Dog C
BrewDog

Dog CDog C
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From:
BrewDog
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
15.1%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.21 | pDev: 7.36%
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
21
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 05, 2021
Added:
Sep 25, 2014
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  9
Dog C is an extra special brew, marking 7 years of BrewDog. Like Dog A & B before it, Dog C is an imperial stout, brewed with a potent mix of speciality ingredients.

Dog C pours like dark matter into your glass, with a deep tan head. On the nose there’s a subtle but powerful blend of dark chocolate, espresso, chilli spice and molasses, boosted with hints of molasses, cocoa powder and brandy.

On the palate, there’s a chewy treacle toffee backbone, supporting the spicy hop flavour and naga chilli heat. The malt bill adds further spice from the rye, and a smooth refined mouthfeel from the wheat and oats.

Dog C is like eating chocolate ice cream and drinking cognac in a leather armchair. It’s like Darth Vader - powerful yet restrained. It’s also perfect for cellaring, or for a vertical tasting with Dog A & B.

90 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Kiro:
Photo of Kiro
Rated by Kiro from Russian Federation

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Jun 07, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by Dentist666 from Russian Federation

May 05, 2021
 
Rated: 4.75 by trickykid from Russian Federation

Apr 17, 2018
 
Rated: 3.82 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Mar 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by mothman from Minnesota

Apr 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.42 by HopBelT from Belgium

Mar 12, 2017
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.26/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottle purchased at Micro Bar in Reykjavik, Iceland.

This one pours a very dark black, inky and foreboding, with a very small head no lacing.

This smells like intense dark chocolate, with a a very small level of pepper heat, and some coffee and bitter charred malt.

I'm not sure how old this bottle is, but the pepper is very subtle. There's a lot of heavy duty roasted malt though, with a good amount of dark chocolate and creamy coffee flavor.

This is pretty thick bodied, with a good level of carbonation for the style.

This just about knocked me out for the night- it's intense and boozy, but highly enjoyable.
Jul 30, 2016
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.04/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Very pleasing dark black brew; small dark tan head which quickly faded.

Tons of molasses on the nose, blended with espresso, chocolate, and roasted barley. Rich and smooth.

Flavor follows: it's a deep, dark beer experience, full of flowing chocolate and molasses. A touch of licorice here and there, and a humble amount of char. The naga chili is all but gone now with two years of age; there's a touch of both the flavor and heat, but only just.

Oddly thin and flat mouthfeel. Very easy to drink. A sumptuous dessert beer.
Jul 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by MikeKSmith from England

Sep 13, 2015
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.49/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
BOTTLE: Comes packaged inside a sleek cardboard box - brilliant marketing suggestive of a fine whiskey (and a good excuse to charge more). Best before: 20/06/24. Brown glass. Branded black and tan crown cap. 33cl.

15.1% ABV. Reviewed live as an imperial stout per the label. Expectations are well above average given the brewery and style; this is a style they usually pull off. Purchased at Stockmann in Tallinn, Estonia.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: Half an inch wide. Khaki-tan colour. Has an even consistency. Soft-looking. Good complexion. Leaves no lacing as it recedes. Retention is below average - ~1.5 minutes - which is forgivable at 15.1% ABV.

BODY: Predictably, it's an opaque black. No yeast is visible. Sleek.

A nice albeit conventional imperial stout appearance. Not unique or special, but it has me looking forward to trying it. I notice no egregious flaws.

AROMA: Scintillating notes of chocolate - real chocolate, not merely chocolate malt (though that appears also). Cream. Cacao. A faint hint of coffee - though the coffee is pretty one-dimensional and simple, lacking any rich espresso notes, roastiness, etc. Sweet dark and schwarz malts. A hint of sticky molasses. Treacle.Fudge. Leather. A kiss of vanilla.

Aromatic intensity is average. Suggests a pleasing but not cloying imperial stout with plenty to offer the discerning drinker. But I find none of the naga chilli promised on the label.

TASTE: A balanced albeit shallow flavour profile whose highlight is indeed the subtle chilli pepper heat. It's never hot, burning, or spicy, but the chilli does integrate seemlessly into the dark & schwarz malt backbone without veering the beer into Mexican chocolate territory. Notes of chocolate and chocolate malts contribute to the sweetness, but the beer is never cloying or saccharine. Cream makes an appearance, as does a hint of vanilla. I find no overt coffee or roasted barley (to my chagrin, and the beer's detriment).

Well put together, with plenty of cohesion. But it never feels like it exceeds the sum of its parts, and it could definitely be improved via more notes (coffee, roast, hazelnut, peat, barrel aging notes, et al.) and more depth of flavour. I like it, but at this price point I'd hope for more - especially in an anniversary beer.

It goes beyond shallow, venturing into muted and reticent.

TEXTURE: Full-bodied, creamy, soft, smooth, and wet. Borders on silky - a magnificent attribute given the dessert beer vibe. Unrefreshing, though not harsh, boozy, or astringent. In fact, that it hides its 15.1% ABV as well as it does is shocking. Very well executed in terms of its mouthfeel, though it's not as delicate or fragile in its feel as the best beers in the style. Complements the taste nicely, and helps elevate the beer.

OVERALL: Shockingly drinkable for its high ABV, and not at all the armchair sipper you might expect it to be. The softness of the mouthfeel coupled with the simple but effective chocolate notes is reason enough to pick this one up, though discerning drinkers will find it nevertheless disappointing given that it's an anniversary imperial stout coming from Brewdog. As much as I like it, its shallowness really holds it back, and the cynic in me can't help but look at the price point and figure this is more about marketing than it is about quality (in classic Brewdog fashion). I'm glad I tried it, and it does open up a bit as it warms. The mouthfeel alone is an experience, but it can't hold a candle to the paragons of the style.

High B- (3.49)
Aug 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.79 by Rwalford74 from Australia

Jun 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.15 by 22Blue from Kansas

Feb 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.41 by AlexAfonin from Russian Federation

Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by drewone from California

Jan 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.16 by wethorseblanket from California

Jan 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by DCLAguy11 from California

Jan 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.05 by Wowcoolman from California

Jan 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.04 by Rado from California

Jan 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Anatole from Belgium

Dec 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by dtomes from New York

Dec 07, 2014
Dog C from BrewDog
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 21 ratings