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[Mango Positive]

Thanks for the impressions and info on head! I'll keep that in mind as I go forth.

Regarding Dark Lord Day...

It's a LOT of hype. It is fun to go to once, but I will never go again. The beer is pretty amazing, but the nightmare that is parking, crowds, and disorganization makes the entire event pretty ridiculous.

You buy a ticket to DLD, and that ticket is part of a group - A, B, or C. That group letter dictates when you can buy your Dark Lord. But last year, people from C were buying beer during A, but that was just because the crowds were so nuts, the guys in "charge" of checking your group just didn't give a shit.

So say you go with your group, call it C, and it's your turn to buy beer. You wait in the longest line of your life that moves nowhere and is full of drunks. You're packed like sardines into a huge area (if that makes sense) because everyone wants to bum-rush the line when they open it to your group. It's like a concert and how people just shove there way up to the front. It's a mess.

Once you finally get up to the warehouse to buy your beer, you're given a scratch off. That scratch off has a "winner" or "loser" thing. If you get a winner, you are given the opportunity to buy one of the 4 special beers for that year (last year was a vanilla stout, a chili beer of some sort, and two others).

Here's the kicker - they charge you $50 for that one bottle.

And! Since you were in group C, everyone took all the good ones (in last year's case, it was the vanilla stout). So I got a winning ticket last year, but they were out of vanilla, so I sold my winning scratch off to some dude for $20. ZING.

Also, you still have to buy your Dark Lord beer, which is something like $15-25/bottle (I can't remember). So on top of your ticket, you need to budget for your 4 bottles of Dark Lord that you're allowed to buy. If you're "lucky", throw in another $50 for a special bottle if you so choose.

Now on top of all of that, you obviously can buy beer on site. They did have some great beer on tap, so I got to try and enjoy some awesome beers that they only serve on tap (one was a really thick stout that WASN'T Dark Lord...). You can buy bottles and cases of stuff while you wait to buy your Dark Lord, and they DO offer some special stuff if you know to ask. I got a bottle of Barrel Aged Alpha Klaus that they had in back. So you can get some nice, unique stuff. But lordy...

Don't get me started on the Brew Pub! You can get in there to eat something that isn't fair food, but expect to wait a few hours in a line of drunk folks line hopping like mad (because there are no personnel to watch this shit). Once inside, you can get Dark Lord on tap (it's the only place there to get it, so that's fan-fucking-tastic, too). So if you want to try the Dark Lord before you buy it, you have to wait in a multiple hour long line to get into the Brew Pub. Joy.

Last year's Dark Lord was SUPER sweet. I haven't opened any of the bottles I got yet because I wanted the sugar to calm down. I'm going to crack a bottle soon, so hopefully it doesn't taste bad. I had 2011 DL at 2012 DLD, and that was pretty awesome.

So, is the beer good? Absolutely - it's a strong, thick, powerful stout that really does deserve the praise it gets as a beer.

Is Dark Lord Day worth it? No. I'm glad I went once, but I will NEVER go again. It's a mess, disorganized, and SUPER expensive. See if you can't just buy a bottle second-hand. It'd be worth getting one at $30-40 and not dealing with all the other shit rather than spending money on the ticket + the beer + the stress of the day.

My two cents at least.

My buddy just got back from Hunnapuh Day, which is like Dark Lord Day, only in Tampa, FL at Cigar City Brewing. I got a bottle last year and it was excellent. My buddy is kicking around the idea of going to Dark Lord Day this year, but Atlanta to Indiana is a hell of a long way to go for a good stout. We can get good stouts here.

 

[Angry Grimace]

The proper way to pour is to pour at a 45 degree angle for the first half to 3/4 of the pour, and then straight in for the rest of the pour. This will leave a nice foamy head, but not too much (maybe like the width of a finger or so).

Some beers have almost no head, even if you dump them straight in, others have a bigger head, it depends on the beer. But you should not pour it to have no head.

Heres a good video showing a proper pour:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emZmWW9bUio

The proper way to pour is straight down the entire time and then let the head settle out before resuming the pour.

 

[sazabirules]

Green Flash is opening a brewery in Virginia Beach. If I'm still in the area I'll have to check it out.

 

[nicoga3000]

My buddy just got back from Hunnapuh Day, which is like Dark Lord Day, only in Tampa, FL at Cigar City Brewing. I got a bottle last year and it was excellent. My buddy is kicking around the idea of going to Dark Lord Day this year, but Atlanta to Indiana is a hell of a long way to go for a good stout. We can get good stouts here.

It's something that is obviously a mixed bag for each attendee. I do think that, as a beer nut, if you have the chance to go, you should. But it's not something I can ever see myself doing again given the stress and overall disorganization that I experienced. According to kodt above, it sounds like it's gotten better and better each year. Eventually, it may be down to a science, but until then, it's a bit rough around the edges.

Also, it's interesting to note that the town of Muncie HATES DLD. Like, hates it with a passion.

 

[Joico]

Thanks for your input for DLD. I have no friends in the Lafayette, IN area so I was thinking of doing this myself but damn $200+ beer and gas; plus it's a cash only event? That's a bit steep.....

So do you think they increased the price of Dark Lord this year since the ticket prices went up too?

 

[distantmantra]

We have some crazy events out here in the PNW, like the Hair of the Dog dock releases in Portland and PtY being tapped, but nothing is insane as Dark Lord Day. We're way more laid back about our awesome beer. I almost feel like breweries out here don't feel the need to create an increased sense of hype.

Fremont Brewing is a good example. Bourbon Abominable (one of the new hotness beers amongst traders) release party? They make a tweet about the weekend before and set a two bottle limit. No lines and no one had a problem getting bottles. The yearly Bottleworks (Cascade did this year, and Stone, Russian River, The Bruery, Hair of the Dog, etc. have done previous years) anniversary beers? Just stop by sometime during the day and you'll get your allotment.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I can't think of a single West Coast brewery that does mega hype-up stuff like they do in the midwest and sometimes East Coast. It just doesn't really happen. You walk into Whole Foods one day and they have a few Parabola.

 

[distantmantra]

I can't think of a single West Coast brewery that does mega hype-up stuff like they do in the midwest and sometimes East Coast. It just doesn't really happen. You walk into Whole Foods one day and they have a few Parabola.

Kern River is getting there with their yearly Citra Double IPA release, but still not as bad.

I feel like the midwest and Florida are guilty of over hyping their stuff. It's definitely good, but calm down dudes. Relax and have a beer.

 

[kodt]

I can't think of a single West Coast brewery that does mega hype-up stuff like they do in the midwest and sometimes East Coast. It just doesn't really happen. You walk into Whole Foods one day and they have a few Parabola.

Pliny the Younger?

Thanks for your input for DLD. I have no friends in the Lafayette, IN area so I was thinking of doing this myself but damn $200+ beer and gas; plus it's a cash only event? That's a bit steep.....

So do you think they increased the price of Dark Lord this year since the ticket prices went up too?

It's all speculation. I think it will be $15 again, but some people think it will be $20 a bottle because they could get away with it.

 

[distantmantra]

Pliny the Younger?

PtY releases aren't even close to how people describe Dark Lord Day.

Multiple places get PtY and it's really not that hard to get as long as you're paying attention. A bar in Tacoma, WA gave out free pints last year as part of Customer Appreciation Night.

 

[kodt]

PtY releases aren't even close to how people describe Dark Lord Day.

Multiple places get PtY and it's really not that hard to get as long as you're paying attention.

Yeah you are probably right. Craft beer here is crazy.

Dark Lord day, Darkness Day, Founders KBS day. And a lot of this beer will sell out immediately. Ticketed beer events that sell out in seconds..

Seems like any hyped imperial stout or double IPA sells out as soon as it hits stores here. Bell's Hopslam, Bell's Black Note, Dark Horse Plead the 5th, Founders Backwoods Bastard, etc... these beers hit Chicago and sell out same day. Unless you follow liquor store twitter feeds and leave work early you will miss out.

Dark Lord day is the only day I go through the trouble of attending. I may try to pickup some of these other beers, but I'm not taking off work to do it. People go overboard I agree.

Better just do drink what you can get when you want to drink something. Beer is about enjoying a beer, not collecting "hads".

 

[scissorfight]

i will never wait in line to buy a beer, and i will certainly never wait in line to buy tickets to buy a beer.

i've been fortunate to have friends/family that have provided me with KBS over the past few years. i wouldn't be bothered with it otherwise.

 

[DimmuBurgerKing]

All of them were great. 07 had a bit of souring going on. It's funny,
because I know it is supposed to have spicy and fruit notes. But
against the 08 it really didn't come through. The 08, which I think
way favorite, tastes of grapefruit and nutmeg and had a dry finish.
The 09 was like a smooth, heavy milk stout up front but finished with
a bit of hop bite.

The 07.07.07 keg went while pouring mine, which is why that glass was
half empty. Still, half a pint for free!

Sounds great. I've had 10, 11, and 12. Out of those, I definitely preferred the 11, especially after aging for a year. Just the right blend of semi-sweet and spicy.

 

[Yaboosh]

I can't think of a single West Coast brewery that does mega hype-up stuff like they do in the midwest and sometimes East Coast. It just doesn't really happen. You walk into Whole Foods one day and they have a few Parabola.

Bruery does it.

 

[VALIS]

Currently having a Ballast Point Sculpin, which is #3 in IPAs on Ratebeer and I believe #1 on BA, though their charts are messy. Ratings like few other beers in the world get. And, um, OK? It's very nice, for sure. Lots of juicy orange, which I like. But I'm not sure I'd even put it in my top-10 of IPAs. Behind White Oak Jai Alai, Racer 5, Deviant Dale's, Lagunitas Sucks, Sixpoint Resin, and others. Eh, go figure. Still a great beer. Mine's been on the shelf for a month or so, so maybe a little stale.

 

[PG2G]

I wasn't a huge fan of Sculpin either. I do hear it has gotten worse over the years though.

 

[dekline]

Should be interesting

edit: Very interesting indeed. Amazing smell/taste.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I wasn't a huge fan of Sculpin either. I do hear it has gotten worse over the years though.

No it hasn't.

Bruery does it.

They have big releases, but I think they pre-sell those bottles to people in the special pay us club as opposed to having a humongous 3 day party.

Kern River is getting there with their yearly Citra Double IPA release, but still not as bad.

I feel like the midwest and Florida are guilty of over hyping their stuff. It's definitely good, but calm down dudes. Relax and have a beer.

I'm brewing Kern River Citra right now at home (the brewer gave out the recipe on CYBI)

 

[Seth C]

I can't think of a single West Coast brewery that does mega hype-up stuff like they do in the midwest and sometimes East Coast. It just doesn't really happen. You walk into Whole Foods one day and they have a few Parabola.

At least in the case of Three Floyds, there are reasons why they do this. The main one is avoiding growth. Basically, they want to keep their brewpub. Indiana state law states that only a "small brewery" can have a brewpub connected. They define this small brewery as being 30,000 barrels a year. It used to be 20,000 but was raised to 30 recently. Three Floyd's is at about 25,000 barrels as of 2012.

So, they literally cannot simply say "let's just brew more of this stuff" if they want to keep the brewpub. The more varieties they make, the less of each they can produce. There are probably things like this going on all across the midwest. I know here in Kentucky, Lexington Brewing (All-tech) cannot have their pub because Kentucky law defines them as a "regional brewery". So even for private events, on their property, they cannot sell beer. To even serve the final product for meetings and such they have to re-purchase kegs of their own beer from distributors.

It's something that is obviously a mixed bag for each attendee. I do think that, as a beer nut, if you have the chance to go, you should. But it's not something I can ever see myself doing again given the stress and overall disorganization that I experienced. According to kodt above, it sounds like it's gotten better and better each year. Eventually, it may be down to a science, but until then, it's a bit rough around the edges.

Also, it's interesting to note that the town of Muncie HATES DLD. Like, hates it with a passion.

Munster. Muncie is across the state, and a college town (the location of Ball State). I imagine they'd love DLD!

Yeah you are probably right. Craft beer here is crazy.

Dark Lord day, Darkness Day, Founders KBS day. And a lot of this beer will sell out immediately. Ticketed beer events that sell out in seconds..

Seems like any hyped imperial stout or double IPA sells out as soon as it hits stores here. Bell's Hopslam, Bell's Black Note, Dark Horse Plead the 5th, Founders Backwoods Bastard, etc... these beers hit Chicago and sell out same day. Unless you follow liquor store twitter feeds and leave work early you will miss out.

Dark Lord day is the only day I go through the trouble of attending. I may try to pickup some of these other beers, but I'm not taking off work to do it. People go overboard I agree.

Better just do drink what you can get when you want to drink something. Beer is about enjoying a beer, not collecting "hads".

Interesting. In Lexington most decent bars (and some shitty ones) get Hopslam on tap. It was definitely available at some of them for weeks. I had Plead the 5th just last night, with absolutely no pomp or circumstance surrounding it.

Sounds great. I've had 10, 11, and 12. Out of those, I definitely preferred the 11, especially after aging for a year. Just the right blend of semi-sweet and spicy.

I've had all of those as well. I had the 10 when 11 was released.

 

[codswallop]

I was always taught that you should have about an inch of head.

I was taught this in a bartending course, but really it's not correct at all. It depends totally on the style of beer. It's OK to have a couple of inches on a weissbier. If you look at a Weihenstephan glass, for instance, you'll see there's a ton of head:

 

[nicoga3000]

Munster. Muncie is across the state, and a college town (the location of Ball State). I imagine they'd love DLD!

Oh yeah, my bad!

 

[kodt]

Interesting. In Lexington most decent bars (and some shitty ones) get Hopslam on tap. It was definitely available at some of them for weeks. I had Plead the 5th just last night, with absolutely no pomp or circumstance surrounding it.

Well yeah you could get it in bars for a few weeks, but it would sell out in liquor stores. Hopslam would stick around in some stores for several days, but the big ones it would sell out in a day.

Most liquor stores that have Plead the 5th in stock do 1 bottle limit per customer and still some sell out in one day.

Only the liquor stores who are in an inconvenient location and price gouge actually keep high demand stuff in stock for a bit.

 

[Malvolio]

Well yeah you could get it in bars for a few weeks, but it would sell out in liquor stores. Hopslam would stick around in some stores for several days, but the big ones it would sell out in a day.

Most liquor stores that have Plead the 5th in stock do 1 bottle limit per customer and still some sell out in one day.

Only the liquor stores who are in an inconvenient location and price gouge actually keep high demand stuff in stock for a bit.

Talking to the owner of the liquor store I frequent, he said that he regularly has groups of people that follow the delivery trucks around to snap up the limited stuff. It got to the point that he decided to keep them in his office and offer them to the regulars as he saw them come in. It sucks that more people can't try these special beers, but once again the profiteers see a market and ruin it for the average joe.

 

[Minus_Me]

Hmmm. I passed on a six-pack of Péché Mortel from my local specialty store last week. I'll pass by again today and see if they still. Have it. I hear it is good...the problem is that I can't recall whether I've had it and liked it or not. It's pretty pricey.

It's considered one of the best beers produced in Quebec/Canada. I usually don't buy bottles because I'll just head to their Brewpub instead.

 

[distantmantra]

It got to the point that he decided to keep them in his office and offer them to the regulars as he saw them come in. It sucks that more people can't try these special beers, but once again the profiteers see a market and ruin it for the average joe.

That's what the Whole Foods by my house did with Pliny the Elder. You had to ask for it and they would make a judgment call on how much you could buy.

 

[PG2G]

Today's Haul, first timer for all of them

Jolly Pumpkin - Madrugada Obscura
Beachwood Brewing - Full Metal Jacket
New Belgium - La Folie
New Belgium - Rampant
Bootleggers - Knuckle Sandwich
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel - Aphrodite

 

[Yes Boss!]

Keepin' with the Dale's for the weekend. Also got a Bruery bottle to think of hometown OC.

 

[thespot84]

Keepin' with the Dale's for the weekend. Also got a Bruery bottle to think of hometown OC.

Old Chub is my favorite beer for a summer's day at the park. A 12 pack of cans for a few friends is just perfect.

 

[Minus_Me]

Today's Haul, first timer for all of them



Jolly Pumpkin - Madrugada Obscura
Beachwood Brewing - Full Metal Jacket
New Belgium - La Folie
New Belgium - Rampant
Bootleggers - Knuckle Sandwich
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel - Aphrodite

Hope you enjoy the Aphrodite, I'm going to their brewpub tonight.

 

[Community Forum]

Haha you guys are nuts. Wild Blue is delicious. It's like drinking blueberry pancake syrup.

 

[nicoga3000]

Talking to the owner of the liquor store I frequent, he said that he regularly has groups of people that follow the delivery trucks around to snap up the limited stuff. It got to the point that he decided to keep them in his office and offer them to the regulars as he saw them come in. It sucks that more people can't try these special beers, but once again the profiteers see a market and ruin it for the average joe.

There are always people like that, and it sucks. That's the point where I tell myself it isn't worth it. To be honest, I've had a few "rare" beers that people yearn for. They are great beers, but I've had similar tasting beers that can be found pretty regularly at a nicer liquor store.

 

[paully]

There are only a few things better than cracking open a couple cold beers after a long day of work. Great feeling.

 

[dekline]

Tonight I'm drinking:

My favorite pale ale and a stout I grabbed because I can no longer find bourbon county. But you know what? Brooklyn Black is damn good.

 

[fenners]

My favorite pale ale and a stout I grabbed because I can no longer find bourbon county. But you know what? Brooklyn Black is damn good.

Damn good is a great way to describe it. A bottle of The Sixth Glass for me tonight after getting roped into yardwork when I came home from work. Feels very good even if it's not the best example of the style. It hits the spot.

 

[dekline]

Damn good is a great way to describe it. A bottle of The Sixth Glass for me tonight after getting roped into yardwork when I came home from work. Feels very good even if it's not the best example of the style. It hits the spot.

I had TSG earlier this week. Really great brew. It'll put you down quick if you aren't careful.

 

[DimmuBurgerKing]

Drinking Terrapin's Wake & Bake Coffee Oatmeal Stout. It tastes like breakfast! May even have the second bottle in the morning with my pipe.

 

[news10gameguys]

I'm quite the fan of oatmeal stouts. I'm quite partial to Samuel Smith's brew in particular.

 

[BigEvilTurtle]

New to beer. Need a good starter beer to get over the "hump." Suggestions? Currently located in Northeastern US.

 

[news10gameguys]

New to beer. Need a good starter beer to get over the "hump." Suggestions? Currently located in Northeastern US.

A lot of people might suggest starting with a lager or pilsner, but I'm going to recommend starting with Killian's Irish Red. It has "good enough" body and flavor and you can decide from there if you want to go lighter (like a pilsner or lager) or darker (like a porter or a stout).

 

[BigEvilTurtle]

A lot of people might suggest starting with a lager or pilsner, but I'm going to recommend starting with Killian's Irish Red. It has "good enough" body and flavor and you can decide from there if you want to go lighter (like a pilsner or lager) or darker (like a porter or a stout).

Sounds good! I'll try it out next chance I get. Thanks!

 

[codswallop]

Drank a Berliner Weiße last night, which was brewed with a couple of different yeasts, one of which was Brett, and also flavoured with a little squid ink:

Tastes much better than it looks! It's called "Cephalapod", by "Doctor's Orders Brewing" here in Australia, and it's doing the rounds at the moment.

 

[PG2G]

New to beer. Need a good starter beer to get over the "hump." Suggestions? Currently located in Northeastern US.

Allagash White never fails

 

[BigEvilTurtle]

Allagash White never fails

Looks and sounds yummy. Thanks!

 

[VALIS]

It sucks that more people can't try these special beers, but once again the profiteers see a market and ruin it for the average joe.

What market, is there an underground beer market out there? Or do you mean for trades? I read about people buying Pliny and such on ebay once in a while, but damn if I ever see beer for sale there.

Brooklyn Black is damn good.

Drinking Terrapin's Wake & Bake Coffee Oatmeal Stout. It tastes like breakfast! May even have the second bottle in the morning with my pipe.

Two of my top-10 stouts right there.

 

[Atsumi]

Drank a Berliner Weiße last night, which was brewed with a couple of different yeasts, one of which was Brett, and also flavoured with a little squid ink:

Tastes much better than it looks! It's called "Cephalapod", by "Doctor's Orders Brewing" here in Australia, and it's doing the rounds at the moment.

How interesting. What does squid ink taste like? Definitely want to see if I can locate this in the US.

 

[PG2G]

Hope you enjoy the Aphrodite, I'm going to their brewpub tonight.

Very good, I'll have to try their others

 

[mcfrank]

Some decent pick ups the last few nights.

 

[PG2G]

I picked up a six pack of narwhal last weekend randomly, pretty damn good. Its amazing how many good stouts there are out there

 

[mcfrank]

I picked up a six pack of narwhal last weekend randomly, pretty damn good. Its amazing how many good stouts there are out there

It is good, but Victory at Sea really has ruined other Porters/Stouts for me because it is so stupidly good.

I picked up a 6 of Firestone Velvet Merlin two weeks ago and that was quite good as well. On Narwhals level but a bit cheaper.

 

[DimmuBurgerKing]

I've never had it, but Narwhal looks amazing. I love a good stout and generally like Sierra Nevada, so I'll definitely look for it.