Darklord Day 2017

I feel like this was already a DL variant

 

Count me as someone who wouldn't want that. I haven't had BVDL/Handjee, so can't speak to them for sure, but the other BA Vanilla beers I've had are hit or miss. I think I'm just a bit sensitive to vanilla, so I'd prefer things like coconut, coffee, and hazelnuts.

 

Here's to hoping for another coffee variant like the one in 2015. That Cognac BA Coffee DL is the kind of BA coffee stout I've been looking for ever since.

 

So what actually happens at DLD? Ticket includes "entry into festival grounds", but what is on these grounds? Other breweries? Just bands? Food trucks? N00b needs more info!

 

Short version: pain and regret.

 

There will be multiple stations with beers from breweries from all over the country (anywhere from 5-8 taps at each station constantly rotating throughout the day). Some offerings will be epic, others will be things you've never heard off. There will also be two music stages, coffee stations, food stations, merch stations, shit show everywhere around you... it's hard to describe such a broad question. It's the perhaps the biggest craft beer event of the year.

 

Wow. How does it compare to Huna Day? Does entry include drink tickets or food tickets? Or do you not need them?

I'm surprised that this info isn't posted anywhere on DLD site, especially since tickets go on sale this weekend.

 

Something like this...

 

It sucks. Don't bother getting a ticket, stay in CT.

 

Well I guess I should have expected some of these answers considering the reputation of this thread... :-)

 

I haven't been to Huna Day but perhaps someone that has been can comment on the differences. From the people I know that have gone to both, say there's really no comparison because they are entirely different. DLD is maybe the best bottle share of the year. Bring your stuff and share with others, and they do the same. Also, it's just a bigger shit show in general.

This year, the $180 will include entry, 4 regular Dark Load, 1 variant Dark Lord (1st come first serve on choice of variant, options depending on which group you can get tickets to), and a tote bag. Everything else (food, beer, etc), you will have to pay for as you go along. I generally bring an amount of cash I'm ready to part with and go from there. DLD can get spendy if you're like me and get a bunch of beers, food, merch, glasses (whalez glasses!), hot sauce, Dark Matter coffee etc.

Basically my mentality is 'Here! Take my money already!'

 

It doesn't look like food or drink tickets are included this year (last year they were, previously they were not). It's debateable how much you need them. You probably SHOULD get food just to slow you down a bit, and the need for taps varies greatly depending what is on. I didn't see a ton of amazing stuff other than Dwarven Power Bottom, though I've heard legends of great stuff in the past. You're mostly paying for the beer and entry.

Basically, everyone brings a backpack full of interesting beer and passes it around. You can get plenty drunk without visiting the taps at all.

 

Actually, you should probably expect worse!

 

Agreed. I enjoy a touch of Vanilla but most breweries make vanilla bombs.

 

By the time you figure out your answers, tickets will have been already sold out.

 

I haven't been to Huna day, but from what I have read here are the main differences:

At Huna day everyone runs to the rarest taps first and huge lines form at them until they tap out.

At Dark Lord day the rare stuff goes on at random and you won't know when or where, you just get lucky. But enough cool stuff goes on tap all day that you should run into great things. The guest taps are always great with offerings from Hill Farmstead, Toppling Goliath, Pipeworks, Cigar City, Mikkeller, Port, Founders, Perrenial, Bell's, Dark Horse and tons more. Stuff like BA Abraxas, DB Huna, Apple Brandy Marshal Zukov, Founders CBS, Bourbon County Rare etc.. have been on tap in previous years. And that is just the Guest Taps, usually multiple barrel aged Dark Lord variants of different vintages are on tap. In 2015 I had 5 different BA Dark Lord taps.

Drafts are $5.

Huna day is in Flordia and has nice weather

Dark Lord Day has a reputation of being cold and rainy. The last 2 years were rainy all day. Although there have been years with nice weather. The fest was moved into May from April in hopes of better weather.

Huna Day has no bottle sharing

You can bring in up to 288oz of beer per person at Dark Lord Day (not strictly enforced). People get there at like 6am and start bottle sharing while in line to get in. They bottle share for hours, then you get inside and they have huge tents setup with tables for more bottle sharing. These tents fill up and people stand outside the tents in groups bottle sharing. When you are waiting in line to buy your bottles of Dark Lord there are people bottle sharing. When you are waiting in line to go pee, you are bottle sharing. Literally bottle sharing everywhere.

Huna Day has no metal bands

This may be a pro or con depending on your musical tastes. But the quality of bands means part of the value in the ticket is that the event is also a music festival in a way. Amon Amarth is playing this year. Previous years have featured headliners such as High on Fire, Corrosion of Conformity, Skeltonwitch, etc...

 

Huna Day you get your bottles as you leave

Dark Lord Day your ticket dictates when you pick-up your bottles and then you spend the rest of the day trying to fend off schmucks playing an adult version of capture the flag with your bottles.

 

Awesome! Thanks for the great info!

 

I hope it gets back to that this year because last year was a major disappointment. FYI @CraftBeerLos taps were really lacking last year, and they'd already been slowly going downhill for a little while with fewer breweries seeing DLD as a must-attend beer fest.

 

I wonder if part of that was because people didn't want to venture out into the rain to get taps so kegs weren't blowing fast enough? I agree though, not as many "whales" on tap last year. Still some great options.