Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout

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

This is the thickest beer I have ever had. So thick that at the bottom of the poor it had clumps. Pitch black with no light passing. Sugar lacing with thick sugar lacing. Massive flavors with a little too much sweetness. Actually prefer the Surly Darkness to this.

Poured from 22oz 2009 Bottle (White Wax Seal). Thick, rich, motor oil pour, slight reddish brown head which diminished rather quickly. Chocolate, cherry aroma immediately evident, along with alcohol. Syrupy, heavy, roasted malt taste with an intense thick palate. Warming alcohol finish. This is another excellent offering from 3 Floyds, absolutely perfect for a cold winters’ night.

Bottle 2009 batch (white wax seal). Pours black with a thin brown head that dissipated quickly. Cherry, alcohol, molasses, vanilla, and chocolate aromas. The flavors included cherries, chocolate, roasted malt, alcohol, molasses, vanilla, and espresso with a warming alcohol finish. Full bodied with a syrup consistency. Dark lord lives up to all of the hype. It was well worth the 5 ½ hour drive and 3 ½ hours I waited in line. This is definitely the best beer I have ever tasted. I look forward to making the trip to Munster, Indiana for Dark Lord Day 2010.

2009 bottle pours solid black with a thin brown head. Aroma- thick roast malt and cocoa. Taste is sweet ripe fruit, chocolate and roast malt. Very rich and flavorful.

Had the 08 version. Pours a nice dark black with very little head. Has to be the chewiest beer I have ever had. Had hints of liquorish, plums, vanilla, and chocolate.Definitely a must try but a little to over hyped I was expecting much more from this one.

100th rating, thanks to my son, Fata2683, and shared with my stepson, Ryan. The aroma of this 2009 vintage was intense and was noticed even before pouring. My wife could smell it from 5 feet away and the aroma had my mouth watering with anticipation. Poured into a tulip glass, the ale was black as motor oil (and almost as thick) with a thin, brown head. So many wonderful flavors were present but the most predominate were espresso, black cherries, and molasses. Finish was all of those mentioned with the addition of bittersweet chocolate. What a wonderful experience to have had the priviledge to sample this fine ale from Three Floyds.

It’s frosty outside so time to open my 09 Dark Lord. Pours pitch black with almost no head. Chocolaty aromas. Thick and viscuous on the palate. Bittersweet dark chocolate flavors that linger on the finish. What a delicious offering from Three Floyds.

2008, aged one year, thanks to gonzoillini! aroma is acidic coffee, black cherry and grape. big chunky, coating mouthfeel. appearance is opaque with swirling chocolate film head. initial oxygen blast carb from pour is filthy mud. flavor is industrial chocolate. aroma initially is solely java while flavor maintains the monopoly on cocoa. in due time, aroma begins to evolve to almost 100% cocoa ironically! dregs from the bottle nearly choked me to a death of the utmost pleasure. this is practically chocolate syrup, the most decadent imperial stout known to man. 2009 bottle has far more alcoholic nose and pour/oxygen head is not nearly as filthy. much more acidic nose with less java and more booze. very hot all around but still substantial, potent and very enjoyable in its own way. head retention (for what little carb exists in either vintage) is far inferior as well. soy sauce while was hardly noticeable if at all in 2008 is prevelant here. this beer needs a nap!