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

wheatyweiss

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a nonic.

Pours a rich cola color with a decent head that leaves a nice lacing.

Aroma is hops up front with a decent malt backing. Malt aroma is dark roasted like a smokey stout.

Flavor is dry hopped porter. This is more like a stout than anything resembling a porter. The hops are assertive and up front. Crisp, but less than fresh they present well in this brew. The malt is a little lacking and could stand up more. The malt that is there is dark roasted and smokey, pretty damn good, but not great. The label mentions chocolate flavors of which I get none of. Sweet candy sugar hits on the finish, this is where the ABV comes from.

Mouthfeel is thin and decently carbonated.

Overall this is an alright porter that I think may be elevated with BA's because of the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2009 20:08:58 | More by wheatyweiss

MbpBugeye

Ohio

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

This is a really old bottle so I hope its not ruined.

A- Pours out looking somewhat clear with a burgundy highlight. The head is weak, but its there. It still manages to leave lots of uniform lacing. The beer in the glass is black with burgundy around the edges.

S- Pretty weak nose but whats there is pretty good. Grassy hops, lots of grain and some bitter sweet cocoa and coffee. There is also a lot of smoke and wood

T- A hoppy porter for sure. The grassy, leafy hops are backed up by a milky sweet malt bill. If you told me this was a milk stout I would certainly believe you.

M- Pretty thick for a porter. Its very very smooth with a slightly drying finish from the hops. Carbonation is quite low and it promotes a silky smooth feel.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 01:20:38 | More by MbpBugeye

stxSS07

Illinois

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

2011 batch into a Duvel Tulip

A- Pours pitch black with a 2 finger mocha-colored that sticks around for a few minutes, frothy head. Tight bubbles, excellent lacing.

S- I can smell the FFF hop profile as soon as I crack the bottle. Big sweet tropical and citrus notes go hand in hand with a rich roasted malt/dark chocolate note. A little bit of sweetness detectable as well. Really nice.

T- Big coffee/chocolate notes up front. I get some smokey flavors in there as well paired with a sweetness. Big hop notes from the nose are absent until the finish where they show themselves to clean things up and dry out the mouth. A bit disappointing after the nose.

M- Medium bodied. Maybe a bit bigger than your average porter. Creamy mouth feel (from the sugar?) pairs with lively carbonation.

O- Really different when compared to a traditional "American Porter", but I like it. I just wish the big FFF hop profile promised in the nose translated into the taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 05:37:15 | More by stxSS07

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

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

22oz bomber poured into a Gulden Draak tulip glass

Appearance- Motor oil black with 2 fingers of mocha head that dissipates most of the way and leaves a reasonable amount of lacing.

Smell- Very piney in scent with a little bit of chocolate and coco thrown in.

Taste- Pine up front with a long finish of unsweetend chocolate.

Mouthfeel- A slick and smooth mouthfeel with just the smallest hint of carbonation.

Overall- Me not being a huge piney hops fan, I really wasnt blown away. I thought it just had 2 distinct flavors and was nothing crazy complex. In the end, I get the tie in with the piney hops and Christmas, and it makes for a decent seasonal brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 20:54:22 | More by BrownAleMale

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

SaCkErZ9

Florida

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

Thanks go out to SPLITGRIN for this one.

Pours from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass. Nearly opaque with chocolate highlights underneath. Small mocha head that doesnt last very long. Nice bit of lacing down the side of the glass.

Aroms is actually a bit hoppy. I havent smelled hops in a porter before, but I guess a Holiday porter is as good a time as any to throw in some hop aroma. Plenty of good chocolate and coffee aromas as well.

More hop flavor as well. The roasted grains seemed to take a bit of a backseat to the hop flavor. Sweet up front as well. Hop bitterness in the end. Sticky on the tongue.

Glad I got to try this. I could see myself having a couple of these once or twice a year. There was a little too much sweetness and that could get a bit cloying after 22oz. A nice solid beer that is certainly different than any other porter I have ever had. Originality points but point detractions for "style" purposes.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2008 19:59:57 | More by SaCkErZ9

toetag39

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A porter poured into a pilsner glass; came out a rich, dark brownish-black, it was consistent throughout. A can smell the hops and some type of fruit. With the first sip, I can taste molasses, coffee, and brown sugar. There is a little bitterness though not to my liking.

Yet another Porter that I hope was gonna be better but still a nice porter overall.

Serving type: growler

12-06-2010 08:55:56 | More by toetag39

beerman207

Kentucky

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

Been wanting to try this for a while now. Finally got around to buying it.

A: Dark brown with a tan head

S: Chocolate, malt, smells sweet

T: On the first few sips of this beer, It was almost a drain pour. Not sure why it was so bad on the first part of the pour but the second half of the bottle is what I'm reviewing now. - Coffee, malt, chocolate, slightly sweet.

M: - Mild mouthfeel

D: Decent but not as impressive as other offerings.

Not sure if I had a bad bottle or what was going on with this one. Just a strange session experience. In any event. Not the best porter - but not the worst.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 15:39:07 | More by beerman207

phichifiji00

California

3.6/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: Black with a light tan head that fades quickly. Moderate lacing.

Smell: Hops, sublte roasted notes, pine resin.

Taste: roasted malt, some coffee notes, hops, a bit astringent.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, moderate carbonation, crisp, dry finish.

Overall: A tasty black IPA. The doesn't taste like a porter to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 17:49:14 | More by phichifiji00

tewaris

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Kickin' fresh Christmas Porter brewed with Mexican sugar among other things. What's with FFF and different sugars?

Bomber poured into a Lion stout mug. Thanks Dan!

Beautiful looking beer, dark brown and clear with a chocolaty, thick and creamy head that formed in cascades. Great lacing and retention as well. Smells of roasted malts, chocolate and general sweetness. No hops in the aroma whatsoever.

Tastes sweet and chocolaty but the bitterness quickly takes over. Finishes quite bitter and slightly roasty. I understand this is Alpha King's cousin and all but the bitterness, frankly, is clashing. The aftertaste is rather empty too. However, the biggest culprit is the rather thin body that makes the beer taste rather empty.

Overall a good porter but unbalanced for no good reason. Not in the same league as Edmund Fitzgerald or Cutthroat.

4.5, 4, 3.5, 2, 4

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 18:22:17 | More by tewaris

JiminKY

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I am a big fan of American Porter and have tasted many examples. This is a good one, though not among the best I've had, and not really what I would hope for at the price point ($8.50 for a 22oz bomber).

A- A very dark beer with a thick tan head that dissipates to a ring around the edge of the beer and leaves a trailing lace around the glass as it empties. Somewhat darker than what might be expected of the style, but appealing nonetheless.

S- Smell is quite good, though a little sharper than expected. Hints of flowery hops replace the enticingly rich coffee notes of many other examples of this style.

T- Here, as in the smell, astringently bitter hop notes replace the smoother, more comforting tastes of coffee and chocolate. An interesting taste, though not entirely distinct from the much less expensive Sierra Nevada Porter. Not in the same league as Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald or Bert Grant's Perfect Porter. Additionally, by it's name, one might expect some "holiday" type spices, but if they are present, they are not evident as in other holiday offerings.

M- A bit thin, crisp and dry compared to the better porters I've had. Not bad in the realm of beer as a whole, but not necessarily what I look for in a good porter.

D- Not as smooth a beer as I look for a porter to be. More of a "challenge" than the easy-drinking porters I've most enjoyed. And at 7.5%, possibly a little dangerous to relax with for an entire evening, without worrying about over-imbibing.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2006 23:15:05 | More by JiminKY

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This is an interesting brew. Pours a nice head, creamy and chocolatey. Dark chocolate looking almost opaque black. Very full mouthfeel. Smells of dark chocolate and tons of hops. Very odd to have these hops in this brew. Leaves good lacing and is a nice refreshing beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2006 02:24:46 | More by bigdeuce

DovaliHops

California

3.63/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very dark brown color with a medium off-white head. Scent is very hoppy...wasn't expecting that. Very hoppy with some roasted malt aroma with a hint of Christmas spice. Taste is not as hoppy as the nose implies. Roasted malt flavors with a bit of chocolate. Some piney hop flavors and just a bit of spice. Mouthfeel is medium bodied...not as thick as I was hoping. Drinkability is fairly high. Overall, this does not taste like a typical American Porter to me. Drinks more like a black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 05:50:11 | More by DovaliHops

phisig137

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a solid black, with a huge, long lasting head. Cascades of bubbles fall down the head into the beer, and leave behind huge amounts of lace, and a cragy head.

Aroma is hoppy, with hints of roasted malts and chocolate.

Flavor is filled with roasted malts, coffee, and a bit of chocolate. Dry, slightly hoppy finish. Very well balanced and crafted. Mouthfeel is full and smooth... I'd swear that this came out of a cask if I didn't know any better. Drinkability is good, as this one hides its relatively high 7.5% very well. Drinks like a 4.5% beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2006 23:42:46 | More by phisig137

ThirstyBird

Germany

3.65/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Super dark brown with reddish highlights. Tan head that fall to a ring.
S - Roasted malt, smokey, coffee.
T - Smokey, roasty with some fruit and hops.
M/F - A bit thin on body. Nice carbonation though.
D - Interesting and intensely smokey. Light thin body is a fault in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 17:47:54 | More by ThirstyBird

dlello2

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served at a family beer tasting out of a bomber into tasting glasses.

A - Looks like a christmas party (well, the bottle does). Beer is a dark amber-brown. Looks like a think coffee. Plenty of head.

S - Somewhat earthy sweetness mixed with that 3 floyds hop/citrus accent. Almost smell some carrots.

T - Smoky molasses with caramel. It's spicy at the end with some chocolate. None of the flavors strike too hard.

M - Nice amount of carbonation for a porter. Not as thin of a body as the appearance would suggest.

O - Not too special, but certainly an enjoyable porter. Lots of spice with a pleasant aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 03:51:37 | More by dlello2

Auracom

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Taking on this one solo. 22 oz. bottle on December 30th, 2011, poured into a Bruery tulip.

A - Nothing much to see here. Flat, matte brown with a light khaki head. Not much retention, just some bubbles linger on top. Typical lacing.

S - At first, it's mostly milk chocolate bar and a touch of cinnamon. Closer to room temp, milk chocolate combines with lots of mexican sugar, light fruit, syrup, and slight coffee bean.

T - A bit of a contrast, plentiful dark chocolate and espresso flavors. Definite hop bitterness, citrus, and pine cut through near the backend of the drink.

M - Medium body, fair carbonation, good smoothness. Medium length finish and bitter finish.

D - That mexican sugar is really noticeable and fits well with the blend. I do wish there was a bit less espresso and more of that milk chocolate in the drink. Preferences aside, it's a good brew that is exactly what I'd expect from FFF during the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 20:25:06 | More by Auracom

ChiPool

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into Duvel tulip.

AK pours the darkest brown color, if not all-out black. Generous amount of head is also present: 1.5 inches, dark cream colored. Nice aroma on this one: roasty malts dominate. Taste offers more of the roasty malts, with a bit of earthy hops on the back end. Mouthfeel is on the thin side of medium.

Glad that I tried it, but I will stick more to RIS offerings, especially for the price.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 02:05:43 | More by ChiPool

BlindPig

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Thin tan head that fades fast. Maybe a hint of red in the head. It is very black.
S- Coffee. Really nothing else besides a little sweet.
T- Has a sweeter taste and really couldn't pin point anything to much for the actual taste but in the aftertaste it was pretty strong coffee and seemed a bit smokey also.
M-Medium body maybe a bit thin. Light/medium carbonation.
D- It is to coffee for me not all bad though. I not big fan of porters or stouts (do prefer stouts) and I do try to keep opinion out when I am doing my review besides in drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2006 01:09:28 | More by BlindPig

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.68/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Courtesy of brewczar. 750ml bottle served in my Gouden Carolus chalice. Poured one shade shy of black with deep red highlights around the edges. Pour revealed a quarter inch, frothy, off-white head that dissipated almost immediately. Nose consisted of espresso and a roasted quality. Taste was smokey, roasty with a dry hops bittering at the back. Mouthfeel was light and watery with a carbonation level slightly over the top for the style. Easy drinking, well-hidden abv. Somewhat lacking in flavor, but improves somewhat as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2009 01:01:29 | More by Jwale73

morimech

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pitch black with one finger of head that suddenly settled to a thick cap. Moderate amount of sticky lacing is left on the glass. Bizarre aroma of piney/grassy hops and burnt, roasted malt. I can tell they packed the aroma hops into this beer. I have never tasted a beer that tastes like Alpha Klaus. Even the over-hopped Imperial Stouts do not pack the hop flavor of this porter. A lot of resinous pine (pine forest or Chritmas tree fire comes to mind) and grass. The yeast did their job because despite the sugar addition, this is one dry beer. The chocolate malt does not play a very large part of the flavor profile and that is a bit of a shame. The malt gets overpowered by the hops. Tastes almost wet hopped. A wet hopped, Christmas Porter or a Black Christmas IPA? Don't give lesser brewers any ideas now. Bitterness is higher than any porter that I can recall. I just cannot give this beer a higher score because it is so unporter-like. The appearance and mouthfeel are the only things reminiscent of porters. Nicely carbonated but could of used a little more heft in body. A hopheads dream of a porter. One of these a year would be enough.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 19:21:18 | More by morimech

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is dark mahogany with just a tiny bit of light getting through. Carbonation is low and the head is tan and quite thin. The nose offers some mild toasted malt and chocolate notes with a hint of cedar.

Flavors are definitely on the mark. Rich, creamy toasted malt with a bit of a sharp hop bite starting at mid-palate that doesn't really serve this particular style all that well. Mouthfeel is quite creamy for a porter. You get flavors of coffee, bakers chocolate, and a slight bit of orange rind from the hops. A terrific beer that, in my opinion, is a bit too hopped for this style. It's very subtle, but the flavors tend to be just a bit too bitter on the finish. Still worth trying if you can find it.

Serving type: growler

11-21-2011 11:16:20 | More by deadonhisfeet

SchaefMan

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

So, this one took a while for me to get from the bottle into the glass. It poured a nearly opaque black, with a tan head that I could not avoid, and took time to disperse.

The smell had some vaque molasses or brown sugar, but very mild.

The taste had roasted malts, some coffee, and the characteristic hops, with a slight aftertaste, but not unpleasant.

The mouthfeel consisted of strong, carbonation, but not too much. I could also feel what I saw in the glass. You could see how it clung to the sides of the glass, as if it had some viscosity to it.

I am not a porter guy, or stout for that matter, so I could not drink this all the time, but I am glad I tried this, because it was full of flavor, some of which I am still trying to peg.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2006 03:27:20 | More by SchaefMan

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Dark black abysmal brew topped with an extremely thick and chunky two finger medium-brown head. The head is dense, solid, creamy, and persistent. Tons of really nice lace is left all around the glass. Looks as things should be for the style.

S - Profoundly realistic notes of cocoa powder, peanut brittle, and toffee. Rich chocolaty hot cocoa made double strength (ie two packets of Lil' Miss) with whole milk. Smells really dense and assertive, with hints of burnt charred wood and a decomposing wood pile. Smells perfect for a wintery day like today.

T - Tons of hops overpower the cocoa and toffee that I smelled in the nose, but more earthy woody fireside notes come out in the midpalate. Charred ashy wood that is left the morning after a night at the campground. The hops are nice, but somehow out of place for the style. Some chocolaty sweetness comes out in the finish, along with more of that lovely cocoa powder flavor.

M - Medium bodied, decently carbonated, bitter as hell form the hops (I wonder what the IBUs are in this one), and EXTREMELY dry on the finish. Ashy, woody, and as dry as the damn desert. This is definitely a mouthfeel that grabs your attention and won't relent.

D - A very interesting and extremely well made porter. I straddle the line between the hop-head and malt-head camps, but for the style I think that this is a little bit ridiculously overhopped. Definitely not a bad beer by any stretch, and I think those who love burnt roasted bitterness wl love this more than I do. Drinkablility suffers at the hands of too much hop bitterness and burnt-charred notes.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2008 17:54:20 | More by pmcadamis

zachary80

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2011 Bomber.

Excellent creamy head, tan color. Body is a very dark brown. Thick lacing.

Aroma is pungent, very hoppy for a porter with malt as a secondary feature of the aroma.

Flavor is also pretty strong for a 6% porter. Hop flavor is very present. Light chocolate, roasted malts. Lingering bitterness is strong

Body is thin for an imperial porter, fine for a normal. Smooth.

Interesting beer. Reminds me of their Black Sun Stout. Over hopped for a porter. Horrible value, but my score isn't adjusted for that.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 01:54:29 | More by zachary80