Three Floyds - Behemoth

Today, I felt like drinking a BIG ol' barleywine.  No, a huge barleywine.  Nay, a Behemoth.  No really, 3 Floyds makes a barleywine and they call it Behemoth.  I acquired this little (er... big) gem from my buddy Lance and have managed to hold on to it for most of a year.  It's not quite the winter travesty outside that is usually recommended for consuming large barleywines - in fact, it's a gorgeous January day - but as long as there is still snow on the ground I imagine it to still be an appropriate choice of beer.  This is the second time in a month that I've cracked open a beer that has been wax sealed and I'm not upset about that one bit.  Let's pour!  

Aroma 11/12

The hop aroma is not shy in this beer.  First to the nose are several hop aromas that are all grass, pine, a bit of the "sticky icky icky," and a citrus tinge.  All that and it hasn't even warmed yet.  Once it has begun warming the pine and citrus take center stage and big gooey drops of caramel begin to slowly roll into the scene.  A bitterness sits behind this trifecta and a long, deep sniff makes the alcohol in the beer very apparent.

Appearance 3/3

This brilliant, clear beer pours a bright copper color that is made to seem darker by some reddish and sienna tones that also fill the glass.  Carbonation bubbles sllooowwwly ascend to the surface as they fight against what must be a beer as full-bodied as the cartoon on its label.  Stucco-like rings of lace run round the inside of my glass.

Flavor 19/20

I'm having a difficult time putting a finger on the initial flavors of this brew.  Things begin with such a mellow tone that it's hard to really notice things before the bolder flavors begin.  They are mostly a very subdued citrus from the hops and a distant candi sugar.  Before long both flavors are easily overcome by the brew's bitter and caramel flavors.  Both seem to be slugging it out for supremacy, but the caramel outlasts the bitter thus giving the beer an overall sweetness.  A bit unusual as most big barleywines tend to err on the side of bitter than sweet; unusual, but not unpleasant.  In that big battle of sweet vs bitter, the citrus from the aroma fades out completely, but the candi sugar weighs in to tip the scales toward sweet instead of bitter.  The aftertaste is largely a continuation of the backbone, but the finish is a hot tingle from the alcohol that lingers in the mouth well after swallowing.  The result is a dry, bitter finish that reminds one of a crisp pale ale on steroids.

Mouthfeel 5/5

The mouthfeel of this beer is definitely one of its strong points.  It's unique and definitely steals some of the attention away from the flavor.  First of all, one would expect a beer a beer with the nomenclature "Behemoth" to be a massive, giant of a beer, and while this beer is certainly full-bodied there are other forces at work as well.  The alcohol warmth from the 10.5% ABV puts its own mark on the beer, but without being too boozy or hot.  The carbonation is quite active and when holding the beer in the mouth results in a lighter foam than one would expect.  Long story short, this beer is full-bodied, but never syrupy and certainly not a chore to drink.

Overall Impression 10/10

This is a solid barleywine that strays from the pack a bit.  As mentioned earlier, it falls slightly to the sweet side as opposed to the bitter, while still making both characteristics prominent.  It uses its warmth judiciously to both add to the flavor and the mouthfeel.  While its flavors may not have been insanely complex, they're certainly bold and delicious.  A fresher version may have lent more of the citrus hops to remedy said lack of complexity, but the alcohol heat, undiminished by aging, would certainly have become more intrusive.

Total 48/50

I'd normally feel like rambling on here a bit, but the prior paragraph covers things rather nicely.  This is a damn good beer and coming from Three Floyds, I can't say that I'm surprised.  Whether or not its $15.99 pricetag is justified is another matter entirely.  I feel like I've had other comparable barleywines from less.  Does that make this bad?  Hell no.  Is it one you MUST purchase?  No.  Should you?  Yes.

A Letter to the President of the United States

I may be a little over my head here.  It started when I was perusing the stories in my Google+ feed and I came across the following story about a lawyer that was using the Freedom of Information Act to request the  President's beer recipe (Note: Full story posted by Beer Street Journal here).  And if you haven't read about the President's beer, then get out from under the rock you're living under and read about it here.

I am want.

Well, first things first, you can't create it "exactly" because it uses honey from Michelle Obama's very own hives.  That honey of course is made from whatever blend of flowers is in that vicinity; pretty abstract stuff.  Second of all, does this seem like a dick move to anyone else?  Sure, we'd all like a taste of some insanely rare beer made by the POTUS.  Sure, we'd all like to know how creative he was in the ingredient choices.  However, car-jacking his recipe using legislation seems pretty shitty.  If someone wants to give their recipe, great.  In fact, lots of breweries do just that.  I've seen it in the pages of Beer Advocate magazine.  But if someone wants to keep THEIR stuff THEIRS (hence the origin of copyright laws, trademarks, registered trademarks, patents, patent pendings, "Thou shalt not steal," and the fact that plagerism is a no-no), then they should be able to do just that.

This guy is basically demanding someone else's beer recipe!  How is that in the spirit of craft beer?  That's not being a beer geek.  That's being a beer douche.  It doesn't bring people together.  It doesn't foster creativity.  It doesn't encourage collaboration.  What it DOES encourage is a sense of entitlement.  It DOES encourage misusing legislation.  It DOES encourage performing idiotic acts to receive a ton of national press (I'm sometimes OK with that last one.  Usually when it involves jumping a vehicle over a large distance while performing an intensely difficult number of twists and/or flips).

It seems that whenever politics are involved, people are always ready to bitch about something, but never have a better solution themselves.  So that this post does not fall into the same category, I have written a much better letter to the POTUS and submitted it via www.whitehouse.gov this morning.  I'll include it here for your reading pleasure.

_________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. President,

My name is Joel Kolander and I love craft beer. I was very excited to see that you also have an interest in craft beer, even taking the extra step to brew it yourself. Big props on that one.

Long story short, I've never felt the need to write to a president before or any other official, but I had to this time. The opportunity just seems way too fantastic. I am writing because I author a beer blog called "Sud Savant." I review beers in great depth and try to record those experiences for myself and my readers. I would love to review ANY of the Presidential beers that you brew. In fact, I'd be willing to trade some of my top bottles for such an opportunity. Now, I know the POTUS can probably get whatever bottles he wants, but let me offer the following:

-1 bottle of New Glarus Golden Ale. New Glarus is only sold in Wisconsin and this particular beer was only sold at the brewery as an R&D project. They are sold out.

AND

-1 bottle of Three Floyds' Dark Lord. This bottle is only available once/yr at the brewery, during a festival for its release.

These are some of the most insanely tasty beers I have ever had and should be supremely tempting. Please know that in addition to the proposed trade & write-up, I'd also just be willing to sit down, crack these open, and have a tasting with you. Use it as an election gimmick - I don't care! It'd be a lot fun. Also, you should know that I am a non-partisan voter, so that any review of this Presidential beer that I write will be in form with any other review I do: honest, un-biased, and extremely descriptive.

I hope to hear back from you soon regardless of your response. Good luck in your re-election campaign and when things get a little stressful, remember to pry open a tasty American craft beer. I'll take comfort in knowing the POTUS can unwind and appreciate just like the rest of us.

Cheers and regards,


Joel R. Kolander
a.k.a. Sud Savant

_________________________________________________________

It seems like a pretty good deal, right?  I mean, c'mon, it's not like the Pres can make it out to Dark Lord Day.  Those tickets are crazy impossible to get.  Plus, that New Glarus Golden Ale is as close to deserving the title "nectar of the gods" as I have ever tasted.  Needless to say, whatever the response, I'll definitely be posting it and keeping everybody up-to-date.

Photo "borrowed" from Wikipedia.

Three Floyds - Dark Lord (2012)

I can't take it anymore.  The Dark Lord has been chillin' in my fridge for half a month now and I must taste it.  The Bard, Billy Shakespeare, words it more eloquently that myself when he says,

"As is the night before some festival
To an impatient child that hath new robes
And may not wear them."

For those unfamiliar with Dark Lord and why it is so sought after, click here.

Enough people have asked how it is, or how it compares to Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout (Wes), or how it compares to other years, etc, etc... and now I have to know.  Confession time: this is the first time I will ever have sampled Dark Lord.  Needless to say, I'm pumped after hearing so much about it, but also wary.  It seems like whenever you hear about Dark Lord (or ANY über-popular beer) you primarily hear two sentiments.  1.  Oh my gosh, it's SO good! and 2.  It's OK, but it's overrated.  In this case, I'm still very excited to finally be tasting this, but I also have the bullshit meter on so that I can review this beer as accurately as possible.  Since we've already established that patience is not my strongest suit... Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

This is a beautiful smelling beer, even if the stout characteristics aren't exactly its strongest.  It smells very sweet and is an insanely pleasant mixture between a molasses malt and a strong fruit aroma.  The aroma could be considered port-like or like a dark cherry pie, though having just purchased some port I would lean toward that.  (Note:  For those that don't know, Port is liquid sex in a bottle.  Buy a bottle that's over $10, make sure your significant other is going to be around, and don't plan on going anywhere.)  It does have some very dark notes, as a stout should, but they are placed much further back in relation to the fruits and the nearly-burnt molasses.  A light charring in the malt at times give a hint or two of smoke and is a very neat nuance to find behind the port.  As the beer warms the Intelligensia coffee is undeniable, but it is a timid spectator and has no interest in a starring role.  This gives it more characteristics of a stout in my mind, and it forces me to bump it up a point from 11 to 12.

Appearance 3/3

This is black and holding it up to the light only reveals the darkest of stained wood tones around the edges.  The head was small, half a finger, and would seem to indicate a very low carbonation.  This pours like oil!  Or blood.  Given the name of this beer, it's probably a mixture of both.  The head is dark brown, creamy, and slides lethargically down the side of the glass after a swirl.  Enjoy it while you can because after 15 seconds, it will only remain as a ring around the surface and disappear soon after that.  Normally, I swear, I would be docking points for a paltry head, but with an ABV of 15% you have to have some sort of allowance for style.  After all, would one dock Samuel Adams' Utopias for "low carbonation"?  Methinks not.

Flavor 19/20

Port.  I swear there is port in this beer!  The initial flavors are of black cherry juice and a slight booziness, but they ever so gradually bring in the roasted, slightly smokey malt notes and soon enough you'd swear you were holding port in your mouth.  The backbone is still boozy, yet not hot, and brings in tons of fruits.  However, they are not the typical dark fruits that one would normally associate with a stout: plums, figs, raisins, etc.  These fruits instead lean heavily on dark cherries and sweet, red, vinous grapes.  I could even understand it if someone said they tasted a red raspberry or two.  The fruit aside, there is a darkness lying behind it: the deeply roasted, lightly charred malts.  However, they are so subtle and nuanced that they lend more of a dark tone to the existing fruits than actually coming forward as their own flavor.  It's a tremendous example of brewing prowess and understanding how flavors can compliment each other.  The finish finally shows us an insanely smooth glimpse of the coffee we saw in the aroma.  This time around it appears to have more mocha sweetness to it and less of a typical coffee's bite and bitter.  The aftertaste is the smoldering remains of the port, much as if the Viking-esque character from the label had just pillaged a town (or my taste buds).  The port is there, albeit greatly reduced, and the smokey, charred notes become a little stronger as the beer runs over the back, bitter-sensing part of the tongue.  Despite the permeating sweetness of this beer, it does not leave the mouth slick or slimy.  In fact, after an initial salivation, the tongue is left feeling quite dry and one can feel the alcohol being exhaled and as a warmth in the chest.

Mouthfeel 5/5

As mentioned in the previous sentence, the warmth that this beer spreads throughout the chest is fantastic.  That 15% ABV is remarkably well presented in this beer.  It isn't camouflaged completely, but what is present is used to enhance the already spectacular blend of flavors.  The body is as heavy as I've seen in a beer and insanely smooth.  This, of course, comes at the risk of extremely low carbonation.  For me personally, this is something I don't entirely mind in an imperial stout, especially when a quick swish in the mouth gives that little bit of texture that only carbonation can add.  However upon first sips, just sitting in the mouth, this beer can come across as almost completely flat.

Label art

Overall Impression 9/10

Long story short?  I love port.  I love its warmth, its unusual, elusive smokiness, its sweetness, its body, and its unique flavor.  For all these reasons I love Dark Lord.  The only possible things holding it back are an absent head and the fact that I might not know this was a stout if it weren't on the label.

Total 48/50

This was tremendously tasty in every sense of the word "tremendous."  I barely could've imagined that a beer could so closely resemble a port.  Do I usually look for something a little more "stout-like" in an RIS?  Yes.  That was my only issue with this beer other than the head (which has been excused earlier in this review).  I should like a bit more of that stout "darkness."  However, the amount of dark flavors that currently exist in this beer are a flawless compliment to the other flavors.  Would more dark flavors ruin that harmony?  Probably, but a mix of two great flavors is not a bad thing, it just might not be as good as the single perfect harmony they've already established.  

Cheers to Three Floyds and what they've got here.  I'll definitely be trying for DLD tickets next year as well!

Oh... and for those wondering the Russian text of "тёмный лорд русское имперское пиво" on the Dark Lord bottle translates as, "Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout,"  or "beer" instead of stout.  You're welcome!

Dark Lord Day 2012

Fellow craft beer quaffers, I had the distinct privilidge of attending this year's Dark Lord Day hosted by Three Floyds Brewing Co in Munster, Indiana.  For those not familiar with Dark Lord Day, Three Floyd's website describes it as such,

"Dark Lord Day is the only day of the year to buy Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial stout. DLD is a festival where participants can meet other beer enthusiasts, sample beers from all over the world, buy Dark Lord, try Oak Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout, eat BBQ, listen to live music, and generally have a great time."

My buddy Lance was quick enough on the draw to snag a pair of tickets and I was fortunate enough to be invited.  Cannot thank him enough!  In hindsight, I did not take nearly enough photos at Dark Lord Day (hereafter referred to as DLD), but then again, there was not a ton of things to take pictures of.  But I get ahead of myself....

First off, we arrived around 2-ish and searched desperately for a place to park.  This is to be expected.  I expect having trouble finding a parking place at a regular beer festival (or even a downtown area on a Friday night), so I definitely did not expect to find one close by the gates.  After a short walk, we arrived and we greeted by several of these colorful maps (any pic may be enlarged by clicking on it).

Actually, the first time I tried to take a photo of this map, the maps were hung outside the fence surrounding the outhouses.  There was a man outside peeing behind the outhouses (no idea why) and I almost got a picture I didn't want and made waaaay too close a friend.  This experience made me a bit leary of what was awaiting behind the fence, but those concerns turned out to be unfounded.  The next five photos are a right-to-left panorama of what I saw upon entering DLD.

 

 

If your first thought was, "So what he saw first was people?" then you are correct.  Lots of people.  Thankfully Three Floyds (hereafter referred to as FFF) limitied their ticket sales intelligently, so while the crowd required a bit of patience to make one's way through, it never required a battle.

The Grounds

The festival was essentially held in their parking lot.  This has not worked very well for other brew festivals, but since the weather was so overcast most of the negative aspects (cooking alive) were not a factor.  Also, having this in a parking lot doesn't exactly add to the overall charm.  Now, I'm not saying I would've expected a beautiful lakeside park to hold an event entitled DLD, but with an event that has SO much hoopla and hype surrounding it, I think they could do a little more for the atmosphere and theme (black tents with jagged awnings?  cups with a cool logo on it?  some creepy viking stuff mounted on posts above the crowd?).  Their website does such a good job at exuding their "vibe," I suppose I expected a bit more of that on their own turf.  The tents looked like standard rentals, offered no shelter to fest goers, but clearly stated the items for sale within.

Draughts for sale.

Sixers, cases, and bombers for sale.  Yes, the XV Baller
Stout is $30 for a bomber.

Lines for beer.  They were kept moving very well.

The Facilities

There were plenty of port-a-potties and I only once had to wait in line.  Sure there were lines at one section, but apparently very few people realized that the outhouses followed the fence for some distance - allowing the outhouses at the far end to be entered immediately.  Also, apparently there were also outhouses on the opposite side of the festival (bottom left corner of map), but I never had to venture there.  No rinsing stations were needed as they gave you a new plastic Solo cup for each beer.  I suppose it helps keep cost down, but it's not very green, nor does it let me receive a cool free souvenir.

They had an section of the lot reserved for picnic tables where people could grab a seat, eat their grub and cool their heels.  This section was also used by many people to crack open and share their beers that they brought from home.  This was the best part of the day!  Lance and I tried so many different, random, amazing beers that I had never even heard of!  First we hung out with some gents from Michigan that had access to GADS of small, unusual Michigan craft beers (some no longer even in business) and as we remained at our seat, different folks would pass through either offering a taste of their own wares or eyeing ours hopefully and (of course) eventually receiving a pour.  The beers we tried were as follows (though some shall remain nameless since there were not on Untappd for me to track).

1.   Wild Heaven Craft Beers - Ode to Mercy

2.   Great Divide - Barrel Aged Yeti (2011). Though it was infected.

3.   New Glarus - IIPA (Thumbprint Series)

4.   New Glarus - Cherry Stout (Thumbprint Series)

5.   Surly - Abrasive Ale

6.   Tröegs - Nugget Nectar (x2)

7.   East End Brewing - Gratitude (2010)

8.   Victory/DFH/Stone - Saison du BUFF

9.   Kuhnhenn Brewing - Penetration Porter

10. Jailhouse Brewing - Conjugal Visit

11.  New Glarus - Moon Man

We also received pours from growlers by Founders and many local varieties whose names are already lost to myth and history.  I shit you not, one was a topped off growler from 2006 from a mystery brewery in Michigan.  Yes a growler from '06.  It had been filled so full that very little air was in the growler itself and had been chilled since then.  It was a definite high point of the day.  Wow!

There is also this beer by Jolly Pumpkin.  I have never seen it before, but the bottle smelled SO amazing that I will not rest until I find it.  If you know of this beer, where to find it, or would like to trade for it, I'm all ears.  Please comment on this article or email me and we'll definitely be in touch.

Here are some of the fellas kind enough to share and share alike...

Photo: Lance Martin

Photo: Lance Martin

Our pile of finished, shared goodness.  (Photo: Lance Martin)

The Food

I only had a pair of hotdogs and they really hit the spot.  FFF was also serving these monster sausages that looked damn tasty.  That's about all I can really speak to, but with the smells emanating from the grills, I wish I could've spoke to more.  They were also serving FFF beers and kept the lines moving amazingly well for how many people were there.  Nothing, but good things to say about the service.

Happy FFF minions! (Photo: Lance Martin)

Even a cameo by FF Brewer Abby Titcomb!! (Photo: Lance Martin)

The Dark Lord

The line to get DL was... well, the line to get DL.  It was long, windy, but full of good people and good beer.  Many folks in line (such as ourselves) were wise enough to save some of the beer they brought from home to drink in the line.  That said, everyone was so cool about the line that I'm sure people would've allowed you to step out of place for a moment to snag a cold one.  We met some cool folks!  The first picture describes the line involved and the rest of are of good craft beer people.

This gives an overview of half the "sharing" area of the lot. It also
shows the official beginning of the line. (Photo: Lance Martin)

So the line for Dark Lord stretches well behind where the above picture was taken.  It goes from behind this picture, allllll the way around the food tent to the left and finally to the line "beginning"  See that grey wearhouse in the right side of the picture?  That's where the line officially begins.  It's the point of the amusement park ride where a sign says, "Your estimated wait time is... 55 minutes"  Ours wasn't 55 mins from that point, just a little perspective.

See the end of the wearhouse?  That corner is out of picture in the  above photo (to the right).  This is
the view after you turn that corner and look back.  Yes, it's a long ass warehouse.

We meet fun people.

Eventually, you are allowed in the warehouse and the scene improves a lot.  This is the scene upon entering.

Buy your allotment here.

 I can't recall exactly where, but at one point your crappy ticket is exchanged for a really sweet looking, Super Bowl-sized Golden Ticket that contains a scratch off portion.  All of this is done is a bad-ass looking Russian font and here are some gratuitous pics to prove it.

Front of "Golden Ticket"

Reverse of "Golden Ticket"

Close up of Front side art.  How kick ass is that?!  It makes me wanna get a tattoo!

If that scratch off portion reads "Yes" underneath it, then that ticket holder has the opportunity to purchase one of the special Dark Lord varieties being sold that day for $50.  The varieties this year were: barrel aged, barrel aged with vanilla bean, and... OK, so that's all I can recall off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure one was bourbon barrel-aged, and another was barrel aged with a type of dark fruit.  Don't quote me.  Please comment if you can speak with certainty about the other varieties.

You've got a keeper there, sir.

On the way out of the warehouse, there was a death metal band playing and in the low light, this was the best shot that I could get.

After that we were sort of guided out of the warehouse and I can't help but feel like we missed out on other things going on in the warehouse.  Well, I don't feel like we did, but did we?  I'm sure there are capacity issues to worry about in there and only so many people can be inside at once, but are there other things besides bands in there?  We saw people in there at any time of day and now I wonder if there wasn't something that we missed while chilling outside and drinking amazing beer.  Again, please comment if you can speak with certainty about any additional goings-on in the warehouse.

That pretty much sums up the day, kiddies.  No orgies.  No secret rituals.  No "Eyes Wide Shut" moments.  Just a beer festival full of damn good beer, awesome people, and the smell of grilling.  For me, that's a helluva good day.  I hope this helped satisfy the curiosity of folks that were not able to attend!  Cheers to all of ya and be sure to keep reading.  After all, I plan on reviewing one of these Dark Lords while they're still fresh!

Thanks Three Floyds!  What a neat experience!

Me.

Lance

Lance's haul.  That lucky bastard.