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

mattbing

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2008 vintage poured in Duvel tulip. This is my first time tasting Dark Lord.

A - dark and viscous, with a small chocolatey head.

S - I'm guessing most of the coffee has gone, this actually smells like sweet plum, chocolate, and a hint of vanilla.

T - Tastes much like it smells, very complex with contrasting flavors. The alcohol is well hidden.

M - Not as thick as I expected.

O - Not quite what I expected. Good, yes. Worth the hype? Meh. I'd rather stock up on CBS.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 19:20:07 | More by mattbing

Bowman2001

Michigan

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

Thick, viscous pour. Nearly no head. Smells boozy, sweet (vanilla, chocolate). I don't get as much roast and coffee in the smell as with other stouts. That's fine with me. The taste is fantastic. So much to process. Sweetness that seems to suggest chocolate, vanilla, molasses. Unlike many stouts, the roast is hidden. For that, I think this beer stands out a bit to me. Some licorice in there too. Yum. The booze will get you if you drink too fast but it certainly does not overtake the beer. It is well hidden, which is impressive for 15%. I love this beer and Dark Lord Day.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 23:20:25 | More by Bowman2001

Claytonbrewsby

Virginia

4.46/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I had a 2012 bottle of Dark Lord, aged roughly one year. Thick, caramel colored head. Very sweet and syrupy in taste, almost like molasses, also a slight hint of cherries. Dark brown in color. Alcohol is masked very well for something being 15 percent. Overall, a great brew, strongly recommended if you enjoy stouts.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 20:01:38 | More by Claytonbrewsby

Sigurd

New York

4.68/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to mudpuppet for splitting his with a few of us. This was a 2007.

A: Thick dark brown with a red hue on the very outside edge. No head at all.

S: Lots of molasses.

T: Even more molasses with a little maple. Very complex and very flavorful

M: Thick and sticky. Stays in your mouth for a long time after the beer is gone.

D: Heavy, but I could definitely drink a few of these. There's so much flavor and the alcohol doesn't feel like 13%.

All around excellent. If anything it's just a hair too sweet, but that's being nit-picky.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2008 02:42:30 | More by Sigurd

Munkaboo

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2010 Dark Lord (Green Wax):
Appearance: Black hole, with some chocolatey brown head.

Aroma: Like most imp stouts, but it smells a bit more candied. I don’t get any soy sauce notes like others do.

Mouthfeel: Motor oil slides around my mouth and coats it with goodness. I cannot fucking belive this is 15%. Wow is it smooth.

Taste: ~15 minutes out of the fridge: Damn. Sweetness hits up front… candied raisens, chocolate, coffee afterthought. Lots of residual sweetness that I was surprised by.
30 minutes: Roughly the same… coffee is coming in a bit stronger now though.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 02:44:59 | More by Munkaboo

scarnold8

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 bottle poured into a small glass, split amongst 3 good friends.

A - Thick and black/dark brown. Very thin dark brown/tan head.
S - Licorice, malt, and chocolate.
T - Coffee, smokey, chocolate malty-ness, and a bit of bitter alcohol/hops finish.
M - Heavy. Very thick and creamy, more so than expected for the style, but still good.
D - Not great, it's heavy and has a high alcohol content that makes it difficult to drink a bottle on your own, much less more.

The 2010 vintage is definitely better than the 2009 and redeems the Dark Lord name. It is a good RIS that demonstrates the expected coffee, licorice, malty, smokey smells and taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 04:58:51 | More by scarnold8

angrywolf

Illinois

3/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2011 release. Going from some notes after I had this beer for a second time.

A: Reminiscent of motor oil with a thin brown head.
S: Chocolate, molasses, some coffee
T: Brownies, some coffee, and I'm sorry, but this is a sweet and cloying-yes, cloying-beer. Cloying to the point where I couldn't wait to finish my glass. This is probably the sweetest imperial stout I've ever had. I'm glad I drank both bottles with other people. A positive is that you can't taste the 15% ABV.
M: Thick and viscious, in line with other high-ABV imperial stouts. Almost flat.

O - I'm a big fan of most of Three Floyds' other offerings. Their Dreadnaught, Artic Panzer Wolf, Zombie Dust, Gumballhead, Alpha King, etc., etc. are amazing, but I feel this beer is more hype than anything else. Maybe this is meant to be aged, but most truly great RIS I've had are still awesome when fresh. If you haven't had this beer yet, don't feel too bad, there are better out there, nothing special about this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 02:50:45 | More by angrywolf

hotmanflab666

New York

4.03/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

what can i say about the darklord, most look at this like a gigantic stout, which it is. but not the best of all of them, darklord is a very good but rough drink. very hot and strong rigid complex flavors, i drank out of brandy sifter. very good, just split the bottle with a friend

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 02:40:11 | More by hotmanflab666

nightwing002

California

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

22oz bottle shared with and provided by babanate poured into a tulip glass
 
a - poured oil black with a slight brownish/mocha head... sticky covering left on glass
 
s - intense aroma... chocolate, fruit, molasses, and slight alcohol
 
t - explosion of flavor in my mouth... way more than I was expecting from the smell... many layers of taste... chocolate, vanilla, cherry fruity, molasses, warm... super sweet... taste stayed on my lips for awhile
 
m - very thick almost syrupy... low carbonation... very rich... felt like a very heavy stout
 
d - this was a slow sipper for me... I can't imagine finishing a whole 22oz by myself... great smell and complex taste... the sweetness started to overcome me after awhile... I would definitely drink again, but like I said, not by myself...

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 23:18:18 | More by nightwing002

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

Ahappyhiker2

New Jersey

4.54/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2008 vintage, black wax. I've had Dark Lord fresh before, but never aged.

A- Black, thick, the yeast at the end of the pour is so thick it's crazy. There is small head on the beer that dissipates quickly.

S- Very, very sweet. I definitely picked up some molasses, and lots of chocolate. There is a slight hint of coffee, along with plums and raisins. Dark fruit comes out a lot just because of the bitterness and sweetness. The aroma is pretty boozy as well.

T- First sip is incredible. Unbelievably smooth, all of the booziness in the aroma is gone. Definitely has a dark chocolate/dark coffee kind of bitterness to it, in fact chocolate was the most distinct flavor for me. The aftertaste lingers for a while with lots of burnt chocolate notes. It gets sweeter as it warms up but surprisingly it's not as sweet as the 2012 vintage was last year.

M- Really thick, but what else would you expect? Honestly I think Dark Lord has the perfect mouthfeel for a stout. Chewy, but still has enough carbonation after 5 years of being in the bottle.

O- This was a real treat. I've heard before that 2008 is the best vintage, and just judging by having it fresh last year, I'd have to agree. It isn't overly sweet, it's crazy smooth, and all of the flavors I'd want in a stout are present. I wouldn't go after years 2009-2012 just from what I've heard, but this vintage is absolutely worth seeking out. Finally I found a non-barrel aged RIS that I enjoyed more than Marshal Zhukov's.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 16:52:37 | More by Ahappyhiker2

mdubzfrumpdubz

New York

4.8/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I am currently tasting my 2007 DL compared to the newly acquired 2008 DL. I have no idea how I left this one alone for a whole year, but I did. Let me tell you, one year certainly does wonders for this big boy.

- 2008 head is bigger and lasts longer
- Same appearance, although I see some yeast collecting at the bottom of the glass in the 2008
-2008 smells more smokey, coffee and alive....2007 smells ready, as if aged in a bourbon barrel.
- more of the same....more coffee smoke in 2008
-2007 is surprisingly smoother, barely any carbonation, 2008 is way more lively
-both are amazing, but definitely cannot have more than one.

If you have the chance to try different years side-by-side, definitely do, because it is awesome...

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2008 00:50:15 | More by mdubzfrumpdubz

21mmer

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

bottle purchased at DLD '08. poured into a stone IRS glass.

a- dark. dark as night. the most impenetrable darkness i have ever seen in a beer. pours with extreme viscosity...this beer glug, glug, glugs out of the bottle like syrup. little carbonation and a thin head of dark brown foam that quickly dissipates.
*note: at least the bottom inch of the 22 oz. bottle was sediment...pour with caution.

s- chocolate, prunes, toasty malt notes, molasses. lots going on with the nose of this beer.

t- this beer has BIG flavor...which, i suppose, shouldn't come as a suprise. nice balance of molasses/caramel sweetness and dark chocolate/hoppy bitterness. big toasted malty backbone. even with such bold flavors, you still get quite a bit of alcohol in the finish....not unpleasant, just present.

m- brilliant. just a beautiful, silky mouthfeel. coats your tongue like satin sheets.

d- this one is a sipper for sure. the 9 or 10 ounces that i consumed from this bottle was plenty for one sitting...especially since it was consumed as a post-thanksgiving dinner treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2008 17:29:15 | More by 21mmer

WPRebelFan

Mississippi

4.55/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

My first review, thanks for sharing Phil!

2008 bottle poured into pint glass

Appearance: Definitely one of, if not the thickest beer, I have ever poured out of a bottle. It even appeared to come out in lumps at some points. Blacker than black in color with a dark tan head that is no more than a quarter of an inch thick, which disappears quickly. Lacing is almost non existent.

Smell: Strong chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, malts, all of which smelled roasted.

Taste: Malts and hint of dark fruits come first along with a dash of anise and molasses. The dark chocolate and roasted coffee flavors follow in a very strong fashion. The slightest bit of alcohol finishes off the experience.

Mouthfeel: This was the most weird part of the beer for me. The beer was thick and very filling of course but it seemed to expand dramatically in the mouth. Not necessarily a bad quality but not that good either.

Drinkability: Unbelievably drinkable! Finished in no time at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2009 04:12:39 | More by WPRebelFan

Rogorama

Indiana

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

2012 DL on tap at the brewpub the day after DLD. Boy, was this a sweet one. Loads of sugar take over right away. Pours thick jet black with a tan frothy head. Intelligentsia coffee is always a good touch, too. Probably my least favorite of any DL's. That being said, it is still an awesome beer and very worth your while to try at least once.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2013 19:59:23 | More by Rogorama

Joethebeerpro

Georgia

4.74/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

750mL bottle in a sniffer. thank you Ben! 2011. Jet black with thick white head. Complex aroma of toffee, coffee, vanilla, malt. Thick mouthfeel. Sweet, complex taste of vanilla, caramel, chocolate, and toffee. Best beer I have ever had. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 06:09:27 | More by Joethebeerpro

Beerkovich

Illinois

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

2009 vintage (white wax)

My 40th bottle of Dark Lord in the last 4 years...it's about time I review this beer!

Appearance: Dump it vigorously into a cabernet glass and sit back and admire...wait a second...the bottle description wasn't lying--the incendiary head suddenly materializes out of empty space like a backdraft. Close-ups of this would make for a nice series on the Discovery channel. Markedly less head retention than the '08, as the mocha froth ultimately dissipates to an obsidian reflection of myself. Scary stuff. Looks like India ink, fading to burnt umber when you tip the glass in the light, and glowing red at the edges. Rock it back and forth and watch the wake of tiny red bubbles vanish into the black abyss.

Nose: Beguiling, mysterious, intriguing, beckoning, impossible, singular, addictive...smells like?...?.?..Dark Lord I guess. I like to swirl and smell this beer about 12 times before each sip, because it's a way of trying to understand the staggering complexity of this beer without losing any of it to your belly. It's very dense, and difficult to pull out specific aromas...cool coffee and juicy Floydian hops when it's cold--not unlike the new '09 Behemoth barley wine. As it warms to cellar temperature, you start to get more of the ripe dark fruit--cherry, plum, currant, whatever you want to call it--dipped in chocolate and molasses of course.

Flavor: Not unlike the aroma--tight and complex. This beer reminds me of a slowly braised meat, where a handful of awesome ingredients are slowly cooked together for hours until the end result is so integrated and the whole is entirely greater than the sum of its parts. In past DL vintages, you literally tasted a blast of hops, or coffee, or a metallic tinge, sticky caramel, or blatant cherries....here it's more of a nuanced enigma. And I don't mean this in a bad way. Choco-but-not-too-choco-latey-covered cherry-ish molassified espresso beanery port-like black tea roasted barley balsamic reduction??? Only thing lacking compared to previous vintages is a slight 'char' on the finish...but I don't even care.

Mouthfeel: Better than ever! The quick-fading head made me think they went back to '07 sludge-like texture....but NO! The carbonation is there, in perfect amount. The beer is just as heavy as its reputation now demands, but somehow it's smoother than ever...no sticky brown film on the glass, no mud at the bottom of the bottle, and no lump in your throat after the sip. It has shedded some excess fat. It's lean and trim, but still boasts the muscularity, power, and complexity it always had. Unreal.

Drinkability: You can drink a full bottle of this [slowly] before bed with some good music or a good movie, or you can split it with three friends on the back porch. But since this beer is meant to be sipped, savored, and pondered over, it is not 'drinkable' in the case-race sense. I do think it is perfectly drinkable in terms of its unique velvety texture and its impressive balance of complex flavors, always leaving you wanting another sip, and sad when it's all gone. Can't wait to try this one in a few months, or in 2014.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2009 05:45:16 | More by Beerkovich

Aimstatus

California

3.43/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: very dark motor oil appearance pours with a very dark head that dissipates soon after pour.
Smell: it smells like dark fruits, such as black cherries and burnt or smoked currents. Vaguely reminds of cherry cough syrup.
Mouthfeel: for a beer it has an odd texture to it. The dark liquid clings to your teeth and sides of your mouth leaving a prevalent film.
Taste: the first initial taste was mediciney if that makes sense. The smell and taste co inside it taste a bit like cough syrup, but better because then it turns amazing it is an overwhelming sensation of dark fruits and alcohol.
Drinkability: I don't think I could have one everyday , not that I wouldn't want to but after one glass I was a little buzzed.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2008 06:11:39 | More by Aimstatus

langept

Iowa

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

2009 bottle poured into a tulip glass

A: Black as sin. Not much head after an average pour. Leaves some lacing.

S: Roasted malt, chocolate, and candied fruits. Mostly figs & cherries.

T: Kind of a letdown. I usually like my russian imperials on the sweeter side, however this was much too sweet and fruity for my tastes. I wish the roasty, dark chocolate flavor came through a little stronger. Love the booziness

M: Mouthfeel is dead on for the style. Thick and viscous.

O: I am a little disappointed by this one. This is the first Dark Lord I've had, and from what I've read 2009 was an off year for this brew, but I was still expecting a bit more. That being said, this is still a great beer that I would be happy to have again.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 03:57:54 | More by langept

Blackboardbrewing

Minnesota

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

2011 vintage. Arm and a leg paid for!

Aroma: massive amounts of dark fruits, coffee, molasses, roasted good ness, & vanilla.

Appearance: pours like a bottle of valvoline! Jet black with no carbonation whatsoever!

Taste: figs, dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, etc! A lot going on here, def needs time to cellar!

Mouthfeel: no comment,A+

Overall: something that needs cellaring to mellow everything out! I'd kill for a barrel aged version of this...

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 09:10:06 | More by Blackboardbrewing

timjr2500

Texas

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First things first. This beer is not to be trusted, it will lead you to believe that you are more than just a mere mortal. In fact it may even have you believing you are some type of Lord of darkness yourself, but do not be deceived.

It pours like some kind of dark, mischievous syrup that springs forth from the dungeons of hell. It slides down the glass like its being drug back into the far reaches of the hell from which it came.

At just under room temperature it smells of sweet coffee and that traditional alcohol that all the best imperials have. But something really stands out in the nose beyond what other traditional stouts possess and it comes back to that sweet smell. It isn't overly steeped with coffee or smoke, it ironically leans towards the dainty side.

Any doubts you may have about the flavor, due to the unfair sweetness, are quickly diminished as the Lord oozes across your tongue. The perfect blend of molasses, slight coffee, and only the most purely demonic ingredients. SO pure in fact that they transform the beer into something more. So much more that you forget you're drinking a beverage designed to crush you like the mere mortal that you are. One bomber of this and you'll be speaking in tongues and selling your soul for another.

Pair this beer with red meat, human flesh, or .. whichever you prefer.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:00:52 | More by timjr2500

Mattys21

Massachusetts

4.95/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Really?

Are you sure this is classified as beer? Holy crap, what an experience...

A- Pours like motor oil with a minimum head...jet black all the way through.

S- raisins, molasses, brown sugar, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla.
T - Mother of God this tastes like the nectar of Gods...plums, dark chocolate, roasty toasty coffee, bourbon, big bold alcohol, vanilla, wow.

O- unreal. that's all. every person who enjoys big imp stouts needs to try this once in your life.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 20:59:41 | More by Mattys21

funkybuddha

Florida

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

I'm not one for reviewing, so all of my reviews will be of beers that I really enjoy. After all, I was taught at an early age that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. I know this doesn't make for interesting critiques but as a brewer I don't believe in criticizing someone's hard work, especially in a public forum where they can't defend themselves!

That being said, this is one of my all time favorites. I've done a few verticals of this one and feel that a year or two on this one, just takes an already perfect beer to another level. How this is 15% is beyond me. While I can feel if after a glass or three, you can't tell while sipping it. The mouthfeel is what I love the most about this brew. Heavenly. You feel like this one can be poured out and cut with a steak knife. Just pure thick, chewy greatness.

This beer gets an ungodly amount of hype that I feel is worth every word.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 22:09:21 | More by funkybuddha

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

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