The Earl Of Biggleswade (2014)
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

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From:
3 Floyds Brewing Co.
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
15%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.7 | pDev: 22.43%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
56
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 23, 2019
Added:
Apr 25, 2014
Wants:
  35
Gots:
  8
Dark Lord aged in a brandy barrel with cardamom, coriander, and cacao nibs.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2014 vintage; drank 5/14/14 @ the Kid's.

Brown black hue.

Minimal dark khaki head; no lace.

Fresh tobacco & dried fig nose.

Thick mouthfeel.

Orange & sherry sweetness; chocolate backbone.

Over-the-top, bold & unique.
Oct 23, 2019
Photo of Stevedore
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
Pours a dark black body, typical Dark Lord body, with oily legs and a half finger thin head that dissipates pretty much immediately. Not much to look at. Smell is straight up cardamom, sort of like curry spices, with the background of sugar, roast and type I diabetes. The coriander isn't particularly strong here, overall not terrible in the nose, but on the palate, it is pretty disgusting. It tastes like tears of anguish would, which is to say that it is very sweet with the cardamom and other spices somehow overwhelming the sweetness of the base Dark Lord. It's simply a pit of despair and 4 of us couldn't even finish half the bottle. It was brutal. That being said, body is all there, carb is appropriate. This isn't horrible, but a 1-2oz pour would be more than enough for me. I've never tasted a beer like this before, at least it's fairly unique.
Jun 27, 2017
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.28/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Massive, spicy, floral and strong, the 2014 brandy barrel aged Dark Lord stout that boasts cocoa, coriander and cardamom addition is still alive with all those flavors in a mellow, dessert and boozy sipping session.

Called The Earl of Biggleswade, this four-year old edition pours a syrupy bronze and tawny garnet hue. Firmly hazed with cocoa powder and spices, the appearance is nearly opaque except at its farm margins. Faint on foam character, the ale simmers like a dark hot chocolate with sinister secrets inside. Heavy on molasses, dark fruit, fudge, floral spice and oaked brandy, the scent is decadent with dessert-like liquors.

On the tongue, the ale slathers is booze laden sugars over each and every tastebud. Light on carbonation, the beer's sweetness saturates the soft tissues of the mouth with unabashed apology. Choclate, maple, molasses and toffee seem like caramel cake batter but with the grilled fruit flavors of blackcurrant, red grape, prune, date and fig before turing to leather and fresh pulled tobacco. The spicy of brandy does a much needed job is balancing a bit of the sweetness and shying away from cloying taste and textures. The individual spices of cardamom and coriander retains a floral and herbal whimsy that seems to brighten the dark sweetness but provides a distraction from the beer's decadence.

Lavishly full, thick and whole heartedly viscous, the beer's texture is akin to used motor oil. As the ale clings to the mouth, its dessert character chases into a long, spicy, sweet finish that lasts indefinitely into the next sip. Like a fine after dinner digestive, this ale is cause of special and specific celebrations.
May 23, 2017
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

3.74/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Fizzy tan head. Black color.

This beer is very odd. It is very sweet. It only the spices used but the brandy adds to it as well. Has a cola or dr. Pepper flavor to it. So much spice. Oak and brandy all around.

Full bodied.

This one is tough to drink a lot of. Just too much sweetness and spice. Fun to try but not my favorite dark lord variant.
Dec 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.62 by Tertullian007 from Missouri

Jun 08, 2016
 
Rated: 4.21 by aasher from Indiana

Feb 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.7 by eawolff99 from Minnesota

Dec 13, 2015
 
Rated: 1.81 by Bonna from Illinois

Oct 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.32 by whitenads from Michigan

Aug 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.72 by BecauseWhalezbro from Colorado

Jun 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by drewone from California

May 31, 2015
Photo of stompilator
Reviewed by stompilator from Texas

4.23/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from the bottle into a 6oz. tasting glass.

A - Absolute jet black. Very light, tan head that dissipated quickly.

S - A lot of barrel and spice on top of the huge malt sweetness.

T - A ton of chocolate and roast notes, milky sweetness, but toned a bit by a husky, woody barrel edge. A subtle spice rounds out the incredible sweet punch, with the wood giving the immense sugar an interesting complement.

M - Like sipping a bottle of grenadine; almost repulsively thick and sticky. Needed multiple glasses of water beside this.

O - Certainly wouldn't travel across the country and tribute my first-born child for it, but nonetheless an interesting, complex brew.
May 31, 2015
Photo of cubs943
Rated by cubs943 from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This is much better than people are saying.
May 11, 2015
Photo of themaj
Rated by themaj from Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3
2015 on draft at dld. Cardamom is Def not for me.
Apr 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by Rogorama from Indiana

Apr 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by Zaphog from Michigan

Apr 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.13 by robgutie from Illinois

Apr 27, 2015
Photo of SGerrard
Reviewed by SGerrard from Ohio

4.54/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
On draft at DLD 2015. Enjoyed the cardamom and orange brightness on this and would definitely consider purchasing it as a variant (if the Vanilla and coffee were already gone).
Apr 27, 2015
Photo of AndyEdgar
Rated by AndyEdgar from Illinois

2.71/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
worst version of darklord to date. Cardamom is nasty stuff
Apr 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Zuidman from Illinois

Apr 27, 2015
The Earl Of Biggleswade (2014) from 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 56 ratings