Nite Wolf
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

 

 

Had this on 2015-01-28 in Clarksville, IN

A - Dark brown with short brown head and goid lace

S - Medium roasted grain, light char and anise. Mild.

T - Similar to aroma plus chocolate. Nice.

M - Light-medium body and carbonation

O - A tasty porter but not as good as Founders or Great Lakes.

This brew was served on tap at the Three Floyds Brewpub in Munster, Indiana. It arrived in a generic nonic, showing the deepest chocolate ruby coloring. It held a one and a half finger tall head of foamy, speckled brown bubbles, showing infinitely tight retention. As the beer level dropped in the glass, sheeted lacing appeared, but not a second beforehand. No haze or sediment was appreciated, and carbonation appeared to be medium. The aroma offered a highly rich and roasty chocolate maltiness as a base, with vanilla buttercream icing, coffee grounds, birthday candle wax, chlorine, plastic diapers, rubber cement, white clay, bittered mineral, ice, phenolic and cloven phenols, faint cooling ethanol, simple syrup, and greasy Chinese chips. The taste to follow was comprised of the bittered flavoring of chocolate, burnt wheat, and caramel malts, all showcasing massive roast, dense citric hop oils, buttery diacetyls, raw caramel sugars, soy sauce, soapy citric bitters, cocoa powders, gunpowder, charcoal, and finally some hints at the included orange fruit and peel ingredients. The aftertaste breathed distinctly of a hollow floral hoppiness. The body was medium, with lightly chewy edges, while carbonation was easily medium. Each sip gave nice slurp, smack, and froth, with surprisingly bolstered creaminess on the swirl around the mouth. The mucosa was otherwise smoked and dried, with a somewhat tannic twinge to it. The abv was appropriate, and drinkability remained a bit slower.

Overall, this order was actually our second choice at the bar. We had originally been looking to sample Jinx Proof, to try something we hadn’t had before, but apparently that had just kicked, so this was an easy backup selection, however different in style. No complaints there. Although the aroma here was quite complex, the flavoring was much, much more robust. You get a ton of chocolate roast, and actually get some nips from the included orange peel used in the brewing. This goes contrary to the aroma where any citric oiliness comes across much more like a masked citric or floral hoppiness, rather than a nice fruitiness. The softer feel and great creaminess compliment the final picture well. This is a greatly flavored beer, but it is not as revolutionary as much of their lineup.

 

 

Had this on tap at Yogi's in Bloomington. Here goes:

A: Great like all FFF beers. Pitch black with a large white head; also leaves a good among of lacing.

S: Good, but not very complex. Mostly bitter espresso with a light smattering of grassy hops. Pretty well-balanced between the hops and the malt. Hops are similar to that of Alpha King, IMO.

T: Follows the nose. Grassy hops with a huge espresso kick. While there's a light tinge of caramel, let's face it: This beer is pure coffee. Leaves a very bitter aftertaste that lingers. While I do like coffee stouts, this beer is a little too simple for my taste - just a tinge of grass from the hops and burnt, roasted malt.

M: Too light - somewhat watery. Overall, not very good.

O: Good beer but not one of FFF's better offerings. Tons of other beers by them that I would rather have.