BrewDog Paradox Speyside (Batch 005)

Pours a very dark mahogany to virtually black in color. A small, frothy, khaki colored head settles quickly to a swirly film with a staunch, bubbly edge. Wet lacing leaves minimal spotting on the glass. The aroma shows rich, fudgy chocolate notes, sweet caramel, and molasses, all layered with a smooth, lightly smoky whiskey kiss. Vanilla emerges as the beer warms, as do lightly earthy hops and fig notes. Flavors start out quite chocolaty and sweet, quickly turning more pungent as the peaty Scotch rushes in. Caramel coated figs and hints of hazelnut come through as well. Medium-plus bodied and moderately carbonated, a touch of alcoholic heat tingles the back of the throat. Smoother and less aggressive than the 008 and 009 versions, the whiskey is more subdued and integrated here. That serves as both a blessing and a curse, as the aggressiveness of the Scotch is what set the aforementioned brews apart from the rest of the pack. Overall, the 005 is very, very good, and probably more appealing to the masses than the others.

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle and served in a snifter. This stout poured a matte black with some cola highlights around the egdes of the glass and a quickly settling head of tan foam. Some slippery lace was left behind. The aroma of the beer was made up of licorice, plums, light chocolate, burnt malts, and a hint of whiskey. The flavor included sharp whiskey, licorice, a bit of smoke, baker’s chocolate, and light caramel. The whiskey hit your tongue immidiately, but after the initial shock, it became quite smooth and mellow. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied with light carbonation. Pretty tasty, but not all that attractive to look at, and the mouthfeel was quite thin for the style.

Bottle at ÅBF08. Batch 005. Almost black colour. Less aroma than their weak vanilla aroma, hint of smoke. Roasted, bitter flavour, slightly sharp. Hint of aroma hops.

This pours out a thick dark brown and looks black in the glass, edged by a ruby tinted mahohany. What there was of a bubbly brown head disappears quickly. It has an aroma of dark caramel, chocolate, dark roasted malt, and whiskey. A bit thin for an Imperial Stout, it nonetheless imparts a strong flavor of dark malt, charred oak, whiskey, runny chocolate, and a touch of aniseed. The finish is oddly bitter and woody with a serious alcohol burn. Hits the spot nicely.

<font size=-4>Pat’s Liquors, Porter, IN<font size=-1>

A decent imperial stout. My ratings aren’t influenced by what it’s aged in and this is just a decent imerial stout. Aroma was weak. Could pick up some whiskey and just a hint of chocolate. Pour was a nice black with no head or bubbles. Taste was thin and watery. No carbonation and a hint of whiskey and oak. Those flavors only come out in the aftertaste, though. You are left with a hard liquor type burning on the back of the throat which sucks because there wasn’t much flavor to justify it.