Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout

750ml bottle with white wax. Shared with MatSciGuy. Black as coal tar and almost as thick. A tan ring around the glass with good lacing capacity but little more than that for a head. Wealth of aromas with strong, sweet molasses, touch of vanilla and roasted malt aroma and flavor. Syrupy thick on the tongue and warming alcohol down the hatch. Overall an interesting beer, full of flavor and a pleasure to drink with the kid. My only complaint - a bit too sweet.

I decided yesterday to make the day special by cracking open a 09 bottle. A white wax topped bottle split between three of us in snifters. The bottle poured really thick like used motor oil but leaving almost no head. We tried to conger one up but to no avail. Maybe a bad bottle clue number one. The body of the brew was a typical black stout color with ruby highlights around the edge. One of us pulled a cardboard aroma, clue two on the bad bottle? I got an initial chocolate note followed by rubbing alcohol, yes this thing is big and boozy. I can’t wait to sample the 07 see how that one stacks up. The flavor was very roasted and hot. The last sip I got some nice dark fruit in there as well. To say the body on this brew was full would be an understatement. I do wish there would have been some carbonation on it. Drinking the brew was a treat. Like I said I have a few more bottles and I will be revisiting this one. I think some of my score on this bottle may have been from a bad bottle. It happens I know. I will rescore after I drink the next bottle. I know the scores should go up but wanted the brewer and others to be aware of a slightly oxidized bottle from a fresh batch.

I love this beer...well worth the 5 hour drive, 4 hour wait in line and the $100+ dollars I shelled out for the beer...underattenuated? yes. a waste of excess, unecessary ingredients? possibly. amazing? definitely....................................................................................................................

’09 bottle thanks to granville tim for bringing it to one of the best man-caves in illinios. coffee/ heavily roasted malts on nose. palate is big dark expresso, with hints of java. finish is long & bitter and quite lenghty. impy stouts are not my favorite style, but this is an impressive beer

RBESG Sheffield 2009 Grand Tasting at the Harlequin. The star of the tasting. Or maybe not? 2009 Vintage. Black colour, almost no head. Aroma of molasses, sugar, bit of vanilla. Flavour is overly sickling sweet, sugar, molasses, a hint of roasted malts, a bit of vanilla, sweet alcoholic finish. But mostly just sweet. Where are the hops in this beer? This is nice for on a pancake or on vanilla ice cream. Big disappointment for me. I even have the feeling I’m being gentle with my rating. Still glad I was able to try this big beer though, so a big thanks to Craig for bringing this to the tasting! Top 50? Maybe the older vintages, but not 2009. Not even close.

Bottle, vintage 2007. Pours a black color with a small tan head. Has a roasted malty dark chocolate molasses and coffee aroma. Roasted malty oily molasses and dark chocolate flavor with hints of dark fruit and coffee. Has a roasted heavy malty molasses finish with hints of chocolate in the aftertaste.

On RBSG 09 BUS. Thanks kp. Poured very black, little thinner than I expected & very sweet. Dark fruits, dark chocolate, roasted malts, molasses, little vanilla.

Originally reviewed 11/5/2008 From a bomber into a Reidel Vinum Cab glass on Election evening... Huge, ultra-viscous espresso/motor oil body topped by a thin brown sugar/sweet potato-colored head. Impressive. Sweet husky double-espresso roasted malt with abundant hop presence of pleasant grass and even some leather. Alcohol blends well but makes its presence known. Definitely a pumpernickel feel with sweet hazlenut caramel finish. Some dates, figs...even some pomegranate? Salty, husky feel to an extent. Balance in over-abundance. Creamy, velety, silky huge 3XL roasted coffee/chocolate malt presence. Hops emerge in force with grass and slight pine notes. There’s even some burnt popcorn. Ya gotta a whole lot goin’ on here... Mouthfeel is well...involved...syrupy as hell with a whole lot of coffee grounds and grill char layered on top; with warmth this balances out with more brown sugar sweetness. A little more synergy would do this wonders; finish is of course heavy as an anvil in a Roadrunner cartoon. Some salty leather in here, too. One word for this: Bountiful. Maybe not a stellar example of Beautiful Chemistry but the abundance of well...everything has good closing speed and makes this a showstopper. Perhaps a little cacophony precludes extreme drinkability but this is one to experience. Holy crap!