Three Floyds in Colorado! Sorta.

Since we’re still at halftime of The Barleywine Project, when I came across this little guy (pictured to the right) earlier in the week I figured I would squeeze it in as Part II of the Halftime Show.  Given that it was my only chance to get Three Floyds out here in Colorado, it was also a no-brainer of a buy, even at a little more than a buck and ounce. 

Location: Hazel’s Beverage World, Boulder, CO

Cost: $11.99/11.2oz. bottle

ABV: 11.5%

IBUs: NA

Brewery Location: Fraserburgh, Scotland/Munster, Indiana

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.05

My Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.05

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate: 2

Description: Three Floyds/Brewdog Bitch Please  

Best Before:  March 19, 2016

APPEARANCE:  Dark, hazy and a little Hair-of-the-Dogish in color, meaning it is deep Barleywine-Mahogany, but more on the brown side and a bit murky.  The head is a nice, contrastingly, stark-white that dissipates at a moderate rate leaving a solid cap of foam over the surface.  The lacing is pretty solid with roughly 65% of the back side of the glass covered.

SMELL:  There is a lot of citrus in the nose, a good dose for an American-style Barleywine.  That said, it is still nicely accented with all the typical Barleywine aromas, beginning with some brown sugar, followed by banana, then bread.  Gorgeous smell.

TASTE:  Well, that went in a direction I didn’t expect.  This is, by far, the grassiest and smokiest Barleywine I have ever tasted.  This tastes like mowing the lawn up front and is closely followed by a big dose of pleasant tobacco.  There’s also more peat moss in this thing than in a nice, neat glass of Laphroaig.  Unreal.  I would kill for a cigar right now.  Honestly, this is weird; so much smoke, peat and grass in here, it is unlike any other beer I’ve ever had, but I like it. 

MOUTHFEEL:  Dry, crisp and well…not so clean.  The sparkle is impressive given the style and the flavor, but it is not too much either.  The finish is dry as a bone.

OVERALL:  For two breweries that seem to be so dead-set on creating the ultimate American beer, this was a shock to the system.  Smoke, peat and scotch-like characteristics are overwhelming, but also really good.  A lot of people say “Oh, I could have one, but never more” about a lot of beers.  I never feel that way, but in this case I do.

Barleywine Review #9 - Three Floyds Behemoth Barley Wine

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Apr. 10, 2012

Big thanks to my guy Jonathan back home in Chicago for this bottle of Three Floyds Behemoth!  I have been looking forward to cracking this beer open again since I first tried it last year on a cool, crisp winter afternoon in Munster, Indiana at the Three Floyds Taproom.  There’s no need for any further rambling, so let’s get into this bottle.

Location: Purchased at Cardinal Wine and Spirits, Niles, IL

Cost: About $18.99/22oz. bomber

ABV: 10.5%

IBUs: 80

Brewery Location: Munster, IN

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.2 – Excellent

My Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.03 – Excellent

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank: 461/11th

Brewery Description: Three Floyds Behemoth Barley Wine

Bottled On: 2012

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) The Behemoth pours a color that rests somewhere between the deep copper color of a great DIPA and the mahogany of a typical Barleywine.  So, it is a little on the lighter side of the Barleywine spectrum in terms of color.  The head is a nice inch-thick with strong retention, in fact, it took about three or four minutes for it to recede into a cap of thin, but full coverage of the surface.  The beer is clear, although the near-mahogany color makes it tough to see all the way through the tulip glass it is in.  Finally, the lacing is decent, but not outstanding.

SMELL:  (4 out of 5) The aroma is fairly strong, but more in the bready and yeasty direction than I remember it.  Citrus, like orange and lemon, along with some pine flavors are present and pleasant, but they lurk behind the breadiness more than I would like. 

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) Rich caramel and toffee are the first and most aggressive flavors to hit the palate, but that breadiness from the nose sneaks up quickly and takes the middle part of the sip.  The finish is big, resinous, pine hoppiness.  Along the way hints of lemon, orange and grapefruit make appearances.  Also, if you pay close attention to the details, there is a tiny, tiny pinch of roasted malt tying everything together and keeping the big, sweet caramel malt balanced. 

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) The Behemoth has a big mouthfeel with medium carbonation and slight pucker towards the end of the sip.  That pucker comes with a drying bitterness after a wave of sweetness up front.  This Three Floyds offering is complex even in the mouthfeel.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) While this is one outstanding Barleywine, I do have to say I enjoyed last year’s batch a little more – or maybe the difference between the bottle and the tap is greater than I thought.  The bottle had more booze and a stronger hoppy bite at the end.  Neither of those things are necessarily a bad thing in a beer as far as I am concerned, but this particular beer just went down so smooth and easy when I had it on draft at the FFF taproom last winter. 

I know this beer will age very well, so my second bottle is going into the cellar for at least a year (three if my will power is strong enough).  I will buy this beer again, but paying $18.99 for the bomber is a bit much, especially when a 6-pack of Bell’s Hopslam is available at roughly the same time of year in Chicago for the same price, maybe even a buck or two less.   

Introducing the Chicago Beer Project

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

June 25, 2011

With review #17 on The List completed, the first project here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights will need to go on a bit of a hiatus.  While there are only three beers to go, they will all require some waiting.  AleSmith’s YuleSmith is due out any day now, Founders Devil Dancer is due out in July and Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA, well, that might not even get released this year just came out. 

So that is where we stand with Project #1.  In the meantime, the woman and I have finally picked a date in mid-July for the big move out to Colorado and while we are still here I wanted to make sure to get a Chicago-related list under my belt.  So, for Project #2 I am going to make an effort to review 20 Chicago beers before mid-July.  This project will be known from here on out as The Chicago Beer Project (CBP).  The CBP will require some hustle on my part, but I think I can make it happen before the end of July and at the very least I’ll be able to bring a few bottles out to Colorado and finish up the process once I’m out there. 

The big question at hand is what beers will the Chicago Beer Project include?  Of course, I am not simply going to review the first 20 Chicago Area beers I get my hands on.  My goal for the CBP is to create a list of 20 Chicago Area beers that every beer-loving Chicagoan and every Chicago beer-tourist should make a point to try.  Narrowing a list like this down will neither be easy nor without controversy, but in the end I expect to have a well-rounded variety of styles, breweries and beers represented.  Plus, I think the controversy will make it a little more fun.

So what is a “Chicago Area Beer”?  Well, this is a tough question to answer, but given that there are several outstanding breweries in the suburbs that help influence the beer culture within the City itself it would be unreasonable to rule them out. 

In order for a beer to be considered a Chicago Area Beer for the purposes of this list it must be brewed and readily available within what is known as the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area (or CMSA).  Additionally, the company which brews the beer must be based in the CMSA and if it is brewed in one of the non-Illinois counties that are a part of the CMSA, it must be distributed in Illinois.  Basically, it has to be brewed by Chicago Area people for Chicago Area people.

This brings us to the awkward question of what to do with Goose Island products.  While Goose was certainly this city’s pioneer in the craft beer world, the company is no longer owned by anyone in Chicago, in Illinois or even in the United States.  In late March of this year, the Chicago-based brewing company announced that it would sell out to Anheuser-Busch InBev.  For that reason alone, I will not be including any Goose Island beers on the Chicago Beer Project’s list.  I have already had dozens of people arguing me on this point (although, dozens have agreed with me as well) telling me that leaving them out makes this list incomplete.  I understand and respect that opinion, but here is my reasoning behind my choice:

What it boils down to is that the purpose of this project is to do a small amount of promotion for Chicago’s craft beer culture.  Goose Island’s new parent company has spent decades working to wipe out any and all competition by any means necessary, legal or illegal, moral or immoral.  Don’t believe me?  Here’s a link to “Beer Wars”, it’s an excellent place to begin learning about what Anheuser-Busch is really all about. 

My firm belief is that A-B will not discontinue these practices anytime soon simply because they own a craft brewery.  They will continue to make every effort to make life miserable for the little guys and the little guys are exactly who I am attempting to promote with this project.  Therefore, promoting Goose Island is completely counter to my goal here and it will not be done.

Anyhow, the more important matter at hand is not which beers I will be excluding, but which beers I will be including on the list.  So far, I have ten of my own, and I am still looking for nominations for the other ten.  Keep in mind that I want to try to avoid seasonals and limited releases in order to make sure people who wish to attempt to try them all have a chance to do so.

My list so far in no particular order:

1.      Panama Limited Red – Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery

2.      Anti-Hero IPA – Revolution Brewing Company

3.      Mathias Imperial IPA – Haymarket Pub & Brewery

4.      Gumballhead – Three Floyds Brewing Company

5.      Resistance IPA – Two Brothers Brewing Company

6.      Daisy Cutter Pale Ale – Half Acre Beer Company

7.      Pullman Brown Ale – Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery

8.      Eugene American Porter – Revolution Brewing

9.      Iron Works Alt – Metropolitan Brewing

10.  Dysfunctionale – Piece Brewery & Pizzaria

Let me know what you would like to see on the list.  I already have a spreadsheet going with a tally of all the beers that the good folks over at r/beer and Beer Advocate have nominated, but please go ahead, add yours to the list.

The Weyerbacher's Double Simcoe Trade

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Feb. 8, 2011

***UPDATE*** After a few weeks of struggle, the Weyerbacher's Double Simcoe IPA has finally arrived, check out the review here.***UPDATE***

Since we began reviewing beers here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights Worldwide Headquarters in Evanston, IL a few weeks ago, we’ve been picking some low hanging fruit.  Sure Hopslam is not a particularly common or easy to find beer all the time, but here in Chicago, it is not a problem to find it when it is released. 

Well, after four reviews (and with number five already in the pipeline) it is time to get serious about finding a few of the beers on The List that are not readily available.  So, I headed over to Beer Advocate to find some trading partners and I came across a user named nevins (funny coincidence of a name for those of you who know me) who was able to get his hands on beer #12 on The List – Weyerbacher Brewing Company’s Double Simcoe IPA.  Additionally, and what I originally got in on the trade for, he’ll be sending along a six pack of one of my all-time favorite IPAs – Ithaca Beer Company's Flower Power and a couple of Ithaca’s limited releases.  What I sent back to him in return is pictured on the right.  If you can't see, it's a six-pack of Bell's Hopslam, a couple bombers of Three Floyds Dreadnaught DIPA and a bomber of Three Floyds Behemoth, which I have yet to try, but will do so soon.  

Not a bad haul for either of us.

Anyhow, the Double Simcoe currently has a Beer Advocate rating of A-/4.16 and 994 BA members have reviewed it.  It has a 9% ABV and it is named after the hops in it – 100% Simcoe Hops, a variety that was created in 2000 out on the West Coast known for its piney taste and bitterness.

I'm looking forward to the whole lot from nevins and to writing the review!  Stay tuned.

Three Floyds (FFF) Dreadnaught

Posted by: Stonecipher

Jan. 28, 2011

The first time I tried the Dreadnaught from Three Floyds I was not impressed.  I split a bomber with a friend at our local beer bar and my expectations were very high.  I had been drinking a little bit before hand and I was more focused on the conversation than the beer, so I know it didn’t really get a fair shake from me.  So let’s see how this goes.  By the way, in the picture, you will notice, my local pint glass – it was specially selected to house this local beer.  So, without further ado, here is my review of Three Floyds Dreadnaught Double IPA:

APPEARANCE:  The Dreadnaught poured a very pale, almost straw-like color and had a pretty, but fairly thin, maybe a quarter of an inch, head resting on top.  The bubbles were almost uniformly tiny, but as it is sitting here and the head is fading away a few larger bubbles have randomly appeared.  Very pretty, full and foamy lacing lines both the left and right side of the glass, but not the side I am drinking from or the opposite side.  I noticed the same thing with the Hopslam and I am now wondering if this is a typical characteristic of a Double IPA.

SMELL:  It smells a lot like the Hopslam I reviewed last time, only less intense.  Honey and caramel are the most noticeable aromatic qualities.  Three Floyds claims on the bottle that the beer “has an opening salvo of mango, peach and citrus hop aromas”, and while the citrus and mango are noticeable, my nose was incapable of finding any peach.  Interesting, but the lack of peach didn’t upset me to much.

TASTE:  A very complex beer.  The first sip begins with a complete departure from the nose when a hoppy and bitter flavor attacks the palate.  The honey, caramel and pine from the nose, however, are not far behind as they show up briefly mid-sip.  As the sweetness fades away the pine flavor remains, but it becomes bitterer.  Yep, that is the correct word, bitterer, which seems unusual, just like the bitter pine flavor at the end of this sip.  The aftertaste is very bitter and tastes almost like someone just dragged a hop across the tongue. 

MOUTHFEEL:  Just like the taste, the mouthfeel of the Dreadnaught is very complex as well.  At first it seems like be very thin and flat, without a whole lot of carbonation, but at the very end of the sip it not only tastes like someone dragged a hop cone across the tongue, but it also feels that way.  The beer seems to bite at the end.  Interesting and pretty cool feel, it is certainly not the typical mouthfeel. 

OVERALL:  I am very happy I gave this beer a second try.  The first time the conditions were not right and I wasn’t in a situation where I could focus on and appreciate its complexity.  Also, maybe I had a bad bottle, who knows?  The point is, this is a very finely crafted, complex and unique beer.  Three Floyds should be congratulated for every beer they brew, but the Dreadnaught is special even by their high standards.  That said, this is a beer for professionals, unlike the Hopslam, this is not the beer you give to someone to introduce them to the style.  Dreadnaught is only for the grownups at the table. 

DRAWBACKS:  Part of what I liked about this beer was the roller coaster ride it took the palate on, but at the same time, some of the transitions were a little too abrupt.  To cram in as much complexity as they did in this beer, I suppose it requires some quick changes though.  Other nitpicky issues – the color was not very appetizing, the nose could have been slightly more intense and I would have liked more sparkle at the front of the sip. 

SOUND:  This one is a no-brianer.  I was talking to a friend of mine last night who knows how to play Stevie Wonder’s Superstition on the drums and we were discussing just how complex it is on many levels.  If the Three Floyds was a musician it would be Stevie Wonder and the Dreadnaught would be Superstition. 

OK, I wanted to save the stats for last on this one, since I was kind of writing “live” and didn’t want to ruin the “how did it turn out?” surprise for everyone, so here you go:

ABV: 9.5%

IBUs: 100

Brewery Location: Munster, Indiana

Style: Double IPA

Beer Advocate Average Rating: A/4.39 – Outstanding

My Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.2 – Excellent

Current Number of Reviews/Rank in the Top 20 on Beer Advocate: 1212/8^th

Brewery Description: Three Floyds Brewing Company

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