BrewDog Paradox Rye (Whiskey)
BrewDog

 

USA Version, poured out of a 12 oz. can acquired from Cincy, OH.

It pours a dark, warm amber with low carbonation. It smells faintly of candied fruit and caramel. It starts of a little sweet on the tongue but then slowly gives way to subtle bitterness, coffee, dark chocolate, sea salt. Its rich, warm, roasty and although its a nice sunny day while Im currently drinking this, it transports me to a chilly evening and warms my belly with every sip. Good stuff.

In full embrace of American rye whisky, the experimental imperial stout series that often sing the loudest praises for BrewDog manifests in a barrel aged paradox of a beer.

Proudly wearing the emblem of Paradox Rye, the braggadocios stout pours impressively black and with a most onyx-like sheen. Underneath a dry over lament of mocha froth rests a spicy, roasty, savory scent of campfire, Turkish coffee, whisky spice and cocoa. Malty flavors reveal an initial taste of dry molasses, bitter baker's chocolate and a deep and savory taste of carbonized sugars.

As the sweetness fades swiftly on the middle palate, its the more roasty and savory flavors of espresso, cocoa, burnt toast, and toasted coconut start a transition toward a spicy end game. The barrel contributes a sharp and peppery spice that highlights the earthen grit of rye on the late palate, Bitter, spicy and laced with coffee and whisky, the smoky sharpness of brushfire shapes the beer's final frame.

Full bodied but trending malty-dry, the beer's spices from whisky, oak tannins and char astringency all work to keep the finish sharp, peppery and pleasantly hot. A long and roasty spice lingers on the after palate hinting toward ash and smoldering embers before stopping just shy of being burnt. It's a masterfully brewed beer that's not for the faint of heart.

From the 12 oz can in a snifter. This beast pours a rich brownish black with a
very nice head of off white foam that settles to a thick ring, thin dusty layer,
and sports light lacing. Nose of whiskey, oak, vanilla, char, and cocoa with
spicy rye notes mingling in there....I have a cold so this is as good as I can sense...thpt!
Flavors excel the nose with a rich and warming whiskey glow with vanilla, dark
cocoa, oak, dark raisins, and spicy rye with char notes. Excellent mouth feel; medium
full body, medium carbonation that offers some nice lift of effervescence, and a
moderately dry warming char laden finish.

Overall, a SOLID brew from a great little brewery!

Cheers

12 ounce can, canned on 10/25/2019, Brewdog USA brewed version. This version says it's 12.5% ABV. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head that stayed around for a while. There's a decent amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like rye whiskey, vanilla, burnt/charred malt, dark bread, coffee and dark chocolate. I think the taste is similar to the aroma, but there's the addition of some molasses, plum and anise flavors. Nice amount of spicy rye noticeable. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's rich, creamy and a bit slick with a good amount of soft carbonation. Easy enough to drink for being as strong as it is! I though this was a pretty good, recommended if you're into imperial stouts and/or barrel aged brews.

330ml Can from Brewdog.com (£7):
This one pours a very thick, jet black colour & managed to form a surprisingly good head given the strength of the beer; there was a thin, bubbly & beige coloured head that sat about a quarter centimetre tall before fading in the middle to leave a nice lacing around the sides.The beer opened with a strong nose that was initially dominated by a vanilla sweetness before some coconut shows then towards the middle I got a lot of darker notes with peat & some whiskey coming through alongside chocolate & liquorice notes at the end.The taste was similar with a tonne of vanilla but the whisky flavours were a little more pronounced here, I got some dark malts & oak alongside some pleasant dark fruits as well; most notably plum with a peat & alcohol grain finish. It’s a full bodied & thick beer with moderate carbonation, definitely not bad for a beer that's coming up on two years old. It wasn't overpoweringly strong either with at least a good portion of the alcohol masked until right at the end of this boozy & warming beer; excellent stuff & much more drinkable than anticipated. 

An intense mouth of coffee. bourbon, nuts, vanilla, cocoa, untill a long alcoholic and cleany final. Soft, complex and well structured. When Brewdog go for this stuff It's still a great brewery

 

 

 

 

On tap at MBCC 2017