Hello guys. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the 2011 vintage of Three Floyds Behemoth made by the Three Floyds Brewing Company located in Munster, Indiana.
You know me, I love me some Three Floyds. I’ve been waiting to try this thing for over a year, so needless to say….. I’m very excited.
From the website, 3floyds.com, we find this description of the Behemoth.
A huge, sweet Barley Wine with complex caramel malt notes, balanced by generous hopping and a high alcohol content. This fruity and malty beer is best enjoyed while keeping warm in the brutal winter months. January release.
I’m ready. Are you guys???
This brew comes in a 22 oz. bomber with a waxed seal and it has an ABV of 10.5%.
It poured a murky brown to caramel/copper color. From a medium aggressive pour I was able to obtain a light tan, smooth, creamy and soft head. The size was near perfect and the retention time was outstanding. The lacing looked great too. Once it settled it left a nice “skim” on top for nearly the duration of the drink.
This beer was very sweet smelling. Hints of caramel malt and toffee along with tones of brown sugar. Fruity aspects of grapefruit as well as a light facet of orange zest commingled with a lively floral component. As the beverage began to warm it started to get way more earthy and herbal with fragrances of dark bread, pine resin and maybe even a light tone of dried tobacco leaf. A very nice aroma with this one. As it sat and developed it became a lot more complex and refined.
The taste brought forth big caramel and toffee notes. It was very sweet and sugary with a sturdy herbal and pine hop punch. The fruity components were still accounted for though. Some grapefruit and mango gave it a slight tropical feel while toasted wheat bread crusts and relaxed punches of alcohol counterbalanced the sweetness to some extent.
The mouthfeel was medium to medium/full bodied. It was very dry, sticky, smooth and chewy. For a beer that’s over a year old the carbonation was still quite nice. A very subtle warmth was felt for the first few sips, but it quickly became secondary. The palate was left with plenty of flavor to ponder after each swallow.
Well. This is another great beer by Three Floyds. At 10.5% ABV…. watch out because of the ease of drinkability. It does get a bit sweet as I got toward the end of the bottle however. That could be an easy deterrent for some. This is not a beer that I could drink everyday, but there is no denying that it’s a very, very good representation of an American Barleywine. I have yet to try a bad beer from Three Floyds and the Behemoth is no exception. Is it the best American Barleywine that I’ve ever tried? Probably not, but it’s big and bold and makes for an excellent pairing on a late, cool evening. I currently have a 2012 set back that I will probably review sometime next year, so until then I’m just going to have to savor this one a bit longer. If you guys can get your hands on a Three Floyds Behemoth, give it a try. I would love to hear what you think about it.
Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.
Until next time. Cheers.
Score: 4.2 out of 5
Grade: A-
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