BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 009)

Bottle. Pours black with a small tan head that left some spotty lacing. Aroma of peat, smoke, wood, roast and whisky. Flavor is smokey, peaty, roasty, with oak barrel whisky and a hint of chocolate. Medium to full bodied with a nice warming alcoohol finish.

Pint at Bodega, Newcastle. Usual thick, viscous oily pour, dark tan small frothy head. Smell is meaty, sweet, malty and plenty of alcohol. Taste is coffee and earthy, and something similar to smoked meat giving it a savoury edge. As usual for a BrewDog beer finishes with tons of alcohol, a bit too much in my opinion. I wonder how good these beers would be if they were 6-7% ABV. The alcohol finish is too intense for my liking.

Islay Ardberg 1991, 12oz btl at just under room temp. Pours like cola with a tan head that fades quickly. Nose is peat smoke. Hardly any carbonation and very dark brown color. Taste starts off with smoke, then peat, then back to a lingering smoke with just a hint of malt along the way. The beer is so overwhelmed by the oak that it’s hard to say if it would have been good without the barrel aging. Scotch lovers and cigar smokers will enjoy this one.

12 oz bottle, via magicdave. Pours a dark brown, almost black body, with a small creamy light brown head. Huge band aid phenol nose with tons of peat, seaweed, ocean breezes, and just a general briney smell. Smells like Scotch, very little roast, a little bit of alcohol. Very earthy and peaty flavor with light smoke mixing with coffee and roast. Very medicinal tasting, which is what I usually get from Islay Scotches. Tastes kind of what I imagine Porter’s Liniment Salve might taste like. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, kinda watery really, with moderate soft fizzy carbonation. Can’t say that I care for this incarnation of the Paradox. Just too thin and too dominated by the barrel flavors.

Bottle. This is the strongest and peatiest of the Brewdogs I have had to date. Black pour. Aroma is peaty scotch, chocolate and wood. Flavor is sweet, peaty, a bit roasty and delicious.

11.2 oz. bottle courtesy of a trade with yem25. Pours black with a moderate light brown head that faded to a ring after the first two sips and left some spotty lace. Very pleasant aroma of fireplace smoke and oak. Although I am fond of the aroma, I am not really getting any scotch or peat. The flavor is very similar and is dominated by smoke and some oakiness, but again no peat. As the beer warms, a bit of whiskey alcohol becomes apparent towards the finish. Very enjoyable.

Pours a dark brown/black color, medium body with a small, foamy, thin, light brown head. The aroma is very earthy and sweet. The flavor starts off very sweet with some smoked peat, burnt oak, and sugary vanilla tastes. A pleasant scotch whiskey taste rounds out the finish with some relatively strong toasted malt and earthy smoke flavors and some subtle coffee notes. After first opening this bottle, I was getting a sweet Elmer’s glue taste that fortunately disappeared within a few minutes.

Pours jet black with a small dark tan coloured head. Aromas of smoke and peat and wood dominate, very overt. Caramel, chocolate and coffee supporting. Palate is quite full carrying peat and wood before caramel/choc step up. Finish is long and peaty accompanied by brandied dark fruits. Very much a power style, however manages to be balanced.