Three Floyds Vanilla Bean Barrel Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout

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

The closet thing to a perfect beer I have ever had. Flat out delicious in every possible way. Pours thick and heavy. So black that it stains the cup. No lacing. Aroma is yeaty and full of chcolate and vanilla, some bread, cherries, and candy as well. Richness everywhere, in the aroma and taste. This one is creamy as creamy can be, just incredibly smooth...thick, but never TOO thick, a perfect mouthfeel. Flavor is f’n delicious. Thick and chewey, with lots of roasted barley, vanilla, chocolate covered cherries, cocoa powder, oak, and yeast, also notes of coffee. Some dark fruit and syrup notes as well. Roasted malts make themselves known at times, but the vanilla and chocolate covered cherries pack the punch. Alcohol is present, but doesn’t feel like 14% whatsoever, but everything else is bold, yet smooth and totally drinkable. Flavors swirl in your mouth and are constantly changing, even the same mouthful will evolve before you swallow. The vanilla is always present, but only adds complexity and flavor, it never dominates. Very warming, but never at the expense of the brew itself. Everything strikes a great balance in getting the beer to feel and taste exactly as it should. This one is thick, oily, and bold. The vanilla beans are the PERFECT compliment to DL, and should be an actual ingredient. This beer is like drinking heaven.

Tasted this at DLD thanks to a fellow beer geek who patiently waited in line while we were sampling other beers. Amazing aroma of roast malt, black cherries, oak of course and vanilla. I didn’t think I would be able to taste much difference between the Oak Aged DL and this one with the vanilla added, but I was pleasantly surprised.

On tap during DLD, thanks Drewbeerme for saving me some. Opaque black like regular dark lord with small, yet still there, burnt red-tan head, very much like regular DL but not as large. Aroma is oak and bourbon with chocolate, roast, alc, and a surprising amount of vanilla. Flavor is very much the same with sweetness, and a less pronounced vanilla flavor, yet anything based on DL is pretty great, right? Full and chunky, creamy body. When I found out they were making this beer several months ago I was a little sceptical how it would actually turn out, but it was surprisingly and I think that the vanilla added a very interesting note to this otherwise exceptional beer.

Draft at DLD08. Jet black with no head and thick as oil. Perfect. Nice sweet aroma. Great oak taste. The vanilla is nice, but it is almost too sweet.

I would totally slit somebody’s throat to drink this again - a true warlord offering. I didn’t actually get that much vanilla at all - I think the barrel dominates. However, it surely softens what is likely otherwise a very overpowering wooden blow. I will also say this: probably the only Top 50 beer that I have since forgotten the taste of.

DLD ’08: On tap at DLD: Pours a thick black with a tan head. Aroma, oak, vanilla, some bourbon, chocolate, boozy. Flavor, lots of sweet vanilla notes, sugars, chocolate, some roasted bitterness coming through towards the end, some boozy notes.

Pour is black with almost no head...smell is just strongly vanilla...taste is faint faint faintly roasty with just lots of vanilla....wonderful thick viscous mouthfeel...seems a little one sided to me, but interesting none the less...

Enjoyed on DLD 08 out of plastic cups that were stained with this thick viscious brew. Black and thick with a beige head. It doesn’t get much thicker than this. Rich strong delicious nose. Chocolate, vanilla, bourbon roast. The rich chocolates have a slight undertone of dried fruits and a touch of oak. Thick sticky palate. Rich chocoalte flavors where the dark fruits show themselves a little more. Brown sugar, dark chocolate, raisins, dark fruit, and vanilla. The beer coats my mouth and the rich bittersweet chocolates stay around after I swallow. Really sweet but excellent. 9/5/9/5/17 = 4.5