(xRBA xDVR)
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

Bomber at my retirement party. Near black pour with a thin ring of beige head. Aroma is big roasty malts, chocoalte and bourbon barrel. Taste is sweet and thick, syrupy roast malts, woody, bourbon, whiskey.. Beautiful beer.

Appearance - The beer for black with I thickness like oil.

Smell - Chocolate came through in the nose, as did the rye profile.

Taste - Initially, I noted smooth sweet chocolate flavored booze. There was just a touch of rye. Dark fruit, molasses, and a warming after. The profile was ever so tasty.

Mouthfeel - Low carbonation combine with a sticky, sweet profile.

Overall - This was a superb variant.

The viscous black pour is rather beautiful as it builds a creamy mocha head that slowly settles from the middle out first, leaving very tall, steep and thick ridges all around the glass.

The nose leads with mild notes of hickory accented by cacao nibs and roasted walnut.

The taste floors me with a substantial heat I've not encountered in many DL variants, as black pepper barrel notes perk up the thickly sweet dark chocolate, giving way to pecans, which I'm not sure I ever got out of DL before.

A very fine carbonation leads into a semi-dry, only lightly sticky finish.

I find this to be a super unique experience for Dark Lord, where the barrel has brought far more balance than I've experienced in many other variants, both from the added heat (presumably from the younger barrel) and the qualities that are likely attributable to the rye spice.

 

Look: Dark brown and viscous as the beer pours from the bottle. Black and opaque in the glass. A brown, densely packed head with a Guiness like appearance. No visible carbonation. The head eventually disappears, leaving thick streaks of lacing across the glass. As I drink the beer down dark brown/burnt sienna shows around the edges. Appearance suggests feel.

Smell: The nose is delightfully sweet. Milk chocolate and hot chocolate. Milky. A big dark fruit presence with the bright, sweet aroma of prunes, and the dense, sweet aroma of dates. Sweet bourbon with natural vanilla and fresh coconut. Spicy rye. A hint of black pepper that also yields some vegetal peppery notes. Perhaps the 15% ABV showing? A little meaty and some deep, earthy, mushroom and roasty notes

Taste: The flavors are awesome and there is so much going on in this beer. Sweet first and umami second. It reminds me a lot of the foil wrapped chocolate liqueur bottles. In this case, one filled with whiskey. Chocolatey whiskey. Syrupy. I find it very spicy, with some cinnamon and black pepper notes, which could be due to the alcohol warmth itself, not only the rye. Dark fruit forward. Dates, dates, dates. That sugary sweetness. It’s a hint meaty. As the beer warms up I get more coffee, and some brighter dark fruit notes including raisin.

The carbonation is very low and the mouthfeel is syrupy. Chocolate syrup. There is a pleasant and soft warmth on the palate and in the pipes, but this beer is scary drinkable at 15%. Sticky sweetness on the lips.

This beer is impressive. One of a handful that really makes me contemplate what I’m drinking and the uniqueness of the beer. Extreme? Sure. Over the top? No.

An drink this enjoyable standing apart from anything I’ve ever had will yield high marks.

Thank you again, Dayton. Still enjoying the half glass left. I really do appreciate you sending me this beer.