Barrel Aged Behemoth
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

Part of the haul from @FBarber during NBS BIF #13.

Burnt caramel/chestnut colour, fuzzy light head. Moderate retention, no lacing.

Nose is rich and sweet. Caramel and oak, some boozy raisin, some light spicy tobacco, maybe even some fig, and a high sweet note that I can't quite put my finger on. Into it.

Taste isn't quite as sweet as the nose, which I personally appreciate. Has a bit more of the leather and fig, still has some of the raisin, and a bit of burnt caramel. Oak lightens it all and carries some of the vanilla from the barrels as well.

Moderate body, and the alcohol forms largely a warming cozy swell on the back end. Fizzy carbonation.

I love big rich barleywines, and this very much scratches that itch. Thanks Frank for sending this along, this is right up my alley!

 

Barrel Aged Behemoth from 3 Floyds. Received from @Whyteboar in Barleywine and Stout BIF #2. 12 fl oz capped bottle. Received 26/02/25, reviewed 11/03/25 (Review 3468). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Etched on the rear shoulder, invisible on the cold full bottle but visible on the warm empty one “BOTTLED 2023.”. Stored at home at 39 degrees F and served at 57.2 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 60.8 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), murky.
Body – Milk Chocolate Brown (SRM 20), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, wheat at the edges.
Head – Average (Maximum 0.9 cm, aggressive center pour), almond, high density, short retention. Drops to a 0.15 cm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None
Aroma – 4 – Caramel/toffee and weak bourbon. No hops, no yeast, no alcohol.
Flavor – 4 – Begins slightly bitter with spicy hops and weak vanilla, and a wee bit of caramelized “dark fruit.” No roasted malt, no yeast, no bourbon. No alcohol (13.6% ABV, according to the label), but moderate gastric warming does occur. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Ends slightly sweet.
Palate – 4 – Medium: not quite creamy: soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines as condensed by BA.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I quite like this barleywine. The hops come through, much more obvious than the bourbon barrels, although the vanillin from the barrels is surprisingly strong. For me, this could be the archetype of the American Barleywine. Thanks Craig – I really enjoyed this one!

 

 

Dark, brown color. Off-white head. Roasted caramel, dried fruits, vanilla, and wood in the aroma. Malty but not too sweet.
Warming bourbon n finish.

I will agree that the hop character of Behemoth could be moderated and FFF does that well enough in this BA rendition.
But we have still in-your-face fumes. This copy sat in my cellar for over two years and the alcohol is not subtle... and I've had subtlety before at 13.5 ABV. But not here.

There is no value in panning an ale from a brewer so successful as FFF. And I must admit that of their 12 brews that I've rated, I only gave above average ratings to two and they were both malty. So despite its innovations and successes in the "Not Normal" niche and spin-offs like Warpigs, FFF is not for me. As for BA Behemoth, it will take three nights for me to finish this copy. So more to come.

4/6/23 It only took two nights. And the alcohol was less in-my-face; but still too many corners cut and too much camouflage are not substitutes for providing depth. No change in rating.

 

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. No date on the bottle, but I'd suspect it's at least a few years old.

A: Dark brown color with a murky protein haze. A finger and a half of beige head settles soon after the pour. Spotty lacing and broken rings.

S: Dried fig and raisin, chicory, brown cocoa powder, dark caramel, and toasted bread crust. Fading earthy and leafy hops with a bit of pine. Tootsie rolls and dusty oak. Soft notes of bourbon. Quick whiff of alcohol and vague spices. Brown sugar.

T: Follows the nose. Good malt complexity with notes of brown sugar, thick dark caramel, scones, bread crust, toffee, and rich fruit notes of fig and raisin. Fading pine and leafy hops with stiff bitterness. Barrel brings chocolate caramel chews, char, oaky vanilla, and spicy bourbon. Toast and bourbon with ribbons of caramel, chocolate, and char on a long finish.

M: Rich and thick in the mouth. Very full and chewy. Feels like it could be cut with a fork and knife. Gently prickling carbonation. Alcohol warmth and oaky tannin.

O: Very solid. Tastes like a lot of Maris Otter and traditional British malts, but there's plenty of American influence at work, too. It's exactly as advertised and hits all expectations squarely.

2023 Vintage
12oz bottle poured into a tulip

A- pours an almost opaque brown with a one-finger off white head that has short retention and leaves nothing behind

S- boozy bourbon barrel on the nose initially, with aromas of oak, barrel juice, caramel & a hint of vanilla. Undertones of fruity hops that gives berries and some citrus zest. Some dark fruit notes of fig, raisin & dark cherry

T- surprisingly sweet and malty for the most part, drinking more like an english barleywine. A wave a caramel and toffee up front give way to notes of stewed figs and raisins. MId-palate brings out some fruity berry like hop notes, as well as some pine. The finish brings out the barrel, adding a boozy finish that gives bourbon barrel, vanilla and an enhancing caramel. Lingers of booze, bourbon and caramel

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns creamy into a warming boozy finish

 

 

Thanks to @Whyteboar for this one! (Barleywine/Stout BIF #1 - 2023)

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Triple C brewing snifter

The beer pours a deep murky brown with a small off-white head that recedes quickly leaving behind a moderate amount of sticky lacing.

The aroma is malty and boozy with a nice barrel character. notes of vanilla, toffee, raisins, licorice, and a nice hop bitterness

The taste follows the nose with notes of vanilla, toffee, licorice, dark fruits, and a hoppy bitterness. medium bodied and low carbonation. Chewy mouthfeel. inviting in all the right ways

Overall a very nice beer! I am a huge fan of Three Floyds, and this beer is no exception to their stellar track record with me. Would love to try this beer again with some age on it

Pours a light, murky, brown color, looks dark brown in the glass; thin, light tan head. Malty, musty aroma; a bit of roasted malt; barrel wood. Moderately sweet taste with a boozy edge; caramel and nougat; light brown sugar; bourbon; phenol bitterness. Heavy mouthfeel; rich and silky on the palate; alcohol warmth percolating through the residual sugar heft.

The looks and smell are decent enough, but the taste is the highlight. For a high ABV beer, it's remarkably drinkable and balanced.

Pouring temperature: 43 °F; bottling info: BOTTLED 2023
Source: @DIM

 

Pours a dark brown color with a minimal head that lasts quite a while. Aroma of dark fruits and vanilla. Taste is sweet dark fruits. Slight alcohol warmth at the finish and no hoppy bitterness.

 

8/16/23
Pour is a murky brown/deep ruby. half finger of lightly khaki foam dissipates quickly to ring around the glass.
Nose is caramel, toffee, bourbon
Taste is bourbon, citrus, orange, vanilla, oak, toffee, caramel, solid bitterness. definitely not overly sweet.
Will likely benefit from some extended aging. Good beer.

Revisiting 10/24/24.
Much improved with age.
Nose is caramel, toffee, bourbon, toasted bread
Taste is caramel, toffee, figs, bourbon, dark fruits. Still not overly sweet, but some of the orange-hop character has faded making this much more enjoyable.

4pk