Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Meet the Dark Lord

You know your Dark Lord, if you're a beer geek. It's Three Floyds Brewery's Russian Imperial Stout - considered one of the best beers on earth - available only one day per year during a mythic festival in Munster, Indiana.

April 28th was that day. And it was glorious. Obviously, there's the brew: Dark Lord looks like motor oil, tastes like a mocha shake (thanks to the Intelligentsia coffee, Mexican vanilla and Indian sugar), and wallops your brain with 15% alcohol. Hopheads use lots of adjectives - plum-y, velvety, notes of roasted malts. The best description? 'F*cking delicious,' says bartender Steve.

Beyond Dark Lord itself, the day is all about beer camaraderie. People bring rare brews and home brews to trade. Strangers will let you sip from their glass. They'll even share their Girl Scout cookies. It's like a big sudsy group hug (with a heavy metal soundtrack).