Black Sun
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

Black SunBlack Sun
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From:
3 Floyds Brewing Co.
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
Irish Dry Stout
Ranked #5
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,643
Avg:
4.02 | pDev: 11.19%
Reviews:
469
Ratings:
858
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sunday at 11:14 PM
Added:
Dec 16, 2002
Wants:
  226
Gots:
  91
6.5% ABV, 50 IBUs - Black Sun has a nose of coffee, roasted malts and piney hops. This medium bodied stout has a broad depth of maltiness and a clean dry finish. December release.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ngandhi:
Photo of ngandhi
Reviewed by ngandhi from Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at The Bread Company in Urbana, IL. 3.25/pint.

Light-medium bodied, hop-intensive for a stout.

If you know Three Floyd's, this is actually an appropriate stout; otherwise, it might catch you off guard. There isn't a pure focus on malts as there is with many stouts. Oddly enough, the goal doesn't even seem to be carefully balancing roasted malts with hops. Instead, this is quite hop heavy for a beer.

The nose and palette are more than half hops and the light body further suggests that this isn't very malty or stout at all. It has a distinctive Three Floyd's taste and smell from its hops (American Cascade?). As the Web site says, "Three Floyds Brewing was founded in 1996 by Nick Floyd to satisfy his thirst for big, hoppy, honest beers." That hoppiness is characteristic and a part of everything 3F makes -- even their stout.

You have to appreciate the effort. It's a nice stout for a warm day; a summer stout if there is such a thing. Especially nice to get it at The Bread Company (if you're ever in town) where it's served at cellar temperature off a hand pump tap. Nice black pour with good head retention.

Surprising. If even Guinness Draught is too heavy for you (shame!) then this should be right up your alley. A good, very original dry Irish stout.

Relax, relax.
ng
Jul 30, 2003
More User Ratings:
Photo of NCSapiens
Rated by NCSapiens from Indiana

4.04/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Roasty, malty, dry Irish stout. A bit of coffee. Piney hops on the finish.
Sunday at 11:14 PM
 
Rated: 3.7 by FrancisM12 from New Jersey

Saturday at 01:58 PM
Photo of barnzy78
Reviewed by barnzy78 from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12oz can, PKGD ON 01/26/24
It’s been well over a decade since I had this one - glad to see it back again!
L: jet black body is capped by a towering khaki head that holds incredible retention
S: roasted barley, ash & char, bitter dark cocoa, piney hops
T: bold & flavorful and follows the nose; roasted barley, char, cocoa, caramel, anise, pine, grapefruity citrus
F: medium body, ample carbonation, dry finish that’s bitter more like a black IPA vs an Irish Dry Stout
O: as a beer this is great; but keeping it in its Irish Dry Stout style box it’s American hops shine through a little too much (even though that’s what I love about this beer).
Friday at 11:16 PM
 
Rated: 4 by Sparty1965 from Michigan

Mar 21, 2024
 
Rated: 4 by bacher468 from Pennsylvania

Mar 15, 2024
 
Rated: 4.1 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Mar 01, 2024
 
Rated: 3.96 by Gmartin75 from Pennsylvania

Feb 29, 2024
Photo of teromous
Reviewed by teromous from Virginia

3.86/5  rDev -4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From the bottom of the can: "PKGD ON 01/08/24 Q01105"
This came from a variety pack but there did not appear to be any date on the variety pack.

Appearance: It is a black-bodied beer with a medium-large head that has dense foam and looks like a lighter shade of tan. It has excellent head formation and retention. Small strings of tiny bubbles form on the glass. It looks perfect.

Aroma: There is a light bit of a char aroma with a hint of cola, some star anise, and black licorice. There is a bit of a wintergreen mint aroma that pops up from time to time and fades into the background. Sometimes it doesn't come through at all.

Taste: Up front there is a charred grain flavor mixed with a light bit of coffee ground flavor. A bit of acrid flavor in the middle. A light charred bitter finish. A light bit of a minty aftertaste. The mint character gets stronger as you drink the beer. Aside from the mint in the finish it has simple yet prominent flavors.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium-light. It has good carbonation and a pretty dry finish. Grain bitterness is medium and there is a touch of an herbal bitterness to the beer as well.

Overall: It was an enjoyable beer. It is a bit of an herbal or hop-forward beer with a minty punch but it maintains the stout base very well. I would recommend it to people who like stouts and hop-forward beers but don't expect this to be a traditional stout. As a whole the beer worked really well and it felt like it was put together very well. I would buy it again.
Feb 26, 2024
 
Rated: 3.66 by Grupatre from Michigan

Feb 24, 2024
Photo of Sparty1224
Reviewed by Sparty1224 from Michigan

4.24/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Brief Review:

O: Looks like this beer has actually been around a while, surprised I've never had it. Looks like a re-brew, first since 2016 maybe? Interesting beer here, says it's an Irish Dry Stout? Very hoppy on the nose and finish, almost like a Black IPA. Not sure roasty or thick. My first impression wasn't very strong, but now knowing what style they're going for, I guess it's pretty decent.

Recommendation: Interesting style you don't see much anymore, so if you're curious for an Irish dry stout with an extra hoppy twist, I say go for it.
Feb 23, 2024
 
Rated: 3.82 by MJSFS from Florida

Feb 20, 2024
Photo of Stooven
Reviewed by Stooven from Illinois

3.77/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
There's a poetic symmetry to how so many of those mid-period FFF beers (Space Station, LazerSnake, etc) all tasted about the same. . . that Black Sun tastes exactly like how the brain remembers other FFF stouts. If you like those hoppy stout bastages, you'll like this one.
Feb 16, 2024
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

4.29/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Very dark brown, not quite black, big tan head, great retention, rings of lace
Roast, coffee, slight herbal (tobacco and mint) aroma
Cold coffee, herbal flavor
Medium-light bodied, appropriately carbonated, very drinkable for the ABV
I like it
Feb 14, 2024
 
Rated: 3.94 by curlybird from Pennsylvania

Feb 04, 2024
 
Rated: 3.79 by mdaschaf from Indiana

Dec 28, 2019
 
Rated: 4.02 by emerge077 from Illinois

Jun 14, 2019
 
Rated: 4.02 by Dankacheese from Illinois

Sep 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by thinwhiteduke from Illinois

Jun 06, 2017
Black Sun from 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 858 ratings