Maybe it’s time to go to 4 variants per ticket and then make DL available as an extra add on in those 16oz/4 packs they use for the 30th Anniversary Kiosk beers.
Looks like FFF kiosk has a 7 year single malt whisky aged in DL barrels and then one aged in a “DL Port Barrel”.
I wanted to grab those on Friday but couldn't get out of Chicago on time (to the surprise of absolutely no one).
Even cooler if you could customize. Some people pick 4 regular, some two and two. Likely too complicated on the ticketing site, let alone the wristband situation.
Could go back to the old days when you could pick how many you wanted (up to the limit) and you just paid cash. Line was much slower of course.
I didnt buy any this year but if the quality is anything like last year's 7 Year Rye then I'd say 3 Floyds is actually doing a great job with older age statements. Cool to see
I saw this years Egregious Philbin was getting a lot of love so I just opened mine while I watch the Spurs game. Very good.. I dont care for sweet stouts in general but I know what I signed up for and DL variants are fun to drink. Smells great. The cherry hits up front with a lil dark chocolate note similar to Bourbon County. The cherry fades into a dose of vanilla and dark lord base and finishes again with a chocolate note and slight heat. FFF has always done cherry very well minus the Battle of Charro slop. Pretty good variant. I never had the previous versions of it.
P.S. if we're paying $10 for a Dark Lord pour they gotta go back go giving us 6 ounces. Or 8 oz.. whatever it was years ago. The 4 oz pours dont give you nearly enough to fully take in the character of the beer. You're left taking sips and not fully enjoying the beer. I had Banana Bubble Bath on draft and I can say I tasted banana but I was sipping and couldnt really judge the beer
This is in the spirit of the bottle share where you get a bunch of warm 1 ounce pours of whales but they all just taste like the same warm stout. You can technically tick it but the only tasting note was "beer"
Lol sounds about right. I got out of trading/collecting/whatever a few years ago so never really participate in the bottle share anymore. Really though aside from something like cinnamon or banana that really jumps out, you cant really enjoy the variants on draft like you need to. They weren't hooking up the pours either, they left a lot of empty room in those lil cups. I got one DL pour the entire day where they filled it to the top and it was late in the evening
2021 Chemtrail held up very well. The cinnamon dries out the beer in a great way. 2021 Chemtrail was 5x more enjoyable and drinkable than the 26' Egregious I had last night. '26 Egregious felt like a chore to drink solo. '21 Chemtrail felt like it was crushable.. amazing how differently the DL can express itself in the variants All things considered, any year of Chemtrail is the best variant of all time
Just woke up from a nap and opened Magic User. I had Magic User and Chemtrail side by side at DLD and felt like Chemtrail was superior. Magic User was sweeter with the fluffiness of the coconut. Now that I've opened the bottle, I still feel that way. I read a few reviews claiming Magic had a more dominant cinnamon presence.. i disagreed at DLD and I disagree now. BUT.. the barrels work very very well with the cinnamon in Magic User. And honestly the barrels show up a lot in Magic User.. i still prefer the dryness of Chemtrail, however. Magic User is way more impressive out of the bottle when I can enjoy it home versus a 4 oz pour. This is an unreal variant that deserves its place in the lineup the same way French Vanilla Militia and Chemtrailmix stepped onto the scene. As I type this and keep sipping.. the rye barrel spice and the cinnamon does this beer so much justice. And they found a way to blend it so smoothly with the coconut. It gives you a dry barrel character up front with a lil dark fruitiness of a classic RIS, then drifts into a soft coconut touch with a heavy cinnamon/spice note on the finish.. almost a pepper spice on the end. Magic User may have a stronger barrel presence than most variants this year.. it works beautifully with the coconut. This beer should be back again. I took several sips as I made this post and it got better and better (unironically). I want to revisit Banana Bubble Bath but this is the most complex, quality, and exciting variant of 2026.
Yeah, the coconut presence in Magic User was much more luscious than a lot of their previous coconut beers, it seemed creamier and more prominent while the barrel and cinnamon were still nicely present. The practice they had with the several DL variants, and Cocomungo, seemed to pay dividends. I found the same actually with Bubble Bath, as they've had a shelfie and a couple of other Dark Lord treatments that were kinda ho hum by comparison (Dismembers Only, Casino Beach, Munster Punch), but they amped it up in a really tasty way for the format, but Magic User is way better for me.
My draft pour of Bubble Bath impressed me even with my drunken palate and made me get a bottle.. might open it today. Bout to go a few months without a drink for several reasons so been enjoying a couple variants this weekend My first impression on Bubble Bath at DLD was ok lots of banana but I'm getting some barrel heat too and thats what made me want a bottle. I'll probably open it today and report back.
Banana Bubble Bath is excellent from the bottle. It delivers on everything it advertises. Soft and potent banana right up front with a lil touch of the base beer. Drifts into a pillow soft vanilla like what you get from Handjee or really any FFF vanilla beers. Strong cocao notes on the finish. Very good. Definitely a banana split. I almost wanted to say they should have ditched Egregious and thrown cherries into this but the base beer provides the acidity and sharpness that you need and honestly this tastes like a dialed in version of Dismembers Only. The vanilla in this adds a "whipped cream topping" effect to the beer and maintains such a nice softness. The banana and vanilla work so well with the dark fruit of the base beer and the cacao. You really get the experience of a sweet and tart dessert. Barrel aging takes a backseat on this one but if you swish and chew a lil bit.. the barrel is present from start to finish as a worthy companion to each flavor. I think it could use a touch more barrel.. but overall a welcome addition to the DL variant family. I still have my bottles of CTM, Handjob, and Brandy but the two new variants were a lot better than Egregious. Egregious was so sweet in comparison. 2026 Rankings: 1. Magic User (based on new kid on the block appeal and quality). 2. Brandy Vanilla (much more depth and heat from 2025). 3. Chemtrailmix (you know what it is). 4. Banana Bubble Bath (you just read it). 5. Handjee (Only had on draft. Seemed fine but meh. 2020 Handjee was the king). 6. Egregious Philbin (Good. After revisiting other variants in bottle form, this one was way sweeter than the others). Cant say I'd seek this one again although I liked it.
Just one man’s opinion, but I think Chemtrail has lost some of its luster. Perhaps I feel this way because I have literally gotten it every year but the first. (And I could have had it that year, but a guy backed out of a trade on me). Don’t get me wrong, it is a great beer.I would love Chemtrail to get 2027 off and BBA Dark Lord/ Hellaboozie makes a triumphant return.
