Dark Lord De Muerte - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

StoutFest

Illinois

4.49/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

*2013 Edition 417 bottle release

A: Pours a dark brown almost black color. No head on this one even when poured aggressively or agitated in glass. Less oily lacing than base beer or other variants.

S: Chili dominant nose with notes of spicy vanilla, bourbon, and brown sugar.

T: At first you taste peppers with no heat. Just an earthy vegetable flavor. Next up is dark fruit note flavors from the base beer. Consisting of raisins, figs, and black cherries. The sweetness we all know in Dark Lord kicks in. It's a different kind of sweet. Flavors are of cinnamon gingerbread cookies. Barrel flavor and spice kicks in. Spicy flavors taste like complex mole made from scratch with Mexican chocolate, piloncillo, and sun dried guajillo peppers, with a touch of tamarind. Finishes with a slick spicy kick of bourbon and mild chili.

M: Is slick and medium bodied. Soft carbonation despite being and looking flat.

O: Not as much bourbon or chili heat as one would think. Pretty smooth and drinkable overall for what it is. Less sweet and spicy than Cognac de Muerte. The Cognac had more of a powdered chili sort of flavor than an earthy one. Way better than the 2011 Bourbon de Muerte that got weird as it warmed up. Best of the Muerte series so far. Enjoyed it better than Bourbon or Whiskey Hunah.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 02:26:53 | More by StoutFest

jeonseh

Indiana

3.3/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared during NWI tasting night of all 2011 BA DL's

A - Dark chocolate brown with a golden overtone around the edges. Not much of a head as it only leaves small bubbles on the sides. As the beer swirls in my glass, I can tell it's going to be a thick one as it leaves lots of residue on the sides

S - It smells slightly vegetal, sort of like green peppers and a bit like dirt. This is mixed in with slight chocolate and vanilla that we get in all of the other BA DL's. The green pepper vegetal aspect just make this seem off as the nose doesn't blend well together at all

T - Up front this is dark chocolate, caramel and vanilla. You get some slight heat from the chili as well as some of the vegetal aspects that I picked up in the nose. Overall, this tastes much better than it smells but not nearly as good as the other BA DL's. The finish has very slight heat from the peppers as well as some oak from the barrell.

MF - Smooth body while drinking it. It is another bit thick and sticky DL that leaves a slight sticky residue while drinking. Additionally, you get a slight vegetal coating on the tongue

O - By far the worst of the BA DLs. There is still lots of vanilla and caramel that I get in the other ones but the peppers just throw this one off. There is only a small bit of heat from the peppers but they produce more off vegetal flavors than anything else.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 21:42:55 | More by jeonseh

cosmicevan

New York

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed on 7/28 as part of the NYC BA DarkLord Voltron tasting!!! thanks to josh for providing this gem.
bottle #122 / 165

a - black with minimal off brown tan head. soft of what i was expecting for a barrel aged dark lord.

s - spicy pepper on dark lord. really tickles my nose.

t - spicy dark lord. i can dig it. nice, but the spiciness is odd here, not as well integrated as the spiciness of say a hunahpu. the spiciness isn't all that intense. the cognac de muerte on the other hand had my mouth smoking and i was not a fan of that.

m - leaves some spiciness in the mouth.

o - overall, this is a spicy dark lord. pretty good, but i'd probably rather just a regular dark lord.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 03:35:00 | More by cosmicevan

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Josh for this one. Side-by-side with all the other BA Dark Lords. Bottle 122/165 into a snifter. From notes.

Same appearance as the other Dark Lords.

Booze, chocolate, fudge sweetness in the nose. Some mellow spiciness lingers in the background. Quite nice actually.

Chocolate, fudge, prunes, plum, and a slight metallic taste. Spiciness comes out a touch at the end but overall is just very mellow. Decent.

Same feel as the others. A slightly accented finish.

Not sure why this beer gets so much hate. The chilies are all but gone at this point but what remains is still a decent beer with a mellow kick at the end. Worth a try and I'm glad to have had the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 01:19:25 | More by SpeedwayJim

brystmar

New York

4.13/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Josh traded too much for this. Thanks, buddy! Bottle 112/165.

Chiles have (surprisingly) subsided from the aroma and taste. Sweet and boozy in the aroma with peppers bringing up the rear. Much more pepper in the smell than the taste, though that aroma intensifies as it warms.

Chiles creep forward but get pummeled by the roast and sweetness. Peppers warm my throat as I swallow, integrating well with the booze. Surprisingly fruity with plums & dark fruits showing themselves midway through. Really wasn't expecting to like this, but I must admit it's quite good! De Muerte is drinking quite nicely right now -- definitely better than '11 Brandy.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 22:49:51 | More by brystmar

afksports

New York

4.35/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Since I just posted a trade for it, I thought it was high time I post my review of this bottle. From notes back in September '11.

Appearance is black with brown edges, no head. Typical bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. No edges sticking to the glass. Smells of rich chocolate and dark fruits, the spice is there in the nose, but it's more of a suggestion than a whopper. The taste is lovely chile balance, with sugar and chocolate. Sweet with a big of coffee. It's balanced, the bourbon isn't loverly done, but it's present and influences the heat of regular DL, and combines with the chiles. It's a new type of vanilla/chile/bourbon heat that I thought was really beautiful. Mouthfeel was slightly thinner than DL '11 that we had side by side with it, but that helped smooth it out. Very smooth drinker.

Thought I was going to hate it, wound up loving it. Drinkable and good. Glad to have tried it with the crew.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 21:03:13 | More by afksports

RodneyX

Missouri

2/5  rDev -46.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

The beer looks slightly more dead than normal DL but it's fine. There is a small brown head that has some good legs. It smells like Dark Lord but there's also some oxidation and a bit of grassy chili or something. The taste is quite bad. It tastes like dirt and grass in Dark Lord, actually quite bad. The mouthfeel is fine, but the beer overall is quite pour. Probably good this is the rarest one, because it's not a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 16:23:53 | More by RodneyX

mdfb79

New York

4.08/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Fromm 01/14/12 notes. Tried it side by side with the base beer and the other three variants with some friends. Personally this was my least favorite of the five beers. Bottle 46/165. Big thanks to ygtbsm94; thanks Brad!

a - Pours a pitch black color with one inch of dark tan head and low carbonation evident. Looks like the normal version and all the other variants.

s - Smells of roasted malts, sweet dark fruits, oak, light spices, sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, and toasted malts. Nose is nice but I think the peppers made it a tiny bit spicey and muted.

t - Tastes of sweet chocolate, roasted malts, sweet dark fruits, spices, peppers, alcohol, oak, dark chocolate, toasted malts. Again, very nice but nowhere near the others. A tiny bit spicier than the nose.

m - Full bodied stout and low carbonation. Body is thick and creamy; pretty great.

o - Overall I thought this was the "worst" Dark Lord, which still made it better than a lot of beers. I'd rather have a normal DL or any variant than this one though, so not really worth seeking out considering the rarity.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 03:23:19 | More by mdfb79

drabmuh

Maryland

4.47/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle 46/165 -- served in a Dark Lord snifter because I could. Beer is dark brown, nice dark brown thin haloed head taht leaves little lacing on the glass.

Aroma is sweet, mildly liquor, mildly spice, I don't pick out specific peppers but it is good smelling.

Here are the peppers, beer is medium in body and thins out at the end, the peppers appear as a sort of late "heat" --- almost mistake-able as liquor but it is pretty distinctive as this subtle smoky spice of a nice roasted chili. Yum, I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 05:25:14 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.47/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Barrel-Aged Dark Lord tasting! Thanks to all the guys in the tasting group who helped make this happen.

Bottle 46/165

The beer appears dark brown, nearing black, with minimal head. The aroma brings some roast, peppery spices, vanilla, oak, chocolate. Great flavor! Peppers are well integrated - bold but but not overpowering. A fabulous beer. Sweet but not too. Low carbonation and silky smooth on the palate. Another terrific variant of a world class stout. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 01:02:09 | More by Huhzubendah

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

46/165, again part of an amazing vertical of dark lords.

The beer pours like the others, a nic black color with not much head or lacing at all, but it has a nice thick spirit like look to it.

The smell is interesting, has mostly a nice dark lord like smell it's dark fruit, currants, molasses, chill at, burnt cherries but it does have just a bit of chili. A little bit of alcohol heat from th bourbon but not a ton of the oaky character of it, this is is still a very nice aroma but was expecting more peppers.

That's the though definitely has some really nice chili peppers in there, and it stays through the aftertaste, really nice and well done! Some gret molasses notes and deep stout favors from the dark lord strongly come through with just a bit of bourbon, not as much bourbon as I hoped but the chilis are strongly featured even months after the release. Very nice flavor and a nice feel with a bit of chili heat but literally no alcohol heat, how is that possible? Nice semi thick feel.

A very nice beer, but maybe not up to some of the plethora of dark lord variants.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 00:55:22 | More by Dreadnaught33

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.08/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle 146165... Shared at the Atlanta tasting with all 4 BA variants and 04-11 DL. Reviewing from notes

A- Pours black, which is a common theme on all beers in front of me except 04 DL (Yuck!) This does pour the least head. Thats about it.

S- Not much chili but some does hit the nose with a big whiff. Sweet smelling with gravel and earthy tones. Peanut butter cookie, chocolate, and coffee to round it out.

T- Not much chili again, very subdued and thats pretty damn disappointing in itself because thats the niche with this beer. Slight warmth, but overall a sweet thick monster. Similar to nose with some coffee and cookie flavors. Feel is barely carbonated and fairly full bodied.

O- Of the BA variants, this was my least favorite as well as most others there. Never would I spend $50 on this, maybe $15; but I'd be happy with regular DL instead! Nothing pronounced or different enough to stand out, a little muddled...

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 19:41:29 | More by TheGordianKnot

Arbitrator

California

2.13/5  rDev -43.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Shared a tasting by nerd. Thanks, Michael. From notes scribbled on the train.

A: This pours nearly still, but the bottles have been open a while before my arrival. Black body. A little bit of mocha head.

S: Chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, raisin, soy -- hello, beasty. I see you are based on Dark Lord. Some oxidation notes are present, as well as a strange chili aroma that lends a green, grassy, earthy note instead of real spice. Too bad.

T: Dark Lord with dirt. That's about it.

M: Chewy and viscous. If anything, the aging has tempered some of the trademark trainwreck mouthfeel and flavors of base Dark Lord, so I'm impressed.

O: I see this beer is getting a nice ratings boost from the rarity factor, but it's actually not very good. I didn't pay for it, but it's a $50 bottle! Come on!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 06:40:35 | More by Arbitrator

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Paulaner krug.

Huge thanks to Florida9 for a sample from his bottle!

Bottle #107. Anticipation is killing me, so here goes: It pours a straight obsidian topped by the most minimal amount of dark tan foam possible (and this doesn't hang around too long, either). The nose comprises roasted malts, molasses, chocolate syrup, and a slight bit of dark greens (I assume the peppers). The taste brings in more of the same, with the chocolate and molasses combining for that characteristic Dark Lord sweetness. A touch of pepper, both flavor and heat, comes in near the end, but doesn't last long: it transforms into a spicy, earthy kind of flavor. The body is a hefty, though limpid, medium, with a light carbonation and a lightly chewy feel. Overall, a pretty solid stout, though the feel (primarily the low carbonation) keeps it from attaining any kind of real greatness.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 06:34:25 | More by TMoney2591

spdyfire83

Ireland

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

36th Review
Bottle to snifter.
Bottle 107/165

A huge thanks to Kirk (Florida9) for sharing this at our epic DL Variant & Other Ticks Tasting in Chicago! Glad this made it to the table.

L: Burnt cocoa with a bright tint (depending on light). No head whatsoever.

S: Smells like a fresh-cut lawn – very earthy and crisp. Slight hint of chocolate and green pepper, but not in a bad way.

T: The front end of this beer reminds me of a sweet Vidalia onion being roasted in the over. Mid- to back- of the palate was all holistic and earthy overtones; slight touch of hidden cocoa. Not like any other imperial stout I’ve tried, but I think that is what makes it enjoyable. There was a slight hint of pepper in this as the beer warmed; however, not at all what I was expecting.

M: Zero carbonation did not distract from the complexity of this beer. Actually, I really enjoyed the “flat” aspect of it.

O: This beer was very well-rounded. As previously mentioned, not what I was expecting at all based on my preconceived notions of this beer, but that’s how it goes sometimes. The earthy and holistic taste of this beer (start to finish) reminded me of harvesting a garden. The crisp crunch of fresh vegetables could not be removed from my mind while enjoying this beer. I will note that as this beer warmed up, it became overpoweringly bad (smell and taste), but it was very tasty when consumed at proper serving temperature.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 05:48:20 | More by spdyfire83

Florida9

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark black with a noticeable viscosity. Forms only the faintest hint of a dark tan "head." Appears flat.

S: Earth and dirt. Chocolate. Wood. There is a slight hint of ancho if you look for it, but the peppers are quite faint (until this beer warms, then the peppers, and some less pleasant aromas, become much more obvious)

T: Earthy. Chocolate. Sweeter than the PVW. Dark roasted malts. The peppers are a bit more noticeable in the flavor, with a slight ancho or pasilla quality, though I would still consider them to be rather subdued. There is absolutely no spice or heat from the peppers.

M: Virtually flat with only a hint of carbonation. Full bodied, but considering the lack of carbonation and the heft of the body, this beer doesn't feel syrupy.

O: Good, but not great, with the peppers apparently adding a dirty, earthy quality to the beer more so than anything in the way of an actual dried pepper flavor. Was really expecting more in that respect. However, this one was better than the other reviews would suggest, though I would agree the flavor and aroma of this beer gets to be a little "off" once it starts to warm.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 01:43:16 | More by Florida9

iadler

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Huge thanks to Florida9 for bring this over to the tasting. Second DL variant we tasted. Poured into my snifter. Bottle #107/165.

A- Pours a typical DL with practically no head. After swirling a few times, not even a small head appears.

S- Very earthy with grass, wood, toffee, burnt caramel, some roasted malt and a hint of dark chocolate. No sign of the peppers.

T- Peppers are much more noticeable in the taste with cooked chili's that have some char on them, smoke, grass, wood and some sweet booze. The peppers aren't spicy at all, which was a bit surprising.

M- Medium body and very low carbonation. Finishes sweet with the chili's and a bit of booze.

O- I was expecting this to be terrible, and while it wasn't my favorite DL variant, it still was interesting with the peppers being noticeable but not overpowering. I do recommend drinking it cold as the peppers became more powerful as it warmed and the aroma became very vegetal.

Thanks again Kirk!

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 21:00:05 | More by iadler

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served with the other versions and 2004-2011.

A: Black, very light carbonation.

S: Mexican chocolate. Light spice and quite sweet.

T: An odd spicy flavor that is hard to pinpoint. It integrates well with the Dark Lord sweetness. I really enjoy this.

M: Just like the others - very thick mouthfeel with light carbonation.

O: Very interesting. The spice adds to the Dark Lord flavor very well. While not as good as the PVW or BrV, this was quite good.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 00:14:55 | More by coreyfmcdonald

HopHead84

California

2.63/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

8/12/2011

Thanks Mike! Tried next to all four Barrel Aged Dark Lord iterations and the regular 2010 batch.

A: Black and viscous with a dark brown head.

S: Chocolate and brown sugar are prevalent, with underlying molasses and oak. There's a big harsh chili aroma that overwhelms the more pleasant notes. Smells a bit strange, sort of like grass and earth with a tanginess.

T: Sweet brown sugar and chocolate with strange chili notes that detract. Molasses and oak are evident. I'm not liking these chilies at all. They provide very little spiciness and quite a lot of unpleasant vegetal flavor.

M: Full body with upper low carbonation. The mouthfeel is chewy and sticky.

Overall: Hands down the worst of the bunch. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 19:33:00 | More by HopHead84

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I brought this bottle to our 2011 BA Dark Lord tasting at Sean's place. Bottle #16/165.

It pours dark and thick like all of the Dark Lords. The aroma was a bit of a let-down. Just not enough peppers for me, I really like chili pepper stouts but this one didn't come through in a noticeable way. As the beer warms the peppers do become more pronounced, which I appreciated, but they smelled kind of green.

Very little pepper in the flavor, which was a shame as that was why I bought this bottle with my winning ticket. Even so it doesn't taste bad, it had bourbon barrel aging and Dark Lord base, not bad at all. I'm saddened to say this was my least favorite of the bunch, and that seemed to be a unanimous opinion from the others. It could have been so much more, I prefer Hunahpu style to Muerte Dark Lord.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 21:51:19 | More by TurdFurgison

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

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

Appearance -- Pours a deep dark brown with no head and slim chestnut highlights. Good color, but looks totally still.

Smell -- Mmm. Lots of smoked ancho chile spice, bourbon sweetness, chocolate, roast malt, faint coffee, and dark fruit.

Taste -- Amazing chile flavor, and completely unlike any other I've had: all flavorful/aromatic piquant smokiness with only a small amount of heat keeping things lively. With the chile comes dark fruit, hints of cafe mocha, and sweet velvety bourbon.

Mouthfeel -- Incredibly thick with milder carbonation. Some bourbon heat, plus some ancho spiciness. Almost perfect.

Overall -- I'm stunned that this is rated so low. This makes every other chile-infused imperial stout seem like a ham-fisted first attempt at the concept. Perfect marriage of soft smoky heat and the rich malty Dark Lord base. This is the barrel-aged Dark Lord I'd most like to revisit. Great stuff!

However, this is not a beer to let warm up. As it neared room temperature the complexity lowered and it began to taste the way PetsMart smells. Gross. Still, it was amazing up until that point!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 02:30:59 | More by yeahnatenelson

jale

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Huge thanks to Eric(turdfurgison)

A: Pours black with a dime of brown head.

S: Chillo peppers, chocolate, bourbon and roasted coffee.

T: Dark chocolate, roasted coffee, molasses, chilli peppers and some soy sauce. The soy is'nt present all the time, just once and gone. Not as boozy as expected.

M: Thick body.

O: My least favorite of the variants.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 20:03:00 | More by jale

largadeer

California

2.73/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Thanks for sharing this one, Eric.

Same appearance as other Dark Lord variants: black, viscous, moderately carbonated without much head retention. Very leggy when swirled.

Loads of bourbon and vanilla on the nose, along with a very strong vegetal note from the peppers that becomes unpleasant once the beer warms up. Molasses, chocolate, salad, grass clippings. Pretty weird, I wonder how long this sat on peppers?

Sweet and plenty bourbony, it's much like the other barrel aged Dark Lord variants, only with a very up-front and very vegetal pepper character. Molasses, chocolate, vanilla, drying oak. Not much heat from the peppers, but a ton of grassiness that becomes a bit gross after a while. Viscous, almost syrupy but thankfully not cloying, with little noticeable alcohol.

This was by far my least favorite of all the barrel aged Dark Lords. I'd suggest drinking it very cold; the peppers come out way too much when it warms up.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 16:35:31 | More by largadeer

AgentZero

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A big thanks to Eric aka TurdFurgison for sharing this and making it my milestone #1000th review. That's THREE (J&J Blauw, Double Black, and this) for him. Bottle #16 of #165.

A - It looks like dark lord. Black beer with a brown head. Nothing really left on the sides.

S - I don't really like the smell of this. Peppers are really green and quite dominating. There is the underlying Dark Lord beer there, but the peppers are really just pushing everything else out of the way.

T - Wow, tastes like Dark Lord with some grass clippings in this. I liked the three other variants, but this is hard for me to get down. I like a good chili pepper beer, but the peppers in this are so raw and green, it's like drinking grass with my Dark Lord. You can still pick out the chocolate, espresso, molasses and other goodness, but it's kind of wrecked by the peppers. As much as I like Dark Lord, this is one version I would pass on if offered.

M - Same as the others, rich, velvety, smooth, full bodied.

O - A horrible disappointment. I was kicking my drunk self at DLD for grabbing the PVW version as opposed to the much rarer version of this. In hindsight, definitely made the right call, don't like this beer enough to drink more of it.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 05:07:02 | More by AgentZero

MasterSki

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Eric (TurdFurgison) for sharing this one at Sean's Birthday Party. Bottle #16 of 165. Served in a plastic cup.

A - Somewhere between the brandy and brandy vanilla versions in terms of head size and lace. Otherwise pretty much the same.

S - Smells a lot like Conquistador De Muerte, right down to the blend of green chilis and earthy bourbon and roasted grains. As it warms up the peppers get a bit overwhelming, but at cellar temperature this is superb stuff.

T - Taste has less overt pepper and chili flavor than the aroma, but unfortunately reminds me of regular Oak-Aged Dark Lord (instead of the Pappy version). Not nearly a smooth as the other variants, and with a peppery bite to the finish. Still, I'd never guess it was 15%+, and there's plenty to like from the oak, chocolate, roasted malt, molasses, and bourbon flavors.

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. Not much chili heat.

D - While it's the rarest of the barrel-aged Dark Lords, it is unfortunately the least successful. That being said, it's still a pretty tasty beer that I'd gladly have again if offered. Just don't let it get too warm, or all you'll smell is green peppers.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 18:08:11 | More by MasterSki