Dark Lord
3 Floyds Brewing Co.

Ba beer #2300

Brewers Notes: A demonic Russian-Style Imperial Stout brewed with coffee, Mexican vanilla, and Indian sugar, this beer defies description. Available one day a year, in April at the brewery: Dark Lord Day.

Vintage guide: Black wax wrapped label = 2020

Bottle received in bif17 courtesy of @ovaltine

Room temperature bottle poured into a pretentious beer glass. Dark cola brown liquid, little foam , settles to a ring

Aroma is coffee,molasses, brown sugar, tobacco

Taste is coffee, dark fruits, raisins, tobacco, char , port wine

Sudsy mouthfeel, lighter than I expected , boozy

Good beer, reminds me more of a barley wine than a RIS

2009 vintage. Poured from a bomber into a snifter.

Impenetrable seal brown/bistre liquid with a faint almond event horizon. Vague collar, never quite awakens. Thick sheets of legs.

Molasses, port, cherries, cocoa, and char in the nose. More fruit as the ale warms.

Prunes, cherries, and port are forward on the palate. Vinous quality persists with a background of dark malt, black licorice, and faint chocolate. Blackberries, violets, dulce de leche, ash, clay, and figs. Some oxidation is leading this into Old Ale territory, but no cardboard or other off notes. Low bitterness, medium-sweet, linear finish.

Oily, slick, carbonation has faded though there is some life left.

After 14 years, this has evolved into something difficult to categorize, and in some ways closer to a fortified dessert wine than a RIS.

 

A 22 fl. oz. bomber, 2015 vintage, very nicely maroon waxed, poured into a snifter glass.

Appearance: Black in colour with only a thin brown head and sparse spotty lacing.

Aroma: Coffee, dark fruit, plum, prunes, fig, molasses, oak, chocolate, light roast.

Taste: Sweet, dark fruit, charred notes, plum, prunes, fig, cherries, brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, coffee, burnt sugar.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: A nice warming sipper. Maybe approaching too sweet, but the charred and burnt notes do sort of keep it in line.

 

 

 

 

2014 Dark Lord. Zero carbonation on the pour. Thick. Nose is roasted malts, black licorice, a touch of soy sauce, some nice dark fruit (cherries, plums), and some toffee. The taste is fantastic. No soy sauce here. Big roasted malts, sweet toffee, chocolate, licorice, maple, oak, tons of dark fruit - blackberries, raisins, plums. Sticky and creamy. Just lovely. Definitely going to sip on this for a long time.

 

 

Pours a viscous-looking garnet-hued black with a fat finger of dark khaki head that settles into a lasting crown and leaves no lacing.

Umami, chocolate, red wine and toffee in the nose.

Sweet and vinous tasting up front. Vanilla and fig in there, too. Loads of umami and some bakers cocoa balance that right out. A kiss of warming alcohol in the backend.

Thick and chewy feel.

Well crafted and smooth. 2019 bottling.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a deep dark brown with moderate cappuccino head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving a thin ring around the edge of the glass.

Big aromas that burst from the bottle upon opening. Sweet milky coffee, dates, stewed fruits. A little charred food sits in behind.

Sweet vanilla hits the tongue first. It’s followed by coffee, much milder dates/figs/raisins. The sweetness stays for the duration, but isn’t over the top or unwanted. Again, in the background there is a charred food/ashy quality that I like. Not boozy in the least.

This is a big bodied beer. Thick without verging too far into syrupy territory. Long finish.

I really enjoyed this beer I’ve heard about for so long. Very glad to have tried it.

2015 maroon wax. Black with small head. Nose has umami notes, charcoal grill in a good way. Taste more chocolatey and sweet, molasses, booze, fig, cocoa powder. Big body and low carb. 7 years old and amazing.