 Eyedrinkale (3105), Beer Town, New York, USA
Mar 25, 2004 Updated: Sep 23, 2005
Rating #700 I have to say this is the best beer I’ve had in my life. Forgetting all the hype that it’s not ready just yet and it needs a few weeks to settle, it’s better than anything as it is. This beer has everything you want in Imperial Stout and then some. Ladies and Gents (and fellow RB’ers) the bar has been raised. Go figure a brewery in Indiana does it. Not that Dreadnaught isn’t good (it’s better than Ruination to me), this beer is fantastic.
Flavors? The chocolate, vanilla, raisins and dried fruits all intermingle to provide sensory overload. The malty sweetness combined with the bitter hoppiness, make this the stuff legends are made of. Viscosity (I got that from a Castrol commercial) of light chocolate syrup. This stuff coats your glass like dirty oil does to your oil pan. There is residue all over the place. If my tongue were an inch longer, I would have licked the bottom and sides of my pint glass.
To any other brewer that reads this review, it’s time you stop fucking around and get in the game, especially if you are currently brewing Imperial Stout. We all know legends like Gretzky, Jordan and Woods only come around once in a lifetime, but before them there was Howe, Chamberlain and Nicklaus. Therefore, now that this new milestone has been created, it’s time to think outside the box. If you make it, they will pay for it. You brewers have a responsibility to educate the public and increase the public’s awareness. Most of you are brewing bullshit and you know it. Be the best. You have the tools, knowledge and ability. To steal a phrase from Nike, Just Do It. This beer is not only great, but has inspired me to not only do better at my job but be a better person in life. Finally, to the genius that concocted this liquid brilliance, I love you, man.
In rating the 2005 version, I wasn’t so impressed as last year. I found it to be a bit sour and not as good as Speedway.
awiseman01 (15), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Sep 3, 2008 Wow, very different. Picked up three bottles after 5.5 hrs. in line at DLD 2008. Pours thick, VERY thick, and very dark, with dark brown thin head layer; some lacing. Smells of amazingness including but not limited to the following: roasted coffee, toffee, caramel, sweet vanilla, rich molasses. Taste if so thick you think you’re not really drinking beer. It’s on it’s way to pancake syrup in thickness, not quite there though. Very sweet, with wonderful coffee, vanilla, and molasses flavors. The thickness and sweetness are what really set this royal treat apart from the every day stout (and I would have a stout every day if I could). I will make it a point to visit the brewpub in 2009 to try the other varieties. I can understand where some people find this dissapointing based on the hype, but personally I’m blown away simply by the uniqueness it contains. In terms of drinking for the sake of drinking due to the hype this beer receives, it gets an A-. In terms of drinking for the creativity, uniqueness, and individualistic-ness of this beer, it gets an A+.
Vav (13), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Sep 3, 2008 Hands down the best imperial stout i’ve ever had. 22oz Bottle, 2008 (black wax.)
VERY thick pour, motor oil and molassas consistency & color, with a small, chocolate colored head. Aroma dense and complex with roasted malts, chocolate chip cookie, hazelnuts, coffee, vanilla, maple, and just a hint of pacific northwest hops.
Palate and Flavor is strikingly complex, and at 13%, frighteningly drinkable. It tastes like roasted chocolate milk, with dominant malt notes and hints of vanilla, biscuit, toffee, caramel, and just a tiny little bit of smoke. It finishes sweet without being cloying, and just a bit of hop bitterness lingers.
Absoutly stunning.
fredandboboflo (507), East Setauket, New York, USA
Sep 3, 2008 Bottle, 2008. So I finally get to try the Dark Lord. I say "finally" despite only having been drinking craft beer for a year and a half, and only really took note of this beer a few months ago. Regardless, this beer is really something special. Aroma of burnt malt, tobacco, toffee, caramel, vanilla, unbelievably rich. Flavor is SO BIG with all these notes, but remarkably with all the burnt malt, all the sweet malt, all the alcohol, this beer remains what I would call exquisitely balanced. I’ve never had such a ridiculously smooth, soft, BURNT beer, nor would I ever have imagined a beer so loaded like this would not be unbelievably sweet and/or alcoholic. The combination of all these things I would expect to make an overdone monster, but as I said, this was something special. Remains so drinkable to the last sip, and rich to the last sip at the same time. For me, the CLEAR winner over Speedway in a back to back sampling. Simply amazing.
LilBeerDoctor (508), East Setauket, New York, USA
Sep 2, 2008 2008 bottle courtesy of iowaherkeye (thanks Joey!!). I’ve been wanting to try this for a long time now. I didn’t think that it would, but it lived up to its reputation. Pours an inky black with a thick but quickly disappearing dark tan head. Aroma of super rich sweet roasted malt, caramel, molasses. Flavor of burnt malt, toffee, molassess, caramel, vanilla with burnt toast in the aftertaste. Super sweet and pretty heavy, but somehow super drinkable! Not overpowering at all. Very smooth palate! The flavors really mesh together so well that it’s actually quite hard to pick them apart (and I’m sure I’ve done them a great injustice). I will have to try this again soon! My 2nd rated imperial stout, just below Expedition.
General_Gao (2509), Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Sep 1, 2008 Thanks to iowaherkeye for bringing this bottle to his ’farewell to Iowa’ tasting. 2006 vintage. Poured an opaque black color. The head was brown with an orange tint. Smelled of chocolate liqueur, hay, and a dash of soy. Full bodied and sweet. Roasty and chocolate malts, dark fruits, and a bit of soy rounded out the flavor profile.
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