Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Lord De Muerte | 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
3 Floyds Brewing Co.
Indiana, United States
3floyds.com
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 15.00%
Availability: Spring
Notes / Commercial Description:
Dark Lord aged in bourbon barrels with ancho and guajillo peppers.
Added by khumbard on 05-30-2011
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 183 | Reviews: 43
Reviews by RhyminBelmont:
More User Reviews:
4.49/5 rDev +12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle from the 2011 vintage. Opened side by side with all other variants from the same year.
A: Dark, no head.
S: Strong pepper dominates the scene but with also strong raspberries scents and chocolate. Very surprising, powerful nose. Bourbon is there but somehow subdued, hidden behind the strong pepper.
T: Taste is balanced between chocolate, green pepper and subdued fruits flavors (cherry and raspberry mainly). The hotness is actually really low (it may be gone), which makes this highly drinkable.
M: Heavy mouthfeel, quite sticky, still drinkable.
O:Very surprised and pleased by this beer. This is far better than anticipated and highly drinkable for what it is. The fact that it's not hot anymore probably helps a lot. The balance and the fruitness in this beer are what I appreciated the most.
805 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle from the 2011 vintage. Opened side by side with all other variants from the same year.
A: Dark, no head.
S: Strong pepper dominates the scene but with also strong raspberries scents and chocolate. Very surprising, powerful nose. Bourbon is there but somehow subdued, hidden behind the strong pepper.
T: Taste is balanced between chocolate, green pepper and subdued fruits flavors (cherry and raspberry mainly). The hotness is actually really low (it may be gone), which makes this highly drinkable.
M: Heavy mouthfeel, quite sticky, still drinkable.
O:Very surprised and pleased by this beer. This is far better than anticipated and highly drinkable for what it is. The fact that it's not hot anymore probably helps a lot. The balance and the fruitness in this beer are what I appreciated the most.
805 characters
4.5/5 rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.26/5 rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Bottle shared during NWI tasting night of all 2011 BA DL's
A - Dark chocolate brown with a golden overtone around the edges. Not much of a head as it only leaves small bubbles on the sides. As the beer swirls in my glass, I can tell it's going to be a thick one as it leaves lots of residue on the sides
S - It smells slightly vegetal, sort of like green peppers and a bit like dirt. This is mixed in with slight chocolate and vanilla that we get in all of the other BA DL's. The green pepper vegetal aspect just make this seem off as the nose doesn't blend well together at all
T - Up front this is dark chocolate, caramel and vanilla. You get some slight heat from the chili as well as some of the vegetal aspects that I picked up in the nose. Overall, this tastes much better than it smells but not nearly as good as the other BA DL's. The finish has very slight heat from the peppers as well as some oak from the barrell.
MF - Smooth body while drinking it. It is another bit thick and sticky DL that leaves a slight sticky residue while drinking. Additionally, you get a slight vegetal coating on the tongue
O - By far the worst of the BA DLs. There is still lots of vanilla and caramel that I get in the other ones but the peppers just throw this one off. There is only a small bit of heat from the peppers but they produce more off vegetal flavors than anything else.
1,379 characters
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Bottle shared during NWI tasting night of all 2011 BA DL's
A - Dark chocolate brown with a golden overtone around the edges. Not much of a head as it only leaves small bubbles on the sides. As the beer swirls in my glass, I can tell it's going to be a thick one as it leaves lots of residue on the sides
S - It smells slightly vegetal, sort of like green peppers and a bit like dirt. This is mixed in with slight chocolate and vanilla that we get in all of the other BA DL's. The green pepper vegetal aspect just make this seem off as the nose doesn't blend well together at all
T - Up front this is dark chocolate, caramel and vanilla. You get some slight heat from the chili as well as some of the vegetal aspects that I picked up in the nose. Overall, this tastes much better than it smells but not nearly as good as the other BA DL's. The finish has very slight heat from the peppers as well as some oak from the barrell.
MF - Smooth body while drinking it. It is another bit thick and sticky DL that leaves a slight sticky residue while drinking. Additionally, you get a slight vegetal coating on the tongue
O - By far the worst of the BA DLs. There is still lots of vanilla and caramel that I get in the other ones but the peppers just throw this one off. There is only a small bit of heat from the peppers but they produce more off vegetal flavors than anything else.
1,379 characters
3.71/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 - Barrel only takes a slight edge off the sweetness of Dark Lord. Tons for normal DL flavors with raisins, prunes, coffee, sugar, and a bit of pepper. Most of the pepper comes through in a slight burn hanging in the back of the mouth/throat. Not terribly remarkable.
274 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 - Barrel only takes a slight edge off the sweetness of Dark Lord. Tons for normal DL flavors with raisins, prunes, coffee, sugar, and a bit of pepper. Most of the pepper comes through in a slight burn hanging in the back of the mouth/throat. Not terribly remarkable.
274 characters
3.46/5 rDev -13.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Josh for this one. Side-by-side with all the other BA Dark Lords. Bottle 122/165 into a snifter. From notes.
Same appearance as the other Dark Lords.
Booze, chocolate, fudge sweetness in the nose. Some mellow spiciness lingers in the background. Quite nice actually.
Chocolate, fudge, prunes, plum, and a slight metallic taste. Spiciness comes out a touch at the end but overall is just very mellow. Decent.
Same feel as the others. A slightly accented finish.
Not sure why this beer gets so much hate. The chilies are all but gone at this point but what remains is still a decent beer with a mellow kick at the end. Worth a try and I'm glad to have had the opportunity.
685 characters
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Josh for this one. Side-by-side with all the other BA Dark Lords. Bottle 122/165 into a snifter. From notes.
Same appearance as the other Dark Lords.
Booze, chocolate, fudge sweetness in the nose. Some mellow spiciness lingers in the background. Quite nice actually.
Chocolate, fudge, prunes, plum, and a slight metallic taste. Spiciness comes out a touch at the end but overall is just very mellow. Decent.
Same feel as the others. A slightly accented finish.
Not sure why this beer gets so much hate. The chilies are all but gone at this point but what remains is still a decent beer with a mellow kick at the end. Worth a try and I'm glad to have had the opportunity.
685 characters
4.6/5 rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sample at Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen 2017, yellow session. Starts with rum and continues sweet and sticky. Brown sugar, habanero peppers, medium heat, not too sweet or cloying.
187 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sample at Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen 2017, yellow session. Starts with rum and continues sweet and sticky. Brown sugar, habanero peppers, medium heat, not too sweet or cloying.
187 characters
4.25/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.65/5 rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. 2013 bottle. #110/417.
Appearance - Black. Back to no head.
Smell - Peppers are quite strong. Chocolate. The peppers are very green.
Taste - Chocolate. Very sweet, but the peppers build. Green peppers. I get a little bit of bourbon and vanilla, but peppers is strongest.
Mouthfeel - Thick and sweet, like the others, but the pepper really cuts the sugar.
Overall - This tastes better than the others. It smells like all peppers, but it's actually pretty enjoyable.
506 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. 2013 bottle. #110/417.
Appearance - Black. Back to no head.
Smell - Peppers are quite strong. Chocolate. The peppers are very green.
Taste - Chocolate. Very sweet, but the peppers build. Green peppers. I get a little bit of bourbon and vanilla, but peppers is strongest.
Mouthfeel - Thick and sweet, like the others, but the pepper really cuts the sugar.
Overall - This tastes better than the others. It smells like all peppers, but it's actually pretty enjoyable.
506 characters
4.25/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.65/5 rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Bottle #22/165 (2011) - Served lightly chilled 55-60°F into a FFF Teku. Bottle crown opens with a light release of pressure. This Dark Lord variant pours up with a modest effervescence creating a low, but sustainable tannish-light brown head that nicely rings the glass above the deep garnet black-nearly opaque body. Retention is okay, but the head dissipates quickly after the first sip. Amazing herb/spice (earhy) character from the Ancho chilis with the Guajillo peppers taking more of a subordinate roll. The flavor starts off a bit cloying, but is quickly managed by a moderate bitterness that creates balance along with a bittersweet chocolate character in the burnt honey finish that's intermingled with a light but discernible warmth from the Guajillo chilis. Surprisingly balanced. I know a few who "bashed" this beer when it was young and all I have to say to them is that, "patience is a virtue." I'm glad I had the opportunity to claim a golden ticket & purchase this bad boy. Cheers!
998 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Bottle #22/165 (2011) - Served lightly chilled 55-60°F into a FFF Teku. Bottle crown opens with a light release of pressure. This Dark Lord variant pours up with a modest effervescence creating a low, but sustainable tannish-light brown head that nicely rings the glass above the deep garnet black-nearly opaque body. Retention is okay, but the head dissipates quickly after the first sip. Amazing herb/spice (earhy) character from the Ancho chilis with the Guajillo peppers taking more of a subordinate roll. The flavor starts off a bit cloying, but is quickly managed by a moderate bitterness that creates balance along with a bittersweet chocolate character in the burnt honey finish that's intermingled with a light but discernible warmth from the Guajillo chilis. Surprisingly balanced. I know a few who "bashed" this beer when it was young and all I have to say to them is that, "patience is a virtue." I'm glad I had the opportunity to claim a golden ticket & purchase this bad boy. Cheers!
998 characters
5/5 rDev +24.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Numerous bottles of all vintages. This is a spicy beer. People complain that it's spicy. That's like complaining a double IPA is hoppy. It is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. And by that I mean it is both insanely spicy and insanely sweet (as you would expect from dark lord) unlike some of the other variants the sweetness compliments the adjuncts perfectly. I love this stuff.
382 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Numerous bottles of all vintages. This is a spicy beer. People complain that it's spicy. That's like complaining a double IPA is hoppy. It is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. And by that I mean it is both insanely spicy and insanely sweet (as you would expect from dark lord) unlike some of the other variants the sweetness compliments the adjuncts perfectly. I love this stuff.
382 characters
3.57/5 rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
4/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours pitch black thick mocha-ish head. Aroma has chili, fudge, bitter chocolate, dried dark fruits.
Taste is same but with a huge dry chili finish
149 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours pitch black thick mocha-ish head. Aroma has chili, fudge, bitter chocolate, dried dark fruits.
Taste is same but with a huge dry chili finish
149 characters
Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Lord De Muerte from 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
4.01 out of
5 with
183 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
In English, explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.