Three Floyds Dark Lord

Top 10 Craft Beers

Three Floyds Dark Lord
Russian Imperial Stout
Three Floyds Brewing/Munster, Indiana

Three Floyds may have one of the most devoted followings of any brewery in the world, and a beer that is made once a year and all sold in one day makes an excellent candidate for cult status. The momentous yearly event is dubbed Dark Lord Day, and is held on the last Saturday of April, at which time all of the once-a-year gargantuan Russian imperial stout is released and sold. To alleviate crowd control problems, 6,000 pre-sold tickets go on sale in mid-March and sell out in less than five minutes. If you have made the trek to the brewery or bought some on the black market (eBay bids are currently around $60 a bottle), you have tasted a rarity that relatively few have enjoyed. The Dark Lord moniker suggests something dark and sinister. Dark it is, and it pours pitch black, like an opaque black hole in your glass, akin to the Dark Lord rising from his primordial beginnings. An intense roasted malt and chocolate flavor dominates and is joined by notes of maraschino cherry, cocoa nibs and coffee, with a thick body and sublime smooth finish. If you are fortunate enough to win a scratch-off golden ticket, you are allowed to purchase a barrel-aged version for $50.

Price: $60 for 4-pack of 22 oz (or $15 for 22 oz)
13 per cent ABV

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