BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 009)

dark brown with a medium tan head. Lots of smokey and peaty notes. Malt, smoke and tar taste. Full body with a bitter finish.

11.2oz bottle from Jessup Beverage (Jessup, PA). bottle marked best before 22/03/09. Pours very deep reddish brown with a small tan head. Aroma of peat, smoke, ash, chocolate, and wood. Intense smoke and peat flavors dominate the palate, with cocoa, salt and oak in the background. Long, peaty finish. Interesting beer.

Bottle from River’s Bend. Poured a black color with a moderate to large frothy brown head that mostly lasted and produced fair lacing. Good roasted peaty malt and woody aroma. Full body with a smooth texture. Complex peat and smoke stout flavor with a smooth woody finish of moderate to long duration. Good earthy and smoky stout.

Bottle: Pours black with a tan head. Aroma, lots of smoky and peaty notes, chocolate and some roast. Flavor, peat and smoke, chocolate, and roasted notes, a bit ashy. Not bad.

Thanks miketd. The pours is a dark black that allows some light and a one finger beige head. The aroma is woody, charred, peaty, smokey, sweet, light alcohol. The flavor is also woody and peaty, smokey warming alcohol, meaty. Not too much whiskey. A very interesting RIS.

The color was dark brown/black. The head was thin, creamy, and light beige. The aroma was smoked brot, meaty, and salty. The flavor was bacon, salty, roasty, coffee, and alcohol. The palate was full and the finish, warm.

Bottle (33 cl) from Systembolaget. Dark reddish brown, medium beige head. Looks more like a porter. Intense smoked aroma, it is difficult to discern any ather aromas, but there are some chocolate and dark fruits in there as well. Heavy body, silky smooth. Well balanced, heavy bitter finish. I’m a big fan of Ardbeg, but I would really have preffered to have this beer without the Ardbeg oak barrel aging.

Overpriced, as someone here says. Of course this is a good beer, but there are al lot better beers for a cheaper price. Much smoke, oak and whisky in the flavour. Well... it was a fun experience.

Tasted it again @ Bishops Arms, Karlstad. Aroma is full of Islay-whisky, some burnt wood, liquorice. Flavour is dominated by whisky and oak flavours, but also got some nice chocolate, liqourice and vanilla-notes. I really did appreciate this beer this time.