BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 009)

Brewed by BrewDog
Style: Imperial Stout
Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

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.

Bottle. Black/dark brown, thin but creamy head. Heavy smoke, tar, leather aroma. Complex flavour of smoke & peat & seaweed & salt (Ardbeg!), coffee, chocolate, cream. Sweet start, dry finish - nice touch! Overpriced.

Might have had it a bit too cold. As it warmed up, so did also my feelings regarding it. Anyway, this beer looks great. It’s dark and has a big brownish head that lasts to some extent. It also smells rather nicely with lots of islay smoke and burnt malt. What I didn’t enjoy as much however was the overwhelming bitterness, in my opinion it drowned almost all other tastes. Not that bad but would benefit from less hoppy bitterness.

(Bottle) Pours dark brown with a medium, light brown head. The aroma holds peat-ish smoke, charcoal, oak, whisky and tar up front with softer tones of roasted grain, coffee, dark liquorice/anise, dark sugar, coffee, very bitter cocoa and maybe a touch of vanilla. Just a hint of sweetish dark fruit is also present. Very warming and light milky on the nose. The flavour is medium to heavily malty (coffee, bitter cocoa) with medium to heavily oak, tar, dark liquorice and smoky notes. The mouthfeel is salty dry, fat malty and rather soft if you look behind the massive tar backdrop. The aftertaste is of smoke/tar/liquorice with tiny subtle hints of some sweet dark fruits, dark sugar, dry coffee beans and a maybe a light sting of dark chocolate. Medium to full bodied. There is a nice maltiness present in this beer, but the focus is orbiting around the smoke and whisky.

11.2oz bottle. I’m glad that I randomly chose the lowest rated one of these to buy. Whatever, I like Ardbeg so we’ll see. Pours fairly light for an Imperial stout, a cola brown color with a medium sized, foamy, well retained tan head. Great lacing. Aroma is intense Scotch whisky. Smoky, peaty, oaky with chocolate from the stout peaking in underneath. The whisky influence is bordering on overdone; it is certainly not subtle. The warmer it gets and the more I inhale it the more it grows on me. I can’t see anyone who doesn’t enjoy Islay whiskies liking this. Flavor is interesting, unique. Slick mouthfeel though the body isn’t full. The whisky flavors make their presence known though not as much as in the aroma and their is a lack of an alcohol burn, thankfully. Quite smooth. I’m kind of torn how to rate this. It is nice and unique though I crave a little more character. The whisky infusion is well-done overall but it doesn’t seem like a standout beer, especially in its category. Either way I’m glad to get the opportunity to try this. I might have to try a different version now...

Bottle, at Fin’s excellent UK Imperial Stouts tasting, sampled with Fin, Loz and Traci. Thanks mate! (The Paradox part of our tasting done blind.) Dark brown. Much more, and more persistent tan bubbles than the previous Paradox in our tasting. Peat fire aroma, and an odd, but kind of appealing spearmint quality. Old barn wood flavor, drying phenol smokey exhale, chalk finish. Really interesting character imparted by the barrel here, but to my tastebuds, the Ardbeg flavors seem a little at odds with the Paradox flavors. (As much as I do like Ardbeg on its own.)

Tasted blind along with three other Paradox Imperial Stouts on an Imp Stouty Tasting evening with Case, Traci and Loz 14-03-08, Poured very dark brown with just a small amount of beige bubbles but maybe a few more bubbles than the previous paradox. Big bonfire type nose to this, really, really smokey. Wonderful smokiness in the mouth as well, it’s like a swirl of tobacco smoke circling around the roof of your mouth. This has a real rauch beer quality to this, there is bitterness there as well. Oak and coffee also but its that smokiness that this beer is all about and I loved it. big, big thanks to Craig, cgarvieuk for getting me these beers, cheers mate.

Bottle. No head. Black beer. Huge aroma; oily black smoke and alcohol. Flavour is aggressive smoke and alcohol. Like a charcoal tablet soaked in scotch. Hard to drink, or even sip.