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

MRAnderson

Indiana

4.61/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2012(Red Wax) obtained this from a private seller

A: Jet Black indiana ink with a slight brown residue left on the side of the glass. No light getting through but i do see somewhat of a dark amber color poking through ever so slightly. I poured aggresively and i go zero head at all and there is actually no alcohol retention on the side of the glass what so ever..needless to say folks this is a huge beer! This is think, this is dark and this beer is no joke!

S: I popped the cap on this and the smell just slapped me right across my mouth. I get raisins, port,Brandy,Cognac,slight hints of dark chocolate,brown sugar,vanilla,chewing tobacco fresh from the pouch and alcohol to bring all of these amazing aromas together to overwhelm your senses. Three Floyds does their own thing and this is reminds of me of a lot of Russian Imperials that have been aged for years...These guys are geniuses and anyone who doesn't get this beer and what they were going for are beer noobs.

T: sooo sweet at the front with some alcohol and dark fruits all over the back end of this beer, i am picking up on some slight chocolate notes, but i get zero coffee notes. This beer is like a fine Cognac with Port than anything really but Three Floyds may call it whatever they like..i call it a delicious brew.

M: Thick with a lot of sugar, it reminds me of a under aged mulberry wine i had once as far as it coating my mouth with sugar and dark fruitiness. This beer is thick and it coats your mouth with stickiness that comes from all the amazing ingredients in this beer leaving you with a complex mouth feel that lasts...Every sip leaves my lips lined with sugary goodness.

O: what a very unorthodox brew let a lone a Russian Imperial Stout. It seems Three Floyds created a stout that has the feel of one that has been aged for at last 5 years while only doing it for one (depending on the bottle you have)..This is such a unique brew and i cant wait to get my hands on another bottle, preferably one from this upcoming DLD(2013)

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 03:33:10 | More by MRAnderson

draheim

Washington

2.81/5  rDev -35.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

22oz bottle (2011) into a snifter. Pours a deep brown w/ a fizzy minimal head that dissipates almost instantly, leaving behind a razor-thin collar.

Aroma is smoky and bourbony - surprising because I don't think regular DL is aged in bourbon barrels - with hints of molasses, vanilla, and chocolate. Pretty strong booze smell going on too. Overall smells pretty interesting.

Taste is all over the place, whoa. Where to begin? Dark rum, soy sauce, chocolate syrup, flat Pepsi, Robitussin, dark cherries, some kind of liqueur... a lingering aftertaste that keeps punishing me long after the swallow. Cloying and sweet, tastes like pure insulin.

Mouthfeel is sticky and heavy, coating the palate and refusing to let go. A numbing alcohol sensation on the tongue that I usually only get with hard liquor.

Overall I have to admit, I am disappointed. This is a poorly crafted RIS. Probably one of the worst stouts I have ever had, and certainly the worst stout that gets the whole waxed cap, hype train treatment. I almost get the sense that I'm the butt of a cruel joke, and Three Floyds is laughing at me right now. I find it almost impossible to believe that people actually buy tickets and stand in line to spend money on this beer. Never again.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 04:55:30 | More by draheim

Phillyz

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2010 Green Wax. Was incredibly lucky to enjoy a bottle of this in Philadelphia, and now that I know someone who has about 40 bottles, hopefully I'll enjoy more in the future.

A: As the bottle says, this beer has the appearance of motor oil. 2 finger head in the first glass I poured it in, less than 1 finger in the second.

S: Mild alcohol, dark fruits, sweet coffee and chocolate.

T: Sugary as hell! Very sweet, not quite what I expected. Dark fruits slap you in the face - plums and currants blended together for a 'raison-esque' taste. Much lighter than I expected, but this is more than likely because this beer is roughly three years old.

F: Medium thickness, mild carbonation. A near perfect blend. Hopefully I'll have newer and older dark lord to compare this too. Light alcohol taste - not nearly the bite that the 09 BCBS had that I tasted after I enjoyed this. Nearly perfect.

O: Amazing stout. Although I haven't had newer Dark Lords, I can truly say that this one definitely had to have grown with age. I spent way too much on the bottle, but that's what you get when you're buying a '10 from a stranger. I look forward to trying more of this beauty. Definitely worth the try, but not the best stout that I've ever had. 3/4 friends I shared this with agreed that 09 BCBS was better.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 06:28:37 | More by Phillyz

Trifecta1

Illinois

4.69/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Now that I've had 4 of the 2012 badboys, I feel safe giving a review that will be true to the way this beer should be drank: aged. Glad I still have 3 bottles of my own left, which I plan on aging far into the future, and busting out for special occasions/a fair trade.

A: Pitch black motor oil, opaque, low carbonation, nearly no head. A foreboding message: high alcohol.

S: Smells of burnt dark fruit, sweet alcohol, and with age, more dark chocolate and coffee.

T: First drink, day of release: Holy sugar. Earthy notes like what you find in mushrooms. Virtually no coffee or chocolate, just sugar, alcohol, earthy esters and dark malt. As it ages... wow, what a radical change. While staying very sweet, it doesn't overwhelm everything else. Some earthiness fades (which could have stayed, it was kind of unique), chocolate and dark coffee come forward. Chocolate covered sweet cherries with ground coffee, nearly. Very good, very different.

F: Low carbonation, super thick, coats your mouth, leaving a sweet layer of dark fruit, coffee, alcohol, and a thirst for more. Good stuff.

O: Great stout, originally didn't think it was 'that' good, but I've warmed up to it as it aged. I'm really looking forward to how it tastes in the years to come. An occasion dessert stout. And the question on everyone's mind; does it live up? To a 97? Yes. The best stout ever? No, but I can see how a niche of beer aficionados could say that.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 02:38:58 | More by Trifecta1

tectactoe

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Thanks to doobliebop for this one! 2012 edition with the red wax, shared with some people at a Super Bowl party. Pours a thick and viscous black color with a thin and measly tan head, even after a pretty aggressive pour. The beer looks pretty dark, commanding, and brash, so I'd say "Dark Lord" is a pretty fitting moniker.

The aroma on is super sweet; vanilla, cocoa powder, oaky and woody, with some creamy coffee mashed in there. Very sweet and roasty on the nose - nearly no hops or hop-like aromas are even detectable on the nose. But the aroma is still pretty fantastic. Caramel and huge brown sugar aromas come out more as this one warms up. It smells like a candy shop, no question about that. I typically like my stouts more bitter and not quite as sweet, but there's still no denying that this beer smells pretty damn good.

Dark Lord cascades over the palate with a super-creamy and smooth mouth feel, and the first and most prominent flavor that comes to mind is super sweet, burnt brown sugar. This beer is sweet as hell. Despite that, the sweetness is manageable, but still a little over the edge. The sweet vanilla and oak flavors come out next; molasses, syrup, coffee with a humongous dose of cream and sugar, sweet, dense currants and dates - all these flavors are present and constantly attacking the palate under the command of that brown sugar flavor that's still running strong.

This beer is certainly boozy, but definitely doesn't feel like 15% ABV; it's possible that the sweetness of this beer subdues the alcohol burn a little bit, and in turn, maybe that's what prevents the sweetness from being cloying, despite its sheer intensity. Tons of flavors clashing; a menagerie of flavors attacking your taste buds and stretching them to the limit. Carbonation is pretty low, the body is still thick and viscous, silky and creamy as hell.

This is one of the sweetest base stouts out there. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't too unmanageable or too cloying, but it was still pretty damn sweet. Then again, it was split 5-ways - I might be saying something else had I finished the entire 22 oz. bottle on my own. Though I typically prefer my RISs to have a heavy bitter offset from a huge hop addition, Dark Lord showed almost no hop character at all and was still pretty enjoyable to me. Vanilla, cocoa, caramel, molasses, dark fruits, oak... This is a great beer; though it may be too sweet to drink a bunch of, Dark Lord is awesome in small pours.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 05:25:33 | More by tectactoe

warrenout330

Ohio

4.99/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Props to patchmaster, that man is the true meaning of a BA.... thanks bud

A- pours a black night .... 10-30w oil from a red wax bottle ... very small khaki colored head... minimal lacing to the glass

S- sweet dark fruits, molasses is heavy dominant ... super sweet. I get some Smokey sweet teriyaki jerky....faint chocolate notes take a seat in the back

T- a complex slurry of molasses, smoke, dark fruits... I get a crazy smoked soy sauce flavor on the tongue... after it sits the chocolate and coffee show them selves

M- this is the kicker to me.... its almost like a illusion ... the molasses plays a huge part in this beer... the mouth feel's full of body and fullness.. but its also comes off as light and silky... almost flawless

O- very impressed, lives up to its name like no other... this will be awesome with about 2-3 yrs of age.... I'll will make it to d day for the rest of my life now

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 03:47:56 | More by warrenout330

hoptualBrew

Florida

3.06/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Bomber split with brewer friend, each about 11oz pour.

Midnight black in color with a deep brown tinted head formation. Dissipates rapidly.

Nose is molasses sweetness, cocoa, and a solid coffee roast.

Taste follows suit with a huge molasses and stone fruit sweetness that coats the palate. Near cloyingly sweet at first, that unfolds a lot of complexity. After about 4 oz. this becomes rather hard to drink, the molasses like sweetness becomes too much, cloying. Roast character lingers back palate and finish is quite long.

Body is huge here, I can't even begin to imagine the final gravity of this beer.. perhaps should have taken a gravity reading. Silky full, carbonation is to par.

Overall, this beer just seemed to try to possess too much complexity for its' own good - to the point where it became a detractor. The overtly molasses quality almost seems as if part of the priming solution were actual molasses. This RIS is, although different, not as good as most basic beers of this style.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 16:09:25 | More by hoptualBrew

popery

California

4.29/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

From notes, 6/4/10. Green wax, 2010. Pours black, very black. Nice thick brown head. Very good looking beer. Loads of roasted malt flavor in a wonderful balance of chocolate, roast and coffee. Great thick and creamy feel - really incredible. Flavor is medium sweet without even a hint of stickiness. Not quite my very favorite imperial stout but very close and I could see a different version or a bottle with some age on it winning me over entirely. Edit: Later vintages have seemed sweeter. I'm not sure if I was just really in the mood for a sweet beer that day or 2010 was excellent fresh.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 05:54:31 | More by popery

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Red-waxed 22oz bomber from ChiTownPackFan (thanks much, man!). 2012 bottling, poured into a Deschutes tulip and split with my brother.

A: Dense and dark; opaque, with a very small amount of dark tan head. There are some viscous alcohol legs sticking to the glass. Looks...menacing.

S: Holy sweetness...vanilla, caramel, dark fruit even. Milky too in a way, like there is lactose sugar in it. Mostly its just unfermentable sugars and vanilla, with just hints of coffee and roasted malt.

T: Really follows the nose, the sugary component makes this a slooow sipper. Lots of vanilla, caramel, coffee and milk chocolate all mixed together. Decent dark fruit component here, tastes a little like a black cherry; almost tart in a way. Toasted sugars reminiscent of molasses. Licorice too? A bit of burnt coffee on the finish.

MF: Pretty much full-bodied; viscous, with low carbonation.

O: A pretty sugary, viscous beer. Not as bad as some people make it sound, and definitely not as good as others rave about. Somewhere in the middle; its an overly-sweet stout with a helluva marketing department. On the plus side, I really got no alcohol presence out of it, so I wonder what time in the cellar would do for this beer. If it mellowed the sweetness, I'd be interested in getting another bottle and sitting on it for a few years.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 15:19:32 | More by Scotchboy

CraftEyeDoc

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A group of friends and I enjoyed a Dark Lord vertical, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012 on 1/13/13. I have had the 2012 multiple times from Dark Lord Day and this beer has definitely changed in just a years time but age does some serious delicious things to this beer. Each bottle was poured into taster glass and sips of each were taking going down the line. The sweetness assoc with DL was more apparent as you moved from 2005 to the 2012.

Some my think that 2005 is too long to let this beer age but I don't think so. All the sweetness was all gone. The beer had very subtle but complex flavors. Def large hints of oak and slightly more acidic. Often I would come back to this and taste something new hence why I said the very subtle nature of this 7.5 year old DL. Then moving to the 2007 and 2010... What can I say but these beers were an amazing example of a RIS. The last time I had the 2012 was in Nov and in 2 months this beer has changed for the better. Slightly more mellowed sweetness and the other flavors shine a lot more.

Overall: One heck of an evening and was so glad to be apart of this opportunity. After tasting this broad spectrum of DL I would say the def spot for this beer is 2-4 years of aging. The sweetness dies out some and takes a back burner and lets the complexity of tastes shine even more.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 13:34:47 | More by CraftEyeDoc

Rau71

California

4.68/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2012 Bottle.

I have heard mixed reviews of this beer, so going in I was very weary.

It pours a very dark black with a tan head.

The nose is all sweetness. Chocolate dominates, but some vanilla peaked in the background? not super sure if that is the smell.

The taste is Chocolate. Thick sweet chocolate. No denying this is a dessert beer. I enjoyed this bottle on Christmas day after dinner and it fit the bill. It fit the bill so much with the second half of the bomber I added some vanilla ice cream for a beer float, and it was pure heaven. If this beer came with vanilla Ice Cream it would get a 5 down the board. But still a very solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 03:39:43 | More by Rau71

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.58/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 2010 bottle into a snifter glass

I have been saving this one for quite some time. I have had years prior as well as this vintage a year prior. This is my first review of it however. I have always enjoyed drinking this quite robust and thick brew. This is the last of my bottles and I thought it appropriate to drink on occasion of the new year.

Appearance – Pours a nearly pitch black color with a tiny tan head. The head fades very fast leaving almost no lacing. Upon swirling, the thickness and huge body of the beer can be seen with it clinging to the sides of the glass and it slowly receding back to the pool of beer at the bottom of the snifter.

Smell-The aroma on this one is huge. It is heavy of a sweet chocolate and espresso smell. Mixed with this aroma are smells of stone fruits, with aromas of cherry, raisin and prune. Other aromas of vanilla, bourbon and caramel are also detected in the nose giving an overall robust and quite complex, but delicious smell.

Taste – The taste begins heavy of cocoa and some dark fruits. The dark fruits, mainly of cherry and prune, were light in comparison to the sweet cocoa which creates a thick and robust base for the taste of the brew. Flavors of vanilla and caramel come to the tongue more toward the middle of the taste creating a chocolate covered fruit like flavor. At this point the taste is quite big and sweet. Toward the end a big boozy flavor comes to the tongue. The boozy flavor is largely bourbon in nature and when combined with the sweet and cocoa flavors of the brew, it creates a warningly sweet flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – This is one thick brew. The body is massively creamy and thick. It coats the tongue and baths it in all the intense and robust flavors of the brew. With the carbonation (not surprisingly) being on the lower side, the thickness when combined with the alcohol taste creates a very warming and thick feeling.

Overall- A quite delicious brew. I have never been disappointed. The massive flavors that meld quite well with one another and warming feel make it a brew of high regard.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 23:02:05 | More by Darkmagus82

writerLJBerg

Oregon

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

2009 bottle from long ago. Reviewed from back log. Consumed in early 2012, though, so around 3 years old.

A: Pure, unadulterated blackness with a very thin mocha head.

N: Rubber, dark chocolate, and loads of sea salt. Mmm, soy sauce.

T: Raspberry, chocolate, and soy sauce. Oh, that delightful Chinese topping for beers like this. Blech.

M: Thick and oily. Certainly can't go wrong with this feel.

O: Maybe not as bad as Baller, and it's better than previous vintages I've tried, but this beer never ceases to amaze me. It's not good, but it's proof that DLD has power over its visitors. Overrated and just plain bad.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:09:25 | More by writerLJBerg

NilocRellim

Minnesota

4.63/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Had a 2010 Dark Lord on Christmas Eve, 2012.

The beer was a very dark brown with a dark-tan head. It almost looked like a nice espresso, but with a bit more clarity to it. The smell was very strong, sweet and malty with distinct notes of chocolate and coffee. The taste was not as strong as the smell, but was very balanced and mellow. It had a medium to low amount of carbonation. The coffee and chocolate flavours were upfront, but not overwhelming, and it had a nice toffee and nut finish.

Would I buy it again? Absolutely! This beer is amazing and is one of my favourites.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 20:51:36 | More by NilocRellim

Powderhornphil

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 bottle.

Obviously this beer pours very black. Minimal head/lacing. I thought there would be more. Big alcohol legs.

Smells really nice. Molasses and vanilla. burnt sugars. The smell might be the most solid thing about this beer.

This beer is saaaweet. Alcohol is very well integrated. Flavors follow the nose. I do like the sweetness. Lots of vanilla and molasses. Finishes with a big malty sweetness. It really walks the line of being cloying. To me it doesn't quite cross.

Pretty easy drinking for 15 percent.

I can understand both the hype and polarization over this beer. For me this is a quite enjoyable beer. However, not sure it is worth it for the high trade value since I had to trade for this.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 01:45:38 | More by Powderhornphil

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

First had: '09 vintage shared at a Dec. '12 Philly suburbs bottle share.

I've been sitting on a '11 bottle for a while, but someone was nice enough to bring a '09 to the bottles share, so thanks. As I suspected, this is nothing more than another grossly over-hyped beer that just gets super high ratings because of its rarity. Is it good? Yes, but in the end, it's just a pretty typical imperial stout.

Dark, opaque, black pour, with a small brown head that sank to a ringlet. In the nose, dark roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, a touch of licorice and/or anise. More of the same in the taste, dark malt sweetness, semi-sweet chocolate, roasted coffee notes, mild dark fruits, hints of molasses and licorice. Meh. I mean it's a good stout, but what makes it so special, other than rarity and a high price tag? Body is on the heavier side of medium, chewy mouthfeel, and a bit chalky. Overall it's pretty good, and I'm glad I have a bottle sitting in the cellar, but I definitely wouldn't go hunting anymore down.

This is a nice basic RIS. Certainly not good enough to have a day named after it though.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 16:42:45 | More by Rifugium

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 vintage. Review adapted from notes dated 4/3/2011.

Appearance: Pours an incredibly solid black. Big thick pour. Head is the color of crema. Big, rich, and dense. Drops to a tiny collar in short order. Really just sits there and looks vaguely menacing.

Smell: Char, burnt, roasted malts. Loaded with dark fruit. Runs the gamut from ripe dark cherry, to fig, to plums and currants, even some deeper black and blueberry notes. Deeply vinous with a lingering punch of dry red wine. Some leather in the back as well. Nice layers of cocoa and sweeter milk chocolate. Very sweet. Tons of booze. Hits the entire sugar spectrum, peaking at molasses. Some vanilla as well.

Taste: Big chewy malt sweetness. Char and burnt and roasted in to oblivion. Pushes the line of syrupy sweetness hitting strong on molasses and brown sugar with some backing caramel sweetness. Fresh espresso coupled with bitter chocolate and some sweeter chocolate notes as well. Huge push of dark fruit, leaning more toward the berries than anything else. Leather and licorice. It's all there. Big alcohol as the beer warms.

Mouthfeel: Big, syrupy mouthfeel. Slick and heavy without being too much. Almost though. Some vestiges of carbonation save it from being motor oil.

Overall: Royalty, but it's not the King (or Queen) for a reason.

I've had this beer on several occasions. The first time it blew me away. It was everything I had ever dreamed. Had it in a blind (with angrybabboon and bilco) and it came across as a syrupy oversweet mess. It's a beast and a half but it doesn't have that ultimate I need to have this factor. It's great, and by itself it's something to behold. In other high company, it's flaws really shine.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 19:48:18 | More by Goblinmunkey7

CooperEllis

New York

2.73/5  rDev -37%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

22oz 2010 vintage (olive green wax) split three ways. I don't care for this beer. If that offends you, I'd skip the rest of the review.

Given all the talk of how "thick" this beer is, it pours at a nice weight - rather unlike motor oil in this one respect. Black, almost no head, no bubbles at all. What is there is thin and sticks to the edge.

Color of this is faintly lighter at the edge.

Out of the bottle the aroma is all soy sauce. I may have used that as a descriptor in previous reviews where there was a hint of the condiment, but I have to say that is not the case here. Here, it is the predominant aroma. Once in the glass it is straight rubbing alcohol and burnt malt.

Taste is hot with burnt notes. There is a true "burnt" flavor that is not malt, I would say pumpernickel toast. This is missing anything else initially but I let it sit for a good while and dark fruit comes to the front and saves this from being rated below average.

Mouthfeel is fine except for the excessive booze. Perhaps a touch under-carbonated.

If there was a more full flavor profile I could see drinking more but this bottle at this time* more seems like a waste to me. In my mind, nothing saves this from mediocrity. It was split three ways, I had around 7oz and that was plenty. Was had side-by-side with MS Berserker and it wasn't close. I know - it's too loud, I'm too old; good, more for you; damn kids and their satanic artwork; yada yada yada over the best part, no I mentioned the bisque.

*This review was written in Summer 2011, just getting around to publishing. Not written from tasting notes.

I did greatly enjoy a BBA Dark Lord - that review can be found here: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26/30184/?ba=CooperEllis

(194th)

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 22:02:40 | More by CooperEllis

bittermestupid

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

’11 DL pours black but not as thick as I expected very little head. As I swirl the brew around it sticks to the sides of my snifter. Smells of espresso, dark chocolate, licorice, leather, some dark fruit, brown sugar and some booze. Taste espresso, chocolate, brown sugar, molasses, tobacco, marshmallow and a fresh sugar cookie. Mouth feel is thick and the finish is roasted bitter, chocolate, cookie sweetness with the alcohol being very well subdued.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 15:48:37 | More by bittermestupid

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 vintage, yellow wax. Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a 8 oz snifter.

A- pours black with just a ring of mocha colored head around the glass. Small bubbles and amoeba lacing remain on the glass.

S- molasses, dark fruits, coffee, maple syrup, some oak.

T- whew! Cloyingly sweet molasses, dark fruits, and maple syrup. Coffee, dark chocolate, and some brown sugar with slight bitterness.

M- full body and medium carbonation. Very thick, syrupy, creamy and slick. Slight alcohol burn at the end but drinking very well.

O- good RIS, but this a beer where the hype is definitely bigger than how good the beer is.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 01:38:42 | More by kawilliams81

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

bulldog91

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 version, sitting 18 months.
It pours a dark, thick with virtually no head. Appears like a thin syrup
Wow that smell - it's sweet, but with dark hints to it.
Not much cherry in this bottle, but the plums and molasses are apparent. A hint of carmel, some coffee, chocolate - just a nice blend.
As for mouthfeel, it's not as heavy as expected. Very light, actually. A smooth feel with a slight ting but overall pleasant.
In a word - wow. Not a RIS guy, but this is just a complex, good - very good - beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 17:31:16 | More by bulldog91

rinhaak

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 vintage. Inky black with no head.

Boozy nose! Whacks you with a sharpie pen. Dark fruits, chocolate, felt pen, black strap, macaroni. Not altogether pleasing, though certainly intense and unique.

Thick mouth. Lots of black strap molasses, rum soaked dried fruits ,and a bittersweet chocolate finish. This is a powerful & complex beer that could serve to sit even longer than three years.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 03:17:57 | More by rinhaak

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

4.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2012 edition, drank at Craftheads in Tokyo, October 2012.

Thick, oily, glossy black, like horror movie blood. It's got no real head, but it still looks great in its abysmal 8-ball blackness.

Big amaretto on the nose. Then creme de cacao, Kahlua, and umeshu – basically, it smells fruity, boozy, sweet, and raw. There's a hint of vanilla Frappuccino, and lots of surprisingly fruity nuance: black cherries and prunes, mostly. A very slight whiff of soy sauce comes through as well, but this is mostly a sweet aroma, a plummy Black Forest Gateau of a beer.

This is so sweet it's almost like drinking wort. But it is also dramatic and complex; molasses, umeshu, licorice, oaky bourbon, and vanilla come first. Hints of smoke and burnt sugar call to mind s'mores. Prunes, raisins, cherry cordials, and even cola and grenadine emerge as well. This is a snifter beer if there ever was one; it feels chewy and soft, with crushed velvet carbonation, and it has a distinct dessert wine feel about it – there's even a tinge of sherry-ish walnutty sweetness. It needs balance, either from alcoholic warmth or a kick of hops, but then again, it's sort of fun to have something so decidedly over-the-top.

Not sure if this is still considered one of the best beers in the world, but I can see why it would be. It certainly makes an impact.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 17:31:10 | More by soulgrowl

barnzy78

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I had a 2009 in 2009 with sub-par reviews: look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 2.5 = 3.7/5.

Re-review of a newer batch (2010), aged for 2.5 years. Big difference here.
22oz bottle shared with a friend. Poured into a tulip, thick pour reveals an opaque black body topped with a milk chocolate colored head, good retention, no lacing. Aromas are boozy, roasted barley, dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, cherry, and blackberry perhaps. Initially it's sweet and syrupy with notes of dark chocolate, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, cocoa, roasted barley, vanilla, molasses, espresso, booze. Full flavored with maximum complexity. Unbelievably good! Mouth-feel is thick & chewy, full-full bodied, viscous, and very smooth. Overall, definitely an upper echelon RIS. One of the best out there, if not the best. I stand corrected.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 23:38:07 | More by barnzy78