BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 009)

Pours a mostly opaque with dark mahogany edges and a thin, spotty-lacing coating of light tan head. Aroma of big smoky earthy peaty notes and a touch of sweet dark caramel. Body starts with pretty good fullness and pleasant sweetness with more overpowering rich peaty Scotch notes toward a dry, slightly warming finish. Pretty heavy on the Scotch character which cuts down on the drinkability but adds good complexity.

11.2oz bottle, courtesy of argo0. Thanks, Aaron! We did a side-by-side of four of these (Islay 009, Speyside 010, Macallan 011, Glen Grant 003), and they looked nearly identical: dark, murky brown color; thin, light-tan head with fine-bubbled lacing. Loads of intense, generous peaty goodness in the aroma of this one; very Lagavulin-like; soft edges and very enjoyable Islay-ness in the nose. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: loads of peatiness upfront, warming alcohol, and dried dark fruits; nougat and chocolate at the core; the scotch shows through very aggressively here; very peat-dominated and more scotch-infused than the others. Interesting beer; smelled wonderful, but my least favorite of these four overall. Lengthy finish: toasted malts, chocolate, and lasting peat; very dry end.

black pour with a tan head, medium bodied, with a lot of peat & smokiness in the flavor. Since I’m not particulary fond of scotch, perhaps the flavors that the casks brought into this don’t do much for me. Good, but not special.

The Dan Journal #213. Tasted 7/22/08. 330ml bottle. Dark brown hue. Beige head. Toffee earthy aromas. Full bodied with an off-earthy, peaty flavor. Soapy, grass clippings and dirt. Moldy and burnt paper. No Thnak You! This had to be a bad bottle...

Bottle. Aroma is pretty sharp with lots of licorice,smoke and islay whiskey tones,The mouthfeel is really nice.Flavor is really enjoyable with lots of coffe and a bit fruity and a really bitter and nice finish.

Bottle purchased at Liquor Max in Loveland, CO. Pours opaque with an average, creamy and fizzy dark brown head, mostly lasting with good lacing. Aroma is average malt (toast, nutty, chocolate), light hops (grass), heavy yeast (leather) with notes of tar, licorice, medicine, smoke, and bandaids. Full bodied, creamy texture, average carbonation, and an astringent finish. Average duration, moderate sweetness, light acidity and bitterness.

Bottle@home Apperance: Coalblack with beige head that seems to vanish in a slow pace. Aroma: Peat, Smoke, Bacon, Raisins, Alcohol and Whiskey. Very powerful smell indeed. Almost scares me a bit! Flavor: Smoke, Bitter chocolate, Espresso, Tar, Licorice (salmiak), Caramel, Oak wood. Very salty with a more balanced taste at the very end of the sip. Interesting and powerful. Palate: Dry, smokey and salty. The alcohol warms you up quite a bit. A sipper for sure. Almost makes me thirsty! A very, very, powerful imperial stout that certainly isn’t for everyone. This one impressed me being more in your face than other oak-aged beers i’ve tried. Very different! Give it a try if you dare!

Tasted with Batch 006, 001 – courtesy of Cgarvieuk. It’s black with a red hue and a dense, creamy head. The aroma has notes of smoke, tar, peat, wood and whisky. The flavour has a light sweetness, notes of peat, smoke, licorice, tar, light chocolate, light whisky and the finish has a burnt, roasted bitterness. More to my liking than the other two.