BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 001)

Formerly brewed at BrewDog
Style: Imperial Stout
Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Serve in Snifter

Cask@Rake August 2009 I couldn’t really stomache this one at the time, full of phenols and chlorophenols, stomping all over the beer. I hadn’t realised that they were aged in different casks and I’d enjoyed the paradox we had at Southampton ber festival.

11.2 oz. bottle best before January 1, 2010 from Five Points Bottle Shop. I normally will not review beer which is out of date according to the brewer, but this one is awesome and is holding up exceptionally well. This first batch is even peatier now than when I had some relatively fresh Paradox Islay batch 8. Lots of brine and peat in the aroma along with some oaky smoothness. It may be fair to say the malts have mellowed out a bit, judging by the other Paradoxes I’ve had, but the whiskey character, which is the focus anyway, is in full effect. That almost salty quality is everywhere with a little iodine and tasty peat smoke. Islay malts are my favorite of Scotches and given that bias this is my favorite Paradox thus far.

Bottle passed on by Peter Fowler, Shoulder of Mutton April 2011 consumed at Volkswagen California meet, Bletchingdon, Oxon 6th May 2011 Pours black with a beige head and whilst Islay aged beers are not really my thing this wasn’t too bad. Woody on nose and in the mouth, soft in mouth also. Very roasty, some coffee and bitter chocolate but the whisky flavour’s tend to dominate a little too much for me. A6 A4 T6 P4 Ov12 3.2

Cask. Pours dark brown with a dissipating light brown head. Smells of vanilla, roasted malt, some dark fruit. Tastes oaky and dry with some chocolatey tastes and a vanilla/cherry spike on the finish.

This one pours a very dark brown, looks like a very dark rosewood. Unfortunately there is no head accompanying the beer. Smell is some roasted malts, a little bit of alcohol, and something that I can only really describe as water-colour paints... Hmmm well the taste is rather smooth. Roasted malts, some chocolate, That paint smell somes back in the taste, only now im identifying it as the wood from the barrel aging. Its not as bad when i think of it that way, infact it gives it a much more robust flavour than if it didnt have it. No real alcohol taste. Palate is very thin, no carbonation at all. Finnish is a bit of the bitterness from the roasted malts. An pretty good beer, but the mouthfeel is absolutely terrible, not matching the robustness of the flavour.

dark brown, thin beige ring for a head. Nose of smoke, light malt but too thin, bit of iodine. Flavor is similar, iodine more heavy, light malt and smoke. Thin but lasting flavor. Some chocolate thrown in, more than would show in a scotch, and these marry nicely, but that’s probably the only reason I’d drink this over a decent single malt.

Bottle, thanks ygtbsm94. Small tan head atop cola-brown body. Aroma is moderately sweet, whiskey, smoke/peat, some turpentine, caramel. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, some whiskey/smoke. Medium body, low carbonation.

Massive peaty smoke nose, some malt. All scotch thus far. Taste is moderately sweet, light bitter, a shitload of smoke/peat, lots of iodine and super salty. Very intense.