BrewDog Hardcore IPA (9%)

Formerly brewed at BrewDog
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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[330ml bottle, Peckham’s Stockbridge, Edinburgh] The original Hardcore was different to the newer version – although both poured dark amber with a hefty biting hop aroma. Very much the Imperial IPA-esque characters BrewDog were after. Decent malt backbone as well. Long bitter finish. On balance, having tasted both (albeit a couple of years apart), I prefer Mark II. [27042008]

Nice shady pale body, white head. Very rough piney and citrussy aroma. Summery and raunchy. Very bitter, lots of hops in flavour. Alcohol warmth. I miss maltiness to balance. Not much, just a touch.

Red hazy color. Thick head. Very IPA style smell, loads of hops. Taste is excatly what I’ve used to think IPA stands for. Balance with herbs, floewrs and yeast aromas is great. But it happens to be this beer is just good of it’s kind, not greatest and most awesome ever.

Cloudy orange with only a ring of a head. Spotty lacing. Very strong caramel nose with traces of hop flowers and citrus. Similar flavor with substantial bitterness, but not enough to balance all the sweetness. Slightly less than chewy palate with moderate carbonation. Obviously this would’ve been better when it was fresh, but nothing about it is offensive.

UPDATED: NOV 22, 2010 Bottle from Total Wine. The body of the beer is pale orange with minimal white head. Nose of rose petals, subtle citrus, and pine. Flavors include caramel up front, more resinous hops, crisp apple, subtle vanilla, metal in the finish. Big body, lively carbonation. After this beer sat out and got closer to room temperature, it developed a strong, strange odor and taste. That killed it for me.

[3360-20100825] 1pt6.4floz bottle. Sweet corn and orange fruity malt aroma. Murky, dark orange brown body with a small long-lasting creamy off-white head. Toasted orange rind flavour is followed by a long grainy orange alcoholic lemon finish and mild roasted chocolate fruit notes throughout. Boozy full body. Starting to show its age.
(BB Feb-2010; w/ jerc)

Cask at Euston Tap. Lightly cloudy, amber-gold with a thick, white head. Very, very piney aroma with some grapefruit. Flavor has some worty, caramel sweetness and tons of resinous, mildly fruity bitters. Medium to full in body with average or fine carbonation and an oily, sticky mouthfeel. Finishes sweet with honey and caramel, and extremely sticky, piney, lightly floral hops. I love it.

Appearance: clear orange and gold under a small head. Fades blotchy with scattered bubbles. Swirling produces more of the same along with a touch of lace.
Nose: grapefruit, lots and lots of fresh grapefruit both whole and sliced. Juice is tartly sweet and skins are ripe with bitter oils. Fresh green grass, blades damp with dew. Flowers bloom in the background while pith provides a soft underbelly. Grapefruit is the dominant hop characteristic with little discernable malts.
Palate: freshly squeezed grapefruit juice delights. Slightly bitter finish refreshes and brings me back for more. Sweetness lurks underneath with a touch of caramelized sugars atop golden brown melba toast. Green grass is a whisper come and gone. Though white grapefruit dominates pink makes a showing here and there. Simple yet refreshing.
Final Thoughts: I grew up in the citrus industry, grapefruit specifically, so I know firsthand the subtle and not so subtle difference in aromas, flavors, and acidity of the various grapefruit. The malt was a silent supporter, choosing to let the grapefruit shine with a dash of green grass and I loved it. Despite the bottle size, I finished her sooner than later.

Tasted up against the Brewdog/Mikkeller collaboration beer I Hardcore You in NYC, and the I Hardcore was the clear winner. Beer pours cloudy light amber colour with nice hoppy aroma with grapefruit and pineapple. Bitter flavour of hops with a bit of sweet caramel malt in the background, some fruits, and a long bitter, piney finish with pineapple notes. Ok beer, but nowhere near as good as the 2nd edition version.

The beer pours a dark amber and the white head didn’t last very long, although every time I would swirl the glass there would be a nice fresh head. The nose was sweet citrus all over the place, grapefruit mainly and lots of it, and the first taste was a bitterness explosion but backed up with a smooth, soothing, toffee like sweetness.