BrewDog Paradox Speyside (Batch 010)

Formerly brewed at BrewDog
Style: Imperial Stout
Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Serve in Snifter

12 ounce bottle thanks to Santa, bottled on 1/1/08. Pours a dark ruddy brown color with a small beige head, required some effort to conjure up a head. A sweet nutty and tobacco nose, some very sweet caramel candies and cake. The flavor is full of oxidized and whiskey notes, some plum, light some smoke, warmth, a lot of dustiness, caramel, sweeter whiskey. Very light but with a bite. The age has mellowed this I suspect which of course the beer was already mellowed from the barrel aging process. Very nice. I actually enjoy oxidation in these type of beers if done right. Some sweet vanilla and whiskey in the finish.

330ml thanks to H1N1.
Appearance : Deep dark amber with small creamy white head. Not much lacing. A bubbly ring remains after a few minutes.
Aroma : Liquor-y notes with light ash and smoke. Some alcohol with fruity sweetness. Dried apricots or dried red fruits. Some raisins. Nice raisins. Light wood.
Taste : Red fruits with raisins. Alcohol and ashes. Finish alcoholic with red fruits, ashes and roasted malt. Nice somokey and ashy finish.
Palate : Carbonation is very soft. Nearly flat. Not bad for the style though. Maybe a little fizz might have been better but this is getting old so maybe it was a tad fizzier before.
Overall : Rather good overall. Fruitier than most Paradox releases I’ve tried. Nice raisins. Nice ashes and smoke. Easier than many other Paradox. Quite nice. A bit too much alcohol.

Appearance: medium dark brown, with light amber notes around the edges; only one or two bubbles for a head, and minimal lacing but with some syrupy legs. Aroma: not strong:caramel, mocha, cream, buttered black bread, with some slightly smoky peat notes. Taste: whisky, white wine (?!) and dark chocolate right up front, then burnt wood and chalk. Finish: very dry, watery and light, with mostly talc and chocolate notes, with the whisky coming back for the burn. Notes: Pretty disappointed. The concept is awesome. The execution is lacking. Pour was very watery, and the palate was way too light. Flavors were also surprisingly light. I expected a big, rich imperial stout with lots of whisky flavors. This was very much like the Paradox Macallan: bottled in 2008 and possibly past its prime, as indicated by the pour. Sunday morning breakfast stout of the week.

Hits the glass black, soapy head. Not thick, quick to dissipate. Swirling leaves light syrup on glass. Smell is smoky campfire, peat, medicinal. Gads. This could almost be a Rauchbier. Yeesh. What is up with this ashtray. I llove this brewery too. Gresh. Two sips and its to the sink. My bad for not believing the name. Think fireman’s pants after a 3 alarm blaze, a pack of Marlboros, a campfire and burning tar on the road. Cheers guys, this has to be someone’s favorite style.

UPDATED: APR 11, 2011 A solid Imperial Stout, yet not quite ready for greatness. Paradox Speyside has everything you want in a good whisky-aged stout, yet does nothing to differentiate itself from the pack. Plus, it could be because this bottle I’m consuming is 5-day-old Coke flat. No bubbles. Should I not rate it? Because it still tastes pretty good as a cold, coffee-like beverage, and the Speyside is apparent throughout the beer as you drink it. If only it had bubbles, it might be classic.

11.2 oz bottle from the Four Firkins. Deep brown almost black pour with a nice tan head. Initial aroma is like somebody dumped a shot of Scotch in the glass. Flavor is pretty much the same but it’s not coming off as alcohol "hot", just the whisky flavor. Finish is a bit smokey with some chocolate notes. It’s not coming off as a whisky infusion as much as a the whisky flavor side by side a stout.

(bottle batch 010 best by 12/12/09) Cellar temp. Pours a slightly murky thin darker cola color with a small thin bubbly light tan head. Aroma is a bit fruity, hint of smoke, salt, english yeast, dry chocolate maybe. Flavor is quite a bit more delicious, has a fruity quality, lots of tobacco and super similar to a well aged trappist, dry smoke, dry smooth chocolate, lovely balanced scotch aftertaste, great balance, love the dryness, super smooth and milky but extremely drinkable. Medium bodied, thinner, not sticky, easy drinking, milky sensation, faint larger carbonation. Delicious and possibly my favorite of the 3 I’ve tried so far!!!! For certain my favorite so far, very smooth and balanced, aged well, chocolate, tobacco, light fruit, and balanced scotch, love it!.

Bottle from State Line. Pours deep black with tan head. Nose is chocoff, dark malt, molasses, some rauchy, with a somewhat light palated flavor, dark malt, chocoff, oaky, with a lot of late heat.