BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 009)

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

Bottle
Colour is black with a sinking head. Aroma is tar, iodine, smoke and ash; smells a lot like a good islay whisky. Flavour is more tar, firewood, coal and maybe some notes of coffee. Yet it’s quite smooth and quaffable. Long after taste. The guys at Innis & Gunn could learn a thing or two from the BrewDog guys I think.

Pouirs burnt sienna with 2-finger dark brown head. Nose is complex; a mix of charred molasses, figs, peaty earthy malt, brown sugar, hops, and oats. Tastes roasty dark malty, with notes of chocolate, fig, prune, peaty earthy scotch, hops, and blackstrap molasses. Very rich palate with a nice creaminess and a mix of velvety chocolate and rauchy malts. One of the more unique and enjoyable beers I’ve had all year.

Thanks to tytoanderso for this. Pours black with some highlights peaking through and a kinda small tan head. Aroma at first is a whallop of scotch, all the peat, smoke, seaweed and iodine you’d expect from Ardbeg. Also, leather, coffee,wood, dark chocolate, burnt toast, and roasted nuts. Yum. Tastes a little less scotch-forward with plenty of chocolate, caramel, roast, and coffee flavors to balance all the sea, salt, smoke and leather. Finishes mildly bitter for the style, linger flavors of wood, roast, and a Islay malt characteristics. Creamy body, not too heavy, but it’s got some thickness and it coats the mouth thoroughly. Since imperial stouts are my favorite beer and Islay malts are my favorite whisky, I loved this. Perfect mix of my favorites, though I don’t know how wonderful the base beer would be....

330ml bottle, Edition 009 best by 22/03/09. Pours dark brown in color with thin brown head. Aroma smokey, roasted coffee and chocolate. Taste strong smokey and roasted coffee with bitter oak finish.

33 cl bottle - Black colored with a small tanned head. Smokey, salty whiskey aroma with some hints of vanilla. Flavor is dry with notes of wood, tar, scottish single malt whiskey, liquorice and again some vanilla. Being a whiskey fan this has to be one of the better imperial stouts I’ve had so far. A good whiskey stout.

pours with a head in 3 parts lower is small bubbles toped with a pillowy middle and a head of large soap bubbles. the aroma is of all the best points of single malt with none of the sharp booz, smoking cedar and peat. first impression is the skill of production, it is totally balanced and drinkable. strong finish to match the nose, all peat and no burn. although it is not creamy or thick the mouth feel is smooth. head sinks quickly from whence it came into a pond-scum-like formation and some remnants on the glass. dark malt and hints of full city roast and Dutch process. improves as it warms.

Bottle: Deep red colour, with a nice creamy head. Aroma of tar, ashtry, werry smokey! Flavor is moore smouth maltynes with a nice balance, nice smoke imp stout this one. Innterestning! Medium to full body, and a medium smokey finish. This is a fantastic beer

Bottle. Pitch black colored. Peaty, malty aroma. malty sweet flavor with dark chocolate and peat. Almost salty, like a fresh sea breeze. Hint of licorice. Iodine in aroma and flavor. I just love Islay malt and combined with this Imperial Stout, that makes it a happy marriage.