Behemoth - 2 Year Bourbon Barrel-Aged
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

I blindly sampled 2 different 2018 BA Behemoths. This and the regular 1 year BA version. The 2 year version was sample "A"

"B" has an aroma that is appealing enough but not show stopping. Dried apricots and caramel primarily along with some honey, tobacco, and mellow booze. The dried fruits are caramel are soooo much better on the tongue than in the nose. Not overbearingly sweet, a woody spice note and ample whiskey prevent that from happening. Probably a bit better than the fresh BA Behemoth I've been enjoying this past year. Call it a 4.5 overall.

"A" has an aroma that also falls just a bit short. Dried fruits again but a bit more dates than apricots to go along with the caramel. Rather that honey, I'm getting King's syrup and molasses to go along with robust but well incorporated whiskey. There is a note in the aroma of both of these that isn't present when I taste them that just doesn't jibe well and I can't quite find the words for it. Again, the flavor far surpasses the aroma. There is a range of dried fruit here from dates to raisins to apricots that meld extremely well with the charred caramel. I'm getting vanilla and more woodiness at the finish on this one. The whiskey throughout is wonderfully potent. I'd call this a 4.6.

 

 

Pours a dark and murky brown that looks like a salted-caramel treat. Head is a finger and a half of caramel-colored foam. Aroma is fig, raisins, toffee, caramel and chocolate with roasty, toasty, nutty, earthy and caramely malts. There is a little swell of heat at the back, but it's subtle. Heat comes paired with bourbon and a playful kiss of char. Flavor profile is raisins, fig, toffee, molasses, chocolate and caramel with toasty, nutty, earthy and caramely malts. Sweetness is more pronounced in the flavor profile, but so is the boozy bourbon heat. Well, not quite boozy, but the heat seeps out a little bit more. Char seals it up. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a smooth, crushed grain texture. It feels as thought it's stalled out in effervescence as it aged. Overall, a big, doughy toffee cookie with a little bourbon on the back half.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 750mL bottle.

This was a delicious BBA barleywine, and I much preferred it over the normal 3 Floyds’ Behemoth. Great complex, rich, smooth flavors that are so well balanced. Obtained this bottle from their brewery. Pours a honeyed dark amber, almost rust color with a thin cap of head and some very spotty lingering lacing. Almost opaque in color. Smells of sweet ripe fruit - fig and raisin - as well as bourbon, oak, malt, malt toffee, bread, vanilla and molasses. Taste follows the nose, super complex and balanced and deep. High ABV definitely makes it a sipper although the alcohol didn’t burn. Smooth, sticky, luscious, rich mouthfeel and just the right amount of carbonation. So well done.

 

 

 

 

My review today completes the trifecta of barrel aged Behemoth from Three Floyd’s, as sent to me by The Junkie of FFF during the Can Can 8 BIF.

I recently reviewed the One Year Bourbon Barrel Behemoth and the Danish Cherry Wine version. The idea behind this review is to draw parallels and differences between the One and Two Year versions.

I’ve been drinking this for well over an hour and my notes are based on the beer approaching and reaching room temperature, which is where it currently stands as I finish this post.

Appearance: In the light this beer pours a murky, translucent, light brown color. As depicted it pours a dark brown, really burnt sienna color with some ruby notes. A beige head that struggles to sustain itself, settling to a thin ring around the edge of the glass and a thin layer of sporadically placed bubbles atop the liquid. No visible carbonation. Minor amount of lacing. Same appearance as the One Year.

Smell: The aroma is piney, lemony and earthy, black tea-like hops. Sweet caramel, toffee, vanilla. Dark dried fruit including raisins, dates, prunes. Some milk chocolate reminiscent of Raisinettes. Dark chocolate and cocoa. Some wood. And definitely some ethyl alcohol notes not present in the One Year. Alcohol and chocolate are new as compared to the One Year.

The aroma is slightly more woody and there is more depth driven by the extended bourbon barrel aging. The hops present just as strongly. There is more alcohol on the nose, but it’s supported by the added complexity. I prefer the nose on this beer.

Taste: Up front are the sweeter malt and bourbon barrel notes. Caramel and toffee are the dominant flavors, followed by dark, dried fruit including bourbon-soaked raisins and dates. There’s definitely a foil-wrapped, chocolate cordial aspect to this beer. The middle shifts to piney, lemony and earthy hop notes. Some bitterness. I’ve never had the base beer so I cannot comment on how the barrel impacts the hops/bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation. A definitive warming sensation on the palate and in the pipes.

Overall: This beer is excellent. I like the aroma more than the One Year as I think the extended barrel aging adds more complexity. The flavor is more woody, bitter and there is a discernible heat. I do think there’s also some added complexity to the flavor, without detracting from the beer via the additional chocolate notes.

My least favorite of the beers is the Danish Cherry Wine. It was not a bad beer. In fact, it was very good. As for the Bourbon Barrel Aged Versions? These beers are beyond reproach. Complex, while drinking cohesively and easily.

For those interested here are my reviews of the other two versions. Danish Cherry Wine was a full review and the One Year was cursory because I was just too caught up in the beer to be bothered with taking detailed notes.

Danish Cherry Wine Barrel Aged(3.79/-7.6%)

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26/382494/?ba=TheGent#review

Barrel Aged Behemoth(4.41/+1.1%)

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26/34631/?ba=TheGent#review

No strange brews here. Just some exemplary bourbon barrel aged American Barleywine. I would’ve preferred to review all these beers side-by-side, but that would’ve put me in a world of pain. Disappointed that this is all I have left.

@FFFjunkie

Thank you, Dan! I’ve really enjoyed all of these beers and getting a better understanding of what FFF is all about.

And once again, thank you @Jason1221 for the proper glassware!

 

An unapologetically bigger, bolder version of BBA Behemoth. Still strongly American in style, with bright florals and substantial hop bitterness, balanced by a malt backbone and vanilla from the bourbon. Massive oak barrel character, with moderate bourbon spice and light honeyed notes. Boozy and hot, I would say that this is fantastic now but likely to remain fabulous for a long time to come if properly stored. If you prefer less prominent booze, you likely didn't spring for this given the $35 price of admission, but it will be an interesting experiment to see how much this smooths out, or doesn't, in a couple years.