Bourbon Barrel Aged Vanilla Bean Dark Lord - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

GbVDave

Illinois

4.9/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a 16oz cup at Three Floyds 4/26/08. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

A: Black, black, black. Used motor oil from a Diesel engine black. Small and creamy dark brown head.

S: Unbelievable aromas of chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit, brown sugar/molassas, rye bread, cherry, and a bit of booze.

T: See above. It's crazy how so much flavor is packed inside this beer.

M: Sticky! This sticks to everything. Like drinking a RIS milkshake.

D: Suffers slightly, like all the other Dark Lords, from the appearance of alcohol towards the end of the glass.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2008 23:17:46 | More by GbVDave

masterchiefMD

Maryland

4.97/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

sampled at DLD 08. I am a huge vanilla fan. This was the smoothest richest best tasting beer i have every had. It let me CRAVING more. color was very dark just a shade under black. Smell was as good as the taste. The vanilla to me wasnt overwhelming, just enough during the aftertaste. They need to think about doing think again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2008 23:06:10 | More by masterchiefMD

beckje01

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

So I must have been lucky or something I was served this on DLD 08 in an actual glass which was a Goblet with a short stem.

It has wonderful nose which has lots of vanilla and malt very inviting and nice. It was very black with a thin left over of some head maybe this pour sat a bit before being sold not sure. But the taste is amazing everything very well balanced and just a nice extra layer over top DL. It is a very drinkable beer and has no need for aging. The mouth feel is perfect a great thick coating that is just really enjoyable to drink.

Overall I would love to see this bottled as well but not sure that will ever happen.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2008 17:08:44 | More by beckje01

brdc

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

DLD on tap, both at DLD 08 and 09, unfortunately served in a plastic cup.

Pitch black, with a foamy but small head, caramel colored.
Great aroma, bringing dark fruits, roasted malts and coffee, but the vanilla mixed very well, a lot better than I expected.
It is very creamy, with the same notes expected from the aroma. I usually do not think vanilla adds that much to beers, but I believe given the overall strength of this one, it made for a nice variation, incredibly well balanced.
I would love to get a bottle of something like this, but I guess I should be happy enough I got the regular bottle.
Very well done, another spectacular DL version.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2008 14:55:14 | More by brdc

bgramer

Washington

4.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this at DLD on tap.

This is a hell of a beer. Black as Satan's spawn with a tan ring around my plastic cup coating it's thick inkiness. Thick and creamy, with a slight wooden taste, but the vanilla really mixed well with the chocolate, dark fruits, caramel, and coffee flavors. The hops weren't as pronounced, and this was pretty smooth - dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2008 12:36:57 | More by bgramer

thickerfreakness

Texas

4.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Served in a short, squat glass at DLD 08.

This beer was black as night with no head at all. A very small, dark brown ring of foam lined the glass. This smells incredible, coffee and chocolate with a great vanilla smell taking over everything. The taste combined with the mouthfeel make this like an amazing chocolate and coffee milk shake with the right amount of vanilla to balance out the flavors from the regular dark lord. After sharing this sample and the oak aged dark lord with a friend I felt pretty good. An exceptional beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2008 07:01:42 | More by thickerfreakness

SPLITGRIN

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Once again the same big thick blackness as regular oak aged DL. It has legs like trunks that stick to the side of the glass. No head at all. The nose is distincly sweater than the regular oak aged with a noticeable sweet vanilla base. The sweet vanilla up front and very prominent with first sip, but approachable. The super syrupy sweetness then yields to some slight sour feel on the back of the tongue and seems a bit thicker than the regular also. Almost honey like. Mouthfeel is a big sweet thickness. Nicely drinkable but maybe a bit to much tingle to the sweetness on the back of the tongue. You only need a little of this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2008 00:44:13 | More by SPLITGRIN

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at DLD 2008. This looked and tasted like 2007 Dark Lord (to the best of my recollection) with a nice vanilla component (a la Haagendaaz vanilla flavor). Very thick and jet black, reeking of rich malty aromas. God this is a massive beer, so thick and oily and flavorful, and the vanilla flavor came through as a nice compliment. The real draw is the mouthfeel, this was as thick as the final pour from a DL bottle, very coating when you drink it.

This and the Oak-aged were selling for $5/sample (not sure of the size, but it was a small cup <12oz). Unfortunately I'm guessing it will be quite difficult to find this beer again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2008 23:36:58 | More by TurdFurgison

hero27

Iowa

4.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at DLD '08.. 10-ounce sample for $5.

Pure black, a small, tan head tried to form, but it didn't have a fighting chance..quickly turned into 10 ounces of dark, ominous-looking liquid.
Soft, woody overtones with a layered background of vanilla that really complimented the bold coffee & chocolate flavors well.
Definitely felt a lot smoother than the fresh '07 version..and it was obvious the hoppy bite had retreated and given way to the gargantuan roasted coffee malts.

A real treat to sample..and at $5/10oz the price was respectable, considering that bottled Dark Lord sells for more than that per ounce.
Hopefully they'll have a vanilla-version of the 2008 next year.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2008 16:40:31 | More by hero27

mcallister

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Looks like the regualar Dark Lord which is black, inky and thick Poured with virtually no head except for some tan spots of foam.

Smells of black fruit, thick dark chocolates with some residual sugar shining through. Vanilla comes through but is still a little laid back compared to the thick chocolatey, coffee aromas. Caramel, black licorice and earth.

Huge thick and creamy. Just an absolute monster of a beer. The vanilla bean aging seems to have smoothed out things more than added vanilla flavor. Now there is a good vanilla bean flavor in the middle and onto the finish but it is still just a huge visceral dark chocolate, sweet malty, coffee induced monster of a RIS. Black fruits, and some hints of hop on the finish. Creamy rich and full of alcohol, mollasses, and hints of honey suckle.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2008 00:57:55 | More by mcallister