Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Lord Imperial Stout - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

lungboy

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Sorry to say, I did not like this as much as the Dark Lord in a bottle. The sharpness imparted by the oak aging was almost a non-sequitur amid the usual hearty, strong, nourishing flood of savory liquor that is the Dark Lord. It was almost like having a Dark Lord Boilermaker, and that just doesn't make sense. Maybe with a few years (5 or so) it would be an improvement, but since I didn't enter the lottery for the bottle of Oak Aged Dark Lord, I may never know.

All this aside, it was one of the best beers I have had the honor to sip.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2006 05:41:12 | More by lungboy

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Special filled hand bottle from an un-named source creating a raving mystery much like the Dark Lord itself...
Appears a dark black with a small tan head that fades into a a gentle tan collar.
Smell is of rich maple sweet vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon, oak, fresh brownie batter, and raisins.
Mouthfeel is heavy on the palate, warming, sweet, raisiny, and sticky with a mildly rich burn in the swallow.
Drinkability is pretty good on this despite the instant warming bourbon burn that makes it pretty intense with an alcohol presence. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2006 17:07:33 | More by weeare138

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

When every one lined up to get their bottles, I headed straight to the bar to get a little low-ball of a terrific beer.

This beer came a mirrored obsidian with a small collar of tan and copper head. There were also a few mysterious wisps of head swirling about the surface.

Smelled of gentle fruity bourbon, dark creamy chocolate, maple syrup, chocolate pudding and a warm, aromatic alcohol that hid behind the bourbon and an oak dryness. As it warmed, the alcohol became very (overly?) prominent, but carried with it a sweet vanilla.

Tasted of pasty, rich chocolate pudding that took root in my tongue and turned it brown (seriously, I checked). Through this floated an electric tingly sting of flowing woody bourbon, fresh cut oak and a Jagermeister-like herbiness. I also got some sweet marachino cherry and creamy oak burps! Never had a stout do that before! Sadly, the alcohol was hot to the point of becoming distracting.

The mouth feel was heavy as hell with a thick creamy viscosity added by a micro-fine carbonation giving this the feel of pudding. Where’s my spoon!

This one’s just a trip. The alcohol was a little much and could stand to be aged for a while. Hopefully, FFF has a keg of this sitting somewhere waiting to be cracked in a year or so. A cool version of this would be off the charts!

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2006 21:33:43 | More by DarkerTheBetter

UncleFlip

Alabama

4.95/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My sweet little cup of joy. I saw one of the barrels (a Woodford Reserve barrel! YAY!) at FFF in October, and was nearly in tears, knowing I'd never get to try it. I live in Alabama, and can't just hop on up to the brewpub when something special is on tap....so I was overjoyed to hear it was in the lineup for DLD. Oh JOY!

I forked over my cash, and got my lil' plastic cup. dangit! Spilled a bit on my hand. Never before has my own hand been so lickable. Syrupy, sticky when it dried....oh, a beer-pop would be heaven now.

But seriously....thick black, some slight cola fringe around it, and a deep bronze head that seemes a bit thin, but is adequate...sort of like my brain cells.

On the nose, the bourbon hits right up frount- a nice round, not too sharp bourbon at that. Sweet, dark maltiness follows.

The flavour is paradisal to my humble tongue. Once more, the bourbon up front. Nice and thick and sweet, it almost instantly shuts off and is replaced by coffee and bittersweet chocolate. The bourbon hits again at the end, along with a mellow bitterness.

On the mouth, it's velvety and a little oily all at once- nice and thick, with very little apparent carbonation. Just the way I like it.. ;)

Drinakble? Understatement. If I could have this one on tap all the time, I'd be dead now.

Be well
-UF

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2006 06:14:58 | More by UncleFlip

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

(Served in a short plastic cup)

A- This beer has an inky black body that stains the side of the cup after each sip the head is a thin cinnamon brown that turns to a small ring around the edge pretty quickly.

S- The powerful smell of oak and coffee roasted malt come through even as I lift the cup of the table. The complex smell is very smooth and blended but notes of bourbon and coffee come through with faint molasses and a hint of vanilla.

T- This slightly sweet black malt has flavors similar to the smell with bourbon and vanilla coming through with a nice wood flavor. The soft taste of coffee beans comes through at the finish.

M- This beer has a full creamy mouthfeel with no alcohol warmth or astringency.

D- This is what Dark Lord has been missing. I like DL for its big punch in the face flavor but the aged in oak DL is blended all those flavors an added some more mysterious layers. This was truly an amazing beer.

Thanks to Diesel for buying this round.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2006 02:16:33 | More by rhoadsrage

hero27

Iowa

4.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap @ the 2006 Dark Lord Release Party.

Pours a thick, syrupy black..the head is modest and a dark caramel color. Aroma is heavy coffee, oak, vanilla, and chocolate, with some alcohol creeping out as well. There's definitely an oaky, bourbon kick to it, but the bitter chocolate and roasted coffee flavors still take the stage similar to the bottled Dark Lord. Amazingly balanced between the bold hop character and the array of tastes..just fantastic. Mouthfeel is expectedly thick, and very coating..yet smooth as velvet. Remains remarkably easy to drink for a beer of this magnitude.

Felt privileged to try this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2006 21:18:23 | More by hero27

karst

Missouri

5/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served at the 2006 Dark Lord release party. $6 per serving - priceless!

Dark that is espected from a monster stout. Fine golden head rest above the darkness of the glass.

Aromal of oak barrel that complements the espresso, dark roasted barleys, chocolate, dark fruit nothing in the Three Floyds pub rivals this aroma.

Taste of decadent dark chocolate espresso malt with prunes, figs and caramel/chocolate-covered-cherries.

Mouthfeel is prototypical - the oak permeates all and seems to clean up the intense flavors. Alcohol is unnoticable in a sea of aromas and flavors. Perilously drinkable.

The pre- release Imperial Stouts offered up by those making the pilgrimage were a nice prelude but quickly fade from memory with the arrival of this at the booth. An excellent meal from the whole roasted hog added to the experience.

My complements to Nick Floyd and his crew for all their efforts in bringing another excellent vintage of the Dark Lord. Hope to return soon. Enjoy the bottle of Cherry Stout from Missouri!

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2006 19:03:15 | More by karst

murrayswine

Arizona

4.35/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured for me at DL day for 6 bucks a shooter.
Black as hell. Just dark, and oily. The smell is coffee, caramel, nuts, hops (go figure) and acrid bitters. Hint of anise too.
The taste is rather balanced. Thick as hell too. A lot like Founders KBB in it's bourbon/coffee balance. I really thought this would have a lot more grip to it, but it is deadly smooth.
I cry knowing I have to wait a year to try this again.

Serving type: cask

04-30-2006 01:44:30 | More by murrayswine

HoboAGoGo

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into the lil' plastic cup, with a dark ass body, a nice thick head, and no chance of sun escaping from it. The nose was coffee rich, slight chocolate, but heavy on the bourbon. The tongue has everything you'd expect from a Dark Lord, smoother on the hop,but very rich chocolate, a nice roasted coffee flavor, but once again, a lot of bourbon. I had a bit of a difficulty drinking this one down, the alcohol burn was a bit much for me, I think the beer could do well just aging in a barrel as opposed to a bourbon barrel, that's my two cents though.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2006 00:18:42 | More by HoboAGoGo

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drank at the Dark Lord Release Party 2006. The barmaid said it was 16% abv.

Appearance- Given to me an oily, iscous, black. No highlights in this soul stealing, liver pickling bad boy. Head was a lovely coffee like beige with great retention.

Smell- Like French Roast coffee, bakers bitter chocolate, with hints of heavy whipping cream and cascade hops.

Taste- Very dense and thick in the coffee department. But this taste does not let you forget that it was aged in a barrel. The wood sugars certainly give your balls a hows your father. Coffee and oak mixed with some black licorice and a well balanced American hop and malt balance.

Mouthfeel- Very oily, sludgy and thick. This is a dense beer with a lot of palate coating ability. All the dark flavors really stick to the palate the most, all parts of the tongue. Something to nibble on chocolate with.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2006 22:48:26 | More by scruffwhor

mcallister

Ohio

4.97/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Dark dark brownish black like a sludge oil. Very gooey almost with a prevelant tan head and thick sticky lacing.

Coffee, vanilla, bing cherry, cocunut, toffee, toasty oak, and bitter cocoa. No alcohol present in the aroma, but a nice malt background.

Huge beer, delicious cappuccino, fresh coffee grounds, toasty coconut, malty caramel, and dark choclate, heavy cream, honey, mollasses. Massive and uncannily silky smooth. Slight alcohol burn in the chest. Somewhat high is residual sweetness but not coyingly so. Could drink this monster all day long if the high alcohol doesn't get you first. Nearly a perfect beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2006 19:11:00 | More by mcallister