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

stouts4me

Illinois

5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Popped this total badboy at 1 of my retirement parties, and shared it with 8 friends and family;the taste floored everyone.

Aroma was strong, but "typical Dark Lord ".

Appearance very black with just a tip of dark tan around the edge, not too much foam, drops away fast.

mouthfeel is VERY typically Dark Lord, sweet, thick, deliciously so.

Taste - OMG - so frickin' good, wow ! we also had Rare, Choco Rain and others, this stood way taller than the rest, totally my favorite right now. Sweet, coats your mouth with delicious vanilla, cherry and bourbon flavors, not at all hot after sitting for almost a year.

If I can trade for more, I won't think twice about trading away most anything for more of this monsterously flavorful beast.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 05:34:47 | More by stouts4me

Steamhead

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The '09 was, in my opinion, a step down from the regular Dark Lord and two steps down from Vanilla Bean Dark Lord. This seem the least polished of the three. The nose was hotter, the mouthfeel had lost some of the rich creaminess in exchange for a bitter wood tannin, and just did not leave a great impression. Still a solid beer that most breweries would sell their soul to produce, but for the perfection that is expected with Three Floyds it was good, but not great.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2009 11:35:53 | More by Steamhead

lungboy

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev 0%
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

Blursimarsi

Sweden

4.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(Bottle, thanks to SQNfan) If Blursimarsi cannot come to Dark Lord Day, then Dark Lord Day has to come to Blursimarsi. Pours compact dark brown to black. The aroma is fat with oak/bourbon up front bringing tones of vanilla, coconut, light smoke and alcohol. In addition, lots of malt roasts with dark chocolate and chocolate ice cream as the most notable but there is also some room for coffee/espresso. Sweet sugary and dark fruity with tones of molasses, maple syrup, rum raisins and prunes. Hints of raspberries, nuts and celery. The flavour is medium to heavily sweet, light to medium bitter and medium to heavily roasted/burned. Bourbon, vanilla, coconut, dark chocolate, rum raisins, burned caramel, some coffee, mint-ish alcohol warmth, molasses and light smoke. The mouthfeel is extremely fat and oily yet smooth, soft and velvety with a balanced sticky ending. Aftertaste of bitter chocolate, coffee, bourbon hop dryness and molasses. Full bodied. Extreme but well balanced. Wow!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2008 03:34:24 | More by Blursimarsi

tmgiddings

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On draft at Dark Lord Day 2010 - Pours jet black with a thin wispy, chocolate head. Aroma is complex- vanilla and bourbon dominate with mollasses, chocolate, and soy sauce. Taste is similar - mollasses, chocolate, bourbon, coffee, and alcohol, Mouthfeel is both oily and creamy. My favorite imperial stout.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2010 23:50:46 | More by tmgiddings

Synergy87

Wisconsin

4.65/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle was staring at me in the fridge as I was out of beer. I'm going to attempt to review this beer as a beer advocate instead of a drunkard, because I'm half way done with this godly brew. Yes it is that good. Here we go.

2012 Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Lord: 241/420

A: Black as sin

S: Bourbon, alcohol

T: Bourbon, no coffee flavors here (almost 4 months old, so no surprised there), sweet sugary fruits, wood

M: Absolutely my favorite part next to taste for this beer, it's so damn ridiculously smooth, I can't describe it, and the carbonation is very minimal, but perfect for the style. Absolutely love the mouthfeel on this one, smooth, smooth, smooth.

O: I can't wait to get tickets for Darklord Day 2013 to have more of this lovely brew. I am looking forward to getting a bottle of the vanilla bean version next year, as this years vanilla bean DL on tap was just amazing. If you get the chance to trade, try this fresh, or try this at all, I highly recommend it. Amazing. Godly.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 03:50:09 | More by Synergy87

Beerkovich

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This would be my favorite beer of all time if it weren't recently dethroned by its brother, Vanillabean. One of the best liquids on the planet. Every year I build it up, but it just never ceases to blow me away.

Appearance: black tar, with a thin mocha head that soon dissipates into psychedelic swirls--coats the sides of the cup with a translucent film that does not budge. LOOK AT IT!!!

Nose: HAHAHAAA!!! All I can do is laugh. What kind of BEER is this?!?! Toasted oak, bourbon, molasses, vanilla, butter toffee, still a trace of dark fruit, and then just so much more that I just can't even describe--maybe the byproducts of yeast reactions that I don't understand--I don't know.

Flavor: Holy god. This stuff brings tears to your eyes. It just makes you shake your head and wonder how the hell something like this is even made by humans. This is in the same tier as Napa reserve cabernets and Ardbeg single malts. In the words of my Uncle, upon trying it for the first time two years ago, "HOLY SHIT THERE ARE FLAVORS FLYING AT ME FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!" Again, dark chocolate, buttery charred oak, bourbon, vanilla, intelligentsia espresso, yeast flavors, mineral flavors, molasses, port, fruit, but listing these words simply do not do it justice. A lot of oak aged beers have a similar flavor profile to this....but just do not even approach the mind-boggling sophistication of this elixir. Astoundingly good.

Mouthfeel: Heavenly. Like a mature, top-tier wine or a mature, barrel strength whiskey--oily, viscous, creamy, silky,....but way heavier!

Drinkability: what more can I say? I still vividly recall the first time I tried this at Dark Lord Day '06. I had never tried any version of DL before, and while waiting in line to pick up my bottles, a friend of a friend walked up to me and handed me the rest of his cup and I swear I do not remember anything that happened for the next five minutes. Time slowed down, others' voices became distant...I had an out of body experience. All I could do was shake my head, flail my arms, and grin like an idiot.

And as others have attested, somehow the vanilla bean version is better...so do I have to change one of my 5's to 4.5?

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2009 23:57:05 | More by Beerkovich

tyee

Illinois

4.95/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

(This was tasted on tap at the DL release day 2006. It was served in a plastic cup and I transferred it to a pint glass).

The head was small and redish tan with some swirls on the top. The appearance of the beer was densely black.

The smell was of coffee, oak, bourbon, chocolate, rasins and vanilla. Faint hint of hops.

The taste was heavenly! I savored each sip. Rich chocolate, bourbon, rasins and coffee with a slight bitterness at the back end.

The mouthfeel was thick and not too carbonated. This coated the tongue nicely.

Drinkability was wonderful. The aging did this 2005 vintage DL well. The flavors have all blended nicely and the bourbon gives you a real kick in the palate.

I would have to say that this is the best barrel aged beer I have ever had. I was privilaged to try this one. Way to go Nick and all the folks at Three Floyds!!

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2006 15:08:11 | More by tyee

slimstout

Iowa

4.9/5  rDev +7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed at Dark Lord Day 2010.

Appearance: Black, thick, no head to speak of.

Smell: Luscious.

Taste: As I drank this, I honestly thought that it was a taste of Heaven itself. Malty. Vanilla. Chocolate. Coffee. Clearly oak-aged. Absolutely heavenly.

Mouthfeel: Sooo smooth and thick. It reminded me of silk or velvet.

Drinkability: If not for the ABV I could drink it for all eternity.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2010 21:42:12 | More by slimstout

kdesch

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

I was at DLD 2008 and tasted the Bourbon and the vanilla bean DL on tap.

The Bourbon barrel DL, was really amazing. It is not something I would drink every day (even if I could). The mouthfeel is what really stands out about this beer, it is very coating and penetrating, a very different sensation from most other beers. The taste and smell are all wonderful, as I could remember the taste and smell for hours after drinking the beer. (that or it dried up on my nose and no one told me).

Put simply if you get a chance to drink a beer like this you should.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2008 01:37:33 | More by kdesch

DonKruse

4.95/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I'm a newbie to craft beers but went to a festival with some guru friends of mine and they let me try some of this. This beer has a full and very smooth simple flavor. I don't know enough about beer to say what the flavors were but I wanted to say even as a newbie I can still appreciate this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2012 01:37:25 | More by DonKruse