown head. Looks just like a giant espresso, really. Carbonation retention is beautiful; the thick, light syrup body resists against the bubbles pull towards the surface creating a slow motion cascade. That’s what did it for me in this category. Lacing is decent and creamy, but eventually fades to a thin ring that remains throughout the sampling.

Bitter chocolate, roasted malts and lots of coffee make up the nose of this brew. Alcohol is barely noticeable and does nothing more than warm up the nostrils. There is a pleasant bitterness to the nose, which I attribute to the hops. Coffee is very sweet and pungent.

Taste is full of sweet, creamy espresso roast coffee. It is warm and delicious and inviting. Mix in bitter dark chocolate and medium roasted malts and you got yourself a winner. I detect a hop presence playing the role of bitter fruit to balance out the dark flavors. Bit of an Alpha King grassiness to it in the aftertaste. Not sure if that does to much for the balance, but being in the finish it doesn’t get in the way of the other flavors yet adds a degree of complexity to this brew. For such a light porter, however, I would like to taste some flavor from the lighter malt categories to peek through, even slightly.

Thick yet lighter than one would expect. Not heavy syrup but definitely a thick texture. Carbonation is trapped well and help to break up the thickness of the brew. A little thin for the style traditionally, but it adds to drinkability in my opinion so I’m torn on this issue.

Overall one of the best porters I’ve had in a while. The only rival I’ve tried recently would have to be Arcadias shipwreck porter which works with bourbon barrel ageing so hats off o them. But this is a reat coffee porter and a must try for this holiday season. Prosit!

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2007 04:05:29 | More by tapman

aasher

Indiana

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a New Belgium snifter. It poured smoothly and had a quickly dissipating khaki head, lacing the glass. It looked as if it were the prototype for a porter. The smell was excellent. It was rich, malty, roasted, and had a sweet fruit aroma as well, perhaps cranberry. It had great flavor. The flavor mimicked the aromas. It was spot on. It had a great consistency and was incredibly smooth. It's one of the most drinkable beers I've had, and my list is extensive. The only knock on this beer is that it only comes in 22oz bombers. This one is a masterpiece.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 05:44:43 | More by aasher

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

$8.49 for a bomber from Discount Liquor in Milwaukee, WI.

A: deep, dark color, opaque, poured with light brown full head that dissipated to thin veil
S: full, rich, deep roasted malt, chocolate, cocoa, made my mouth water!
T: just like the nose and lived up to everything I was anticipating from the first smell
M: well-rounded, deep, velvety, highly, highly drinkable

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 00:54:05 | More by wisrarebeer

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

sideshowrob

Maryland

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served straight up in a standard pint glass. Poured a lovely velvety black with very little head. Smell was excellent, strong note of pine and sweet malts. Taste was superb. The exuberence of hops produced a strong spruce/pine note that made one reminice of christmas. The hop character was well balanced by the malty porter back note. A great beer. Superb mouthfeel and rather easy to dring. It's just a shame this is a seasonal, and in very limited release here in the mid-atlantic.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2004 01:34:59 | More by sideshowrob

jakester

Pennsylvania

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

I got this bomber at Union Jack's on the Manatawny. I drank it in a goblet.

Pours an almost opaque ruby/garnet with brown tints and a two finger head of tan foam. Head eventually falls to islands and a ring, with fantastic lacing throughout the drink.

Aroma is a very complex combination of cocoa, coffee, vanilla, really spicy pine sap, dark fruits like prunes or dates, and big dark bread notes.

Flavor is this huge chocolatey pine needles, on the sweet side, with a fairly big hop bitterness to back it up. Fruits like gin soaked raisins and dates come through. Aftertaste is sweet chocolate, pine sap, and a slightly drying roastiness. Delicious beer!

Mouthfeel is really smooth and creamy, with soft carbonation.There is a nice bite on the tongue from bitterness, and the lips stick together from lingering sweetness. Finish is sweet, very slightly astringent from roasted malts, and slightly warm from alcohol.

This is an absolutely delicious beer, and as a holiday beer, it's perfect. Deep dark chocolate, spicy pine hops, luxurious mouthfeel, and a nice alcohol kick to boot. I need more!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2005 16:30:19 | More by jakester

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

xgrigorix

Michigan

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

Twentytwo ounce brown bottle, no dates.

Deep, impenetrable brown (almost black). Dense rocky beige coloured mousse recedes slowly leaving patchy lace behind.

Robust notes of grapefruit, flowers, & pine cut right through the chocolately background, screaming "Drink me!"

Wow! That's some hoppy porter. Tons of hops flavour right up front & in your face. Plenty of citrus & pine tree sap & hop induced bitterness. Finishes dry with a lingering chocolate flavour medium/full bodied, moderate carbonation. I wish this were available year round, and around the corner from me.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2006 02:43:54 | More by xgrigorix

peabody

Kentucky

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

Pours out really black with just a slight band of small brown bubbles. There is a little lacing here.
Smell is wonderful. Mellow chocolate and coffee with burnt malts and caramel sugars. Almost a fruityness in front of the coffee but the coffee is so strong it is hard to discern.
Taste is coffee and toasted malts and very little sugar. This is a very balanced porter and not too sweet. I like that fact.
Mouthfeel is just a tad oily and the bitterness lingers on the back of the tounge for quite a while.
Drinkability is high here if only I could procure lots of this stuff locally.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 23:58:38 | More by peabody

paulthebeerguru

Florida

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

A: Looks like a glass of Coca-Cola. An impenetrable blackish brown, with a light tan-ish head. better than average retnetion level with a wonderful amount of lacing.

S: wow thats a funky smelling porter. smells like a great breakfast, pot and coffee. or a pot of coffee ;) huge roasted malts, some chocolate notes, but a ton of hops leading to a MJ aroma and a little coffee.

T: great flavors. tons of roasted malts, chocolate, toffee notes, and some coffee and caramel. big hopped up flavors. wow this is delightful. its like smoking a J and taking a big sip of black coffee.
Merry Christmas to me.

M: big and bold for the style. medium carbonation level. full bodied for the style. very sharp.

D: major credit for creativity with the style and flavor combination. 7.5% makes it a bomber only for me but a great one at that. Absolutely wonderful, believe the hype.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2008 04:09:32 | More by paulthebeerguru

AlexJ

North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A high pour yields a ruddy black brew topped by an impressive peak of chunky,beige head. As the tight head unwinds, it leaves lacing as thick as your Grandmother's doilies!

Intoxicating aromas of pine-drenched Cocoa Pebbles (mmm) and good coffee roastiness are a prelude to what lies ahead. Smooth porter aromas and massive pine sap gooeyness somehow balance eachother out.

A sip reveals a magnificently tastey porter with a uniquely 3 Floyds twist. Rich chocolate, vanilla, and roasty coffee flavors upfront, an assault of evergreen sappiness throughout, and a smooth finish that is neither sweet, nor bitter, but smoothly perfect.

Body is medium-big, silky-smooth, and very rich on the tongue.

Overall, one of my new favorites from 3F. Absolutely dangerous in drinkability. Each sip brings a smile to my face. Not a trace of the alcohol within. Smooth, smooth, smooth.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2005 15:15:49 | More by AlexJ

cokes

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Darkest cherry with a short, ashen brown collar.
Fragrant of burnt coffee, burnt spruce, burnt pine, burnt grapefruit, and vanilla bean (unburnt). There is also a mellow, almost illusory cognac impression deep down in.
Begins with a thickened molasses and chicory maltiness that grows to encompass prune and black raisins and bakers chocolate. It ventures even farther, as rasping cigar smoke and oily espresso shatter forth, then subside to a caramel glaze and oaky vanilla (a la bourbon) sweetness. The next shattering moment is delivered by the hops. All wintergreen menthol, spruce tips, grapefruit rinds, and pine rosin. It's oily, and it is forceful, and it is bitter as hell, but equal on the hop associated flavors. At the close there are lingering burning leaves, a dusting of coffee grounds, a tweak of sugary, red grape vinousness, and more sugared evergreen branches.
Generally medium bodied, teetering possibly thinner, but well situated within the porter domain, with its steady sense of diffuse fleece.
Price not withstanding, this is endlessly gulpable. A fattened hophead porter. If I could get this in sixpacks for the price of the bomber, I'd drink it all season....but that seems to be the case with all of FFF's specialties.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2005 08:14:08 | More by cokes

numenor1

North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours very thick black, forming an enormous dark tan head. A bit unexpected, this is almost impyish in appearance. Beautiful lacing. Nose is full of coffee molasses, burnt cherries, even a bit of vanilla. Very deep. Taste is pretty damned impressive. Upfront there's a stab of sweetness, but it's quickly overridden by an onslaught of burnt molasses, deep caramel, coffee and burnt dark fruits. There's more than a little bit of woodyness, from hops perhaps? and at the same time a note of green hops as well, and a vague yet profound citrus hop undertone. Midpalate there's a sensation of bittersweet chocolate (70%), which is incredibly impressive and not a compliment i concede lightly. It makes the beer. Substantial supporting bitterness. It all ends in a lingering dry roasty note and a very storng ebbing hoppiness. Body is medium with good supporting medium low carbonation. Somewhere between chewy and creamy. Very drinkable. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2006 05:03:43 | More by numenor1

drseamus

New York

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark black, even for a porter. It was topped with a nice off white head comprised of nice small bubbles.

The aroma is outstanding, filled with a bunch of chocolate and roasted malt and some coffee. The chocolate is very creamy smelling and inviting.

This is one tasty beer. It starts off with a nice chocolaty burst with a touch of bitterness and fades into roasted malt with a slight lingering bitterness.

Nice body on this, not to heavy but thick enough to get the job done. Great for the style.

Good beer all around. Would make a great everyday drinking beer except it's not available year round.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2008 01:48:25 | More by drseamus

lpayette

Vermont

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at dark lord day way back in April. Can't believe it's taken me this long to finally crack one open... what was I waiting for? Maybe it was just the weather.

Appearance- typical near black color with just under a finger of head. Not much carbonation, but that's ok for the style. Consequently, not much lacing to speak ok.

Smell- Lots of roasted malts, but I'd say the overall theme is heath bars. Reminds me of ben and jerry's heath bar crunch ice cream (do they still make that?). Lots of coffee too.

Taste and Mouthfeel- upon the first sip of this brew it was evident that this was one of the best if not the best porter I've had. very, very tastey and sessionable even at 7.5%. A bit of roastiness and nuttiness, but not too much. Hops are subdued and malt is in the forefront, but the balance between roasted bitterness and hop bitterness is done extremely well. The mouthfeel is somewhat silky, and that combined with a heath bar-like taste again reminds me of Ben and Jerry's heath bar crunch.

Drinkability- Very much a sessionable beer if you're into porters.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 03:10:41 | More by lpayette

wilwfu

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very dark, Poured straight into a tulip glass with a 2 inch head that smells absolutely wonderful, filled with roasted marshmellows and earthy hops. It takes about 5 minutes for the head to subside, leaving lacing all the way down. This is an awesome beer, very hoppy, complementing the roastiness. It is very dry, smooth and extremely easy to drink. I could make an evening of smelling the earthy hops and then tasting the roasted malts... this is an awesome holiday / winter beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2008 22:50:45 | More by wilwfu

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a decent crème head. Nose is interesting. Striking characteristics that are a bit difficult to nail down. Coffee perhaps. Candy. Some type of fruit. Almost like a unripe berry or hard apple or something like that. Whatever it is, I like it. Flavor is nice. Spicey robust tones. Thick malts. Pleasant acidity. A nice robust porter with good spices and a touch of fruity sweetness as well. Feel is thick on liquid and carbonation is a bit lower and barely biting. This is a nice porter. I could drink this all night.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2009 18:10:29 | More by RblWthACoz

ckeegan04

Texas

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark, dark brown, near black in color. Head is a huge four or five finger of brown foam despite a rather gentle pour. Foam slowly fades to a two finger cap and leaves solid rings of lace ebhind on the glass.

S - Roasted hops? Piney, citrusy dark malts? It really bounces back and forth between strong pine aromas with a touch of citrus and dark, roasted chocolate and coffee beans. Very impressive nose due to the very strong, yet well melded hop and malt profiles. A love the aroma of this beer.

T - Piney bitterness quickly matched by lightly roasted dark malts. Hints of bitter chocolate and just a touch of burnt coffee bean. As the beer warms the malts certainly become more dominant but the hops are strong throughout. Three Floyd's name is stamped all over this one.

M/D - Big, full bodied roastiness with a decent bit of hop bite as well. A sipper, but certainly one I can sip for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 20:15:36 | More by ckeegan04