Marshmallow Handjee
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

2026 Vintage

Pours jet black. Light absorbing black. A flashlight held to the glass can't be seen on the other side. Mocha colored 1 finger head that dissipates to thin lacing around the rim. Smell is bourbon, Hershey chocolate syrup, and marshmallow. It smells like a boozy s'mores poptart. First sip is fudge, toasted marshmallow, and caramelized sugar. As it warms the bourbon and vanilla define the backend. It smells like it is going to be cloying sweet, but the sweetness is balanced by the barrel character and the roasted malt backbone. It is a complex beer with numerous flavors, but nothing seems to overpower the other and everything works well together. The mouthfeel is smooth with minimal carbonation. Overall, this is an incredible brew. I think aging it for a year might make this a different experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fabulous beer with great balance and excellent finish! I love this beer!

An incredibly rich and powerful Dark Lord Variant made in aged bourbon barrels with vanilla beans.

 

 

 

 

a serious beer of lore here, one of those ones i thought id never encounter without flying somewhere and standing in a line and all of that, remember when beer was so cool people lined up for it by the way? didnt somebody get trampled one year? man, some of that fervor should come back to the game, its all so unceremonious now, but it was epic to just randomly stumble into this, on draft no less! here we go! viscous and black, very little carbonation activity, slick and weighty looking, appropriate for its strength. the nose is maybe the best part of this, high saturation real vanilla in all its glory with what seems to be a somewhat simple complexion behind it, really dark roasted barley, strong black coffee, and quality bourbon, although a bit less whiskey driven than anticipated, the vanilla is way out in front, its sexy and alluring, and it doesnt seem too sweet at all, a subtle yeast note is present which i like, and the alcohol is there but its not so intense that its distracting, i think real compelling overall, even if the coffee part of this is maybe a little less than fresh. the flavor shows a bit more depth on the grain side, turbinado sugar and molasses flavor without it really being that sweet anywhere but it sets up the vanilla well, floral and authentic as it gets. the bourbon part is killer too, just the right amount of actual whiskey flavor, hints of toasted coconut and toffee in play with that, some barrel char along with the coffee element, bitter rather than sweet on the swallow, warm but not hot on the alcohol, crazy roasty, long on the palate, takes some adjusting, vanilla fades only very slowly. heres the thing, this is awesome beer by any standard, great base recipe, distinctive in a samey space, nice barrel treatment, epic vanilla profile and intensity, but also, for this to be the fifth highest rated beer in the world right now is absurd, like how much of the rarity factors into these scores, this is great, but it wasnt even the best barrel aged stout i had on the day that i drank it, which is saying a lot i think. these rack and stack ratings are fun, but i cant say they mean much, especially with this one, definitely doesnt rank among my favorites ever in this style. that said, it was a delight to drink, i love how roasty and bold it is, and i cant be critical at all, just dont let the ratings trick you into thinking this is one of the best stouts ever made because its not...

edit: every bit as delightful the second time around, also on tap, heavy vanilla, whiskey, coffee, and roast, smooth and sweet and bitter at the same time, massive and delicious. still not hitting like an all timer, but its hard to argue the quality and uniqueness, really a pleasurable sipper!

 

 

 

 

Draft at Hops and Pie’s Dark Lord Day 2024 in Denver.

Better than expected. Very smooth. Light vanilla. Sweet but not cloying. I had an 8oz pour and it was perfect.