Three Floyds Oak Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout

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

Draft @ GTMW. Tall pour, 4+ oz. Black color, cappicino head. Aroma is dark roasted malt, oak, dark fruit, vanilla, very complex nose. Initial taste is cream, oak, roast, alcohol, and dark fruits followed by a huge tannic oak flavor, alcohol, and bitterness that cleans the beer up. Lingering alcohol. Finishes completely dry.

Tap at Great Taste. Dark black color. Smell of bourbon, malt, chocolate, oak, dark fruit and malt. Bourbon and oak have the greatest smell. Taste of bourbon, malt, chocolate, oak, vanilla, minor coffee, plums and burnt caramel. Could also some alcohol, but from what I could taste, it was well masked. Very nice and I liked it better than the Surly BB Darkness.

After a day of drinking so many mind numbingly incredible barrel-aged beers this was the only one to rise above them all and stand victorious in my opinion. Take a base of one of the most brilliant imperial stouts and do a masterful job of bourbon-barrel aging. The bourbon doesn’t overpower, but rather compliments. Layer upon layer of complexities slowly reveal themselves from the first sip to minutes after the final drops have left your palate. The brilliance lies in the fact that each flavour component does not outshine the other. Hops stand up to balance out the malt backbone. The bourbon makes an appearance to lend a hand complimenting the oily viscosity on the palate. The finish is left with vanilla, oak and a residual stickiness that allows one to enjoy the experience well after the fact.

Looks like the original DL.....but that’s where it all ends. Love that thick syrupy pour....smallish dark brown head. Extremely inviting. Love the aroma...whiskey, choco-malt, very inviting. The flavor takes up where the original DL leaves off....warm, alcoholic, with a ton of chocolate and woody flavors. What a treat. Super full mouthfeel....great stuff.

On tap @ DL day. Oh hail our Dark Lord - the only thing missing was King Diamond being played really loud. Thick and oily - very powerfull flavour as well as aroma. Notes of dark berries and fruit. Chocolate, and coffee - wood and just generally pure EVIL.

DL day after a 1 hr wait. That was damn well worth it. A black/brown pour that looks like chocolate syrup with a nice small head of dark brown foam. An aroma of oaked bourbon chocolate just like mom used to make:0 A sweet chocolate flavor without the ton of bitter I expected. Chocolate dominates the flavor. The abv is almost not detectable. Just the slightest bit of warmth for me. A very good solid all over mouthfeel just enough carbonation to feel. I would describe the carbonation as soft. A most excellent beer. Second best thing besides seeing and meeting a ton of good people at DL day. Wow what a beer.

Rating #666...

Date: 4/28/2007
Event: DarkLord Day 2007
Location: Three Floyds Brewing Co. Brewpub
Serving: 6 oz (?) draught sample in a plastic cup.

Tasting Notes
Aroma: BOURBON, sweet anise, chicory, slight oakiness, alcohol... I can’t wait to try this stuff!
Appearance: BLACK, no head at all. Thick and syrupy. It looks like it would stick to anything and is doing a pretty good job coating the entire inside of the cup!
Flavor: WOW! Instense and complex all the way... Roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, chicory/coffee, anise, vanilla, wood, a hint of smoke. Mild bitterness level. The finish has a very dark chocolate flavor and is a bit more dry than expected, but still wonderful and it helps to balance out the initial sweetness.
Palate: FULL bodied. It is as thick as it looks with an oily texture that really does cling to everything. Needless to say, it coats the mouth nicely for a lingering flavor and long-lasting enjoyment.
Overall: AMAZING! Truly phenomenal and well worth the drive, standing in line, and the cost! This is a MUST try for all beer aficionados!

Thanks to Mouse for buying my sample so I didn’t have to wait in a crowded line! This stuff is awesome. Black body with a decent head. The aroma is massive--tons of chocolate, sugar, vanilla, mollasses and coffee. Huge thick and creamy mouthfeel. Not as much bourbon in the aroma as I had expected. The taste is big as well. All the flavors are foreshadowed by the aroma perfectly. I love the balance here--and the barrel aging doesn’t ruin the already great taste of Dark Lord--but enhances it. Holdenn is right, I should have taken as many samples of this as I could have gotten my hands on. Great beer!