Three Floyds Dark Lord Imperial Stout

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

FINALLY GOT TO SAMPLE THIS!!! Green wax, at the 2014 HMOG in Decatur, GA. Pours a deep coffee brown with a nice tan head. Aroma has notes of roast malt, quality coffee and raisins. Somewhat sweet flavor has notes of good coffee, chocolate, raisin and toffee. Mouthfeel is viscous and fizzy, leaving a very pleasing finish. A real treat to get a snort of this legend.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

The review is from a 2012, red wax dipped bottle, acquired via trade. Bottle pour into a snifter at cellar temp produces a thin black liquid with a mahoghany head that doesn't stick around. A sharp carbonation is noticeable in the pour and in the mouthfeel, which is thin and acidic. Aromas of booze, coffee, and chocolate. The taste changes as the beer slowly disappears in your glass. It's difficult to place all of the flavors due to the aforementioned chameleon nature of this beer. Loads of coffee, soy, smoke, figs, and cherries stand out the most to me. I understand this one is polarizing to many. I also understand that this beers method of release has spawned the shitshow that is now high end craft. Nevertheless, it's always special and delcious, even if a tad sweet. Age this beauty for years and it becomes even more memorable.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Upon the Winter Solstice I summon the Dark Lord (2011)... handed over to me in secrecy, cloak and dagger stuff indeed, by Code Name: kinger. From my Wish List too: Beer 7 of my 12 Beers of Christmas - I couldn't resist the pagan-ness of drinking this one on this day. Rich thick mahogany black pour, very tight tan head, spotty little devilish lacing. Scents of very ripe rich fruits - plums, molasses, dark decedent chocolates, inviting hint of black coffee and some leather, a touch of smoke and evil black licorice, a little mystical vanilla. Taste is equally evil and hedonistic: BIG rich roasted malts, dark chocolate, ripe plums and other sweet ripe fruits, sweet cherries, black licorice, a hint of smoke, vanilla and molasses; big sweet heavy stuff this one is. Super Worthy. Oh Cory King, I give my thanks unto thee for this spiritual elixir. I submit.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

I've had my share of the Dark Lord in various forms over the past couple of years and I'll be leaving soon for the 2011 release. Felt obligated to finally slap down my thoughts after polishing off my last bottle from 2010. I've never had this beer past 1 year, and based on that I've enjoyed it better relatively fresh. Heavy and sweet, it's a chewy gritty beer with a lot of dark fruits, undertones of smoked meat, tobacco, port wine, vanilla and a crap load of other influences. It's almost too complex for it's own good and I've had samples that were sublime while others were awkward. Hype and legend have built this beer, and the method of obtaining it has become a yearly trip for me and my close friends. Physically getting the bottles is low on my list, while the entire visit to the area and the events we create make it all worthwhile.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Vintage 2009 (White Wax). Thanks to MDSmith for sharing this "gem" with me. On to the review. In short, this beer was not a favorite by any stretch. I picked this bottle up from Mikkeller Bar while in Denmark earlier this year in January. This beer was not what I was expecting. Instead of a complex and rich flavored beer, I got a soy sauce based beer. There were hints of dark fruit but the smell and flavor were mostly salt and soy. I was unimpressed - this beer is simply a product of hype - at least the 2009 bottle. I cannot speak to the other vintages, but for what I paid for this one, I have no desire to invest the money to find out how much better a 2004, etc. is. I can appreciate exotic beers but this one just missed the mark for me.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Bottle, 2009 vintage, kindly shared by gunnar. Black colour, hardly any head. Aroma of heavily roasted malts, dark chocolate, coffee and liquorice. Intense flavour of roasted malts, coffee and liquorice.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

My husband went halfway across the country to get this stuff with friends. It was good, but not overly great. I think the 1 day a year adds to the hype. A blackish pour with a huge whallop of roasted coffee and malt aroma. A little on the thick side. Tastes of roasted malt and coffee, and very bitter.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

09 release...obviously pours jet black, with a better than expected (but quickly disappating) dark brown head. the aroma is a little on the sweet side, but way complex. chocolate soaked cherries, wood, molasses, brown sugar. some alcohol present too. body is thick and smooth, but not cloying. feel is awesome...coating and warming at the same time, without being hot. like a toned down World Wide. flavor is awesome. lots of the same qualities of the aroma, but they work better in the flavor. a little charred flavor as well. very wine/port like. overall, an awesome beer. worth the price and hype? yes and no...probably more no. Not when World Wide is similar (though not the same) at about $8 a bottle, and other great RISs are out there for way way less. Glad we tried it the once. MAYBE i'll revisit an aged bottle in the future. 11/11 - 2009-2010-2011 vertical: 2010 was amazing, maybe even a 4.7, while the aroma was just a touch behind on the newer 2011 (though the cofee presence was more obvious and very nice), and the 2009, while still great, is just starting to fade a little and become excessively sweet...but only when in comparison to the nearly perfect 2010 batch.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

2008 bottle::Lives up to the hype .. . lives up to the hype .. . sweet, chewy, thick, fuckin delicious! .. . i want more, more, MORE!!!! .. . had with some chocolate covered crispy bacon.. ya i had a hard on the whole time!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Ak4nW1Rg8

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

This was not a favourite of mine, had a couple of bottles, and they both tasted a bit off what I was expecting. The beer is a very black poor, no head, but a bit thin for an imperial stout. The aroma is roasted malt, dark chocolate, and a metallic aroma. The flavour is dark fruit, dark malt, and coffee. The metallic tones in the aroma ruin the flavour as well. I'll try another vintage if Ib can get one.