Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout

Thanks to JMFG for finally getting me a taste. It was worth the wait. 2007 vintage. Both aroma and flavor have some amazing complexity with chocolate, raisins and vanilla flavors dominating. The alcohol is almost non-existent in the flavor, as the other flavors mask it very well. This is a delicious beer.

2007 bottle. silver wax, thanks to the cheeseman for hooking me up with this! i’ve been waiting years!! Pitch black pour, this beer is like a black hole, no light will escape. Crazy thick, this is really old motor oil. Aroma is LOADED with burnt malt, soy sauce, sweet chocolate, cocoa powder, touches of coffee, and some dark brown sugar. Flavor is sweeeeeeeeeeet, with some notes of coffee, and lots of sweet malt. this is not as bitter as i expected, its quite balanced between the sweetness, and the bitterness. What an amazing beer, a true curl up and sip beer. i love it, and i wish it would never end. This is really true to the hype!!!!! Im in love!

2007 bottle from a trade with footbalm. Thanks again. Poured ultra dark brown, bordering on black with a scant head that was somewhere between brown and orange. No lacing, but a thin layer of what looked like crystallized brown sugar formed on the inside of the glass. The aroma was thick rich cake batter chocolate. The only other time I remember smelling chocolate that thick was in Sam Adams Triple Bock. Cinnamon, light coffee and some hops as well. The flavor was chocolate, cinnamon and as it opened up, some piney, earthy hops. Lots of sugar present. The mouthfeel was thick yet drinkable. 13% ABV was expertly hidden. It’s a big beer. I don’t know that it’s the best beer.

(666) Bottle courtesy of BlackForestCO. Pours black, absorbing all light, putting forth a small, chocolate head that recedes quickly to nothing like it was pulled back into the depths of Hell. Wow, what a nose. Huge nose of dark fruit, raisin, plums, dates, lots of rich, dark chocolate with notes of fresh pouch tobacco and alcohol. Mouth feel = Epic Win! Thick, viscous and oily slick, almost velvety. Taste is chocolate, raisin, fig, plum, roast, alcohol warmth with a Hersey Kiss finish and after. Slightly bitter at the end. Very sweet, just shy of cloying, which may balance out a bit with age, but for a mouth feel like this, I’ll deal. A freaking fantastic beer. Totally worth the hype. Wow. Thanks so much, Jake, for the hook up.

From bottle courtesy of dpjuart. 2008 vintage. Yowzah! Rich and malty aroma with chocolate, coffee, and light oak. Vinuous, soy sauce, chocolate. Freakin’ amazing. Really nice aroma that lasts and lasts. Dark black body, topped with thin tan head. Viscous oily heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays incredibly sweet, with viscous rich malty character- chocolate, coffee, light oak, vanilla and caramel. Alcoholic warming. Incredibly flavorul and a bit too sweet. Aftertaste is like a Hershey’s Kiss with light bitter hoppy character. This is a really fine brew with incredible flavors and profiles. My only negative critique is that it is a bit too sweet, and I’d love to have it a few years from now.

2007 Vintage. Shared with 4 friends. Appearance : Thick black motor oil like consistency. Slight 1 finger or so foam, delayed. Beer leaves a brown coating on the glass instead of legs. Aroma: coffee, caramel, roasted malts. Taste: Coffee, chocolate, caramel. A slight burn in my throat. Mouthfeel: the thickest most viscous beer I have had. Very syrupy. Liquid glaze. Drinkability. I would have a hard time finishing this bottle by myself. It’s too thick to be very drinkable. Serving type: bottle

2005 bottle split with a couple friends. Initial smell from the bottle was very good. Appearance was dark black with a small tan head that faded fast. There really was not one distinct flavor that I could pick out. The flavors really seemed melded together. The mouth-feel was viscous, sticky, and thick. The alcohol was completely hidden, maybe the aging helped. Overall, this is a really good beer but don’t get caught up in the hype. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 05-07-2007 15:52:03

05,07,08 vertical at bockhorsey’s pad. Pours oily black with a faint brown ring of foam in each vintage. The 05 was brimming with the aroma of dark fruits, predominantly cherry, and strong notes of black licorice and baker’s cocoa in the flavor. The 07 poured like maple syrup. Frighteningly thick. Loaded with hershey’s syrup and floral red grapes. Next to the others, the 08 was by far the most balanced, with equal notes of baker’s cocoa, roasted coffee, dark fruits, and slight lactose. Based on this vertical, I would drink this fresh instead of aging it, as the result seems to deconstruct the balance.