Scott Bort: Beer fans get their Dark Lord fix at Three Floyd’s

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

MUNSTER — I joined the huddled masses of a quickly forming line around 8:30 a.m. on Indiana Parkway and quickly introduced myself to my neighbors. Dark Lord Day at Three Floyds: We were in this together.

I wondered if this Dark Lord Day would be different from the past. Long slow lines and disorganization ruled the day then, and we hoped this year would be different with a new ticketing system.

This was a new iteration of Dark Lord Day, done differently, and I believe, done right.

My neighbors, a motley crew who drove straight to Munster from Louisville, after getting off work at 4:30 a.m., were barely settled when they cracked open the first bottle and immediately offered me a taste.

Daniel van Dijk of Louisville, a Dark Lord Day virgin, was itching to open a growler of Barley Wine from Bluegrass Brewing Company in Louisville and was loving the event, even just standing in line. “You get to be surrounded by thousands of your best friends who you didn’t know were your best friends,” van Dijk said. He cracked open the half-gallon jug and started offering samples to everyone within 20 feet of his cooler. Suddenly he shouted to previous acquaintances, “Hey guys from Atlanta! You guys trading well?” I guess you never know whom you will run into while waiting in line at Dark Lord Day.

The sun made its first appearance and was warmly welcomed by the waiting horde of craft beer fans. Like some strange scripted strategy, the skies cleared and the gates opened within minutes of one another, causing several cheers to go out through the crowd. I had to stop our discussion about the worst beer sightings with the Louisville crew and start the trudge into the fenced area. (For what it’s worth, the worst beer seen was a tie between Heineken Light and Budwesier. Seriously.)

The line to get in and get Dark Lord moved smoothly, with a quickness we haven’t seen the last few years. In fact, the general organization of the whole festival seemed to take a big beautiful step forward. After the first major wave, the crowd seemed to settle in and the volunteers were deep in the lines trying to keep them separate and keep the masses informed of where the line finally lead. The food lines seemed manageable although the lines for guest taps and to get into the brewpub were long, as expected.

Talking with dozens of people in the crowd, I was hard-pressed to hear many complaints. The only complaint I heard was the lack of space in the fenced areas, but for the type of event it’s almost expected. As Mike Atwood of the blog Hoosier Beer Geek said so succinctly, “You are sharing space, sharing beer, it’s a shared event.” He arrived more than eight hours before his time to share in the camaraderie of the masses and share a few beers.

The bottles of Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout, with their macaroni and cheese-colored wax top for 2011, were limited to four per person (at $15 apiece) with about 6,000 people in attendance. Although a few older bottles of Dark Lord were opened, not many of the 2011 were opened today. Most wait for the immense flavors to mellow out and blend together while also waiting for the alcohol burn to fade and smooth. When right, Dark Lord is the consistency of 10W-40 motor oil with an interesting mix of dark fruit and coffee flavors with a good touch of sweetness.

I wish I could tell you all the different beers I had to sample while waiting in line and wandering the festival, but I can’t (I didn’t bring my tasting notebook like some beer nerds). What I can tell you about are the people I met and shared beer with that day. The posse of folks who drove all night from Kentucky; the locals looking for a good beer trade but offering a pour from a growler to those who didn’t have anything they were looking for; the gentleman from Elgin, Ill. pouring New Belgium beer for his brother who couldn’t be there; just a few examples of the hospitality of the crowd. That hospitality is a testament to the character of the craft beer community that makes Dark Lord Day the real success every year.