Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Munster, Indiana USA

’09 Bottle courtesy of MasterSki. Rating #200! Poured pitch black with zero head, no staining or lacing. Nose is very fruity, almost grape juice notes. Later some roasted coffee, wood, and anise notes become more apparent. Very full bodied with very soft carbonation. Flavor is sweeter than I expected with lots of rasin and anise. As it warmed I picked up more wood and vanilla, very complex brew. Slightly astringent with mild burn from the alcohol. Ok, so this is an excellent beer but overall I was a little disappointed. I think it would be hard for any beer to live up to the hype that this brew enjoys.

(Preface: I must say that I, not being one who likes to lockstep with the crowd, was a doubter before I had this. Well, there’s no doubting anymore. The hype is well-deserved...........) Pours a thick black, as expected. Just a thin, swirly lacing. Aroma is of overly ripe fruit, cherry, prune, plum, a little alcohol but not as much on the nose as anticipated. More cherry comes out the more I sniff it. Now the flavor: Flavor is just everything you could imagine in an impy and more; Rich sweet dark fruit, heavy malts of course, sweet dark chocolate, brandy. Flavor is just so complex and intense, it’s difficult to even describe. Just amazing though - not "over the top", but amusingly, daringly (and deliberately) so close thereto; This one so gracefully straddles the line between mind-boggling intensity and sheer insanity. Like a 350-pound giant walking a tightrope with the grace of a cat! Mouthfeel is thick, greasy, robust, coats the palate and sticks around for a while. Overall? Very possibly the best I’ve ever had the privelege of drinking... I’ll have to have The Abyss again to confirm this, but I think I already know the answer... The hype is for good reason, believe.

2009 bottle. Foam has no chance atop this mammoth of miraculously fermented crank case oil. The gossamer wanes and runs to the edges of the glass for safety. Rummy notes, coffee, blackberry preserves, can be detected three seats away from the glass. A viscous palate reveals all of the nose plus a melange of sweet cuban coffee and honey fruit with a dallop of vanilla bean in their somewhere. One could wax poetic about the layers all day, this is a sipper for contemplation and an overrwhelming experience at the same time. Virtually no carbonation. Bordering on cloying, this beer manages to somewhat clean itself up as honey drizzled figs, kirsch liquor, and soy sauce linger on the gums.

Bottle from Punkrkr27, Steve I have to thank you again for this one...Shared with JoeTheYounger and MSpindler...Pours a thick jet black with a orangish brown head..Smell is crazy. Some smoke, beef jerky, teriyaki, booze and some molasses...Taste was chocolate, raisins, molasses, beef jerky.. Super smooth and very complex, well balanced.. Very deserving of the hype.

220z bottle compliments of Duffmansw. He got it from Punkrkr27. Shared with mspindler as well. Dark motor oil color. Not very biter. Hint of raisins, prunes, and molasses. Freaking awesome!

At a tasting, 2008 bottle, many thanks DSG! The pour is extremely viscous, like an engine oil, almost no head, opaque dark chocolaty brown, aromas of medium roasted coffee, hay, indian spices, milk chocolate and date. Flavours of moka, medium roasted coffee and dark chocolate. Big bodied but exquisitly smooth and has a great balance, lovely long roasted aftertaste happily lingered in my mouth, a lovely delicate beer. I sat staring at the glass long after the brew was gone, the glass stayed brown, as though chocolate was smothered all over it, and the most amazing intense aroma of porcini mushrooms was shooting out. The hype is justified.

100th rating and couldn’t imagine much better than a vertical tasting of 08 and 09 though having 04-07 would have been great too. My rating will be based on 08 since it is the superior of the two at this time. 08- Pours thick thick black with a thin mocha head which dissipates quickly leaving a dark brown hue at the rim of the snifter. The lacing on the glass can’t really be called lacing as it is more of a brown sediment which coats the sides. Aroma is extremely complex - dark dark chocolate, dark fruits cherries and raisins, espresso, smoky soy sauce, vanilla, even bourbon. Flavor follows through with the great aroma - bittersweet chocolate and dark cherries dominate, molasses, vanilla, espresso, soy sauce, and hops and bitter roasts in the finish. Extremely thick and chewy mouthfeel. This beer is an experience - not as good as the oak aged version but close. 09- Pours jet black with similar head, thinner than 08 with not near the amount of sediment on the glass or the brown hue at riim. Aroma is tons more boozy than 08, but dark chocolate and cherries still present, almost has a rum quality to the aroma. Taste is dark chocolate and cherries, much more alcohol warmth and not near the complexity. Much thinner mouthfeel as well. Put this one back a few years. 08 very enjoyable now though.

Final at a tasting, Many thanks DSG for sharing this one, for 2 days I am running in my mind the experience of tasting the Dark Lord, although I have tasted less than 200 beers so far I know this one is exquisite, I am sure that brewing a good beer is a complicated mission but combining the flavors into that presented in the Dard Lord is a work of art. As a coffee & chocolate lover (or even liver), finding a beer that combines these two with a beer in such an obvious way made me sip the 50ml slowly, very slowly verrry verrrry sloooowly. OK. It pours total black with medium milk chocolate head, aroma is powerful and pleasant, with some nicely roasted coffee beans, nice dark chocolate and dried fruits like risians, nuts could be sensed as well. Flavor is very deep, dark chocolate, well blended coffee, dried fruits, cherry liquer, balanced with low bitterness and acidity and finishes with some spices like cinnamon and clove. Texture is extraordinary, smooth and thick. Amazing beer, want it again, now! :-)