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

Gary779

South Africa

4.7/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

'09 Bottle, White Wax

A: The beer pours with a nearly black stream, which forms a coffee crema coloured head that sadly shows little retention. The beer itself is very dark with burgundy edges that turns golden on the very edge. Left no lace.

S: Amazing. A smooth blend of fresh oranges, chocolate (both sweet and dark), musk, aniseed, dark caramel, soy sauce, mint and cedar wood. And those are the main smells I could pick out. The rest of the smell body is made up of a mellow blend of alcohol and other pleasing flavours.

T: The taste is a direct compliment to the smell, including all elements, but being more bitter. A sip finishes off with the distinct taste of Lindt 85% chocolate. Alcohol presence is a tad high.

M: Carbonation is very smooth. Body is medium to heavy (I was expecting heavier), and the beer has quite a sticky feel to it.

O: This is a beer that comes highly acclaimed, and is one of the only ones I have tasted that actually lived up to its name.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 15:09:41 | More by Gary779

heysuz

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Intro: 22 oz. bottle. Served in a tulip glasses. Shared among a group of 4.

Appearance: Dark Brown nearly black, opaque, minimal head that receded rather quickly, sparse lacing.

Smell: Dark roasted fruits, chocolate, molasses or caramel. The aroma leads one to expect a heavy dark brew.

Taste: Malty, thick sweet caramel and coffee. Surprisingly, not as thick and heavy as one would expect. Sweet on the front end with an alcohol finish.

Mouthfeel: Typical RIS. Thick, low carbonation.

Overall: In comparison to others like Abyss, CBS, KBS, etc. I would rate it behind those. It was enjoyable at the time but not memorable weeks or months later. It’s a very good beer but there are a lot of stouts I would rather seek out as I mention above.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 20:31:25 | More by heysuz

DovaliHops

California

2.43/5  rDev -43.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

2009 Vintage...I have been waiting for a long time to try this beer. Pours a VERY THICK, motor-oil black with minimal-to-no head. Scent is VERY VERY sweet...with some off-putting soy sauce aromas. I also pick up some lovely chocolate and brandy aromas, along with molasses and dark malt. Slight vanilla. Taste is...WOW...disappointing to say the least. Overly sweet...a ton of sugar, burnt sugar and malt. Lots of toffee with candied dark fruits and more sweetness. Slight soy sauce flavor. Mouthfeel is very thick, like motor oil, and hardly any carbonation. Drinkability is fair...but can only have a small serving of this. Overall, this was not nearly as good as I was hoping for. It's not too often that I go against the hype, but this was just not a good beer IMO. The sweetness is overpowering and just makes for a bad experience. Will definitely not be trading for any more of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 06:52:00 | More by DovaliHops

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired from GBVDave in our first trade over a year ago when I so did not have the fire power to land this so big THANK YOU goes out to him!
1200 review here...
2010 Green wax on this bad boy
Consumed after a horrid, horrid day (2/4)....Had to somehow find the right way to drown my super bowl loss...

A: This beer pours a deep dark brown.. No head at all to this one. Minimal wisps of lacing left on the glass... But they are gone right quick.

S: Nose is dark fruit - raisin and plum, vanilla, and licorice.

T: Taste is sweet at the forefront... Caramel and toffee mingled with raisin, plum and a bit of grape. Vanilla comes in with a toffee sweetness. Bitter chocolate comes in the finish with a hint of coffee in the aftertaste. The raisin flavor also comes through a bit.

M: Heavier side of medium body, lower carbonation, crisp at the forefront, and light slickness in the finish.

O: Goes down easy, pretty tasty, not as filling as I expected, pretty good representation of style. I expected more from this beer in all honesty. I love stouts and this just .... Wasp above average but not the end all be all that I thought.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 05:48:01 | More by Jayli

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from 2009 with white wax. I've been sitting on this one for a while.

Poured from the body a "none more black" black with just the slightest hint of a tan head.

Huge chocolate aroma along with vanilla and molasses. After three years of aging I still pick up a touch of booze.

The taste is quite malty with chocolate, vanilla, raisin, and what I can only describe as soy sauce. Finished with a lingering note of roasted malts. The 15% alcohol has mellowed quite a bit.

Full bodied and very creamy with a very light carbonation.

A very interesting and enjoyable RIS to say the least.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 00:10:40 | More by Monkeyknife

drowland

Florida

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

22oz bottle shared by my older brother. Of course deep black and a big old brown head. The aroma is raisins, molasses, a bit of soy, and a hint of roast. The flavor is sweet raisins, maple syrup, and a subtle but wonderful dose of chocolate and smooth coffee. The coffee lingers nicely and the beer is extremely smooth despite a hint of alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 21:48:13 | More by drowland

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.98/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Recently opened '08-'11 vintage. Cummulative review.

Pours dark brown almost black with a minimal dark brown head fading quickly. '08 left perfect sludgy lacing down the glass. Other vintages not so much.

Aroma is sugary sweet and roasty. A ton of molasses and heavy caramel almost syrup like.

Taste is also a malt bomb most years. All start out thick with molasses and brown sugar followed by roasted malt/coffee characteristics finishing slightly bitter.

Incredibly thick mouthfeel. Cloyingly sweet for the most part with medium-low carbonation. Diabetes in a bottle although the alcohol is pretty well hidden.

The '08 is one of my favorite stouts and has been for a while. Every '08 I've had over the past year has been phenomenal. The others not so much. The '09 may be one of the worst I've had as it's sweetness is on a whole new level. Hopefully one of these upcoming years they go back to the '08 recipe which is more balanced in favor of the overly sweet recent vintages. I'm hoping age will do some good yet on the '10 and '11, but the '09 is a lost cause.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 16:43:49 | More by jmarsh123

vandemonian

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Three Floyds Dark Lord Imperial Stout is a delicious and deceptively subtle Russian imperial stout. The smell is an awful mess, but the taste is delicious!

A: Black colour and a brown head that fades to nothing very quickly. 3.5

S: Sweet caramel and autolysed yeast. 3.5

T: Malty, thick with sweet subtle caramel and coffee flavours. Lovely mild flavour. I expected it to more aggressive. A pleasant surprise. 4.5

M: Thick and foamy. 4.5

O: 4

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 02:55:50 | More by vandemonian

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2011 vintage (yellow wax). Thanks to aguirre for the trade. Celebrating passing my oral qualifying exam for my graduate program with my first bottle of this big stout.

Pours very dark brown, essentially black but lighter and clear at the edges. Minimal medium brown head, fades fairly quickly, little lacing. Looks like a big bad stout.

Smell is sweet and roasty. A lot of things about this beer remind me of molasses, and the smell is where it's most prominent. A bit of coffee in the background. I can tell from the smell that a lot went into this beer. Definitely on the (very) sweet side, but it's not at all off-putting in the smell. Great complexity. Wow.

Taste doesn't do it for me quite so much. Feels less integrated than the smell. A heavy dose of syrupy sweetness leads the way, followed by some nice roasty flavors (coffee). Comes on slightly bitter at the end, like char, though it may just be the alcohol kicking in.

Mouthfeel is what a RIS should be. Thick and heavy, with only enough carbonation to remind me that the yeast were once chewing up all those sugars in there. Kinda like drinking syrup... delicious syrup.

This beer is a kick in the teeth. Sweet and syrupy, with enough weight and strength to do some damage. Alcohol is shockingly well hidden. No ABV on the bottle, so I wasn't sure - shocked that it's 15%. The smell and flavors are impressively complex, but I could do with better integration, especially in the taste. One of the better imperial stouts I've had, though.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 04:43:34 | More by zeledonia

mindspin315

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage - Yellow Wax

Poured a nice thick deep tan head and a dark body. Good amount of lacing and legs.

Big, boozy, and sweet aroma. Heavy on the dark fruits. Figs, raisins, chocolate, roasted/burnt malts, molasses, peat, maple syrup, faint nail polish remover, and anise. Not detecting a whole lot of coffee...thought I'd get a big dose of that especially since it was brewed with coffee. This bottle is almost a year old so the coffee aroma may have faded...never had it fresh though.

I'll start out before I even talk about the taste that the feel and drinkability for 15% is quite impressive. Sweet syrupy molasses coats the palate right away and sticks around all the way through the finish. Getting a touch of the coffee in the flavor which I wasn't picking up in the aroma. Not a huge dose of coffee but detectable. Flavors of dark sweet chocolate, molasses, chocolate coated cherries, toffee, and anise on the tip of the tongue. Full bodied, medium-low carbonation (the density causes the carbonation to not come through as much), and smooth velvety mouthfeel. The alcohol is not coming through at all...for such a high alcohol beer it is quite impressive. Even though it comes at the expense of the sweet sugary mouthfeel/flavors.

All in all Dark Lord masters much of what it looks out to accomplish. Although some of the complaints of this beer are warranted. It is a bit to sweet and a lot of the components get masked by it. Even with the couple of complaints it still is a very solid RIS. It definitely ups the notch on what a RIS can be. The mouthfeel is very enjoyable and Dark Lord definitely drinks like no other. Needs to get the sweetness in order and this would be a damn near perfect beer.

[93/100]

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 08:57:26 | More by mindspin315

jamescain

Texas

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

Poured into a sniffer 2010 vintage, thanks to jl28r1 for sharing this one!

When you pour this beer you will notice how viscous it looks. Black without a trace of light seeping though topped off with a thin brown head that leaves a ring around the center. The smell is roasted grain, chocolate, molasses, vanilla, and caramel, surprisingly no alcohol. The first sip confirms that this is a thick beer, full bodied with medium-low carbonation. Not as sweet as I was expecting and definitely not as boozy as I was expecting. Molasses, chocolate, roasted grains and caramel are the predominate flavors. Mostly roasty. Its still pretty sweet, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Definitely a great beer, but is it worth everything to get one, I would say no, but I would never turn one down either.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 22:10:19 | More by jamescain

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.6/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for the opportunity (twice)

Review adapted from notes taken 4/3/11

Note: My 250th BA Review

2010 edition (green wax)

Appearance: Blacker than black, nothing but darkness - pours heavy, with a brown head - sticky lacing

Smell: Top tier - a glorious laundry list of aromas including: burnt malts, molasses, dark chocolate, chocolate malts, coffee, vanilla, dark fruits, brown sugar, and some alcohol - complex, intense, ridiculous

Taste: Somewhat obscene (in a mostly good way) - tons of burnt bitterness, but also tons of sweetness - malts are burnt and roasted, but have a lot of depth - a number of flavors going on here, as the aroma suggests - chocolate, coffee, vanilla, dark fruits, licorice, and more - the flavors are powerful enough to generally overshadow the alcohol

Mouthfeel: Incredible feel - very thick (but not too thick) with an interesting alcohol bite - just enough carbonation to prevent this from becoming sludge

Overall: Take your time with this monster

My first encounter with this beer absolutely blew my mind; I thought it earned a solid 5/5 across the board. Unfortunately, about 6 months later I had this at a blind RIS tasting and I bashed the sample for being excessively sweet. This experience makes me believe that Dark Lord is so ridiculous that it is hard to compare to others of the style. In isolation, this is a very special beer.

Update 2012 bottle: Many thanks to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing yet another one of these. Sadly, this vintage is lacking charm. It's a sugary, syrupy mess. I would dramatically decrease my score, but I would like to think that the 2010 version was actually good.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 05:59:08 | More by angrybabboon

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle of the 2011 vintage, thanks to Dobby. This one was taken out of the fridge about 20 minutes before I opened, and poured into my Duvel tulip.

Three Floyds Dark Lord pours a black so complete that I think the lights flickered when I popped the cap off. The light tan head can't quite reach two fingers in height, before the foam quickly dies away and leaves a largely clean glass behind. The nose is a little weak (although switching to a snifter for the second half of the bottle did help), and it's a little bit different from what one normally finds in a Russian Imperial Stout. Rather than chocolate and/or coffee, the aroma is redolent of molasses, licorice, and cherries and currants. The flavor doesn't have that same dull edge to it, and also manages to incorporate some more traditional imperial stout elements. A brief flash of dark chocolate opens things up for a molasses/licorice/brown sugar middle that really serves as th centerpiece of the beer. A mild coffee note then slides into dark fruity finish (those same cherries and currants). It's varied and complex, and if the roasty grain flavors were a little more prominent, I'd say it was perfect. The mouthfeel here is one of, if not the chewiest I've ever encountered. The body is as rich and viscous as it gets, and carbonation is barely, if at all appreciable. It's just too heavy and syrupy in the end to be good. Darklord is one of the tastiest stouts I've ever enountered, and is especialy smooth alcohol-wise for a relatively fresh 15% stout. The brewing process could stand to be tightened up though, as from a couple technical standpoints this beer falters a little bit.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 05:54:23 | More by axeman9182

travMI13

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From tasting notes 1/21/11, with fellow BA'a AngryNucleus and BeRanger. Beer #6 of the night.

2011 vintage, yellow wax. 6 oz. pour into a Founders snifter.

A: Black with a lot of red hues. A half-inch of off-white head sitting atop motor oil. Beautiful.

S: Such an odd combination for the nose: pepper-jack, chocolate, and maybe some soy sauce.

T: Chocolate and chili powder. This reminds of chili or good mole sauce. There is so much going on in here that it's tough to pick all of the flavors out. For a 15% beer, where is the booze? It's concealed well by the dominant peppery flavor.

M: Sticky, sweet, and full. This really is like motor oil. It coats the mouth fully.

O: Dark Lord is unlike any imperial stout I have ever had. I have had the 2011 3 times now, and it confuses my taste buds every single time. I am not afraid to admit that I don't fully get this beer. All I know is that I enjoy it's unique flavor profile and the challenge that it provides every time I drink it.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 20:11:59 | More by travMI13

BeRanger

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from a yellow wax 2011 bottle into a snifer.

A: Pours jet back with a light rim of off-head head. A little bit of lacing but not much.

S: Pepper, Chocolate, Roasted Malts.. I can't single out a lot of the smells here, kind of interesting.

T: Outstanding, it's such a unique RIS. I can't believe this is 15% let alone an imperial stout. So much going on - chocolate, roasted malts, pepper, vanilla, and dark fruits. The taste is very sweet.

M: Medium body, light carbonation.

O: This was a very interesting and outstanding RIS. Such a unique flavor, it was great to try.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 05:08:23 | More by BeRanger

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.18/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2010, green wax, 22 oz bottle, sampled with the four 2011 barrel variants.

Pours a thick, opaque black with a thin, transient dark mocha head. Boozy and hot aroma of chocolate and coffee, slightly fruity, minimal roast. Flavor is similar, bordering on too sweet with a slight bitter finish; light fruit notes under the strong and syrupys chocolate and coffee malt. Thick, viscous, chewy body with low carbonation and a hot finish. First time trying to a regular Dark Lord (not sure why I never opened a bottle before) and enjoyed this more than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 16:01:39 | More by yourefragile

dogfishandi

New York

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

big thanks to lurchingbeast for sending this my way!

2011 vintage. 22oz capped and waxed bottle, a little above fridge temp poured into a snifter.

pours out completely opaque black. a small mocha colored head that quickly settles to a thin ring. lots of thick legs and a bit of lace from a swirl of the glass.

very interesting, unique aroma. very different than your average impy stout. lots of complexity. sweet molasses, dark fruits, a very unique earthiness, almost vineous or grape like, caramel. alcohol is there, but never overpowers. also some vanilla, cherries, and a touch of maple sweetness.

the taste is much like the aroma, yet even more complex. very sweet. lots of that earthiness from the aroma, after a bit in the glass it almost takes on a slight meaty smoke flavor. big, sweet, thick molasses, dark chocolate covered dark fruits, sweet caramel, vanilla, burnt sugars all meld together so nicely to create such a wonderful unique tasting stout. alcohol is there, but again is never overpowering.

huge body, thick and sticky. viscous. syrupy, but totally in a good way. low carbonation.

one of the most complex beers ive ever had, which made it tricky to review. there is lots i dont even have words for. one of a kind, this tasted not even remotely close to any stout ive had before.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 03:02:31 | More by dogfishandi

trxxpaxxs

New York

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

Huge thanks to dogfishandi for splitting this bottle. 2011 vintage.

A: Pours out an oily black mess of a beer. This is a little bit of mocha foam that settles quickly and leaves a nice ring along the edges of my glass. Zero lacing as it drinks.

S: I'm picking up notes of raisins, alcohol, vanilla, caramel, and some sort of earthiness. There is an Intelligentsia Coffe logo on the dise of the bottle, but I'm not pulling out much coffe in the nose.

T: This beer is crazy sweet. Wow. I've definitely never had a Russian Imperial Stout with such a unique flavor profile. I get big sweet right away (plums and raisins). But then I get some burnt, charred, oaky vanilla beans. There is an ever so slight sourness/booziness to these beer that just makes it absurdly complicated. This beer is something. That's for sure.

M: Full bodied beer. This brew is really cloying. It coats the palate, and refuses to let go until well after the glass has gone dry.

O: This beer is really good. My only problem with it is that I don't exactly know how to judge this beer. It's super sweet, super complicated, super wacky. I like it, but the sweetness is a bit much for my liking. I'm super thankful to have finally had a chance to try this. Now we'll have to rock the vertical.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 00:01:53 | More by trxxpaxxs

Heischman

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First I need to send a super thank you Mr Mike in IN for the greatest Xmast Gift ever!
Beer/Brewery - The Dark Lord 2011 – 3 Floyds
City/State- Munster, Indiana
STYLE – Russian Imperial Stout
ABV – 15%
IBU – Unknown
DATE – 03 JAN 2012
SERVING TYPE – 22 oz Bomber Wax (Yellow) Dipped
GLASSWARE – Small Snifter
APPEARANCE –Dark Brown almost black with no light passing through, Very Little head
AROMA- Boozy and chocolaty
TASTE – Sweet but with a roasted bitterness, such a well proportioned balance it is UN real! Hints of a dried fruit as well maybe raisin or date, or eve prune.
MOUTHFEEL – Nice thickness that a stout should have, and so smooth.
CONCLUSION – Truly a once in a life time brew! Again I thank MR MIKE for the most wonderful Xmas gift ever!
-JH-

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 22:51:00 | More by Heischman

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2010 vintage (green wax). Big shout out to Aaron for turning me on to this epic, highly sought after RIS.

Pours an opaque anthracite color with a subdued head and minimal lacing. Very ominous.

Complex melange of aromas: coffee, chocolate, bourbon, burnt caramel.

Opens with roasted coffee and dark chocolate that morphs into double fudge. Thick and chewy mouthfeel. Lightly carbonated and velvety smooth. Flavors of black licorice and anise surface, before moving into a decidedly sweeter middle of burnt brown sugar and black strap molasses. Finishes with a flourish of bourbon.

Awesome stuff! At 15%, ABV is unbelievably concealed. Aged vintage obviously helped the taste profile. One of the few Three Floyds offerings that actually lives up to its hype.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 18:09:08 | More by CaptainIPA

doughanson78

Washington

4.85/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle poured into a snifter. 2011 vintage (yellow wax). Drank New Years 11-12. Huge thanks to Phelps in the Tickers BIF!

A: Pitch black. Just a wisp of a head that doesn't stay at all. Very little lacing. But I really didn't expect none from this. Still beautiful.

S: Big nice blend of bourbon, dark fruits, dark chocolate, roasted dark coffee, butterscotch, vanilla, hints of tobacco. Amazing and complex.

T: Dark chocolate upfront. Pretty sweet. Dark fruits, vanilla, butterscotch, roasted malts, and slight coffee. Touch of alcohol in the finish, but for 15% it isn't much. One of the best, if not #1, RIS's I've tasted.

M: Thick and full bodied. Super creamy and smooth. Very light carbonation, verging on none.

O: Amazing beer! Can only imagine one aged a few years. Might just have to trade for one. One of the best beers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 20:27:17 | More by doughanson78

beagle75

Iowa

3.6/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber into a goblet.
2010 vintage

A: Opaque black color with a peripheral ring of beige bubbles. No lacing remains on the glass.

S: Toasted brown sugar, slightly spirituous bourbon, syrupy dark chocolate, tannic vinous fruit, and savory teriyaki sauce.

T: Begins very sweet, with rustic treacle, whiskey reduction, and aggressive carbonic acidity. The middle sees a decline from some of the excessive early sweetness as roasted malt stands out more on its own. Other layers emerge, including bitter chocolate, vanilla, copper, dried plums, and cola. Acidity finally clears out during the earthy and woody finish that is also joined by licorice as the beer warms. Alcohol casts a boozy shadow throughout the flavor profile, and lingers on the palate.

M: Thick viscosity, heavy and acidic on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: This popular imperial stout displays a host of appropriate features, yet none stand out as really being superior or defining in a positive way. Despite the hype that surrounds it this beer is relegated to second tier status, with the largest offense committed by the abundant acidity that is tasted and felt. It suggests a particularly naughty version of Dr. Pepper--a sort-of highball prepared with bourbon and a dash of Hershey's syrup. Considering the amount of effort (and perhaps cash) required to land this beer, it just doesn't seem worthwhile.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 17:20:08 | More by beagle75

brstls4drmrs

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a thick black as night color with a brown sugar colored froth. Some good lacing occurs and sits more between the brew and the glass as opposed to on top.

S - Dark fruits (fig, raisin, date) galore with hints of dark chocolate and perhaps nougat with some molasses. Very pleasing scent.

T - Dark fruits, little coffee and dark chocolate, and some hints of booze in there too. Its not overpowering which is nice. Just a great blend of scents and taste on this one.

M - A very smooth texture with mild carbonation. Almost feels like silk swimming around in your mouth erupting an explosion of flavors.

O - A very nice RIS. More please.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 04:02:56 | More by brstls4drmrs

AdvocateFan

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

So here we are, Christmas 2011… 786 days after receipt of this bottle, a gift the night before my wedding from one of my groomsmen, I prepare to drink my first sips of Dark Lord. This is the 2007 bottling, picked up by my friend at Dark Lord Day 2007, which took place April 28th. So, it’s been 1702 days since it was picked up, or about 4.66 years. The cap opens with a small pffft, not surprising, though I’m concerned since it’s wax-dipped (silver) so I expected no oxidative damage or air leakage. The head starts about ¼" thick, and it is vocal, snapping and crackling like a cindering log. It’s got a coagulated blood red hue to the deep brown color. Ok, maybe more mahogany, but the ruddy hues are unexpected. The beer coats the side of the glass in a brown, tobacco-juice like layer, and has a cola-like appearance. The coating layer is like looking through vintage negatives… The beer is not pitch black, it’s a dark brown, but it looks like coke at the edges. The smell is, of course, deeply malty. Reminds me a bit of bourbon, but without the booze. Some serious mash… Cherry undertones, and lots of port and madeira wine taking charge of the nose. Plums are in there, as are some of the strongest, “freshest” raisin notes I’ve ever picked up from a beer. Fresh out of the box CA-raisins. Really prominent. Fig newton filling pretty robust as well. I get a bit of box board, and paper, hopefully that isn’t an oxidation issue. I get almost no alcohol notes, which is just nuts at 13%+ABV. Ah, as it warms, and I swirl, the booze does get coaxed out. But much deeper and below the surface than anticipated. Slight burnt note, some chocolate, almost no coffee. It’s big-time madeira style. Crazy. Oh wow, first sip down… it is thick! Very thick. I can feel the weight of it hit my stomach. My word, this is nice. Extraordinarily mellow, considering how big and bold a beer this is. Chocolate comes out quite a bit on the palate, more so than I would have expected from the nose. There are no burnt notes, nothing scorched, just thick, almost milky chocolate and cocoa. A bit of mocha flavor as well. Lots of molasses in the fade. Suggestions of black licorice and a splash of vanilla emerge, but its amazingly port- and madeira-like. It’s rich without being sweet or at all cloying. Coats my front teeth in a way that makes me fear they’ll be permanently stained. But the good Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to try this beer, and I’ll embrace the risk. Finishes with a bit of charcoal and chalky dryness, which is a nice shift as the palate is dried out after all the rich maltiness, and, well, 'refreshed' is not the right word, but 'readied' for the next sip sounds about right. A very nice experience. Wish I had tried it fresh and had something to baseline it against, but it is quite a nice beer at nearly 5 years old and a very rewarding experience. Merry Christmas to me!!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 03:44:59 | More by AdvocateFan

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

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

Enjoying Christmas Eve with my family, and my cousin Kevin was nice enough to share a bottle of 2011 vintage with me. Thanks again Kevin, I've been wanting to try this for a long while now.

Poured out of the 650 ml bottle into a couple snifters.

A) As I expected it was black and it did have that motor oil look, I've heard so much about. There was a thin layer of tan colored head, that dissipated quickly. Not much lacing, but it was enjoyable just swirling this around in the snifter, checking out the viscosity.

S) Initially a malt induced sweetness filled my nostrils, followed by some booze. There was definitely coffee and dark chocolate too. It was a well balanced aroma.

T) The taste was also sweet, but not overly so. There is roasted malt, caramel, coffee, dark fruits, and bitter dark chocolate. The favors are well layered and in harmony. You can pick up a little of the booze, but considering the ABV, it is well hidden and easy to sip on.

M) Full bodied may be a slight understatement. This one is pretty thick, and light on the carbonation. This beer just coats your entire mouth. It is velvet smooth. I guess this type of mouthfeel isn't for everyone, but I was quite impressed.

O) I really enjoyed this 2011 vintage, and am thankful my cousin put in the effort to acquire a few bottles. I must admit to being somewhat skeptical about this beer going into the tasting, especially given the hype. It lived up to the hype in my opinion, and I found it quite impressive. I would be thrilled to sample some of the other vintages, and remain hopeful that I can attend Dark Lord Day, one of these years.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 07:16:23 | More by RoamingGnome