BrewDog Paradox SmokeHead (Batch 015)

Bottle thanks to blutt59. Deep brown with a decent sized beige head. Aroma is of slightly charred meat, barbeque, and leather. Taste is of charcoal, peat, charred meat and a little ash.

Bottled (BB 09/2010, batch #016)
Almost pitch black color, small steady beige head. Smoked ham, whisky, wet wood in the nose. Suprisingly thin palate. Smokey wood flavor, roasted malts, licorice, dry. Not the best of Paradoxes .. thin and kind of bland.

Serving date: 2009-03-20. Served in small snifter. Best before: 2010-10-10. Appears to be black, but it is actually dark brown colored and is several shades brighter than many other beers of the same style. Clear liquid. Basically no head, it’s rather a small layer of uneven bubbles. The bigger bubbles show some retention, the smaller disappear quickly. Minimal lacings. A pleasant and interesting smell. Plenty of whisky aromas, both sweet and a little bit fruity and smoky (peat, charred wood, smoked ham). The sweet and smokey aromas blend really good and works well with a noticeable smell of malts. Not very complex, but very nice. Big whisky flavors all around in the taste. Plenty of smoky flavors - peat, charred wood are very prominent. Beautiful sweet flavors as well, and some seaweed. Subtle roasted malt backbone behind the whisky flavors. Barrel character, leather and a hint of tannins. Faint notes of dark fruits, nice chocolate notes. In the finish, there is a restrained bitterness, malt residuals, lingering whisky notes and most of all a very pleasant taste of salt licorice. All in all, not a very complex taste, but still very nice. The whisky character in this one is absolutely beautiful. Rather full body but quite light considering the style. Minimal levels of carbonation. It actually feels almost boring in the mouth, and - god forbid - almost bland. However, towards the end it seems like the beer opens up a bit and gains some body and viscosity. Despite the average appearance and mouthfeel, this is a really good beer, one of the best whisky barrel-aged stouts I’ve had. The whisky character is really good and blends well with the flavors coming from the beer itself. Serving type: bottle (Copy of old Beer Advocate review)

The pour is nearly black with very dark garnet highlights and head which is average, pillowy, dark beige, and mostly diminishing and leaves minimal lace. The nose is overwhelmingly Islay scotch, very peaty and smoky with iodine and seaweed notes;other background notes of dark chocolate, burnt caramel, and molasses. Flavor is similar with overwhelming iodine notes, lightly salty and seaweed notes, peat smoke, and the same burnt caramels, dark chocolates, and molasses far in the background. Palate is okay with a medium body, soft to lively carbonation, silky feel. Finishes smoky, salty, and filled with iodine. I have never been a fan of Scotch, especially from the Islay region, and this was no different. I believe the base beer would be okay but the salty, peaty, iodine notes are much too dominant for me. I had a hard time even with a few sips, but it would be a Scotch lover’s dream.

Pours like a standard dark cola with a tan seafoam-like head. Nose is hot with booze and raisins. Taste is roasty and smokey with peated malt and whiskey, just a tad too much residual smoke on the tongue.

Bottle. Ugh, this smells like an old fireplace that hasn’t been cleaned out for a couple years. Not a pleasant smoke. The taste isn’t far off either -- kinda like the morning after you smoke a cheap cigar. Didn’t enjoy this one. (#3710, 10/24/2009)

Draft – Max’s. Dense black, thin creamy tan head. Powerful aromas of salty burning campfire ash and wood are well layered over a soft roasty black licorice undertone. Heavy smoked charcoal and barrel flavors balance on notes of burnt salty chocolate throughout. Imagine licking the remains of a campfire. Full bodied and smooth with soft carbonation. Not for the timid by any means as this is easily the smokiest beer I have ever encountered. Makes Schlenkerla Urbock taste like a Bud Light! This was no doubt awesome stuff…

Cask at Hamiltons. Pitch black hue, thin dissipating brown head. Big smoke, peat, anise, and whiskey in the nose. Flavor is full of peaty smoke a la a Rauchbier, tones of coffee malts, licorice, vanilla, dark fruits, grassy hops coat the palate in the quick transition to the aftertaste, finishes slightly malty sweet. Medium-body, watery thin texture, minimal carbonation (cask). Big smokey malt aromas and initial flavors fade quickly, leaving a residual ashy flavor on the palate, interesting but I could not finish this pint.