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

mixylplik3

Maine

3.15/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I got my hands on a bottle in '07 thanks to a friend of mine out in IL. I had been sitting on it for a special occasion so cracked it during the Super Bowl.

As I poured the viscous, used motor oil looking liquid into my glass the only thing I could think is "what have I gotten myself into?" My new-found affinity for darker stouts and porters (and the hype) had me anxiously awaiting the first sip. Lacing was non-existent and to borrow a wine term- this brew has legs. Actually, it doesn't have legs so much as an oily residue.

The taste? Well, it tasted okay. Chocolate, coffee, smoke... the "dark" flavors are all here. Then there is that alcoholic bite, which helps keep the soy and roasty syrup at bay.

The mouthfeel is heavy, oily, and stifling. The flavors linger but are overwhelmed by the heavy consistency. The flavor to me was simply overpowered by the dense liquid. As a result, I can't say I'd ever seek this out again. Worth trying once.

Not really impressed. Succeeding at beyond over-the-top, but not enjoyable to drink. I ended up pouring the last 1/3 of the bottle.

March 2011...
Recently had some 2010, and didn't like it. I will not change my original review, but this beer is grossly overrated, IMO. Not an enjoyable RIS. I'd give it lower marks if I re-reviewed it.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2008 15:45:07 | More by mixylplik3

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.15/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Huge, HUGE thanks to Alewatcher for finally allowing me to check this big want off my list, after 2+ years of searching....thanks man!

Presentation: 22oz brown pop-top bottle, with yellow wax...2011 vintage.

Appearance: Pours an EXTREMELY viscous dark brown into the glass...in the glass, this is almost pitch black, but you can actually see through it around the edges a bit...the light tan head sticks around longer than I expected at 15% abv.

Smell: I'm getting some sweet chocolate fudge brownie batter, some medium-grade molasses, and a hint of dark rum....there's not a ton of depth here, but it's not unpleasant, if it's got a bit more molasses character than I generally care for.

Taste: No soy sauce, yayyyy! Ever since I've had a couple of really high abv stouts (and Triple Bock) and experienced this flavor, I'm always a bit afraid when I try a new one. So, we've got sweet brownie batter, a big hit of blackstrap molasses, some medium-roasted coffee (which really comes out with warming), and some fairly subdued dark roastiness. Sweet, sweet, sweet (if not quite overpowering). Not a HINT of 15% abv...I'd guess somewhere between 7-9%.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, thick, viscous

Overall: Again, I cannot thank Alewatcher anywhere nearly enough for finally hooking me up with this bad boy. This was, pretty much from the serious beginnings of my BA days, the one beer I really wanted to try, along with Westy 12. It may be a matter of me building this up in my mind beyond reasonable expectation. I don't mind the sweetness at all, though it's too much to drink an entire bottle without splitting it between 2-3 people. But, for me, there's not a real depth of flavor and, while the booziness is remarkably restrained, the flavors aren't particularly inspiring. The brownie/chocolate notes are nice, but the iron/molasses notes are a bit prominent after awhile. All in all, it's not a bad beer, but I now know that I won't go spend several hours driving to Munster and another couple of hours in line to get another one of these. Much better stouts out there, and way closer to home. Again though, huge thanks for the opportunity!

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 02:52:08 | More by BedetheVenerable

coffygrinder

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This review is based off of the 2012 bottle.

Dark black beer with little carbination. I looked at this beer for a long time, it was my first dark lord and wanted to soak it all in. This beer almost sticks to the side of the glass it appears thick and heavy.

Smell is... of sugary molasses . Not the best smelling beer around. Also picked up some green apples....(oops). Appears to be a sugar bomb, maybe should have waited to pop this beer but then again you wont know if you dont try.

It has a very thick mouth feel. You could almost chew on this beer.

I heard this was a bad year for dark lord and there were potentially some contaminated batches. I am glad that I was able to share this beer with friends. It would have been a hard beer to finsh by itself. That being said. the 2011 bottle that we opened on the same night was much better. Maybe just set the rest down for a good period of time.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 11:12:31 | More by coffygrinder

BumpkinBrewer

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2010 vintage poured into a tulip glass and shared with a friend on International Stout Day

A: Pours like motor oil. Black as night with a tan head that fades quickly to a beige ring

S: Boozy with sweet dark fruits, a bit of coffee roastiness

T: Follows the nose. Sweet dark fruits with bitter roast and very sweet, slight alcohol burn

M: Very slick on the palate, sugars are tingling in the mouth, again the heat of the alcohol is very present

O: A little disappointing considering i sat on this for 2 years but still an interesting beer nonetheless. Glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 17:15:26 | More by BumpkinBrewer

coryking

Missouri

3.2/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle of the 2009, enjoyed January 2010...

Poured jet black and thick! Little head, but can see some with a vigorous swirling of my glass. Nice alcohol legs on the glass. Very complex nose of molasses, brown sugar, alcohol, chocolates, cocoa, and coffee. Also a huge presence of raw malts and hops to balance everything. Unfortunately, I kind of disappointed with the taste. The only positive is that it hides the alcohol completely. The rest is a cloying sweetness of a beer. Straight table sugar sweetness. Obviously, a lot of other things going on, but the cloying sweetness is overwhelming. Mouthfeel is super thick and heavy and syrupy. Drinkability is nonexistent. Too much sugar and extra fermentables, not enough balance. Maybe with age, things will change. I heard that the 10 bottles are much, much better! I hope so...

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 03:49:11 | More by coryking

sweemzander

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

22oz. bottle poured into a snifter. 2009 Vintage.

(A)- Pours a thick and pitch black color. If Satan's heart were black, this is the color it would be. Produced a light layer of brown foam that dissipated after awhile. Seriously thick stuff; looks like motor oil.

(S)- A seriously rich raisin and molasses profile with a heavy caramel and brown sugar sweetness. Bits of vanilla, wood, and dark cocoa in the far background.

(T)- Again, a rich profile of heavy raisins. Some molasses and caramel in the middle. Finishes rather sweet with dusty cocoa and brown sugar. Bits of dark cocoa on the finish as it warms up.

(M)- A relatively low carbonation level and syrupy thick mouthfeel. Rich, sweet, and an overall malt monster. Its almost too thick for my liking.

(D)- I have very mixed feelings about Dark Lord. I love the smell, but everything else is rather mediocre. This is so thick that it is hard to put down. The carbonation is also a problem for me. If this wasnt like a syrup, I would like it much much more. It gets better as it warms up, but after the hassle it is to get this stuff and how much of a chore it is to drink, I would much rather grab something else for the style. When you open one of these have at least 4 people to split it. One of the hardest beers I have ever had to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 23:44:35 | More by sweemzander

Alpar

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2011 Bottle:

A: Rich opaque beast! Not much carbonation, just a few stray bubbles surfacing here and there. No head, although I tried to create one with my pour.

S: Smell is ok, nothing to write home to mom about but its decent. Some coffee and chocolate, typical of stouts, maybe anise and Malt O Meal?

T: Extremely thick and low carbonated, I love sweet stouts but this is just not doing it for me at all. I taste coffee and chocolate and TONS of sugar...

M: Nice and thick but the lack of carbonation makes this hard drink.

O: I've tried a few years of this beer the 09' was by far the worst I've had and the 11' is the best. Still not a fan of this and I am not sure if time will make me appreciate this beer more...

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 18:48:28 | More by Alpar

BattleRoadBrewer

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Yellow wax 2011, as part of an Imperial Stout tasting on DL Day 2012.

Appearance: Didn't pour black. Taken aback by this, expecting it to be opaque like pitch. Left its characteristic yellow sheen on the glass, and had a nice head with plenty of lacing, considering the style.

Nose: Fruity, loaded with dark fruits. Not any notable roastiness, a bit of chocolate. Hint of hops.

Flavor: Fruity, and sickly sweet. Molasses and licorice.

Mouthfeel: Way too watery to be called an imperial anything. Last time I tried DL, it was like motor oil. I've had thicker milk stouts than this vintage.

Overall: The sweetness killed this vintage's enjoyability. Underattenuated? Too fruity and light. Needs some roastiness and robustness to compete. I'd rather have a Ten FIDY.

Serving type: growler

04-29-2012 06:36:13 | More by BattleRoadBrewer

beerluvr

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Glugs out of the bottle with a deep tan head that cascades in slow motion...very surreal to watch it s l o w l y collapse. Jet black color in the glass, impervious to light. Intense deep dark fruit nose with prunes dominating, some herbal roasty/grainy notes. Very thick viscuous mouthfeel really detracts here, coats the mouth and doesn't let up, with more pruney flavor, sweet treacle and molasses then an undercurrent of roasted malt comes in clear. Afterwards, some hop bitterness shows up as an afterthought. The finish is long due to the oil-like thickness of the brew. It's really a tad too thick for me to enjoy at all, I'm glad to finally get to try this one, but to me it just does not live up to the hype here. I'll take a Bell's Expedition over this anytime.
Thanks to jackndan/BIF6.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2004 16:55:27 | More by beerluvr

JToad

Indiana

3.23/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I've given Darklord 3 tries, and I keep coming up with the same notes, so hear goes my review:

After obtaining this directly at Darklord day, my expectations were high. I poured it directly into my Samichlaus goblet. It was motor oil pitch black. Thick and dark, with nice tan lacing.

Smells of burnt fruit, and metal. Chocolate and coffee thrown in there as well. A lot of smells going on, almost too many.

First taste is of metallic, bitter chocolate. You can really taste the burnt fruit. Not at all what I hoped for.

It was hard for me to finish this beer. Im not a huge fan of stouts, but there are so many others I prefer. Bourbon County Stout, Kentucky Breakfast I enjoy much more.

All in all, I'm a tad dissapointed. I tried a sample of the Vanilla Bean DL and it was awesome. This beer just seemed like a clusterfu*k of flavors, and it didn't work for me at all.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2008 22:20:28 | More by JToad

mentor

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Okay, my second review of the 2005 release. My first review was less than stellar and I was concerned that I'd had an unusually off sample. This bottle was provided by GCBrewingCo so I could have an independent sample. Thanks for the opportunity.

This bottle was shared with absolutesites and Chris Black. Thank goodness, as I *never* could have choked this down all by myself. This bottle was better than the first one I tried, but still not something that knocks my socks off.

Pours incredibly viscous. A short dark brown frothy head hangs over an utterly pitch black liquid. Smells caramel, roast, chocolate, and alcohol. A floral hop that I can only describe abstractly as 'spherical'. Some sour from black patent. It's hidden beneath the other scents, but I imagine they used a boatload of it to make this beer. Taste is so potent in roast and chocolate that little else can be detected. Some alcohol and a bit of cherry sour. What I get new in this bottle is that there is some molasses that leaves the way for some dark fruits. At this point, just prunes, but there is hope for more as the beer ages. Super-thick syrupy mouthfeel with mild carbonation. The aftertaste just hangs around as a bitter roast torment in the back of my throat and on the flat of my tongue.

The only way I could finish my portion was to actually dilute it, 2 parts DL and one part water. This was a great combination that made for a really roasty dry stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2005 03:35:42 | More by mentor

digita7693

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

I have tried both the 2009 vintage, with about 6months on it, and a 2010, similar notes for both. But the review is for 2009.

A dark, oily, but not super thick, slight tan head

S syrup, molasses, coffee and maybe a hint of vanilla, not bad but very malty, all most overpoweringly sweet smell

T way too much sugar in this, its as if someone filled my IS with maple syrup, some soy sauce qualities in it. Just ends up being too much sugar and soy sauce, a stomach ache waiting to happen

M/D decent carbonation and coats the mouth nicely with the myriad of flavors, but it is simply too much.

overall I am very disappointed in this beer, for me it is a sweet syrupy mess, covered up somewhat by soy sauce. There are a ton of better IS out there. Perhaps, as some have suggested, I really just need to try one that has a bit more age on it.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 07:47:37 | More by digita7693

codynevels

California

3.25/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz Bomber poured into a The Bruery Tulip tasted side by side with CC Hunahpu’s

2010 Vintage (Olive wax) reviewed from notes on June 29th, 2011

This beer pours a completely opaque black body with a small amount thin mocha head that leaves minimal lacing. It is not quite as viscous as I expected it to be. It pours out of the bottle rather thin. The smell is coffee, chocolate, and a sweet caramel maltiness. Not an incredibly structured or complex aroma. The aroma is somewhat one-dimensional. The taste is one-dimensional as well. Chocolate and sweet maltiness dominates. This beer has a medium body that isn’t quite thin, but not as thick as I was led to believe. There is a fair amount of alcohol burn in the finish.

Overall, this is not a bad beer, it tasted alright to me, however, it is not very complex and the alcohol is not as well hidden as it should be. This beer seems like it may not be all hype, but it is mostly hype. I have had off the shelf imperial stouts that outperform this beer on almost every level, besides hype of course.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 20:08:58 | More by codynevels

mattcrill

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to cmaruschak for obtaining this rare one. Split this with him and BA mmmmbeeer.

Sampled the '04 version on 1/05 and although I never reviewed it, it blew me away. Would have been nearly close to all 5's if not all 5's for me. I was very excited about the '05 version of this beast and was very much let down. Too many other great local double stouts around here to ever bother with this one again. I hope next year they go back to the '04 recipe.

Appearance: Darkness descends into the glass. An inky black pour with a tan foamy head. Head doesn't retain that well and rings the glass and leaves small patches of carbonation throughout.

Smell: Searing alcohol up front. Rum soaked raisins and a touch of roasted malts. Mostly alcohol.

Taste: Licorice, baker's chocolate, slightly burnt coffee, bittering hops, and alcohol. The presence is all bitterness and alcohol. Towards the middle, the chocolate and coffee profile improves but then gets overtaken by the alcohol near the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and slick. Very disappointing considering last years recipe was my perfect standard for judging mouthfeel (both with and without sludge...I liked the sludge so get over it!).

Drinkability: A sipper to be sure. No way I would want a whole bottle of this.

Glad to have tried it but I probably won't be bothering with this one in the future unless the recipe changes.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2005 14:54:02 | More by mattcrill

hawks10

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2009 Vintage - 22oz. bottle poured into my "mini" Three Floyds imperial pint glass...

Pours black and dense with a nice two fingers of dark tan head which goes away pretty quickly, some lacing is left behind...

Smell is initially of sweet lactose and chocolate mixed with a bit of soy sauce...just overall very sweet with a bit of alcohol in the back...

This beer has really gone downhill in the year since Dark Lord Day '09...salty, soy sauce and a bit metallic, no real balance here. I remember it being good on draft at the brewpub and this is probably the 5th bottle I have had since then, all being slightly worse than the previous...seems this beer is really not aging well at all. The saltiness is still prevalent while a cloying sweet flavor emerges, weird, I know...a bit of bourbony booze and some dark fruits...

Thick, creamy and slick...boozy burn with little carbonation...not bad, not great...

Wow, really disappointed with this one. Had many before, liked it at first (maybe the bias of drinking an uber hyped beer?) but now I feel it is just falling apart. Really hoping the 2010 Vintage is better...

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 01:55:45 | More by hawks10

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2009 white wax bottle. Pours a fairly thick black with some dark brown wisps around the edges. Nose is big, powerful roasted malts, dark chocolate fudge, some savory, almost soy sauce like qualities. Mouth is really hot, opens with a heavy charred character, messy and all over the place. Sugary and salty at the same time. Fairly thick mouth feel, with sharp carbonation. Ultimately huge, messy, all over the place. Some fun qualities that probably appeal to a lot of people, but to me it's kind of a chore to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 00:34:54 | More by JAXSON

mjtiernan

New York

3.28/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks for the trade jmarsh123!

2012 vintage. 22oz bottle poured into a FFF stemmed tulip.

A: One finger tan head. Good retention, tight bubbles. Body is very dark, but I reviewed this outdoors in low-light and couldn’t get a great sense of the color/opacity. Looks inviting though.

S: Molasses, sweet malt, faint chocolate nibs and unappealing dark fruit.

T: Yikes! I was expecting sweet but this surpassed my expectations. Pretty shocking. It’s not really even stout-like. Where’s the roast and/or bitterness? It starts cloyingly sweet and then you get a small hit of coffee flavor but without any coffee bitterness. That is somewhat unique I guess.

M: Creamy texture, yet thin body...especially for such a big stout. Speaking of which, where’s the alcohol? Pretty amazing that this is a 15% beer. That’s the best thing I can say about this.

O: I was expecting to be disappointed, but this was worse than I anticipated. I’m glad I got to have it so now I can get it behind me and not worry about having to trade for it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 12:38:53 | More by mjtiernan

cracker

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to warriorsoul for sharing a bottle with me. So I finally get to try this highly sought after beer. It pours thick like molasses. Very little carbonation or head. Smells like dark fruits, raisins, prunes. First impression on taste is way too sweet. However, the hops and roasted malts seems to balance it out quite well. Sort of reminds me of port, a very sweet one. Although I can appreciate this beer for what its worth, I think there is more hype around it than anything else. I'd definitely try it again but it's not a top 10 or even 20 beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 03:26:44 | More by cracker

jwhawkins81

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

2010 Dark Lord

Aroma - Alcohol with sweet fruits like cherries that accompanies a slight bitter coffee aroma.

Appearance - Very dark and thick with little carbonation but good head retention.

Taste - Sweet with a bitter bite on the back-end. Not a lot of roast or bitterness but a definite touch of alcohol that was immediately warming. Just a cherry sweetness upfront but nothing special flavor wise.

Notes - The mouthfeel was thick and full

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 15:19:32 | More by jwhawkins81

BeerThursdays

Delaware

3.33/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Edit for 2009 Bottle. Previous score was a 4.38 based on the 2006 bottle.

2009 White Waxed Bottle - Opened May 15

Thanks to Malreever for sharing this one.

Poured from bottle into Snifter.

A - Pours pitch black with a thin layer of tan hear. Lacing is good. No light can penetrate this beast.

S - Super sweet smell. Soy Sauce, and syrup. Dark Roasted Malts and some chocolate. Maybe some grapes, and hops? Smell is very interesting, but hard to pin point any one smell. Keeps changing.

T - Not sure about this one.. Very hot, and sweet. Lots going on, but none of it really seems to fit together well. Plum, molasses, and I just can't get off that soy sauce flavor.

M - Very hot and sweet. Somewhat flat too. Good full body, but this leave me wanting a lot more. Just OK..

O - Well, it's Dark Lord, but it's not.. Recently we opened 06-10, and this was by far my least favorite. Tried it again for this tasting, and still wasn't too impressed. Looks nice, but is lacking after that.
___3/25/10___
Opened both a 2006 and a 2008 bottle in the same night.

These were both amazing beers. Both looked about the same. Completely black with a dark brown head. The 2006 bottle's head was a bit smaller, but both ended up a nice size. Smells of the 06 were more fruity than the 08, but both had coffee smells with dark fruits (plumbs and raisins). Pretty amazing smells.

Alcohol in the 2008 was subtly more apparent than in the 2006. 2006 was super smooth and fruity, with a coffee/chocolate finish. 2008 was not quite as fruity, coffee and roasted malts much more apparent. Both were an amazing experience. Incredible how this beer ages. 2006 had no hint of alcohol at all, just a sweet, chocolaty syrup with a coffee finish. 2008, alcohol more obvious, but if not for the 2006 comparison, it would be hardly noticeable.

This one is a sipper at any age. You're not going to pound 4 in a night and feel ok about yourself.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2010 15:24:09 | More by BeerThursdays

sleuthdog

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Epic tasting ending with Dark Lord 2012 vintage
Thanks to woodjjacct for sharing this one!

Appearance: Black as night with no head formation. Swirling does create a one finger head but it does dissapate quickly. Absolutly no light penetration at all even when held up to light. Your typical RIS in appearance.

Smell: Big time molasses notes with the dark fruits taking a center stage. Sweet very sweet with alcohol soaked figs. Some dark maybe blackberries evident and some tobacco notes. Leather is also noted at the tail end.

Taste: This is one enormous beer! Very, very sweet with alcohol soaked dark fruit jumping out at me. Molasses and brown sugar very evident and the sweetness lingers forever. I feel as though the beer has literally stuck to my teeth, gums, and tongue. A trip to the dentist tomorrow may be needed. The sweet sticky feel just does not leave at all. It is very chewy at the same time. No alcohol to speak of.

Mouthfeel: This is very creamy and no carbonation and so so palate covering that its hard to believe. It covers all of my mouth and lips to the point that it is cloying.

Overall: This was an enjoyable experience but wow what a sugar bomb! If you don't have a buddy or two to share with you may by in trouble IMO

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 04:45:17 | More by sleuthdog

kasper

New York

3.35/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

2008 bottle

A: Pours a dark chocolate brown. Head is pretty small, but creamy; color of hot carmel, fades to just a ring leaving spotted lacing in its path.

S: Aromas of smoke, saddle leather, slimjim, chocolate-covered rainbow cookies, and dark fruits.

T: Whew...This is thick, flavors of smoked meat, bitter dark fruits, burnt coffee, carmel and somewhat salty. Aftertaste is a bit much, honestly, overly burnt and salty.

M: Heavy, thick, creamy, low carbonation... did I mention heavy?

D: Honestly, assuming this wasn't a bad bottle, I'm not sure what the hype is here. It just has a horribly salty. I wont be able to finish this bottle. I'll review again to make sure this wasn't a bad bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2008 02:24:22 | More by kasper

emmasdad

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2009 vintage, poured into a Duvel glass. Inky black color, light does not penetrate. Thick and oily, with no head to speak of. Aromas of dark chocolate, roasted malt, raisins and prunes. Huge roasted malt flavors, along with milk chococate, some vanilla and alcohol. Thick and oily liquid coats the mouth, and finishes heavy and hot. A good experience, but not up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2010 20:01:46 | More by emmasdad

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2009 vintage(white wax top) opened by John at a recent tasting he hosted.

this beer pours pitch black with nearly no head. as the beer is pouring you can already tell that this one is going to have the mouthfeel of motor oil. this beer is seriously thick. the smell has so much going on, there are roasted malt chaacter, an alcohol presence, some dark fruit and caramel notes, and so much more that i could not even pin point. The taste is sweet, sweeter than i think a stout should be. there are some dark fruit notes and roasted malts there a slight hint of chocolate, and probably more than my palate can discern. the mouth on this is seriously thick, it coats your mouth and throat with every sip. the drinkablility is good but not high, because the beer is just so thick and sweet I could not have had seconds, and the bottle was split 4 ways. its a good beer, definitely worth trying but if you don't have a trading partner who you look out for and he loks out for you I would not buy it form ebay or trade the family farm to get one.

I have heard that 2009 is not the best vintage of dark lord in general, so would like to try other years, maybe an 08 since i have heard better things from that year

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 22:15:48 | More by rowingbrewer

SkunkWorks

New York

3.35/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks kmurray8621 for the trade and the opportunity to try this!

22 oz bottle with green wax dripping from the top of the bottle down the label, so this is a 2010 bottle and has about 10 months of age on it. The wax is probably the most difficult wax I've had to deal with so far. As an Imperial Stout lover, I'm excited to try the (Dark) Lord of stout! Poured into my Southampton Imperial Russian Stout Release Party snifter and split with my girlfriend.

Look: despite an aggressive pour, I don't really get any head. There's half a finger of mocha colored foam for a second but it disappears almost immediately. Likewise, there's no lacing left behind. The body itself is pitch black and stains the glass, which is a cool effect. Because of the fact its in a snifter, I can get some dark, brown highlights along the edges but its still black when I hold it to the light. This looks good but I can't award it a better score than "Good" since I didn't get a head and I didn't get lacing.

Smell: oh no. This isn't looking good. The aroma hits the description on the bottle right on the head. There's cherries, dark fruit, currants, sweet maltiness, and hints of port like alcohol. Unfortunately, these are all tastes that I'm not the biggest fan of in my stouts. Where's the chocolate? The coffee? The black patent malt? I can't really get much of any of that. This is personal preference and I am impressed by the pungency of these flavors but I am not a fan.

Taste: follows the nose with intense dark fruit, sweet malt, molasses, and currants stand out while a bit of alcohol burn dances across my tongue. The label describes it having a Mochachino taste but I really don't detect it. Its just incredibly sweet, almost cloying, and fruity with a good deal of alcohol. Like the aroma, I think its well done but my personal preference prefers roasted malt, coffee and chocolate flavors in my imperial stouts and these tastes are severely lacking. Yes, I'm going to be "that guy" who rates the taste of this incredibly popular and hyped stout a bit low.

Feel: probably the best part about this beer. Full bodied, approaching a motor oil consistency, with a nice alcohol burn on the tip of my tongue. Drinks every bit of its 15% alcohol by volume.

Drink: certainly a sipper but that's good for the style. Its also quite easy drinking for a 15% stout... after having Black Tuesday a week ago, I can say this definitely drinks infinitely easier despite only being 3% lighter.

Overall, this was decent but not what I expected. Hype is truly a double edged sword. I was hoping to get hit in the mouth with an overwhelming roasted malt taste and aroma and didn't. Instead, I got something that was a bit too much like a port wine that happened to be fermented from malt instead of grapes. Maybe it needs more age, maybe I need to drink it fresh, maybe 2010 wasn't as good a year as the others, but I wasn't very much impressed by this beer especially considering how hard it is to get. I'd rather reach for a Black Chocolate Stout or an Old Rasputin or anything from Southern Tier than go for this and I don't have to trade rarities to get them!

That said, I can respect this beer for what it is. My preference for different flavors is really what hurts my ability to enjoy this beer rather than the beer being poorly crafted, so I'm kind of torn on how to rate this. I'd also be lying if I said that disappointment after all the hype behind this beer didn't get to me at all.

I should add, my girlfriend absolutely loved this stout and its probably her favorite imperial stout behind Southern Tier Choklat. That means one day, we're going to Dark Lord Day and I'm excited to try the vanilla bean and the oak aged versions of this.

Its certainly worth a try. Now that I've had it, I feel closer to the beer geek community since I've managed to drink and review it. My advice would just be to try and drink it with an open mind, not let the hype get to you, and try and enjoy it for what it is.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 16:48:31 | More by SkunkWorks