Marshmallow Handjee
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

5/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

It doesn't get much better than this. Big bourbon nose, but pillowly marshmallow softness on the tongue. Tastes like chocolate dipped marshmallows that were soaked in the finest bourbon. Don't know how they turned the much maligned Dark Lord into something of this quality, but this is worth the hype and then some. Downed 2/3 of the bottle myself! What a treat!

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4.85/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

OK, so this has been one of my whales for a long time, and I was shocked to find out that rudzud had actually acquired it! So tons of thanks to Matt for finding this and sharing it with me. The big review #4000 for this puppy!!!!!!!!

Bottle #706/934 2012

Light fizzy head, disappears fairly quickly, little lacing, legs that never fall, blacker than black midnight, crazy dark motor oil sludge like.

Nose is phenomenal, tons and tons of dark malts, little booze but very little, nice fudgey cocoa caramel, big chewy cocoa and fudge. Mild vanilla, some real vanilla and touch of barrel vanilla, nice barrel notes, oaky with hint of bourbon, even a hint of candied raisin, touch of cinnamon and baking spices. More toasted oak, vanilla and baking spices come through more as it opens and the fudgey cocoa malts fade.

Taste brings big cocoa, creamy milk chocolate and dark choc, fudgey as Hell and liquid chocolate bliss. Then baking spices, tons of them, with cinnamon, etc. Then barrel, nice toasted oak, mild vanilla oak, decent bourbon and barrel juice, mild candied raisins again, brown sugar, etc. Great caramel, and toffee, caramel creams, even hint of butterscotch. Decent vanilla but not a ton, nice vanilla butterscotch toffee candy. Hint of booze, finish is sticky, little syrupy, no real booze, lingering caramel toffee, nice vanilla finally, vanilla city, toasted oak and bourbon with more dark choc.

Mouth is fuller bod nice thick rich velvety thing, decent carb, no real booze.

Overall out of this world! Pretty much hit my expectations for one of my few Carmen Sandiago like beers. So much awesomness of vanilla, bourbon, barrel, cocoa, and everything in between. I could drink this forever. So glad it's a high mark like a 4000.

From the start of reviewing beers, it was more of a fun hobby, mostly to see how my own tastes changed as I tried new beers. In fact, I had about 50 beers before I started posting my reviews, for which I wrote notes down and retried the beers to see how my notes changed as I went. When I was finally satisfied I was ready to post my reviews, I finally did. Now 4000 reviews later I'm barely keeping my head above water, and there are so many new beers on the horizon I don't know what to do about it. I keep wanting to start a youtube or blog review, but lack the resources to do it, esp with family. Someday I'll be there, but for now BA is my haven of beer enjoyment memories.

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2/5  rDev -58.4%

2013 vintage with the orange wax.

Opened on 10/17/14

The 2013 vintage was awful. It smelled like rotten milk and tasted infected. I had 2014 side by side with the 2013 vintage and 2014 blew 2013 bvdl out of the water. Sadly, 2013 was an expensive drain pour for my entire tasting g group. Did not get any marshmallow smell or taste, but lots of the rotten milk smell and taste. Was disgusting.

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4.89/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark black with a lazy mocha head the straddles the edges and almost looks like chocolate skin.

Dark fudgy chocolate and roastiness wafts off the glass, while none of the coffee or sugar from the base brew really come through. I also would sometimes perceive cherry or raspberry in the base, but again none of that carries over to this variant. A very nice oaky roastiness with comforting, warming dark chocolate make for very enticing aromas.

Vanilla rounds out the flavor making it less sweet in some unfathomable way and the aging has given it a slightly frothier, creamier body which is just heavenly. I'm glad to say the bourbon does not create a boozy heat, but works with that vanilla bean and all the other additional ingredients already in the Dark Lord base to truly make for that toasted marshmallow effect. On top of that fudgy characteristic, it's absolutely delicious.

Viscous, thick and gooey, but just fluid enough to continue to qualify as beer. I perceived no booze heat at all, which is seemingly totally squashed by the high quality vanilla element.

This is an unbelievable achievement. Maybe it was a lucky fluke that continues to work out in small doses year to year, but I've never experienced this in any other BA beer, and a lot try to use the same ingredients. I'm not sure how you can plan to attain this kind of flavor with natural ingredients intentionally, but either way, they did it. It lives up to the hype, which is unfortunate for anyone that actually wants a full bottle. I had this on draft at DLD 2016 & 2018.

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I opened a 2019 Handjee on Friday the 13th of March of 2020, during the COVID-19 ramp up, which also happened to be the same day that Hunahpu's Day was supposed to have been hosted, until it was cancelled in light of these developments. And also, coincidentally, this same day Dark Lord Day 2020 was announced as postponed. Of course I had already planned a share to celebrate some of these occasions, which ultimately grew into quite the multi-themed party by the time it took place!

Anyway, I found 2019 Handjee to be much closer to base Dark Lord than most other variants, and especially compared all other Handjees I've had in the past. It did not have quite as creamy, marshmallowy a character as past drafts have had, and while it was still super viscous, thick and sweet, I think it was missing some barrel char as well. Those elements really set BVDL apart from other barrel aged vanilla stouts, helping (somehow, magically) offset the sticky sweetness of the base. So this bottle, more than any other vintage--while still a delight even up against the likes of VR, OG 2010 nilla, and Nillerzzzz--was a bit of a disappointment.

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4.83/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

22oz bottle into a snifter
Vintage 2013
Bottle #363 of 711

BA Review #950.
Review #98 out of the Top 100 that I set out to complete several years ago.

Huge thanks to LethalChickens for sending this very long time want over in a trade!


A: Pours a completely opaque jet black, with a small sliver of mocha colored head. Head dissipates fairly quickly. Only faint small patches of lacing are left on the sides of the glass. 4.25

S: Aroma is incredible. Huge vanilla, huge chocolate. Kind of smells like a Charleston Chew candy tastes. Lots of barrel characters with charred oak and bourbon-y vanilla. Its very sweet, but theres just enough roast and a subtle ethanol kick to balance it out. I could sit here smelling this all day. Phenomenal. 5

T: Taste is lots of dark fruits up front, then a fantastic lingering vanilla bean and chocolate on the finish. Barrel notes are also strong with wonderful bourbony notes of charred oak, vanilla, and the subtlest bourbony booze. But make no mistake, this is an absolute vanilla bomb. However, the barrel aging does a great job to cut the otherwise cloying sweetness that is regular Dark Lord. The lingering flavors of vanilla, chocolate and bourbon last forever on the finish. Fantastic. 4.75

M/D: It is very smooth, full bodied and almost a bit chewy. Carbonation is very low but appropriate for the style and size of the beer. ABV is exceptionally well masked and drinkability is excellent. 4.75

O: It is bordering on miraculous how a little bit of barrel aging and some vanilla beans morph a vastly mediocre regular Dark Lord into this gem of a beer. Absolutely worth the wait and the hassle to obtain. Truly world class. 5

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4.98/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Worth the hype. Marshmallow bourbon chocolate nose. Taste matches the nose. There needs to be more of this in the world.

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5/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2013 Orange Wax Edition, shared with two others. Velvet vanilla perfection. Pours a midnight black with minimal head. Layers of bourbon and vanilla, abv completely hidden. Easily one of the best BBA beers I have ever had.

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4.78/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Was able to try the 2013 vintage of this thanks to Dustin at a whale tasting 7/13/2013. Poured into a BCBS snifter, probably 5 ounces.

Basically this beer smelled like bourbon chocolate marshmallows but in liquid form. It has such a strong, pungent aroma that makes me smile. There is a bit of the barrel here but for the most part it is a delicious smelling bourbon marshmallow.

It pours a pitch black, incredibly thick and viscous body that comes with a minimal head & retention. Not a ton of lacing.

The flavour is straight up sweet chocolate marshmallows with some bourbon and hints of coffee in the background. This beer is not subtle at all. I wouldn't call it complex but everything it does, it goes beyond what anyone would expect even of Three Floyds. Insanely rich and savoury but not necessarily instant diabeetus like the regular Dark Lord is, if that makes sense. Its super sweet but it comes together in a good way.

Mouthfeel is perfect. Smooth, rich, roasty and carbonated well enough. Aftertaste is a slick bourbony marshmallow feel that makes me smile.

Overall, this beer gets super hyped for a reason which I now understand completely. It is so ridiculously unbalanced and complex, it's awesome. I don't have the trade ammo and it probably isn't worth all the craziness surrounding it but it is an incredible beer, probably the best imperial stout I've ever had the chance to drink. And that includes the BCS Rare we drank at the same tasting.

Re-review: the 4 of us bought into a single 2012 vintage bottle of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Lord aged in Vanilla Beans. Bottle # 58/934. So its about a year and half old now. Poured into an unlabeled snifter today, 12/8/2013.

Still pours a perfect opaque black body, with a nice mocha collar that sticks around with good retention. And well, the nose is still intense 100% bourbon chocolate marshmallows, one of the best smelling beers I've ever had. Its not the most complex, but it is the most incredible nose out there. And of course the flavour is incredible- the vanilla does cover up some of the complexity of the base beer, but it replaces it with bourbon chocolate marshmallows that is just so sweet yet not the type of sweet that Grey Monday brings; its easily drinkable and so enjoyable. Mouthfeel is definitely full bodied, silky and smooth drinking without much discernible heat. Again, this is a beer that is phenomenal and one of the best I've ever had. I can't believe I've had this beer twice in the span of less than a year, but it is well worth it. The main difference between the 2012 and 2013 vintage is that the bourbon is a bit more muted in the 2012 vintage compared to the fresh version. This beer is probably still best drank fresh, but it will certainly hold up over time if cellared properly. As before, I understand the hype and trade value behind this beer 100%. Thank you Matt, for being generous enough to send this one to our group.

Re-review: 2014 vintage poured into a FFF/DMC snifter 6/21/2014. Essentially, I am finding this year's vintage to be significantly sweeter than the last two vintages. There is more of the base Dark Lord and less of the vanilla bean contribution. The vanilla bean comes out more as it warms up, but even then it's still a shadow in comparison to 2012 and 2013. I felt the same way when I drank this at this year's Dark Lord Day, and I am now able to confirm this opinion with the pour I got tonight. While I won't tweak the scoring here, I certainly would not recommend trading for this year's if you've had this one in years past. Honestly, if I were to change the scoring, it'd be something like a 4.4/5, just a tick above regular Dark Lord. I'd even argue that the '14 Brandy Dark Lord we drank right after this beer was more interesting. That's how disappointing this year's vintage was compared to the last 2 years, with 2013 being the superior vintage.

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4.53/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours like motor oil with a khaki head that quickly disappears. Smells of soy sauce, vanilla sugar, and some barrel (which I think is slightly lost). Taste is similar, exceptionally sweet. Honestly, I was kind of underwhelmed. Vanilla Rye was universally preferred at our tasting.

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5/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Finally! Lost a Super Bowl bet so I had to go out and find one of these bottles. Very expensive but probably worth the money. Easily the best Russian Imperial I've ever had. Lived up to the hype. Well Done 3F

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4.35/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

2018 vintage. About six months from bottling.

A: Pours jet black with a thick ring of dark brown, espresso-like head. No lacing and average retention.

S: Suuuuper rich dark chocolate, blackstrap molasses, vanilla bean, dry oak barrel and cinnamon, and light bourbon. A little bit of cardboard. A very brawny BA stout.

T: Dark chocolate, vanilla, cola, light spice (cinnamon, clove) and light toasted oak, a bit of sherry and roastiness. Pretty long finish. The barrel is not very noticeable on the palate. As you might guess from the base, this is super sweet; the barrel and vanilla balances this out somewhat but not completely. Like a liquid candy bar.

M: Sticky full body and medium, sharp carbonation that thankfully cuts through the massive body. A comforting alcohol warmth gently warms your innards.

O: Big, sweet, rich, and pretty tasty beer. The cardboard note is distracting, and the sweetness is as overwhelming as it is in regular DL. I’d always heard that, even though the base beer is terrible, adding it to barrels transformed it in such a way to somehow make it ethereal. That’s half true, I guess. I can’t drink more than like 4oz of this stuff.

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5/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the 08 vintage, aged a whole year.

Here's what my notes say:

"God's cum. With Vanilla."

That's stupidly vulgar. Even when I was in high school I wouldn't have thought it was clever. It's the kind of thing a frat boy might say if he were trying to sound hilariously deep. By all rights, I should have tossed it out and written up some better notes.

But here's the thing--it was written in earnest. This beer is vulgar and it is divine, simultaneously the most pornographic and heavenly foodstuff to have ever entered my mouth. This beer is so great it makes even the most juvenile metaphor seem poetic.

There's nothing else for me to say about this beer. I'm not a poet. It was life affirming, how about that? It made me happy to be not dead, and it gave me a reason to keep on living because I will someday get another chance to drink it.

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4.37/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The '13 DL was a major let down as it was too cherry/sweet for my tastes, so I was eager to try a '13 BBAVB DL. Pours motor oil black/brownish with a thin mocha head that quickly dissipates without leaving any trace on the glass. Smell is sweet with roasted malts, tons of vanilla, quality dark chocolate, dark roast coffee, vanilla fudge, bourbon, charred wood, coconuts, molasses, caramel, honey, toffee, burnt cookies and hints of sweet soy sauce. The cherry taste from the regular DL is very present along with sweet with roasted malts, tons of vanilla, quality dark chocolate, sweetened dark roast coffee, honey, vanilla fudge, caramel, toffee, fresh oak, bourbon, charred wood, roasted nuts, sweet soy sauce and sweet liquorice candy. Mouthfeel is silky, sticky sweet, round, slightly boozy and near full bodied. Finish is sweet and tiny bitter with roasted malts, dark roast coffee, vanilla essence, bitter chocolate, vanilla fudge, toffee, caramel, bourbon and charred wood. Probably a bit too sweet for my taste, but glad to have tasted the vanilla beans which made this DL a better beer!

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5/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Was lucky to get a Group A ticket this year at DLD.

L: Dark black with small brown, mocha head that lingers for 30 seconds.

S: Mostly coffee with a hint of chocolate. No marshmallow scent for me (although admittedly my nose is weak).

T: Heavenly really is the only word for it. Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, marshmallow. Very very small amount of booze heat unlike regular DL with no age. Absolutely world class.

F: So so so so smooth. Feels like rich, thick hot chocolate.

O: Just wow. So lucky to have tried this. If you get one do not trade it. Nothing you will get will compare.

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4.07/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle. Pours a dark opaque black with reddish highlights and minimal head. Aroma is decadent withbourbon, fudge, hazelnut, vanilla and some spices. Very good. Flavor is more straightforward with bourbon, chocolate and hazelnut. Intense sweetness, not too cloying because of the bourbon and alcohol. Palate is a little thin for such a big beer. Not up to GI Rare standards. A slightly better than average bourbon barrel stout.

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4.99/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Absolutely amazing. The aroma is incredible. One of the best smelling beer I've ever tried. It smells like liquid marshmallows. The taste is sweet but complex. Vanilla, bourbon,chocolate, and toffee intoxicate your mouth. Truly a treat. Definitely worth seeking out!

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4.81/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle #634, 2014

L: Pours sludgy and oil black, head fizzles to a mocha ring around the glass with some larger bubbles, nothing shines through even when held closely to the light. Huge legs on the glass that stay.

A: Massive rich marshmallow, vanilla, milk chocolate and dark chocolate, oak and almond.

T: Follows the nose but better, especially the marshmallowy vanilla. There's a depth of flavor here that's richer than almost any other barrel aged stout I've had... including VR, OG Rare, BAVSS, etc... certain aspects of those may be more complex, but this is maybe more enjoyable.

M: Mouthfeel is thick, chewy and rich with massive marshmallow-esque vanilla bean, milk chocolate and oak goodness lingering. At 15% - very little hint of alcohol. Slight but pleasing warming sensation on the drink down.

Overall: It really is the Dark Lord of barrel aged imperial stouts. Worthy.

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4.44/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pretty disappointing with this. Very little vanilla in the nose just lots of sweetness and barrel character.

Taste: Lots and lots of sweetness with a pretty thin mouthfeel. Marshmellows. Glad I got to try it.

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4.75/5  rDev -1.2%

I got to finally capture my white whale at Dark Lord Day 2014, so my review is of the most recent batch. I drank this August 10th, poured into my FFF Teku glass.

The color is similar to regular Dark Lord with a sweet dark layer of head.

Smells incredibly sweet, more vanilla on the nose than bourbon.

Taste is almost unbearably sweet. The vanilla was incredibly strong in this one and to go along with the natural diabetes bomb regular DL is, it was like drinking dessert. Not enough bourbon character, perhaps it needs more time.

Overall, this was a damn good beer. I'm a fan of regular Dark Lord so although it's sweet I would certainly enjoy another bottle. However due to the insane hype and absurd asking price I'd resist the urge to trade half your cellar for a bottle. Maybe I set my expectations far too high, but this just came a little short of the beer I was expecting.

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4.79/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Shared with JLindros and Kyle. 2012 vintage 706/934.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a great oily black hue with big legs and and a good halo. Beautiful.

S - Aromas of fudgy chocolate, nuts, bourbon, caramel, very little booze, loads of fudge and bourbon barrels. The vanilla is super faint.

T - Taste is loads off chocolate, caramel, chocolate cake, rich bourbon, finish of vanilla, super rich, loads of nutty chocolate and bourbon, nice semi sweet sugars and toffee caramel, just delicious.

M - Mouthfeel is really creamy, silky, velvet, no booze.

O - Overall this beer was incredible, great chocolate, super rich bourbon and fudgy chocolate. Glorious, this isn't hype...this is real.

Serving type: bottle

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4.52/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

So finally knocking this off my beer bucket list.
Look: Black, oily. No head decent retention

Smell: Very small hints of the barrel character. Marshmallow and dark chocolate. Roasted malts.

Taste: Tastes like marshmallows a bit too sweet but not cloying

Feel: Nice thick mouth feel. Wish it was still a little thicker.

Overall: Regular dark lord definitely is above and beyond sweet. After trying the regular I knew that the barrel would add what the regular is missing, which, is balance on the sweetness and some more dryness to it. Now clearly like all beer hyped whales this just doesn't live up to the perfect beer in the whole world reputation that it has. It is however a great world class brew and amongst my top beers I have ever had. All in all I am glad to have simply tried this and happier to never give up as many beers as I did for this one ever again.

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4.83/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2017 Bottle, Split just two ways :-)

This beer lives up to the hype. Pours super viscous black and delivers with a full flavor cascade of fudgy vanilla bourbon dark lord that coats the mouth and makes one inevitably smile.

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4.88/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

2016 bottle poured into a Dark Lord Teku. Split three ways. Thank you Ryan for sharing this beast!

Pours an opaque black body with a small brown head that reduces to leave a ring of retention and a little lacing. Sticks to the glass upon swirling.

Aromas are potent and come through more intense as this beer warms. Vanilla beans and milk chocolate are prominent, bourbon, a tad bit boozy but in a great way. On the tongue is straight vanilla, chocolate covered marshmallows, rocky road fudge. Mouthfeel is rich and thick, especially as it warms.

I've been waiting 5 years to try this beer, and it totally lives up to the hype.

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2.56/5  rDev -46.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to a few people we were able to put together the entire vertical and almost all the BA variants. Lots of fun gents!

From a 750 into a snifter
2012 vintage
Bottle 921 of 934

APPEARANCE: Just like all the rest of them. Pours relatively clear for an imperial stout. Produces a small, one finger medium-looking head that quickly fades to a wisp and ring. Black body in the glass with some carbonation evident. Only a ring remains until the end and leaves no real lacing down the glass. A little too light a pour and an average head at best.

SMELL: Vanilla extract reminding me of those vanilla candles you buy at bath stores. Artificial and somewhat off-putting. A touch of bourbon barrel under the chemical vanilla aroma, but not much. Unfortunately this is one-dimensional and artificial, especially compared to the brandy vanilla version.

TASTE: Touches of bourbon barrel and oak peek through, but this is a one-dimensional vanilla extract bomb if there ever was one. All vanilla up front and into the swallow, then a big, vanilla dominated aftertaste with some oak and sweet caramel trying in vain to get through. Tough going and very little complexity.

PALATE: Slightly lighter than the base beer, but still big enough. Just like the other DL variants as well. Medium body with medium levels of carbonation. Creamy enough, goes down fine and finishes rather sticky on the palate. A bit of a burn and some heat lingers.

OVERALL: I can see why some people might like this. There is lots of vanilla, much like a vanilla cake or something like that. As a beer though, this is not something I'd want more than a small taste of. One dimensional, artificial and quickly tiring, this is not something I'd get too excited about drinking again. The brandy vanilla version was more natural than this one. Still, definitely a fun pair to try. Cheers gents!

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4.93/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2015 vintage. One of the best I've had. Pours pitch black with slight lacing and tan wisps of foam on the surface of the beer. Aroma is bourbon soaked marshmallows. It doesn't pop at first. Needs some time to warm. Notes of molasses, chocolate, and sweet malt from the base beer. Taste follows the nose, but is more pronounced. The dark fruits are intense. I get fruit cake and bourbon soaked raisins and figs. I love how the base beer comes through along with the rich, decadent bourbon notes. Some barrel char, but it's not pronounced. I get the toasted marshmallow like vanilla rye, but this is more sweet and fruity while vanilla rye has some spice and roast. So much chocolate in this beer. I could go on and on listing all the flavors. This is worth the heavy cost to acquire.

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