BrewDog Paradox Springbank (Batch 017)
BrewDog

BrewDog Paradox Springbank (Batch 017)BrewDog Paradox Springbank (Batch 017)
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
BrewDog
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
10%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.76 | pDev: 11.44%
Reviews:
35
Ratings:
46
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 26, 2015
Added:
May 14, 2009
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  7
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by mike130:
Photo of mike130
Reviewed by mike130 from England

4.1/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a dark brown, almost black, color, forming a small head that dissipates quite quickly. Leaves little lacing, and you can barely see any carbonation once it's poured.

Smells extremely woody, quite a lot of dark malts, loads of smokiness and a very whisky-like flavor. A bit of chocolatiness pokes through.

Tastes similarly to what it smells like - strong woodiness, loads of smokiness and a strong flavor of whisky. Reminds me a lot of the Tactical Nuclear Penguin but without the massive booze. Regardless, it has a strong alcoholic taste, but it's not unpleasant. It's a very tasty brew, quite unusual and unlike beer, but tastes damn good regardless.

There's a little carbonation when you're tasting this - quite a thick, strong mouthfeel. Very dense, and this reduces the drinkability, but it's a good brew regardless.
Mar 07, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by JohnnieNepal from Michigan

May 26, 2015
Photo of jpro
Reviewed by jpro from Colorado

3.62/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Bottled December 5, 2009... Pulled this one from the dustiest corner of the closet and popped it in the fridge a week or so ago. Despite losing some carbonation, this beer was otherwise pretty tasty. A lot of dark chocolate, cocoa and oaky notes. Aroma was a little subdued and it was easy to tell that five plus years had taken the edge (and hotness) off this beer. Still, quite drinkable and very enjoyable.
Apr 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by dfhhead25 from Pennsylvania

Mar 03, 2015
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4.41/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This smells like Springbank with various vanilla, caramel, malt and whiskey aromas in the background. It pours black with a thin tan head. The malt flavors are rich and complex with chocolate mellowing the scotch flavors along with some caramel and vanilla. Medium full body and slightly below medium carbonation. A little alcohol heat on the finish.
Feb 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by rudabegga9 from Georgia

Mar 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Ajlvt from Washington

Oct 15, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by nickfl from Florida

Aug 02, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Lovely85 from Florida

Aug 02, 2013
Photo of Axnjxn
Reviewed by Axnjxn from North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
330ml bottle cellared for 3+ years and served in a snifter. bottled on 5/12/2009

Pours a very dark brown with almost no noticeable head. Smell is strong scotch-whiskey. extremely pleasant aroma to my personal senses. Taste is a bit less than the smell. Scotch up front with a tad of smoke/bitterness on the finish. Not too complex but fairly enjoyable for what it is. Lighter side of medium bodied (if you can believe it) with low (no) carbonation. Its very very easy to drink despite the high ABV. However, the extremely light body does not fit the style profile.

Overall this is a pretty enjoyable brew. The cellaring helped it out, but the body profile really hurts this one. Still, I'm glad to have tried it.
Jun 25, 2013
Photo of jazzyjeff13
Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England

3.45/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A 330ml bottle with a BB of July 2011, so it's well out of date. Given to me for my birthday 3 or 4 years ago - thanks bro! Stored in my garage since then; hopefully without suffering major deterioration. I thought it would be a suitable libation for my 900th review.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. A very dark brown hue that appears pitch black in the glass. Yields a small head of light brown foam that lasts for a few minutes before subsiding. Aroma of dark, fruity malt with strong whisky overtones. Notes of sherry, whisky, prunes, dried fruit, brown sugar, faint roasted malt, subtle spice and warming alcohol. Some initial metallic hints but these fade away. Seriously boozy and possibly somewhat oxidised, though this is hard to judge.

Tastes of roasted malt with a pronounced whisky character and a lingering, boozy finish. Notes of roasted grain, prunes, dried fruit, faint burnt notes, brown sugar/caramel, sherry, whisky, mild wood, a hint of smoke and a twinge of cardboard. A slightly hot, alcoholic quality upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and warm, but rather flat and insipid. Lacks carbonation and the body is watery. Aftertaste of dark malt and boozy whisky notes.

Decent but not mind-blowing. Perhaps I allowed this to sit around for too long. Looks OK - I didn't expect much head for a 10% brew. The aroma is intensely spirit-laden; whisky and sherry come across strongly but suggest a lack of depth. The flavour is more rounded, with roasted malt and whisky notes reaching an amicable accord. The body is unimpressive - should be thicker and more substantial for such a strong brew. Increased carbonation would also be nice. The sherry/cardboard notes imply a degree of oxidation, though it's difficult to know to what extent this has affected the brew (or whether such flavours were present to begin with). Overall it's an interesting effort, but I feel that the malt character is rather superficial and the beer as a whole misses it's mark. Glad I tried it but not an experience to be repeated.
Jun 23, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by nmann08 from Virginia

Apr 15, 2013
Photo of bobv
Reviewed by bobv from Vermont

2.93/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Bottle given to me at a beer bar in Stowe. Last one they had. It was chilled so I let it warm.

A:
Almost black, poured hard and fast, head was gone in an instant!
Very light head that stayed on the edge of the Chimay glass for a little while.

S: Stout nose with Scotch that didn't stay for too long. Bananas, cat pee (yes!)

T: Slight Scotch and stout.

M: Very, very thin.

O: Damn, I was hoping for more than this, just like their Macallan, way too thin.
Mar 22, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by DrNo from Australia

Jan 15, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by BeerHunter76 from Texas

Dec 09, 2011
Photo of herman77
Reviewed by herman77 from Minnesota

2.88/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Botled 5/12/09
A: Dark brown, almost black with a small light khaki head. Spotty lacing left behind.

S: Boozy, mainly whisky with a slight twang to it. A bit of roasted malt and honey like sweetness.

T: Much less scotch whisky on the palate, it is there and does add to the stout, but behind that is a pretty mediocre, at best, stout. Lots of coffee undertones, bittersweet bakers chocolate and a hint of dark fruits. Finishes a bit roasty with a bit of lingering alcohol.

M: Medium to lighter body. Very thin for the style. Moderate carbonation.

O: Pretty disappointed in this since I love Scotch and imperial stouts... It's got a really think mouthfeel, not the greatest nose and it's still pretty boozy and one dimensional.
Dec 08, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by Rollzroyce21 from California

Nov 24, 2011
 
Rated: 4.5 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of fatmcb1
Reviewed by fatmcb1 from Texas

3.37/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle to a snifter.

Pours black with dark brown edges. Leaves a finger and a half of khaki head that fades quickly.

Strong scent of oaky bourbon. Chocolate and sweet malt, as well.

Much less bourbon than in the nose. There are deeper chocolate and sweet caramel flavors here.

It is a bit thin for the style with light carbonation.

This beer starts off with a good smell, but has a fairly one dimensional taste. I would make it a bit creamier and add some complexity to the taste. Perhaps vanilla?
Aug 02, 2011
Photo of Knapp85
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Served from the bottle at room temp. Not sure why but thats what they told me when it was brought to me. Didn't bother me at all. I finished pouring the bottle into the snifter glass and looked it over. Black colored body, thin head retention not much lacing. The smell was boozy and roasted. The nose was full of barrel aged aromas and smoke. The flavor of the beer has a massive roasted taste and plenty of scotch in there left over from the barrels. The mouthfeel is full of heat, leaves an intense warmth down the chest as you drink it. Overall this beer was strong but if you take it in over a good amount of time, it's pretty good.
Jul 22, 2011
BrewDog Paradox Springbank (Batch 017) from BrewDog
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 46 ratings