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

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

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

'12 DL (red wax) thanks to JD (shawdeuce22) for sharing this one! 22oz bomber poured into HF stemmed glass. Bottle split 4 ways (~5.5 oz. servings).

A- Pours mostly opaque jet black with some transparency, definitely a lot more then I was expecting for a 15% RIS. Pretty much no head except a thin mocha brown circle lining the edges of the glass and leaves some very light spotty lacing and a little bit of alcohol legs. Nice consistently rising carbonation.

S- Dark chocolate, light molasses, some light dark fruits, some faint booze in the background. Not too aromatic or overly sweet, good but a little bit lacking from what I was expecting.

T- Dark fruits, molasses, dark chocolate, sweet caramel, more molasses in the aftertaste that lingers for awhile. Definitely on the sweet side, nicely balanced, not much booze in the taste despite the abv, definitely a great example of the style.

M- Fairly thick, smooth, nice carbonation, goes down surprisingly easy for 15%. Very good feel especially considering the abv and style. Definitely a sipper and not something you would want in large quantities.

O- This was a fantastic RIS. This was my first time having the '12 but I thought it was drinking still a little bit on the sweet side but fairly nice (everyone else said it tasted better then when they had it when it first came out). After this we also opened up every year down to '08. Aging it definitely made the beer more smooth and mellowed the sweetness a little bit to make it more drinkable. You can definitely tell a difference between the years and this ages with the best of them. My favorites were the '09 and '11. Personally I highly recommend this beer and I think it is one of the best examples of a RIS. If you don't like sweet beers or sippers I would maybe stay away.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 01:18:34 | More by jaasen64

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review 1500!!! ya me!!! 650ml red waxed bottle (2012) poured into tulip 22/10/12 thanks Masterski and Sean9689 for sending me a bottle

A its dark but not jet black, deep cola edge and I didn't expect much foam from a beer this big but it almost pours flat, a dark thin films gone in seconds zero lace.

S chocolate fudge with some raisins, prunes, cherry, smoke, coffee, molasses and a little booze but all things considered its pretty mellow, some leather and tobacco as it warms

T sweeter then the smell, some chocolate liqueur, and lacking some of the complexity of the nose, its good but I was hoping for more with all the hype behind this one

M its thick and no heat impresses me in a beer this strong, could use a few more bubbles but again I didn't expect much carbonation in such a massive beer, VERY sticky on the lips and it takes a little strength to open my mouth

O I'm surprised how well they managed to hide the booze and its good beer overall but I was expecting much more, its Darklord after all.

Good with no questions but for a beer that I'm giving a 4+ rating I still have to admit I'm a little disappointed, I like it and would drink it again but I can think of many better brews that are much easier to acquire

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 06:03:06 | More by wordemupg

mjpolzin

Wisconsin

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

Just like most people, I was very excited to try this beer as 3 Floyds has generated quite the hype for this beer. When a friend told me he had been at Dark Lord Day and that he would bring a bottle to a pre-Thankgiving dinner to share, I decided to bring a Bourbon County Stout and World Wide Stout so we could do a tasting of huge imperial stouts.

The beer pours very dark with an orangish, tan head. I didn't notice much carbonation. The smell was sweet with booze and some malt present as well. Dark Lord tasted like candy to me. Most imperial stouts obviously have a taste of dark fruits and some candy but this was the sweetest big imperial stout I had ever had. I also thought that the beer felt very full in your mouth.

I liked it better than my friend did but I do agree with him that when it comes to giant imperial stouts, Bourbon County Stout is better. This was very enjoyable though and I will look for a way to get my hands on some myself.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 20:38:10 | More by mjpolzin

Etan

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2011 and 2012 bottles opened together at Oscar's Stout Night. Thanks!

A: Both pour roughly the same color: brownish black with a small tan head.

S: Very raisiny with notes of maple and chocolate and dried fruit.

T: The 2012 is very fruity and very sweet - prune, raisin, cherry, chocolate. The 2011 has a fuller and more balanced flavor. More chocolate and body, and a little less sweet. No coffee notes in either.

M: Both are medium-bodied with fine carbonation.

O: I give the slight edge to the 2011 but neither were very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 08:05:18 | More by Etan

mendvicdog

Maryland

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

OK so this is a dual review comparing the 2012 and 2010 bottles I have had recently.

2012 has a much more intense smell, alcohol burn, and overall flavor. 2012 just seemed to have so many different flavors hitting you at different times throughout the sip. It just seemed magical almost.

2010 was much more creamy with a more subdued flavoring, but still very good, much more similar to a CC Zhukov than the 2012.

Both are great, but the 2012 version is much better in my opinion. Maybe I just prefer fresh Dark Lord.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 19:43:42 | More by mendvicdog

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

jokemon

Illinois

2.45/5  rDev -43.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This review is based off of the 2012 bottles across multiple samplings.

The beer pours a dark "black-hole" black into the glass. Very minimal carbonation with almost no head. However, you can notice some carbonation rising in the glass. Also, tilting the glass i notice that this beer is thick! and will coat the glass with a sugary film.

Smell is... of sugary molasses soy sauce. Not the best smelling beer around. Unfortunately the taste closely resembles the smell. It is extremely difficult to drink this beer as it does taste like soy sauce, raisins and sugar. This beer is extremely sweet! it makes it very hard to drink and I wish it was balanced more in flavor.

I heard this was a bad year for dark lord and there were potentially some contaminated batches. I'm not sure if I got one but I have to say I would not recommend this beer. Bourbon county stout, FW parabola are far better beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 22:52:17 | More by jokemon

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 2010 Bottle opened and split on 9.8.12.

A - Pours a very dark brown with a small dark brown head that is gone quickly.

S - Booze, chocolate, sweet wet cardboard.

T - Sweet chocolate, booze, coffee.

D - Heavy body with a low carbonation and a sweet finish.

O - The smell worried me with some oxidization, but it tasted very nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 05:34:30 | More by HuskyinPDX

Steigede

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 year. Poured very dark, beautiful tan head, very viscous almost syrupy. Tastes of plum, chocolate, coffee, soy sauce (I think this may have been due to the alcohol content?, dark fruits. VERY intense flavors. I do not think I could finish a bottle on my own if I really tried. Smelled amazing. Great experience. Could taste residual alcohol. I'm looking forward to tasting it after aging to see if these intense flavors mellow out.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 21:55:50 | More by Steigede

matttttYCE

Arizona

3.83/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Review #150! 2012 vintage from to stxSS07. Thanks again Matt! You're awesome.

Pour is pretty viscous, exceedingly black, light on the dark tan head that does form, quick for it to fade away, and the lace is basically non-existent.

Initially doesn't seem boozy at all, which I expected it to be, but it's certainly complex. Plenty of rich malty notes, charred malts to some extent, sweetness from the sugar, lots of dark fruit notes like figs plums raisins etc., black licorice, light molasses, hints of cola and soy sauce in the background. I expected more coffee. As it warms I do get some light coffee mixed with what I assume is the Mexican vanilla, but they're both light.

This is one damn big beer, that's for sure. Not just in alcohol content but in flavor and richnes/sweetness. I see what many people say when they refer to this as cloyingly sweet (but that's not stopping me from tackling this by myself). Anyways I'm getting tons of dark fruits, plums figs, port wine notes even, burnt brown sugar, currants, rich chocolate (almost bittersweet), molasses, cola, light coffee, and, like the nose again, some soy sauce.

Big, chewy body, viscous and oily consistency, mouth coating, carbonation is light, and the finish is very sweet, coats the throat, and leaves some more remnants of the taste sticking around for a bit.

Alright, maybe it was a bad idea trying to tackle this entire bottle myself, but go big or go home right? Anyways, I think my friend Paul (azdback) put it pretty well when describing this beer as "A must try but IMO not the holy grail." I found the combination of whatever they used in this that resulted in soy sauce notes that come out a bit more as it warms to be what didn't take this RIS to the upper tier of its class for me. Still complex, unique, and good in it's own right, just not holy grail quality, at least not this vintage currently. Perhaps it's much better with substantial age. Anyways, again a big thanks to Matt for this bottle! It has been something I've been wanting to try since I got into craft beer and heard about this beer. And I'm quite glad I did get to try it. Not so glad I didn't split this with another person though. Seriously, the mouthfeel is big and awesome but this is a tough one to tackle solo even for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 09:55:09 | More by matttttYCE

kevanb

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

2012 bottle, red wax. Review is from notes. Enjoyed on 9/8/2012

The beer pours a super thick and viscous texture, jet black in color with milder brown hues when struck by the light. A dark brown head makes a small appearance, thick tight bubbles, looks fantastic, but vanishes almost immediately, and at 15% it's not unreasonable, but I do wish it stuck around longer. A thin film hangs out on top of the beer and amasses around the rim of the glass. No lacing to speak of. The aroma is extremely sweet, with molasses, chocolate malts, licorice, anise and subtle tones of coffee, but the sweetness really takes over this aroma. The flavors are also very sweet, but there is more roast now than when it was served fresh. Molasses, licorice, lots of sweet chocolate, alcohol is present, there is some creaminess to this beer as well and the sweetness isn't a bad thing in that regard, roasted coffee does come out in the end, a big element that was missing fresh. Hints of charred chocolate and dark fruits are also beginning to show signs of life. The body is perfect, huge, rich, viscous and spot on for a massive RIS.

Verdict: It's a bold RIS and at 15% takes no prisoners. I ragged on this beer fresh in 2011 and again in 2012, but it's starting to come around and in 2 years, this will be great. 2009 is tasting extremely good right now and while it may be at it's peak, there is no doubt that this beer is well made and worth seeking out, but I'd have to recommend that you try it at various stages in it's life before making a snap judgement about it's merit.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 20:25:05 | More by kevanb

sukwonee

Washington

4.55/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage
Poured into Lost Abbey Teku glass

A: Black thick motor oil like body with quarter finger head that remains

S: Brown sugar, some dark fruit (cherries, apple), caramel

T: For those that mentioned below that it tastes like soy sauce - I do get your point, but guys, this is an awesome beer. Maybe all the negative comments lowered my expectation of this haha. I find this beer to be very delicious and unique. Maybe a tad bit on the sweet side. Alcohol taste is barely there.

M: Perfect. Syrupy, chewy, rich, and surprisingly not hot at all.

O: Awesome beer. I think this beer age tremendously. I would love the chance try its variations.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 02:54:14 | More by sukwonee

claspada

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Update: Sampled the 2006 version this past weekend (9/21/12) and it was exponentially better than the newer examples and it wasn't an age difference. The smaller batches of this were much better according to HimerMan who brought out this gem and I have no reason to challenge him; ramping up production of any beer will undoubtedly lower quality as with anything, food, beer or otherwise.

Pre-2007 Rating: 4.25 but I'm leaving the rating here to reflect newer examples as that is what most will find available.

Sampled the White Wax (2009) and the Yellow Wax (2011) back to back. I'll review the older vintage despite there being very little difference between the two.

Pours a deep dark viscous black color with a thin brown head that fades to leave some thin lacing on the glass.

Aromas begin with dark robust roasted malts, dark and milk chocolate and roasted coffee beans. As it warms I can get some of the dark fruit notes as well as the faintest note of hops.

The tastes follow the nose with some semi-sweet dark chocolate complemented by mild flavors of espresso and dark caramelized malts. The malt character is as hearty as you will find with a mild bitter hop presence. As it warms you get some of the dark fruits (prunes) and some emerging boozy alcohol. The flavors get increasingly sweet to the point of being a chore to finish.

The mouthfeel is extremely heavy bodied with light-to-medium carbonation. The finish is sticky and borders on being cloyingly sweet if not for the extreme roasted malts to add some dry character.

Overall, 5 years ago this may have been a revolutionary beer that may have deserved such high praise but in today's ever expanded craft beer world this is merely ordinary. Not that is is a bad beer but it's not one I particularly ever need to have again, especially with the limited bottle count and one day a year release in Indiana.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 20:08:39 | More by claspada

ControlledBurn

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2012 vintage shared by metempsychosis on 18 August 2012

Appearance:
Black as your ex-wife's heart with a very thin tan head

Smell:
Sugary, chocolatey, fruity

Taste:
Very cloying, hard to find much else to taste beyond the sweetness. Surprisingly not much alcohol taste to it for such a young big beer.

Mouthfeel:
Full body, but little carbonation, quite sticky feeling

Overall:
I wanted to like this beer, but its cloying taste was too much; I had to force myself to finish the 3oz glass I had. The sweetness overpowered everything in the brew and it was too one-dimensional because of it.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 19:52:59 | More by ControlledBurn