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

MrNuggets

Oregon

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

She came out with a hard rumble. After almost a full year of banishment she has finally made it home. Little does the Dark Lord know, the journey has only just begun. Don't let the name fool you, this brew is all women. Only a female could be so evil; yet so good at the same time.

The Lord rejoices upon being freed. A slight raise of its menacing head shows her gratitude. She retreats but I'm eagerly led into a world of daring pungency. The touch of her sweet lips masks all co-existing foulness.

Things don't begin to get scary until I lay her down. Ripping, tearing, biting, scratching, this is a wild one. Her chocolate coloured skin is smooth as the finest silk and warm to the touch. Teased by chocolate coated prunes I beg for more. I'm quickly obliged by mouth fulls of dates, raisins, and cherries. All of which seem to have taken a good rum bath.

We began to make love on her bed of fresh hop flowers. Alas, she proved to be far too much woman for me. She laughed, and left me alone to soak in my sorrow. We will meet again Dark Lord, maybe next time I'll be ready.

I can still taste her kiss on my lips and smell her sweat on my body.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2004 22:17:32 | More by MrNuggets

cokes

Wisconsin

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

An ebon curtain of enveloping blackness.
A patchy ceiling of brown.

An unholy olfactory onslaught of roast. Wailing vapors of blackberry brandy. Soul-stealing vanilla. Curdling caramel nougat. Emblazoned pine needles.

And so it begins.

Coats the mouth with blackness. Not with some sort of allegorical, punny, namesake, evil simile, but quite literally full of just about every goddamn dark, black thing imaginable. Molasses. Chocolates. Plum. Currant. Liquorice. Blackberry. Espresso-and other, more foo-foo coffee creations, Cafe Au Lait, Cappuccino, whatever. Tar, that gooey, stick-to-the-soles-of-your-shoes-in-the-summer-type. Quells as it progresses into a molten bath of caramel and nougat and vanilla and brown sugar. This is where it is at its most delicious, even as it teeters on becoming oversweet. More currant and plums reform, as its cycle starts anew. Holy shit. This literally goes through revolutions, metamorphoses, in the mouth, as it rotates through its stages, then repeats itself without any additional sips.

BLACK
HARSH
SWEET
BLACK
HARSH
SWEET.

The booze quotient is mystically hidden. It's thicker than soup, but never explicitly hot. The alcohol is manifest in mellow tendrils of blackberry brandy, bourbon, rum and cognac, but solely in flavor, never in burn.

Hops are largely overcome by the wicked wrath of the malt girth. Pine resin is predominant, but burnt black and driven into the magma.

It's mouth-binding hugeness prevents drinkability in common-sense definitions. But I could slowly sip this anytime, any place.

Those last drops of mudslide, protein slop from the bottom are like some sort of (nearly) liquid Irish Crème chocolate fudge brownie. You haven’t lived, bro –you really haven’t- until you lap up the sticky remnants from your facial hair.

Hype is a motherfucker.

And so is this.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2004 05:21:27 | More by cokes

proc

Michigan

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Excellent.

This one pours out to a jet black in the glass with a very slight head. However, that slight head looks like carmelized molasses and sugar. The aroma is that of raisins, plums, blackberries and anise. The taste is absolutely incredible. Roasted malt and licorice massage and encompass your taste buds entirely. The mouthfeel is perfect. It takes the full-on flavor and coats your mouth in a creaminess of stout and all its glory. The ABV is well-hidden.

This was a beer experience.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2005 01:24:08 | More by proc

beerinator

Illinois

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Black, thick, dark as all get out. The head is frothy and thick tan with good retention.

Aroma: Roasty burnt wiffs. Sweetness of honey, maple syrup slathered on bread. Very solid smells coming from a solid looking beer. Fruitiness and a slight twinge of sour might have some cherryness behind them.

Taste: Stick to your stuff mouthfeel. This might be the fullest bodied beer I've ever tasted. The bitterness from the roastyness is balanced by fruit (cherry and plums) and sweetness from caramel-like sources. This beer fills the mouth and coats it with flavor. Coffee flavor is balanced by chocolate and cherry sweetness. The alcohol is mostly hidden by the massive presence of the other flavors. Bitterness lingers for quite a while after the final swallow. Bubbles are nice and tingly, helping to achieve a superb mouthfeel.

Notes: This beer is comforting like a wooly blanket. There is little more to say here. Don't miss.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2005 03:34:18 | More by beerinator

merlin48

Kentucky

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to kmpitz2 for picking this gem up for me, and to clvand0 for safekeeping it until I could pick it up in Lexington, Ky, on May 21,2005. Enjoyed with mtnlover on the evening of May 21.
Appearance: Tension mounts as the orange wax seal is finally scraped away to reveal a standard TF swirly bottle cap. Served slightly chilled, the body is an opaque ebony color with a medium brown head with ruby highlights. Head begins at about one finger in height, slowly dropping into a persistent film and collar of lace. Nice coat of lacing is left on the glass. Very attractive and inviting.

Aroma: Coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, molasses, cherry esters, and other fruit esters that I can't pinpoint. I need another bottle in order to nail down all the nuances of the complex aromas present in the nose.

Mouthfeel: Thick, coating, and very full bodied. Mild alcohol burn, but the mouthfeel is exceptional, insistent on pulling you into the experience of this exceptional stout.

Taste: Very rich and complex, with vanilla, chocolate, smoke, cherries, burnt roasted coffee, fried grapes(a new flavor), some fruity hops. Flavors become more compelling as it reaches room temperature. Alcohol is hidden away in the layers of flavors, impressive considering this is 13% abv. Truely, a world class experience here.

Drinkability/Impression: This monster stout seems to change aromas and flavors with each sip, very playful on the palate. Best stout I've ever had and worthy of its hype. I could drink this all day, every day. Drinkability limited only by availability and price. Wow! Get your paws on some of these if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2005 10:51:04 | More by merlin48

mntlover

Tennessee

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Ah the Holy Grail of beerdom. Many thanks to merlin48 for sharing this with me plus thanks to the other BA's hands it has been passed down thru. 2005 vintage with orange wax seal.

Pours motor oil black, Dark Lord lives up to its name in apperance, thick rich looking with a dark chocolate head little more then a finger tall seems to back build. Actually leaves behind some lacing at 13% its impressive

Aroma is strange starts as smoked chocolate that dominates all else, deeply roasted malt that mellows as it sits and fruit comes forth. Molasses dipped plums, raisins, tart cherries and vanilla hints find there way out of the darkness. The way the aroma changes is nice, overall very nice, but was expecting little more intensity.

Taste is wonderful big and full roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruits, smokey woody flavors mixed with vanilla and light alcohol mingled thru out but does not detract at all even adds to the bliss. The flavor just keeps going and going. Some hops come out and add to the coffee flavors as it warms to room tempature. Finishes with mingling coffee and hop bitterness mixed with smoke and vanilla. This is one monster stout very well done very tastey no hint of the 13% at all.

Mouthfeel is well I thought I have had what I considered full beers before, but his stuff tastes like you could cut it with a knife. Very big probably has a texture that motor oil would. Would rate it 5.5 if I could.

Drinkability is bad ass kick ass lives up to the hype and then some, no doubt it should be the number one Double Stout. Wishing I had more these are expensive and hard to come by yes, but worth it, can I have a amen. Praise to the Dark Lord, need to plan a trip to the brewery next release.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2005 20:30:00 | More by mntlover

PatYoda

Colorado

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow, finally got the Dark Lord!!! I arrived a bit late to the release party and missed the tailgate, but at least there was some of this left! I got two bottles, but due to generous friends, this is my second time sampling it, and I still haven't broken open one of my own bottles. Suckers.

Appearance is perfectly black with a long lasting brown head and some great lacing. Smell is strangely lacking compared to the taste, with very faint burnt malt and some vanilla coffee. Too much alcohol on the nose as well. But when you take a sip, you know why this is so great! Tastes are too many to pick out. Dark fruit, coffee, milk chocolate, vanilla, and dark chocolate all make an appearance, all surrounded by that great burnt malt. Coffee bitterness takes over at the end, but you can tell the hops are there bolstering also. I can't taste the alcohol at all - weird that it smells so strongly. And the mouthfeel - if there was a 25, that's what I would rate it. It's incredible - the match of a well cooked marshmallow, minus the crunchy exterior. This stuff just coats the mouth. Pure genius.

Edit (12/23/05): After trying a sample at room temperature and aged 8 months, most of the alcohol is gone from the smell. It now smells richly of milk chocolate and coffee and fruit. The taste has also changed quite a bit. Dark chocolate has almost totally taken over. It is STRONG - the finish lingers forever with its wonderful chocolatey bitterness. I've bumped up the smell to 4.5 from 4.0 and the drinkability to 5.0 from 4.5. This is as close to the perfect beer as I have ever experienced.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2005 02:02:44 | More by PatYoda

RealityDeviant

Virginia

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Presentation: 22 oz. brown bomber bottle from Armanetti’s in Chicago. I don’t see a date on it, but I’m not exactly worried. The artwork on the label is pretty nice and the wax on the top of the bottle suggests that it is more important than the other beers in your home just by virtue of it being there.

Appearance: There’s no doubt that the rumors about this beer being similar in appearance and consistency to crude oil were true. The beer is a deep, inky black and seems to cling to the sides of the glass. After being poured it offers a small, chocolate head that slowly dissipates and gives way to a little bit of lace. Overall, I’d judge the appearance to be excellent.

Smell: I’d say that coffee and dark chocolate were dominant aromas in this brew, but there’s so much going on in the smell that it’s difficult to tell how accurate that statement is. Along with coffee and chocolate I detect vanilla, caramel, cedar, and hints of prunes and other dark fruits that gave the smell a port-like character. I cannot deny that the relatively high alcohol content can be noticed in the smell, but it’s in there with so many other aromas that it isn’t much of a bother.

Taste: Well, this is certainly complex. Coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, prunes, vanilla, and molasses. Can you say roasted malts? I knew you could. The blending between the flavors is no less than exceptional. It’s sludgy, fruity, espresso-like mudslide, and it’s brilliant.

Mouthfeel: The epitome of a smooth, full-bodied beer. You don’t swallow it, you open your throat while it oozes downwards. Still, it doesn’t give up, coating everything it touches.

Drinkability: Absolutely drinkable. You wouldn’t need more than a bottle, considering how long the taste lingers in the mouth. Normally, I don’t feel as placid after brews that are beyond ten percent.

Many thanks to TheLoneGunman for reserving two bottles of this sweet nectar for me. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to store the last bottle of this liquid temptation.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2005 10:38:59 | More by RealityDeviant

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

So my good friend and fellow BA ElGuapo (herein referred to as Deez) is at my apartment Friday night and we plan on heading to the shore on Saturday for the holiday weekend. Thus, we need to begin our weekend with some good brews. Now he knows I have this bottle of Dark Lord, and I know he knows, and we both know we've been trying to get our hands on this elusive beer for the better part of 2 years now. And BuckeyeNation sent me a bottle in trade. So I says, "whaddaya think...we drink that bottle of Dark Lord, see if it stands up to the hype?" Deez thinks this is a good idea.

So here we go. We need to sit down for this one. It takes me a minute to pry the cap off from under the thick wax atop. Thank the (dark) lord we're splitting this bottle, as I can smell the alcohol almost immediately. Pours dense. Black. Thick. The body, the head, appears meringue thick, the head a chestnut brown. Stays this way throughout the life of the beer in my glass. Wow.

Aroma is extremely complex and at this point I'm thinking, maybe this really will live up to its billing. Rich, dark chocolate covered cherry nose with licorice, anise, coffee, oily hops and booze. The taste...follows suit. Holy crap. Viscous and creamy, with a mouthfeel that I can only describe as perfection - uncomparable smoothness unlike that I've ever encountered. Carbonation is barely detectable yet you know its there. You'd never mistake this for being flat. Complexity abounds. Dark fruit drizzled in melted Godiva Dark, earthy gourmet coffee and a dark maltiness meld seamlessly with a mildly bitter, chewy hop finish. Alcohol is warming and noticeable without overshadowing any of the flavors.

So if there are any naysayers out there, any unbelievers or nonbelievers that this can be as good as people say it is. Bulee' dat! It is. And then some. I'm keeping it on the ol' "want list" because I want more. I want an endless supply. It's that good. BuckeyeNation...I will trade whatever to get more of this. Many many many thanks.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2005 18:41:00 | More by IrishRedRock

kevinl6

South Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Ok.... came out of 'review retirement' for this one. Firstly, HUGE thanks to Ben in Minnesota for the hook up. Shared this one with WOLFGANG and inman66... lucky mofos! Not so good at adequately describing things.... but I'll do my best.

Presentation: Bomber (you've seen the pic) - captivating. I acquired this one Tuesday and sat and stared at it every night till Fri., giggling like a little kid.

Poured slowly into a Goblet...

Appearance: Black as black can be. Motor oil, sludge are words that come to mind. A very slight tan head tops it off. Actually, I expected a little thicker head.... but this one is still a 5 on appearance!

Smell: Absolutely hypnotizing. I couldn't quit smelling it! Strong, coffee, chocolate....

Taste: Burnt espresso, coffee, magnificent! Only a slight taste of Chocolate to my surprise... or maybe my palate was just overwhelmed with the coffee taste! Sweet and malty as well.... never tasted anything like it. Strong alcohol taste, but not as strong as I expected given the massive 13% ABV.

Mouth feel: Thick, chewy, perfect consistency.

Drinkability: Very easy drinking, surprisingly. I only put my glass down when I wanted to further admire the appearance. The sheer complexity and perhaps the ABV alone ensures that I wouldn't want 2 glasses back to back though.

An absolute must try IMHO.... after all the hype, I had tremendously high expectations, and I was not disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2005 18:08:12 | More by kevinl6

Px2GrafX

Virginia

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

presentation: 22oz. bomber with an orange wax sealing the crown. solidified wax drippings stream down the neck of the bottle. label is a full color comic book-like illustration of a muscular, armor clad and caped dark lord with a staff-like weapon in hand standing over the skulls and bones of his fallen opponents. the words "dark lord" are large across the top of the label in a "secret of nyhm" like font. the three floyds logo is on the bottom left. along the right hand side of the label, there are odd charactered words explained by: "beer dark warlord imperial russian strong". three floyds explanation of their russian imperial is also on the right with a map to the brewery. no abv or freshness date is displayed.

appearance: pours black as midnight with no real highlights in a snifter glass. nice rolling reverse cascading head that is a tight and creamy tan 2 inches. retention is amazing. thick, slow moving, almost oozing lacing down the glass.

smell: strong coffee and sweet chocolate aromas. there's tons of dark fruits. plums, cherries, currants, raisins. there's also a charred woody aroma or toasted malts. alcohol aromas as well and a tad vinous as the brew warms.

taste: wow! the flavors are overwhelming. lots of sweet chocolate, coffee and a nice lightly spicy hop bitterness that makes a feeble attempt to balance the malts. there is only the slightest hint of alcohol, but very warming. excellent roastiness. tons of fruit as well. molasses and chocolate coated currants and raisins. there's just so much going on. like in the smell, the alcohol becomes more prevalent as the brew warms. wonderful bitter-sweet chocolate finish and aftertaste. lip smacker between sips.

mouthfeel: this mouthfeel is second to none. rediculously thick. complete coating of the inside of your mouth. between a thick chocolate milk and a thin milkshake. good carbonation and silky swallow.

drinkability: this is the exact opposite of a chugging beer, however, for it's thickness and high alcohol it's easier to drink than expected. tastes so good and is so dessert like, that you want to drink it. but this one's a sipper.

overall: this brew is huge and damn near perfect. flawless appearance, taste and mouthfeel. i can't give a 5 for smell 'cause bell's expedition stout was the best smelling ris i've experienced. but close to perfect in that catagory as well. i love stouts, and the bigger the better. if drinkability wasn't factored in for double stouts, then this is as close to perfect that i've ever had. my greatest appreciation to mnben for hookin' me up with the dark lord in a trade.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2005 03:41:07 | More by Px2GrafX

Sephiroth

Indiana

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This bottle obtained in a trade from Meathookjones. Many thanks to you, sir. The wax seal on this bottle is a much tougher obstacle than the one on Behemoth Blonde. I did my best to stir up some foam, and got only about a half inch. But it is still lingering, somewhat thinner, almost twenty minutes later. The circle of foam that runs around the glass appears to be somewhat blood red, perhaps the victims of the dark one himself. Looking down, in the middle of the glass, a creepy eye of foam stares back at me. No cascading head as claimed on the label.

The nose is roasty and vinous, with a piney hop profile. It seems remarkably well blended. Whoa! Holy sh!t that's good! (as I accidentally take a gulp rather than a sip). Cherries, and other dark, overripe fruits abound. The malts taste both roasted and burnt. Dark chocolate notes are everywhere, and the hops are moderate, piney, and earthy. Absolutely no sign of the 13%ABV, except my buzz as I am drinking this rather quickly.

Mouthfeel is very heavy and thick. Creamy, with an ever so slight carbonation. Normally, this style is not the most drinkable for me, but if I had a case, I would have had a second bottle tonight. I will not miss the next release. For me, this has lived up to the hype, if not exceeded it.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2005 06:26:05 | More by Sephiroth

yelterdow

New Jersey

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Endless thanks to EPseja and his family for lugging this gem straight from FFFs "private stash"... and another heartfelt thanks for sharing the experience.

What follows is the closest possible interpretation of what happened... believe me, this was a beer review for the gods.

Served in a tasting tulip at somewhere between fridge and cellar temperature, with absolutely no distractions.

Appearance- Pours a beautiful, liquid black that *glugs* into the glass. A small, thin brown head adorns the beer as the glass fills, then something outrageous happens... out of nowhere, a reverse cascade, or implosion, of head balloons from the inside out, like dynamite inside a building. After the show, a four-finger crown showcases the most dense, tightly packed bubbles possible. Structure is exquisite. The sheer thickness of the appearance here is mind boggling... it's like a black beer statue, with a cafe-con-leche head that laces at a snail's pace. Late in the pour, near the end of our tasting, the bottle threw clumps of white, chunkified material. Awesome.

Smell- Powdered bittersweet dark chocolate, like you would use in baking, melds with notes of coffee and chicory. A perfumy character, which we later realized was a hop aroma, wafts among the chocolatey backbone in the air.

Taste- Wow... the first thing I get is a sweetness, like sugar cubes, at the tip of the tongue.... then comes a strong French press coffee with milk presentation, intense and hugely concentrated. The espresso and chicory notes take a back seat as the slick, liquid-hop flavors (Amarillo?) begin their mouth-gripping bitterness in a perfectly balanced finale. The hop tingle after the swallow resides so far at the back of the throat that I am sneezing after almost every sip. The phases in which this beer reveals itself is something of wonder and mastery... truly a tasting experience like no other.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Slick, viscous, oily. Smooth and chewy as hell, my tongue is actually tingling from the inside out from the hopping. Fantastic coating properties, like an unfurling of liquid down the throat.

This is a masterpiece, and worth the money... this is absolute *must* for the enthusiast who wants to discover how far an Imperial Stout can be pushed.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2006 15:05:49 | More by yelterdow

ColoradoBobs

Colorado

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Girnormous thanks and cudos to Crosling for hooking me up with (and sharing!) a bottle of the 2005 batch.

The usual 22 ounce bomber, set out from cellaring and allowed to warm to about 55 degrees. Poured into St. Bernie tulip goblets, no light passes through this monster. Vigorous pour yielded a brown (with yellow edges?) large reverse cascading head that clung to the glass like molasses.

Smell of espresso, dark chocolate, burned cherry syrup, prunes, figs, and malted malt. Incredible: I just wanted to go on inhaling this aroma!

Taste is huge and chewy and tongue wrestlingly thick: this is like Yeti on steroids. Intensely decadent dark chocolate espresso malt with prunes and caramel and malt on malted-chocolate-covered-cherries. Took most of an hour to savour this: as it warmed, everything gets more intense, especially the chocolate.

Mouthfeel is the richest of any beer I've ever had: simply decadently smooth and mouth-fillingly round. Glutenous, thick, tongue-coating, chewy and slurpalicious, this stuff is so rich you want to swirl it around a while before swallowing it.

Drinkability is the only thing that holds this back. Weird thing is that all the intensely enormous voluptuousness of the flavors and mouthfeel completely mask the 13.0%. Perilously drinkable.

A note: reserved the bottom half-inch to consume by itself. The 2005, unlike the 2004, doesn't have a lot of sludge at the bottom. However, there was a lot of flavor: that last half-inch was like the rest of the bottle concentrated into two small mouthfulls -- absolutely over the top.

Overall, a freakishly amazing brew, and I can see why people are after this with abandon. Thanks again to Crosling for the sharing! Astonishing.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2006 02:07:45 | More by ColoradoBobs

HoboAGoGo

Indiana

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2006 gold wax sealed edition into the oversized snifter glass. Poured with a cascading head, loved watching it bubble up to the surface, a dark brown head sat atop, but fizzled away to nothing in very little time. The nose was strong in a cold, espresso smell, with dark chocolate, and alcohol soaked fruits. The initial flavor on the tongue is of dark roasted chocolate covered espresso beans, with a mild hop bite, alcohol follows the sips down the throat. After letting it warm up, more fruitiness comes into the picture, as you start to get an almost rum covered cherry flavor, a black cherry. After the beer became room temperature, the vanilla comes into play, and makes this beer extremely easy to drink. Last years was a bit easier on the palate to drink, but the complexities that made me put an additional half an hour into this beer makes me wonder at the possibilies of how this beer will taste with a few months put on it, or even another year or two.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2006 04:00:24 | More by HoboAGoGo

connecticutpoet

Connecticut

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This review is for the 2006 vintage, tasted back in June of this year. Review is from notes. Gold wax covering the top. I have another cellaring for a later date. Thanks to highclassdrinker for the trade!!!

I was not sure what to expect when I opened the bottle... it said "Reverse cascading head"... that the hell is that???

This one poured out clear, nearly black, like motor oil. The head was three fingers, and once I saw it, I understood what reverse cascading meant. I cannot begin to describe it, it would not do it justice.

The aroma was rich and vinous, with dark roasted malts, burnt fruits, and molasses. There was a touch of sweetness.

Flavor followed aroma... slightly sweet, dark roasted malts, burnt fruits, and roasted coffee beans. Many layered and complex, and not very hoppy. Balanced.

Mouthfeel was incredibly smooth and silky for a beer this big. It went down surprisingly easily.

Drinkability... almost perfect, but the availability and the cost take away slightly. And the high ABV, together with the size of the bottle, make it damn difficult to get through one of these alone. But I managed.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2006 04:36:54 | More by connecticutpoet

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is an experience. I feel honored to have received a taste. Blitheringidiot is the man!!! =)

Appearance: Pours absolute black into my tasting snifter. My little serving had little head but that is to be expected. It had a dark tan chocolate colored frothy cap and a collar around the glass.

Smell: Sweet black molasses, alcoholic bourbon like attribute. Dark fruits, burnt malt, coffee, licorice and port are all part a rich and luscious nose.

Taste: I bow to the Dark Lord. There is a reason for the demand. Dark Lord is all that people claim it to be. It is rich chocolaty fudge with caramel molasses berries woodiness boozy vinous alcoholic delight that takes over your entire palate and maintains it grip long after the swallow.

Mouthfeel: Huge body, silky silky smooth and warm with alcohol and spices it is better than heavenly.

Drinkability: It doesn't take much to realize this is a beast to be reckoned with. I suggest sharing a bomber. I suggest sharing a bomber with me ;-) to be more precise.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

[EDIT] -
After obtaining my share this year I cracked into a bottle as fresh as possible a few days after getting home. I shared this beer with phnphilly and bookert last night. It was AMAZING. The pour is midnight black and motor oil thick with absolutely no head on the beer. When I swirled it in my glass the viscous liquid literally stained the glass brown. The swallow in warm but the massive rich oily smooth feel coats every inch of your mouth and then some. Perfect!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2007 23:32:17 | More by Phatz

TheodorHerzl

Indiana

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Drank last night from the '07 stock.

A: Pours like motor oil, but somehow blacker and thicker. A nice small brown head that left a ring around the glass. It leaves a film coating over every inch of the glass that it touches.

S: Heavy plum scent with a coffee and alcohol smell when you really get your nose in it.

T: Cherry and port wine is my first thought on flavor. As it warmed a bit more I got more and more chocolate and hints of coffee.

M: Coats your entire mouth and leaves a great aftertaste. I could still really taste it 30 mins after I was done with the beer.

D: There was so much going on with this beer it was like a tastebud workout drinking the whole thing.

I got my limit on DL day and I think those will last me until DL Day 08. Overall I think it lives up to the hype, and it's a really amazing beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2007 23:53:33 | More by TheodorHerzl

khiasmus

South Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Quatertill2 for the trade on this.

A- Black. If you hold it to the light, there's a little tiny bit of brown around the edges. Leaves a brown stain around the glass. Head was dark dark brown, poured a couple fingers after a hard pour. It dissipates and begins to look like used oil.

S- Rich and heavy. Dark roasted malt, chocolate, fig, burnt sugar, oak, molasses, wood, alcohol.... smells absolutely wonderful. Mind blowing.

T- Sweet malt, balanced by dark roasted grains, some dark cherry, burnt malt, burnt sugar, chocolate, dark fruit, roasted espresso, alcohol, faint hops, lingering bitterness and sweetness, though both crazy strong, they're balanced.

M- The best mouthfeel. Ever. Period. Chewy, smooth, lingering, medium low carbonation... geez. it's perfect.

D- I love it. Insanely enough, if this beer was readily available, I'd drink it all the time. It's such a treat that you can't... but I think it would sell very well if it was available all the time, still. Five is not a good enough score. makes all the others, so far, look weak.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2007 03:40:45 | More by khiasmus

tpd975

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Got three of these beauties (2007 version) via trade for some Westy's. A big thank you goes out to Duster72, WankerWeasel, and westweasel.

Oh boy here it goes!

A: I peeled back the wax and popped this bad boy open. I swear I saw smoke coming from inside the bottle, was I imagining this or was there really smoke? This is the absolute darkest beer known to man.... Period! Black does not start to describe this beers color. That being said as I swirl the glass I see hints of red popping thru. It pours with the consistency of 10W40 motor oil with a nice two finger espresso colored head that settles down nicely. I see some mud at the bottom of the glass, can't wait to consume that, I may pour it over ice cream. There is no lacing, but the glass appears to have been dipped into oil. The contents of this bottle may be the remains of the Exxon Valdez spill as there is an oily film left behind as the contents disappear.

S: Very complex. You really have to concentrate to pick out the aromas. I smell dark espresso, vanilla, prunes, raisins, and a hint of alcohol, port wine maybe? Pure goodness in a bottle.

T: Ah yeeeessss. I really like this one. Some of the finest malts on earth must have been used to brew this stuff. I can confrim it is not the remains of the Exxon Valdez what it is though is one great beer. The first thing that comes to my mind here is rich creamy chocolate cake. There is an overload of chocolate at first. As it oozes down my throat and believe me it oozes there are notes of cherries, plums, raisins, currents, and a hint of smoke. This is one complex brew. Danger Will Robinson I am in Sensory Overload.

M: You could chew this one, put it in a pan and bake it and you would have Fudge. In all honesty this is a thick brew but it is so rich, creamy and smooth. BRAVO!

D: Obviously at 13% ABV and the cost this is a one bottle brew. But it is one of the most enjoyable bottles of beer you will ever consume.

Overall: Move over Slimfast we now have a meal in a bottle instead of a can. This one is so ever filling. It leaves your belly so full and your insides warm and tingly. After consuming this beer you will forget all about calories. As for the hype related to this beer; what hype? This beer lives up to the billing. 3 Floyd's takes great care in making this beer and it is deserving of its own day for release. I realize the whole Dark Lord Day may have grown a little out of hand, but the hoopla helps to make this beer even more special than your every day or seasonal beer.

I was born and raised in the Hoosier State where all my family still resides. From this day forward we will take an annual trip back home, to visit our family, friends, and the FFF family. I will score mass amounts of this stuff to drink as I please and to share with those less fortunate who can not attend.

In closing this beer could probably easily receive 5* but I am still holding back for that perfect beer that I have yet to find... I may be on to it though. The oak aged version of this may quite possibly push this one over the top making it deserving of a 5 star rating. I can't wait to get my hands on some and find out. If it is you will be the first to know.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2007 19:05:18 | More by tpd975

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed from a 22oz bomber. Didn't find any freshness info anywhere... I believe this is from 2005, obtained in a trade for some Andechs Doppelbock with AKSmokedPorter (RIP) at the BA American Beer Fest in June of that year. Waxing over the cap is shaded a light orange hue.

Dark Lord? Dark is right! Poured into my Rapscallion snifter, it was most definitely dark, like inky, North Sea crude. Held up to a nearby lamp, light still failed to penetrate. Black hole, eh? I'll call it deep, deep, dark brown, for shits and giggles. The head is a rich tan, initially about 1/3", slowly ebbing to a fine, thin layer which maintains itself enough to cover the bier for the duration. Lacing is solid, leaving attractive patterns down the glass. Aroma is replete with heavy coffee notes, some dark chocolate, and a lovely layer of dark fruit action. Has a little floral hop activity going on as well. Wow! What a smooth and creamy bier! Thick, full-bodied, chewy and satiny slick over the tongue. This is a top-shelf mouthfeel!

Flavor? Whoa! Espresso, roasty coffee, and more dark chocolate kick some serious ass. There's some "burnt" action going on here, too, and smidges of molasses. On a more subtle level, some currants, raisins and figs come into play. What a hell of mix! The palate doesn't know where to concentrate it's attention. Damn!! Hoppage is on a major-league floral level, and quite pronounced, lasting long and hard after the bier itself has hit the stomach. The lupulins also have an earthy lean to them and, did I mention, they really stick in the nooks and crannies of the mouth. There is a definite warm feeling in the belly, though it's not really representative of a 13% abv bier. Worth the wait? Damn straight! And the hype? Deserved, without a doubt. My apologies to those naysayers out there, but this is one fine, tasty bier.

One caveat, of course - I didn't pay $13-15 for it. As mentioned, it was the byproduct of an Andechs Doppelbock trade. Would I pay that kind of coin for it? Perhaps once in a while (when/if available). But not regularly; biers like Portsmouth Kate the Great or Smutty RIS are, dollar-for-dollar, far and away a better value. But that's not the point here, is it? Dark Lord tastes superb; it's a lovely bier.

Now, I know numbers are (mostly) irrelevant here. But they are fun to fuck around with now and then. That said, I'm glad I saved Dark Lord for my review #1000.

Thanks AK ;-)

Zum Wohl!!

overall: 4.9
appearance: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | mouthfeel: 5 | drinkability: 5

1000

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2007 22:33:25 | More by Bierman9

kdoc8

Oregon

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I haven't written a review in a while...you know how it goes. However, I recently acquired a bottle of Dark Lord from a friend back in Indiana for Christmas (new best friend). He went through all the trouble of waiting in line on Dark Lord day out in Munster, and I got to reap all the benefits. Thanks Konrad! You're a hero among men.

Dark Lord. It's definitely a sippin' beer. A spectacular sippin' beer. I poured it out and you could immediately smell it from across the room. Very strong flavors of oak/chocolate/coffee and fruit and just plain roasted octane. It is a deep dark black color, no opacity, with a brown bubbly head. As if the smell wasn't enough,the taste was just as good and complex - all those flavors that came out in the smell were there in double in the taste.

The only reason this isn't a total 5.0 exceptional in my ratings is because...well, I just don't think I could drink more than the half-a-bottle that I had. It's one of those exceptional things that you can only have a tiny piece of, and only need a tiny piece of, to know that it's special.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2008 19:58:44 | More by kdoc8

bainard

Illinois

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - perhaps a shade of brown away from black-hole black, deep khaki head. pours with the consistency of whole milk, perhaps half and half. marvelous

S - dark chocolate, toffee, and a lot of the Intelligentsia coffee that is markedly used in this Chicago-area brew.

T - basically, everything you want from an RIS: coffee, chocolate, roastiness, a twinge of alcohol (something that would suggest 7-8%, but certainly not 13%), gourmet raisins, and perhaps a little dark berry. this is a symphony to behold.

M - thick, but not cloying, like a milkshake that's melted down all the way, with only a bit of carbonation, enough to let you know it's there.

D - for a 13% RIS, i can only again bring up the milkshake analogy. it gives the drinker the amount of pleasure that a perfectly blended shake would give an 11-year-old boy after a Little League game. while it isn't my favorite american stout, it is quite probably the best beer i have ever tasted.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2008 00:10:03 | More by bainard

SQNfan

Illinois

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2007 bottle at DLD: Black as night it had a slight brown head that left some nice brown lacing. The nose was huge and filled with expresso, chocolate and porty overtones. While not as potent as the barrel-aged version, in the mouth it was the dense, thick, syrupy and oily. While the alcohol lever is high, it is never hot. The flavors from the nose fill the palate and cover every nook and cranny. This is an intese huge beer that should be drank in small quantities. However credit needs to be given as it is balanced which is not an easy feat for something this size.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2008 20:58:49 | More by SQNfan

turbine2475

Texas

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Mhewes for the chance to ry this brew for my 100th review:
A - Pours like motor oil with a large mocha head quickly that disipated leaving no lace
S - Dark chocolate, smoke, oak, tobacco.
T - All over the place oak, tobacco, dark chocolate, hearty espresso, semisweets, dark fruits, and currants.
M - Thick as hell and chewy with a low carbonation. Good coating with a decent alcohol burn...Very nice!
D - Awesome brew! One of the best accomplishment in attempting to balance extremity. Can wait to get more of this beer!!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2008 05:12:40 | More by turbine2475