Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout (Bourbon Barrel Aged)

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Munster, Indiana USA

Serve in Snifter

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22oz bottle, vintage 2012, thanks GT2. Minimal brown head that wholly dissipates, atop black body with brown edges. Aroma is moderately sweet, milk chocolate, some Bourbon, raisin. Taste is sweet, chococaramel, some Bourbon, raisin. Sticky full body, alcohol well contained.

UPDATED: JAN 26, 2013 31st May 2008. Big thanks to Kim Fett for hand bottling this and sending to the UK. Silky thick palate. Milk chocolate and subtle smooth roasted coffee. Subtle cherry and red fruit. All this and vanilla oak tones too! Lacks a bit of carbonation - probably due to the hand bottlling but nontheless a superb beer.

4th January 2013
THE stout tasting Pt1. Thanks a million to Jack for a chance at the bottled version (5/688). Opaque dark brown beer, good sized pale tan head. Softish palate, a little airy. Big sweet and rich dark malts pack a wallop. Trace of vanilla. Rich but mellow bourbon. Smooth finish with a little spice and mild warmth. Lovely.

Bottled. Huge thx to rfraga7 for trading this my topwant for several years. Pitch black coloured. Dense dark brown head. Aroma: Cocoa, roast, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, some coffee, molasses, brown sugar, vague liqourice. Flavour: Vanilla, chocolate, cofeee, cocoa, bourbon, molasses, brown sugar. Heavenly smooth and easy to drink. Full bodied. Ends smoothly roasted bitter. Wow. Need some more of this.

UPDATED: JUL 24, 2011 Re-rate of the 2011 Pappy Van Winkle version is much the same. Some nuances differ, but they’re minor at most.

Draft... DLD ’06...This beer rocks!... Pitch black ale with a mid-sized, creamy, light brown head. Great retention. The woodsy nose is of big bourbon, oak and light vanilla. Heavy bourbon, chocolate, light molasses, coffee and several other "dark" things in the flavor. Full-bodied and super creamy with lively carbonation. Finishes rich, boozy and very drying. Hot, but superb!

A gift from the brewer to Greg (through Kiva), who gave him a case for free with the stipulation that he give it away at his bar. Best beer of the night. Dark ruby brown with no head. Aroma of roasted chestnuts and cherry liquer. Flavor of chocolate covered brandied cherries. Amazing.

Poured a dark black with reddish/brown edges and an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of wood, bourbon, chocolate, roast and dark fruits, Tastes of wood, stronger bourbon, vanilla, roast, chocolate, brown sugar, espresso, and molasses. Medium alcohol finish. I do like bourbon so I enjoyed the bourbon quality to this.

UPDATED: JUN 28, 2009 Draft at DL brewpub. And wow. Black wtih a light brown head. Bourbon rules! Chocolate, prunes, coffee, roast, fruit, oak,you name it its there. Flavor is full of roast, chocolate, coffee, cherries, bourbon, oak, and more! WOW!

On tap at DL day ’06: Pours a very viscous motor oil opaque with a nice, thin-lacing dark tan head. Rich, sweet, toasty complex dark caramel aroma has lots of dark fruity and chocolate bourbon oaky balance. Body starts incredibly full, thick, and viscous with lots of sweet sticky dark caramel and chocolate malts. Hints of vanilla and plenty of bourbon oaky balance and complexity. Finishes sticky, sweet and lingering with some warmth, dark chocolate, and coffee. Barrel-aged just the right amount of time. I think this is officially my new favorite beer of all time, but I don’t know if I could drink more than 12oz of it at one sitting.

Bottle #5/688 at The Stout Tasting, London - big, big thanks to Jack for providing THREE Munster beasts. Pours black-brown with a fine beige foam head. Big dark malt nose, dark berries, charred wood. Huge sweet flavor with notes of licorice, prunes, syrupy chocolate, molasses, dark cherries. Full bodied with fine carbonation. Warm to hot finish with dark sugars, big molasses, rich dark fruits, dates, figs, more sticky chocolate. Pretty outrageous stuff, but in small doses I love it. Delicious.

A: The pour is viscous and black with just a bit of tan foam around the edge of the glass. S: A definite oak and bourbon presence to the nose without the intense sweetness Dark Lord usually has. Certainly some sweet chocolate and vanilla with a bit of dark fruits. T: The oak aging gives this one a bit of a tannic character and some bitterness that the original does not exhibit. The bourbon, vanilla, and oak flavors are quite strong but still allow the chocolate, roast, licorice, and dark fruits to show. M: The body is thick and chewy with a low, smooth carbonation. D: I like this one much better than Dark Lord. The oak aging here has helped to balance the beer out and mitigate the overwhelming sweetness.