Day 19 of the 5th Annual Advent-ure Calendar

Day 19: 3 Floyds Brewing Co. Alpha Klaus

3 Floyds was one of the first craft breweries we got into so they will always hold a special place in our hearts. At one time their beers were some of the most sought after in the midwest, but now they’re much more prevalent and easy to find, which makes us very very happy. From the brewery: “Alpha King’s festive cousin. A big American Xmas Porter brewed with English chocolate malt, Mexican sugar and, of course, tons of strange American hops.”

Reflections

Beard & Broad
Beard: Yep, this is a winner. Rich, chocolatey, slightly hoppy, but finishes rather light bodied. Porters are normally a bit heavy, but I could polish off a six pack of these. I wouldn’t let the Mexican sugar scare you off, the sweetness gets fermented out and what’s left behind is just a nice rich flavor reminiscent of caramel or toffee. I’m seeking this out every winter from now, I suggest you do the same.

Broad: I enjoy a good Porter, especially when it’s cold outside. Well, today happens to be the perfect day to drink this warm, tasty, rich beer. It has the perfect balance of flavors and isn’t too sweet or too malty. In fact, it’s a tad smokey. It’s dark in color and on the thick side but that’s a good thing here. This is another beer to enjoy by a fire or while getting cozy on the couch. 3 Floyds can do no wrong.

Adam & Alex
Adam: I really like this krampus of a brewski. It’s a little smokey, a bit chocolatey, and a touch brown sugary. It’s a great dark beer perfect for a spooky horror movie night.

Alex: I enjoyed Alpha Klaus a lot. The label is definitely not your average holiday label, but it is fun. It tastes smokey and kind of malty. I can also taste a bit of chocolate as well. This reminds me of sitting by a fire on a cold night. I would definitely drink this again.

Scott & Christa
Scott: When I first pulled this out of the fridge, I immediately told Christa she would hate it. And she did.  But I’m a porter fan and I will happily drink her half! It’s a very dark, rich porter with lots of chocolate and caramel flavors.  Three Floyds is one of the best breweries around and their Alpha Klaus is a great alternative to the typical holiday ale selection.

Christa: Scott took a sip of this one, looked at me and goes “oh, you’re going to hate this.” And, I didn’t want him to be right because WHAT DOES HE KNOW. But, he’s right. I don’t like it. It’s smokey, it’s heavy, and it’s sweet. It’s pours very dark and seems to hit right in the back of the throat. If this sounds like you’re kind of night, Three Floyd’s Alpha Klaus is for you.

Tony & Megan
Tony: The bottle is very Krampus style, creepy Christmas. The color of the beer matches that very dark angle. It’s a pitch black porter with coffee color foam. The flavor is really interesting, it mentions being brewed with chocolate malts, Mexican sugar, and hops. I don’t know what distinct flavors Mexican sugar adds, but you definitely get the chocolate and hops. It’s really good! I’m a porter guy so it would be hard for me to not like this one but regardless it’s got great flavor. I don’t recall ever having this one before but it might be among my top beers at the end of the season. It’s got a very unique bottle and branding, and tastes great too.

Megan: I was so intrigued by this one because I love the Krampus vibe of the bottle and it’s super interesting in taste too. It’s a porter so you get the heavy and dark pour which just feels like winter and what I like is that you get that cocoa smell and taste without being sweet. Very rich in flavor.

Brad & Heather
Brad: This is a very good Porter in my opinion. I can taste the chocolate but it’s not overwhelming. I don’t think there is anything that would differentiate this from a normal, non-holiday Porter, but it’s still good. The bottle is cool. Three Floyds is cool. The color is cool. I’d for sure drink more of these. I’d throw in a Gumball Head or two in between though.

Heather: The branding makes me wish there were a few metal Christmas carols to jam to while drinking this. Paradoxically, it also makes me want to snuggle up and eat cookies in my sweats (which is what I was actually doing while drinking this). It’s a good porter. Light, delicious, smooth and only slightly sweet. I’ll get more of these this season.