Best year for Dark Lord

Ive only had 2010 and 2012. ( had the 2010 this year, but only a sample) and it was wonderful. I wish i had more info for you.

 

I've never had it but I've heard the 06 is the best. I haven't been a fan of any of these years I've gotten to try.

 

Of the '10 - '12 that I had, '10 was the best. '12 was the worst.

I have heard that 2007 & 2008 were supposed to be the best years for Dark Lord.

 

Just did '06-'12 a few weeks ago.

'06 ...meh
'07 Avoid at all costs
'08 is pretty great
'09 okay
'10 okay
'11 is a coffee bomb (which I enjoyed)
'12 tasted like cherries (in a bad way) way too sweet.

 

09 is my favorite, I wouldn't bother with anything less than 2 years old though.

 

I've been a part of a few verticals and semi verticals and have had a couple bottles randomly here and there and the 2008 as been by far my favorite everytime I've had it.

 

2008 was my favorite vintage, but the last couple times I had it I felt like it was falling off. The 2011 really impressed me the last time I had it, as I thought it was pretty awful fresh. I really enjoyed it with a year on it though.

 

The 2010 I had in April was more like a port/chocolate wine kind of style which left me kind of disappointed.
The 2011 and 2012 were amazing fresh. Even 2011 with a year of age on it was still tasting pretty well.

 

12 is atrocious. I hunted any DL for a long time and was so disappointed when I finally got my hands on one.

 

10 was like a port which disappointed you...but 12 was amazing fresh? I've never had a beer that tasted more like a port than 12. Something seems disconnected there (IMO).

 

Out of curiosity, is this because it tastes better with a couple years of age or because you felt the newer batches were just not brewed as much to your liking as the older batches?

 

I didn't enjoy the 2012 fresh as much as 2011, but it was more potent in terms of flavor and aroma than the 2010 was. I expect some loss in terms of intensity of flavors and aroma and a gain in the heat as the aging process goes on, but I found it kind of weird that the 2010 reminded me more of Old Stock from North Coast than it did traditional DL.

 

For all of you guys who don't want your "average/meh/okay" DL's, feel free to PM me for my shipping address.

 

'08 & '11 Try DL with smoked blue cheese, I can't recommend this enough

 

I just don't get the hype for this beer. I've had them all and disliked each year though 09 was the least offensive. I use my allotment every year to make chili. Now THAT tastes fantastic!

 

why so much variation? does the recipe change that much year to year?

 

The best year for Dark Lord is next years.

 

It was the '08 and the '11 that did me in.

 

I've been part of a few verticals. I think I've tried almost all years from about 03 forward. I haven't. Really noticed huge variety, except that in a couple cases we opened multiple bottles of a sinless year, and one would be fantastic, the other barely Meh. These were bottles from the same person, same storage conditions, but one was off.