Behemoth
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

 

This may be the poster child for the American Barley Wine category.
It pours old copper color with a beige head that leaves little lacing. Tracking so far.
The taste begins with citrus and plums, transitions to warm white bread and tobacco before ending with piney resinous notes at the end.
The feel is not quite viscous, but it has enough body to carry the load.
OA, it’s good, maybe better than good for many people. But I prefer a more balanced barley wine, so likely won’t be buying a lot of these.

Pours the color of an old penny, nice red/tan head and lacing. Caramel and fruit aromas, similar taste, boozy. Feels thick and sticky. Nice beer.

 

A- Was impressed with the massive head full inch of deep mocha froth with a deep dark brown colored beer.
S - Well it smells nice sweet caramel soaked hops, woody leather and no noticeable ABV ethanol.
T - Wow what a punch to the face bitter hops sweet malts shoe leather but no real bun despite the huge ABV. I kind of wish it had a stronger fruit aspect like Dates or Raisins but like I said its pretty perfect the way it is.
M - Medium chewy yet smooth for 11.5%

Overall I wish I got a second bottle especially for the price at just $2.99 a bottle its the best deal Three Floyds ever put out.

 

 

(12 oz bottle, code 025 66 649 38, 11.5% abv; purchased single off shelf at State Line last night... poured into my St. Bernardus chalice)

L: dark tawny colored liquid with a mellow haze; finger-high foam stand... label has two pill-colored gallstone-shaped heads, tongues out, drinking run-off from a barrel... consistent collar, with minimal lacing; head held for a moment then deflated

S: caramel malt leather, stewed fruity cocktail; malt density gets increasingly more worrisome as the greenness of the hops wafts away... but, oh, it gets more green after the head dies; plant blood, dried orange-hued fruit... potency overall poppin, if dimension-deprived; lots of hops (crushed plant matter); just doesn't achieve inviting chromatics

T: the caramel carries over, but just in accent, as the malt foundation dips a bit first sip, giving way to a citrus pithy bitterness and almost brandy-based Curacao-like aftertaste... remarkably dry post-sip, with peppermint bubblegum tones tingling... by the end, with an increasingly cigar earthiness, the malt seems too polished, though the hops seem fresh crop

F: semblance of shape to its body up front, though its resins are frayed and the medicinal-like sting of booze cuts a sharp line mid palate, atomizing the bitter, cooling menthol bite into a coating spray on the palate roof, not unlike Binaca... hyper-lager smooth at its bottom, gob plug of grass and wormwood up top

O: this gives me vibes of a malt bomb fermentation failure fortified and attenuated with hooch, but kripes is it as refined and approachable as an elegant Quad... very noteworthy barleywine and I should've grabbed a pack and sat on it, in hopes it would eventually hatch (2510)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh 12 oz. bottle from the source pours a murky brown/amber color with modest off-white head that lingers and leaves spotty lacing. Aroma has caramel malts, dark fruit, some light spices and piney hops in the finish. Taste is sweet until the finish, which has some alcohol warming. Body is full with average carbonation and a slick mouthfeel. I'm glad Three Floyds brought this one back to market, although I miss the big beauty queen that used to be on the label.

Purchased for $18 at a new beer shop my buddy recommended to me. It was sitting on the shelf and the word barleywine just smacked me right across the face. I knew it was for me. It’s got black wax that basically crumbled apart when I opened it. I am unsure what year this is. Nobody knows how long it’s been sitting on that dusty old shelf. Poured out a light brownish tan with a bit of a golden hue to it. No head except a light ring around the glass. This smells citrusy! Not what I’d expect from a barleywine. It also tastes citrusy. They must’ve added oranges or lemons to this? I’m confused. Never had a barleywine like this. A slight caramel offering from the sip but man this is more like a bitter hoppy double IPA. Totally surprising. I’m also getting a floral note on the aftertaste. I guess this is what an American barleywine tastes like? Very hoppy? I prefer English barleywines. Mouthfeel is light and crispy, quite refreshing and filled with tiny bubbles. A bit of heat from the booziness warms my throat afterward. Overall not a barleywine I’d drink again as it doesn’t have the flavors I look forward to. But I’ll drink it tonight!

Brewed in 2021 and tasted in 2024. The Behemoth pours dark brown with hints of ruby. The nose is pure bourbon. The flavor is what is most exciting about this 13.6% ABV monster. There's deep dark fruit and caramel flavor plus bourbon and vanilla picked up from 12-16 months of aging. And that prodigious ABV is well-disguised, so sip carefully!