Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout

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

2008 vintage opened w/Vferg 5/9/08. Pours jet black with little dark tan lacing at the top of the glass. DL is truely like motor oil, its so viscous and molasses. Flavor is creamier then you would think for 13abv coffee, chocolate, etoh, chalky vanilla. No CO2 and sludge at the bottles bottom. Coats your mouth in this rich black dessert. What a beer! On draft (EBF) this beer is just awesome. I cant believe one beer (DLD) can draw a 1000 beer lovers together for one hell of a tasting. Im told the balance this year is the best, i enjoyed this much more then the 07 bottled from memory. The best engine oil i’ve ever drank. 4.4

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.