Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout

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

2007 on tap at DLD. Don’t get me wrong - this is an awesome IRS. Full of coffee, toffee, and molasses flavors. Excellent stuff. But is it worth the hype? I’ve had others that were better, ones that are available year round, and in four packs. Still, its a great Impy Stout. Pours black with minimal head. Goes down very smooth and very quickly - dangerous too because it will hit you. After sharing a 2008 - the new recipe is better, more dry, less sweet. ON SECOND ANALYSIS: They changed the recipe for 2008. It’s much better, less sweet, more coffee, more dry. In short, yummier. It’s still not worth the hype, but it’s better than 2007. 2009 - Much more bitter than I remember it. Lots of coffee, cherry, currant and oak notes. Ends on that coffee note.

DLD 2008, 22 oz bomber 2008 vintage. Saved a few for aging. Pours the blackest of blacks, like motor oil with little head. What little head disappears very quickly. Aroma is burnt, chocolate, coffee, plums, raisons, cherries, molasses, other dark fruits. Taste is everything you could imagine: chocolate, coffee, molasses, tobacco, plums, dark fruit, cherries, cinnamon, spice, with a well-hidden alcohol burn. Mouthfeel is thick like the pour with little carbonation. Incredibly smooth. Yes, this is my first dark lord. Yes, this is the best beer I’ve ever had.

Bottle - DLD2008 - 2007 & 2008 tasted. Very very impressive beer. Honestly might as well be motor oil. Terrific blends of malts, chocolate, and coffee. Saved one to age for a year but this beer is insane

2008 Bottle tasted at Dark Lord Day 08. Pours pitch black with a nice tan head. Has smells of licorice, chocolate, roasted barley, and alcohol. Has a heavy mouthfeel and coats the glass like a thick syrup. Tastes like candy, licorice, molasses, caramel, coffee, vanilla, and alcohol. Has a smooth finish for being fresh. I would have thought it would have more pop being fresh. It was an unexpected surprise and enjoyable to have such a smooth brew this early in its infancy. I tasted a 07 while waiting in line and it had a much more pronounced licorice taste and flavor than a fresh dark lord. Perhaps its just that the 08 will be a better batch. Only time will tell. Great beer. Worth the hype.

22oz bottle, 2007 vintage consumed on DLD 2008 with one year. Supremely disappointed... pour is motor oil/ chocolate syrup black with a minimalist head, taste is sticky sweet, of port and mess of flavors, some vanilla peaks through and some coffee, beef jerky taste finishes the back end.. goes down velvety smooth tho and with 1 year there is no alcohol burn... very interesting beer, not worth the hype... score is in no way reflective of the true meaning of this beer.

2007 bottle. Big thanks to Tony at Oldsmar Tap House for this one. Pours jet black with little head. Aroma is alcoholic with some oak character. The flavor is huge; sweet and dry with roasted coffee and chocolate, along with a good deal of hoppiness as well. Very complex and bold. I finally got my hands on some DL, and I believe it lives up to the hype. Wow! Thanks again Tony!

2007. I have been saving this beer for this odd moment. My 666th rating and Dark Lords 666th rating. Pours thick black with a faint dark tan head. Aroma is dark cocoa, molasses, licorice, mild soy, ripened fruits. Flavor was nothing special. Nice? Yes. Special? No. Burnt nutty malts, boozy fruits, molasses, bourbon.

Taster from 22 ounce bottle in snifter at Oldsmar Tap House. Back with no head. Port chocolate coffee earth aroma. Port coffee chocolate raisin earth (and something I can’t read in my notes) flavor. Full body and low carbo. Well hidden alcohol. Awesome. Thanks Tony.