THREE FLOYDS DARK LORD RELEASE 4-29-05

by Mark Mahon

After a 3 hr drive, I arrived at the Three Floyds Brewery, in Munster around 2:30pm. I found about a dozen people gathered in the parkng lot, tailgating it, outside the soon to be completed brewpub. They were sharing various beers from all over the country.

I had 90 minutes to kill before this years long awaited and much anticipated release of Dark Lord. To the average person this might sound a little strange! Standing around in a parking lot patiently waiting the release of a....beer??? Ah but this isn't just any beer. This is one of the most sought after beers there is. Dark Lord, Russian Imperial Stout! A gargantuan Russian Stout brewed with Starbucks coffee, molasses, and honey; that weighs in at a measly 13% abv!

People will do just about anything to get there hands on just one of these 22oz bottles.

Just check out any of the popular beer sites, and you will see what I mean. It is so popular they put a two case limit per person. At $150 per case!

I strolled around the parking lot checking license plates. I found Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maryland, Conneticut, Georgia! Yes someone actual drove from Conneticut and Georgia, just to pick up some Dark Lord!!! I told you these people just are not normal! By the time 4pm rolled around there were at least 120 people standing in line at the door eagerly waiting their turn to buy some Dark Lord. Now you have to understand, showing up at the brewery and standing in line on a Friday evening was the only way you were assured to get your share of this sweet nectar! For there were only about 200 cases total available.

And by the time they closed at 7pm there were only about 12 cases left, for the Saturday hopefuls! Yes, there was a release to various distributers in the area, but just try and find a bottle of this on your local liquor store shelf!

After picking up my case, I joined the crowd inside the warehouse, sampling more good beer from Three Floyds, and just doing some good old socializing. Overheard in conversation, brewpub should be open by the end of May or early June, It will have at least 11 3F's beers on tap. Behemoth should be back in the fall, and there is a possibility of it being distributed!