Behold Behemoth

A Bears victory never tasted so sweet.

The actual bottle that we drank
For more info on Behemoth click on image

This past Sunday night I enjoyed a great evening of Bears football, pizza and beer with some of my very best friends as we celebrated two birthdays and the first party at my buddy's new apartment.  To commemorate the event my good friend and I popped open a wax-sealed bottle of Behemoth, which I have been holding onto for a special occasion.



Behemoth is a seasonal barelywine made by the 3 Floyds brewing company in nearby Munster, IN.  With a whopping 10.5 percent alcohol content, and a strong but fruity-malty taste this brew is not for the feint of heart.

The first thing I noticed upon opening the Behemoth was the strong sweet malty odor that is common amongst barelywines.  My first impression of it was that it was too sweet and fruity, but as I continued to sip it lightly I noticed a few things that made me want to sit on it for a while, and enjoy the flavor.

The sweetness was balanced out by the hoppiness, and  I enjoyed that unlike most barelywines and dark beers it did not leave that lingering bitter taste in my mouth.  It is a bit rough on the taste buds if you don't frequently drink barelywine but it goes down very smoothly.

3 Floyds usually releases Behemoth during the winter.  It isn't really a beer you would want to have on a hot summer day, the flavor is just too bold for hot weather and the alcohol content is too high.  If you drank this during the summer you would most likely pass out.  No, this barelywine is best enjoyed during the brisk autumn and cold winter months when most people could use a good heavy brew to keep them nice and warm.  It's also one of those drinks that I would rather have by itself, but I can see it going along nicely with an order of hot wings or steamed mussels.

For those of you that enjoy barelywines and dark beers I'd say this is a pretty solid brew, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone that is just starting to try new beers or has a preference for the lighter stuff.  If you find Behemoth satisfying but still want to keep drinking I say wait a little while before having another drink.  When it comes to heavy beers with a high alcohol content it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Cheers!