Brandy Barrel Aged Dark Lord With Vanilla Beans - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

iadler

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Last DL variant opened for our tasting. Courtesy of existmusic00. Poured into a Duck-Rabbit snifter. Not sure what bottle number this is as it was smudged.

A- Pours a typical DL color but this one seems to have the most carbonation with a mocha head that dissipates leaving a thin cap. No lacing.

S- Tons of milk and dark chocolate, reminds me of cocoa pebbles, a bit of vanilla, oak, roasted malt, caramel and some toffee.

T- Best way to describe this was that it tasted like eating a slightly burnt marshmallow in the middle of the woods. Fudge, vanilla, oak, roasted malt and caramel are noticeable.

M- Medium body and low carbonation, despite having the highest out of the 4. The ABV is hidden extremely well is this variant with a syrupy mouthfeel that finishes a bit sweet.

O- This was my favorite DL with the PVW coming very close. Sweet but not cloying and very smooth. Not a lot of similarities to the regular brandy DL. Overall, very delicious.

Thanks again Matt!

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 21:34:34 | More by iadler

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle tried with the other versions and all the years.

A: Black with thin ring of very dark head.

S: Quite sweet - toffee and chocolate cake. Lots of vanilla.

T: Chocolate cake with vanilla. Some toffee. Fairly simple, but very, very appealing.

M: Thick with light carb.

O: Amazing - very sweet, but quite good. Just a small serving is enough, though.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 00:04:14 | More by coreyfmcdonald

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown reddish. Thick viscous, a bit of tan head that dissipates quickly. Smells like vanilla dessert. Tons of roasty malt. Oxidized raisiny aromas. The vanilla comes through strong. Tastes raisin heavy, roasty and fruity. Thick smooth mouthfeel. Boozy, strong, pretty enjoyable. Overall enjoyable but i had hoped it would be more exciting

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 16:51:12 | More by Urbancaver

normyk

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

As one would expect it's pretty close to black with some brown showing around the edges. Not much head at all. The aroma is stellar - it is one of the best smelling beers I've run into yet. Deep and rich with a nice hit of vanilla - it smells like some sort of rich dessert - fudge-like. The taste is great, but a little different than I expected. There is just a hint of brandy to it and a big tasty vanilla character that softens the hit of a beer like DL. Still some heat in the throat, but not bad. It's nicely thick and smooth. I have to say that this is up there with regular Vanilla Dark Lord. Very tasty stuff and I'm really glad I got the opportunity to try it.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 16:24:14 | More by normyk

seeswo

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was generously shared by Dustin next to an 07-11 Dark Lord vertical. This beer ruined the Dark Lord vertical in that exposed the flaws of the base beer. Also, the DL 09 and 10 were not very good and nobody finished them, which leads one to worry what will happen to this bottle if it is cellared.

Pours pitch black with a slightly brown, oil like sheen on the glass and a very slight ring of tannish head. The smell is fantastic - the vanilla helps to round out the characteristic dark fruit, roasted malt flavors. There is a slight booziness coming off as well which docks it just a touch. In the taste, the vanilla also helps round out the characteristic big roasted malt, chocolate and dark fruit flavors of Dark Lord. The brandy treatment is more reserved than some brandy beers, but also blends in very nicely. There is a nice richness and desert-like quality that is really fantastic. Obviously, it has a big body with lower carbonation, as expected. I find this treatment to be fantastic at taking a big beer with some big, rough flavors and rounding it off. Great work, FFF.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 16:00:54 | More by seeswo

womencantsail

California

4.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks for sharing this, Alen.

A: The pour is thick and black in color with a small khaki colored head.

S: Smells like I'd expect it to: brandy, booze, and a huge vanilla aroma. There's quite a bit of coconut, marshmallow, and graham cracker, too. A mild roast note with a touch of oak and some sweet chocolate.

T: A very intense chocolate sweetness with a bit of oak. Lots of brandy and a decent booziness. Like the aroma, sweet graham cracker, marshmallow, and almost excessive amounts of vanilla. A very mild roast which can't even begin to quell the sweetness.

M: Very full bodied with low, smooth. carbonation.

O: Normally I'm not the hugest fan of the overly sweet, sugary beer, but this was great.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 03:48:51 | More by womencantsail

billshmeinke

California

4.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brandy Dark Lord (from notes) bottle #191/433

Thick, black, syrupy looking beer with some amber/brown hues. Huge legs.

Smells of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallow.

Chocolate, graham cracker, vanilla, bakers chocolate, caramelized sugar, slight alcohol heat. A bit of charred wood too. Kinda like a burnt marshmallow, according to my friend Henry, and I heartily agree. A touch of earthy spice, and woody spice that helps keeping it from being too sweet.

Thick, syrupy, warming alcohol, pretty awesome.

I don’t think I’d need much more than the few ounces I had, but it was an awesome few ounces.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 17:43:13 | More by billshmeinke

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark black body. Super thin, dark khaki ring. No defined head or lacing.

S: Assault of vanilla bean and chocolate. The nose is intense and quite wonderful.

T: Fizzles a bit as the vanilla, chocolate, light brandy and boozey heat are a little too raw.

M: Spritzy, a tad overcarbonated and slightly cloying towards the end. Almost cola-like in feel. Slight warming feeling from the booze.

O: An interesting experiment in raw, unbridled vanilla warfare. I could not imagine drinking anything more than three ounces unless two scoops of vanilla ice cream were dropped into this bad boy. Now that would be fucking delicious.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 16:12:32 | More by callmemickey

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.95/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

#63/433. 750ml waxed and capped 750ml bottle into a TJ’s snifter. Had at a tasting on 9/4/11.

Pours no head, no lace but excellent legs. Opaque black color.

Nose is pure vanilla beans. Some brownie and chocolate in the background but vanilla aroma dominates. Simple, but very pure and appropriate.

Opens chocolate and molasses. Vanilla comes in strong towards the middle with copious amounts of brownie and chocolate in the background. End is more molasses and milk chocolate with a sweet soy sauce finish and more vanilla in the aftertaste. Very solid.

Full bodied with very low carbonation. Oily and viscous in the mouth. Goes down with a good amount of heat. Messy finish with a lingering aftertaste.

The regular Dark Lord has always been known to be heavy and this variation is no different. Incredibly thick, robust, and viscous from top to bottom in the flavor to the mouthfeel. However, the vanilla adds a depth of character that really works with the chocolate, soy sauce, and other stout components. The brandy doesn’t really come out for me but this is still a very solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 22:29:14 | More by SpeedwayJim

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Kan for bringing this to the full bottled BA tasting at Sean's. Bottle #327.

It pours dark and thick like all Dark Lord should. The aroma is amazingly good, like a rich chocolate cake with vanilla icing. I was intially suspicious that the vanilla beans would be overdone (not why, I really liked Vanilla Bean Dark Lord), but they were added in just the right amount. More beans could have overcome the beer with sweetness, less would have become hard to detect. Just right.

It tastes very chocolaty, more than any other Dark Lord variant I've tried. Thick and filling, a real sipper with the brandy and Dark Lord intensity, so delicious though. We tried all 4 within an hour of each other, and this was easily my favorite. It seemed to be the crowd favorite too.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 21:04:42 | More by TurdFurgison

jrallen34

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Kan for this, bottle 327 of 433.... Dark black with a light tan head, shiny black looks like dl... Nose is unreal, smooth real true vanilla, best vanilla note ever, a touch of vanilla, but not much, smells like a really sweet sugar cookie... The taste is super molasses and vanilla, really candyish, a bit too sweet to crush a hole bottle but alcohol is hidden really well

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 02:50:49 | More by jrallen34

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Red Lion - 2011 BA Dark Lord Voltron Tasting, 07/15/2011.

Appearance - Pours a deep, dark brown body with chestnut highlights and a slim parchment head that fizzled into a parchment ring. Of the four barrel-aged versions, this was the one one that poured with anything resembling a head.

Smell -- Sweet vanilla, fruity/vinous brandy, dark chocolate and roast malt, mild dark fruit presence and a hint of coffee. While very nice, it didn't bowl me over.

Taste -- While not overpowering, brandy is very forward, along with vanilla beans as one would hope. Coffee is surprisingly perceptible, considering that this is 2010 Dark Lord. Dark fruit maltiness and some unrefined sugar sweetness, but not nearly as much chocolate as the nose - I imagine this is being covered up by the brandy/vanilla combo. Much more vibrant and rich than the nose suggested.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-full in body with milder carbonation. Probably the thinnest of the barrel-aged Dark Lord versions. Certainly good, but compared to the others it felt close to water.

Overall -- Surprisingly good! The vinous brandy character married well with the vanilla beans, and the cloying sweetness and burning alcohol heat that I had been told of were not present. The mouthfeel seemed to suffer slightly in this version, but still pretty damn good.

For being the beer that was the talk of every beer blog for what seemed like ages prior to 2011 Dark Lord Day, this beer had a lot to answer for, and on the whole it delivered.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:57:35 | More by yeahnatenelson

jale

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Kan for this.

A: Pours black with a small amount of head.

S: Vanilla and lots of it. Chocolate, oak, dark sugars a hint of coffee and brandy.

T: Taste is much the same with great sweetness. No where near the alcohol heat you would expect.

M: Thick and rich.

O: Would love more of this great beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 20:31:35 | More by jale

largadeer

Kentucky

4.58/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Kan shared this one. Thanks!

Viscous, oily black, surprisingly well carbonated with a thin mocha head that recedes to a collar pretty quickly.

A shit-ton of vanilla on the nose, this is hilariously decadent. Toasted almond, chocolate, molasses. Pretty integrated brandy barrel, not a lot of heat either. Smells like French toast with maple syrup on top.

Taste is great but slightly less impressive than the aroma. Still awesome, however. Still a hell of a lot of vanilla, maple syrup and molasses. Tootsie roll, toasted almonds. Full, borderline syrupy texture. Very little heat, and surprisingly not cloying despite the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 17:30:16 | More by largadeer

jsanford

Georgia

4.8/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle #372/433.

A - Pours dark black with a thin mocha head that dissipates quickly, leaving just a slight haze.
S - Wow, incredibly sweet aromas of chocolate brownie batter, raisins, caramel, and vanilla. Spectacular!
T - Again, very, very sweet. Lots of vanilla here, along with more brownie batter, brandy, and dark malt. My girlfriend likened this to a Chocolate Moon Pie, and I can't argue with that statement.
M - Thick and syrupy, with a full mouth-feel and low carbonation. The ABV is so well hidden, it's nuts.
O - Such a ridiculously over-the-top beer. So sweet, so amazing. Big thanks go out to Billy for sharing this delight!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 17:26:25 | More by jsanford

AgentZero

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Three cheers for Kan coming through at the end and completing the 2011 Dark Lord variant horizontal. Bottle #327.

A - It looks like Dark Lord. Black, brown head, etc.

S - Holy rusted metal, er vanilla beans. Wow, they weren't messing around when they added the beans to this. A rich and smooth vanilla can't be missed, I'm actually struggling to find the brandy. Some chocolate, espresso, molasses and slight roast complete the nose.

T - Tastes like Dark Lord with some soft brandy sweetness and a $*@&-ton of vanilla. Vanila adss a certain mouth-smacking quality to it, and is realy the dominant flavor among the rest. If yoo like a well-crafted RIS with vanilla, this is the beer for you.

M - Lower carbonation, smooth, full bodied, viscous.

O - A really nice vanilla beer. There was actually just a little too much vanilla for my liking, but it doesn't change the fact this is just an awesome beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 04:49:50 | More by AgentZero

MasterSki

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Kan for sharing this one at Sean's birthday. Bottle #327/433. Served in a plastic cup.

A - A hard pour yields a late-rising dark tan foam that settles to a thin ring. A glass-coating oily film coats the sides of the glass. Black body with some brown at the fringes.

S - Vanilla beans! It's just massive vanilla initially, but as it warms up some of the base beer's chocolate and other sweet notes come out a bit. The brandy and spirit character is present but it is hidden under the layers of vanilla and imperial stout. Not much oak presences, although the vanilla from the barrel probably pales compared to the ridiculous amount of vanilla bean aroma. Surprisingly little alcohol. Excellent stuff that is definitely on par with Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vanilla Bean Dark Lord.

T - The taste has a bit more roast character and is a bit more chocolate-heavy, with less overt vanilla bean flavor. There are also the requisite Dark Lord flavors of caramel, cake, molasses, brown sugar, and so forth. It's decadent, and unfortunately doesn't have the same transcendent vanilla flavor that the aroma does.

M - Pretty low carbonation, and this is unsurprisingly sticky, viscous, and full-bodied. Some light warmth in the finish, but otherwise the alcohol is very well-hidden, particularly as this must approach 16-17 after the barrel-aging.

D - Superb stuff. Even though it's quite sweet it never reaches cloying or palate-exhausting levels. I was worried about this beer after the disaster that was Brandy Klaus, but this was by far my favorite barrel-aged version of Dark Lord (other than the regular Vanilla Bean version). Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 17:42:26 | More by MasterSki

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle #327/433. Big thanks to Kan for contributing this one. Consumed at Sean's 30th Birthday Party Extravaganza. Served in a Three Floyds / Intelligentsia snifter.

Pours a deep black color. Thick body and a thin mocha-colored head. Few spots of lacing and a thin collar. The nose brings forward a beautiful combination of brandy and vanilla with loads of dark chocolate and sweet malt flowing beneath it. Mild oak there as well. The regular Brandy version had a nice nose, but the vanilla takes it to another level.

Just like with the nose, the vanilla really takes this beer to a completely different level from the Brandy version. Strong notes of vanilla and an accompanying creaminess. Lots of chocolate and a good dosing of brandy. Somewhat hot, though for 15% it's certainly not bad. Lots of sweetness and the vanilla plays quite well with that. Full-bodied and quite viscous with low carbonation. By far the best of the bunch as far as I was concerned.

EDIT:

01.14.2012 - After 6+ months, the vanilla and brandy have really come together, with the vanilla still standing out. Very low heat and just a phenomenal vanilla Presence. Scores adjusted upward.

Original scores: 4.0 / 4.5 / 4.5 / 5.0 / 4.5

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 15:57:58 | More by Thorpe429

Sean9689

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle #327/433 generously shared by Kan at my 30th Birthday Party Extravaganza. Poured into a taster.

A - Looks like Dark Lord. Black, tan mocha-colored head that vanishes quickly and leaves nothing behind but the black beer.

S - Wonderful booze and vanilla notes, oak, brandy, rich chocolate, very sweet but still excellent. The vanilla in this beer just takes it to another level for me over the regular BA Brandy version.

T - Tastes just as good as the nose. The vanilla, chocolate, booze, oak, and rich sweetness is just excellent. The alcohol is really no where to be found in this one. Dessert in a bottle.

M - Full, rich, viscous, creamy, very little carbonation.

O - Probably my favorite of the 4 BA variants. I'm a huge fan of vanilla and this just killed it with the brandy, vanilla, and chocolate notes. Really enjoyed just sitting around and smelling this beer. Outstanding a definitely recommend.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 21:56:34 | More by Sean9689

aasher

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This was shared by Alewatcher at his and Oreo's birthday bash. Thanks Jeff! This one pours like any other Dark Lord, dark, oily and viscous. It smells of straight vanilla beans with the lightest brandy tinge. The vanilla is nice yet on the being of cloyingly sweet. It is silky smooth yet almost like pure vanilla syrup. It is pure sweet brandy and little else. You don't exactly get any barrel or chocolate. It is smooth and easily drinkable. If only there weren't so much sugar. Regardless, thanks to Alewatcher for this one and treating us on his birthday.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 21:53:09 | More by aasher

HopHead84

California

4.58/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

8/12/2011

I was able to try this again next to the other Barrel Aged Dark Lords and the 2010 regular version and I'm upping my aroma score (+.5).

6/24/2011

Big thanks to Jason for opening this. Bottle 121/433 into a snifter.

A: Glugs out with minimal head. Not much evident carbonation.

S: Holy hell there is a lot of vanilla. Wow. It's like vanilla bean ice cream with some brandy and dark chocolate syrup. Insane amount of vanilla. Light oak. Easily one of the best expressions of vanilla I've beheld on a beer. Vanilla?

T: A blast of vanilla bean ice cream with a little brandy. Brown sugar accompanies dark chocolate and notes of molasses. The sweetness is borderline cloying but it seems to work here, though I couldn't drink this in quantity. Finish is smooth with evident booze and a lot of vanilla (naturally).

M: Full in body and low in carbonation. Mouthfeel is sticky, syrupy, and smooth.

Overall: This is a great dessert beer. Definitely recommended. I don't think I'd want more than 4 oz of it, though.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 16:11:52 | More by HopHead84

Jips

Kansas

4.78/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had on Dark Lord Day,my brother did some serious circular trading around to get us a taste. Had poured from a clear plastic cup into a taster glass.

A: Seen other stouts described as motor oil, that's BS compared to this. BLACK, swirled it around glass and its dark brown legs clung to the sides and took their sweet time falling back into the rest. Very thin, almost nonexistant head.

S: (In order of dominance) MASSIVE Burnt brown sugar, vanilla, coffee, chocolate, cherries. Overall intense, as eye opening as smelling salts.

T: The flavors of Dark Lord have no nuance. Its a sweet tsunami of molasses w/ predominant vanilla then plum, coffee, chocolate, cherries, brown sugar....probably 100 other flavors, my sense of taste became dulled. A terribly sweet chaos that will now define "imperial" for me. Couldn't detect an alcohol burn over all those flavors. Oddly smooth, perhaps that's the effect of the oak in the brandy barrels? Aftertaste is very sweet vanilla-ey brandy, big but mellow compared to the initial salvo.

M: OIL, even if you are used to big stouts it is difficult to take more than a tiny sip. Don't know if it was carbonated or not, body is big enough to compensate. Most tongue and throat coating stout I've had.

Absolutely abrasive flavors. After drinking my sample, felt overwhelmed and confused but and wanted more. Only slightly dinged it on taste since Pappy Van Winkle is the ultimate bourbon, so must be Dark Lord aged in it.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 04:00:20 | More by Jips