BrewDog Paradox SmokeHead (Batch 015)

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

Serve in Snifter

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Black, with a tiny beige head that quickly dissipates to a ring, but leaves a grainy sheen of lacing. Aroma of smokey, peaty, woody scotch and chocolate. Someone below mentioned sea air and iodine...definitely. The taste is full of peat, wood and smoke with a slightly sweet malt character underneath. It’s medium bodied (relatively really thin), very mildly carbonated, and just a touch dry. Quite nice, and makes me want to go buy scotch. This is MUCH better than batch 13.

Color nero impenetrabile, con leggera schiuma aderente. Al naso in questa i.s. si avverte di tutto, dal medicinale, all’affumicato, alla potenza alcolica, al legno, punte di prugna e ovviamente sentore di malto di scotch. In bocca invece la componente alcolica la fa da padrona, insieme ad un retrogusto affumicato che lascia la bocca secca e appagata.

Batch 015. Bottled on 8/15/09. Drank 10/20/11. 11.2 oz bottle.

AROMA: Massive peaty Islay scotch character on nose. Peaty notes are extremely prevalent. Some sea air and iodine notes from the whiskey as well. Some woody and earthy notes. The imperial stout base has roasty and chocolate notes. Faint caramel and vanilla notes. Chocolate notes come through more as it warms up.

TASTE: Like a mouth full of peat - amazing! Like chewing dried peat. As a result of the massive peaty notes there is a strong earthy (eg, dirt-like) character, which is nice - though just a bit too strong (ie, it could have been more balanced). Oak definitely present. Imperial stout beer has the usual roasty character that is fairly bitter. Touch of iodine. Extremely faint hint of hops behind all of the earthy notes.

MOUTH FEEL: The couple years of aging seems to have mellowed it out a nice amount. Smooth. Semi-dry. However, a bit thinner than expected. Some sherry like oxidation. Hardly any alcohol warmth.

OVERALL: Amazing brew to be sure. Huge fan of Islay single malt so was excited to try this. In fact, Laphroaig 10 is my go-to whisky. While it was definitely satisfying, I recall Port Brewing’s Older Viscosity being more enjoyable, full-bodied, and complex. The Older Viscosity just seemed more balanced whereas the slight thinness (ie, watery nature) of this brew made the alcohol seem to stand out a bit, although there was hardly any alcohol warmth at all.

Imagine that if I could try several Islay aged dark strong brews I would rank this differently. However, because Islay is my go-to whisky, this is my first Islay aged Imperial Stout, and it might be a long time before I try another, I have to give this pretty high marks.

To sum up what distinguishes this Imperial Stout from others in three words: peat, mud, iodine.

12 oz. bottle, split with Matts_Property, pours black with a small tan ring of head. Aroma smoke / peat and light whiskey - not much in the way of impy stout qualities. Flavour is smokey and peaty upfront, followed by roasted malt and chocolate, and a slight boozy burn on the finish. Very nice.

Black with a big and lasting beige head. Aroma is sweet, roasted malt, burnt, peated smoke and lots of whisky. Flavor is very sweet and very bitter. Dry and very bitter with warming alcohol. 131011

UPDATED: OCT 13, 2011 Pours black with a tiny off-white head. Quite sweet with aromas of a lightly smoked whiskey. Some tar end hints of ropes. Also hints of earth, charcoal and wood. Medium bodied. Medium to soft carbonation. Woody finish with more whiskey and tar Also hints of residual sugars.

A thin black body very thin brown head. Aroma had strong leather notes and alcohol, some peat. Flavor had a strong alcohol taste, GNS mainly. Some mild wood and some smoke. No real roasted notes from the stout. Alcohol flavors overpowered them. Body was thin.

Black in color with a faint light brown head. Aromas of tobacco and chimney smoke. Tastes like my house burnt down and I drank the run-off from the fireman’s hose. Very dry and bitter. Pretty much undrinkable.

Nose is heavy caramel, some sweet smoke, alcohol, rotten fruit, almond, feel is watery, carb is low, taste is weak apple acids, sweet malt notes, stale coffee, leaves,

0.33l bottle @ Kontoret, Bergen. This one pours a heavy dark brown body with a small lightly tanned sidesticking head. Aroma is heavy smoky with lots of peat and tar. Also some light licorice and roasted malts with hints of vanilla. Heavy aroma indeed. Average carbonation, quite full-bodied and it has a heavy oily mouthfeel. Strong strong ashtray flavors, mostly of smoke, charcoal and licorice. Really warming and the smoke and peat continues forever in the aftertaste! Almost a bit over the top smoky-wise, but a fine specimen of its kind.