BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 008) - Bowmore 1987
BrewDog

 

Paradox Islay batch 08 pours brilliant deep dark brown with a thin tan cap. I have a Bowmore in one hand and the batch 8 in the other and the beer smells like a Bowmore. This is a tamer scotch than some of the other Islays but the light smoky peaty salty flavors and aromas go very well with the coffee chocolate stout flavors. The beer has the full stout body and the slightly below average stout carbonation but its scotch character is so large it almost isn't a scotch but is an entirely different animal.

 

 

Bottle dated 10/10/09 (Batch 008) at room temp into goblet
Got this on line from Beer Temple in Dec 2012.
Aroma woody with alcohol overtones
Head small (1 cm) rocky, light brown, diminishing to a ring.
No lacing.
Body dark brown/black.
Flavor begins with heavy dark fruitiness like dates or figs, but no so sweet; ends quickly.
No diacetyl, no hops, no alcohol flavors, not particularly peaty nor smokey.
No distinct aftertaste, just feels like something’s caught in my throat.
Medium to full body, creamy, soft carbonation.

Not a bad beer, just unremarkable. Maybe an example of an imperial stout that grows less complex with age, or an example of pearls before swine.

 

 

 

 

 

Batch 008
best before 10/10/09

Pours a thin black inky color with almost no head whatsoever. Smells of Islay Scotch – peat, smoke, combines with chard malts to comprise the nose. First sip is pure smoke then the peat hits hard giving way to a lingering bitter finish. Mouthfeel maybe the only flaw as this tasty puppy is way under carbonated but not to the point of being completely flat. Still, the aggressive flavors of the island of Islay is what makes this beer special. The 10% ABV is all there - not hidden but not in your face. Tasty, yummy, I want more.

12oz bottle from Five Points Bottle Shop (Athens, GA). 3.49. Batch 008, best before 10/10/09  (oh well). Served in a snifter. 

Pours deep dark brown (not quite black) with quickly receding light tan bubbles. Dark chestnut edges. No lacing. 

Smell is an inviting mixture of smoky whisky and roasty malts. 

Taste is big on peaty whisky without being too overbearing. The base stout is still lurking there with smoked malt and dark fruit flavors complimenting the whisky. It has picked up a good bit of barrel too, with plenty of smoke, wood and vanilla. Flavors blend well and really hide the 10% abv. 

Body is much thinner than I would have expected but smooth and creamy. Medium bodied with almost no carbonation. 

Overall this was a delight. I liked it much more than the Smokehead. A well crafted barrel aged imperial stout. Despite the best by Oct '09 printed on the bottle I think it has stood the test of time outstandingly. The age has settled the booze, mellowed the whisky and let the flavors blend. 

Enjoyed at Hogtowne Beer Festival in Gaineville. This one was a hidden brew at the Anchor booth. Able to secure a couple 6oz glasses of this one.

A: Thin head, almost flat, on a jet black body with no light getting through.

S: burnt toast, campfire, mesquite, smokey, brisket... take your pick of adjectives. I though this was a Rauchbier at first. The whiskey is nicely inter-mingled.

T: Whiskey is stronger in the flavor with the smokey and mesquite flavor perfectly inter-twined. Body is full with light carbonation.

Overall: this is a must try beer. Unique and much better tasting than it sounds.

Poured from a 33cL bottle into a Kasteel chalice. Batch 008. Best before 10 October 2009. The label says "imperial stout aged in a former Bowmore 1998 cask."

A: A faint forthy head is more than I've seen yet on any of these old Paradox beers. Black walnut; largely opaque. Touch of lacing.

S: Whisky and wood (oak). Strong, with peaty phenol and vanilla bean. The Scottish pedigree is obvious.

T/M: Vanilla-sweet and creamy-smooth. Not as thin as other three-year-old Paradox beers. Substantial; appealing. The maintaste contains roasted barley, smoky vanilla, thin strands of alcohol, and subtle berries buried in the dark beer. The aftertaste is reminiscent of the ashy finish of an Islay malt (Bruichladdich comes to mind, but that's just me). Complex and rewarding.

O: This is a well-crafted Imperial Stout that has stood the test of time. It benefited significantly from barrel-aging in the young Bowmore casks. Highly recommended it you can find any. My favourite so far of the Paradox series. I would drink again (but of course!).

Some red brown in the body.

Nose is rich with peaty Scotch.

Powerful peaty malt-- dry, almost, leathery. Really takes on the whisky character remarkably.

Decent if unremarkable mouthfeel.

This vintage was a bit old, but held up admirably. Really picked up the barrel flavor.

 

no light coming through on this one at all, but also no head as the flat, lifeless body just laid there, quite odd indeed. aroma is dark peat, hints of campfire smoke, notes of light cocoa, and a hint of deep burnt notes, but that was the highlight as it went down from there. very lifeless, flat body did not let the taste come through nearly as much as it could have and this led to a rather lackluster profile. nice barrel notes, loads of wood and peat

 

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Big thanks to YaKnowBrady for this bottle!

My long journey through this series continues. This one pours a typically murky and oily black-brown topped by a minimal layer of dirty brown bubbles. The nose is dominated by lightly-peated whiskey, followed by some oak, some darkly-roasted malts, some dark chocolate powder, and a touch of char. A bit too much whiskey for its own good, but still generally pleasant. The taste follows pretty closely, but with more cocoa, a smoother (and less boozy) whiskey, and some additional notes: light vanilla, gooey caramel (yeah, I tasted the gooey-ness), and light coffee. The body is a straight medium, with a light carbonation and a silky smooth feel. Normally, this would hurt an impy stout, but the feel really seems to help this one along. Overall, a very nice barrel-aged stout, one that melds very well with its barrel.