BrewDog Tokyo*

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

Serve in Snifter

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Tap at Ginger Man. Deep dark brown pour. A touch of light tan head. The nose is sweet and a little bit salty. There is a bit of light coffee and cocoa as well as a touch of molasses/brown sugar over some deeply toasted malt character. Fairly boozy with a distinct maple/caramel sweetness. Rich and chewy with a touch of earthy bitterness. As it warms up though it does become intensely boozy. The whisky really pops out of this and although the beer is plenty sweet, it’s not all that malty. It’s quite an odd duck and I can’t say I’m a huge fan of it.

Bottle, shared with my wife. Very dark brown, viscous pour with a dense brown cap. Super-sweet sticky body, lots of barrel character but that isn’t what kills this for me. There is so much residual sugar, it’s cloying. Not as hot as I’d expected for a brew that clocks in at 18+% ABV, but it is a sweet cloying mess. The first Brewdog brew that is a major disappointment for me (I don’t count Penguin-- my hopes were not set high for that one in the first place!).

An interesting beer, which I liked immediately due its complexity and sheer strength of flavour, until after a few sips I found it overbearing and unpleasantly alcoholic. Dark red, nearing black, with a foam head that disappeared instantly. The aroma is sweet, molasses, burnt caramel and warming alcohol. The same burnt caramel flavour dominates initially, with wood notes, very sweet., very bitter. The alcohol finishes very strong, too strong. Also I feel a little drunk after half a bottle. A beer worth experiencing once, some may love it, but I didn’t.

Intensely sweet, very strong, brownish-black ale. Besides the alcohol and sugary sweetness, there is honestly not much to this beer. What little aroma there is is slightly malty, slightly smoky, but mostly nonexistent.

Bottle from Hall’s Grocery. Dark brown pour with a tan head. Aroma is pepper, floral, a little cocoa, and toffee. Taste is vanilla, very spicy, hints of coffee, a little chocolate, and licorice. Finish is awkward. For an 18.2% beer, the alcohol is ridiculously masked. This was a disappointment (especially considering the $15 price for 12oz), but that alcohol was hidden about as well as it could be.

Bottle at Cardinal, Stavanger.Pours dark brown with a small fast disappearing tanned head. Aroma is sweet alcoholic with some sugars. Ends quite bitter with a sweet tail. .

Bottle 33 cl. Pours black with a small tan head and an aroma of dark malts, syrup, alcohol and fresh fruits. The taste is sweet, tastes like syrup, and very alcoholic. The alcohol and the sweet syrup is pretty nasty and almost too much too swallow. I don’t really like it, especially for the high price for this beer. I’m slightly disappointed.

Bottle, courtesy darkguardian. Pours a clear, dark, reddish brown color with a thin tan film at the head. Minimal, wet spots of lacing mark the glass. It definitely doesn’t look like the type of imperial stout I’m used to, seemingly void of the requisite dark black, opaque body. The nose is very boozy, burning with grain alcohol right up front. As the heat subsides, notes of cocoa and cranberry begin to emerge, bringing wit them hints of burnt honey, earth, and some bready yeast. Flavors follow suit, again based in dry cocoa and caramelized honey, with a generic dark fruitiness and hints of tart berry. The body is scorching hot and sugary, yet somehow thinner than anticipated. This one is about as overrated as they come. Horrible imperial stout, in my opinion.

Bottle. I think there is a thing as too complex. Or trying to do too much with a beer. And getting the blend messed up, and that’s what I feel happened with Tokyo. Black pour with aromas of dark fruit (Raisons, oak and berry) Taste is an over bearing berry and jasmine. Some raison, spice, wood, licorice, earth, bourbon and toast. I normally like Brew dog and I love big beers, but they jus didn’ think this one trough. I was dissapointed.

12oz bottle purchased at Total Wine, Tustin, CA oh my, don’t drink this near an open flame... the alcohol hit me right up front then faded away and the cranberry along w/ the impy stout roasty/chocolatey kicked in. For me, this one was way too far over the top.