BrewDog Paradox Speyside (Batch 010) - Smokehead
BrewDog

A: No head, though it seemed to try. Brownish black with some purple and only barely translucent at the edges.

S: Strong, and thick, almost syrupy. Definitely smelling whisky. Nice.

T: Malty and some roasted bitterness towards the end in the back of my throat. Alcoholic and whisky. A little creamy.

M: Flat. But I suppose the bottle being 2 yrs old I shouldn't be surprised.

O: A pretty good beer that didn't age particularly well. Wouldn't have another, but hey, BrewDog is still awesome.

"Scottish Malt Whiskey casks rock! Their ruggedly robust beauty, character, captivating aromas and unique Scottish heritage had us completely spellbound. This edition sees our Imperial Stout aged for several months in specially selected Speyside whisky casks. This maturation process results in the whisky flavours and aromas being infused deep into our beer." Part of a limited release series dedicated to whisky cask infusions, available in single 12 oz. bottles.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a tulip glass. Served above 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a thin, creamy head of a toasted cream shade over a deep maple brown body. Retention is very low and the lacing is very light. 3

(Smell) Stout notes of moderately roasted barley, toasted caramel grain and earthy molasses and licorice are infused with delicate whiskey aromas of the Speyside Whiskey casks, imparting residual oak, smooth grain alcohol with a delicate sweetness. Not a whiskey drinker myself, I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the whiskey character integrated into this beer. Potency is moderate. 3.75

(Taste) The impact of whiskey is somewhat more pronounced up front in the flavor, with dry oak flavor, wet grain, mellow peat smoke and thick syrupy fruit notes, finishing lightly sweet with a lingering note of roasted barley, the strongest note of the stout. The stout as well as the whiskey base are both fairly mild in their presence for this beer, not hardly over-the-top for a whiskey-infused stout. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is lightly chewy, oily smooth and moderately dry. Carbonation is flat to none, passing this beer more as a whiskey on the flatness alone, it does manipulate the mouthfeel to make the beer seem to have a heavier body. The body is shy of medium for the style, medium+ overall. Balance is slightly grainy, peat smokey and earthy bitter over sweet. Alcohol presence is moderate and there are no off flavors. This beer is unusually flat, and I am unsure of whether that was the brewery's intention for this beer or not. 3.5

(Overall) An interesting and appreciated experiment on stouts paired with whiskey casks. I found the stout base unusually shallow to be an ideal candidate to age on whiskey, but perhaps the intent was to call to attention the impact of the whiskey casks themselves rather than how they work with a stout. As for the whiskey cask itself, it generates a notable impact, although I think the stout could have been aged in the cask longer for stronger flavors without imparting excessive harshness. The flavors created from the brief time spent in the cask are far from harsh, grainy or sharp but rather generate more appreciated characters of smoke, syrups and oak. I'd like to see more experiences with whiskey cask/stout infusions, as the results from this beer alone seem promising: if the whiskey and stout profiles pair just right, the results could be phenomenal. 3.5

BrewDog's
Paradox Speyside Batch 10: Smokehead
3.53/5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at the Dark Lord Day. There were many beers that I sampled, but I only felt compelled to take review notes for a few of them.

This beer was messed up. Not in a "whoa that's wild!" way, neither. In a "something bad happened during fermentation" way. I was amazed to see that this was only 10% ABV, because its harsh nodes of gasoline made me think that maybe it was something along the lines of Tactical Nuclear Penguin and was therefore supposed to taste genuinely dangerous.

But along with the gas nodes, you had smoke nodes. But you know how most smoked beers resemble smoked meat or cheese? This smelled like smoke, alright, only like the smoke that comes off a burning plastic bag, like the kind of thing you shouldn't inhale without wearing a mask, like after drinking too much of this you're no longer legally allowed to donate blood.

Seriously, some tastes and aromas are viscerally, chemically repellant. This is a survival mechanism, your body's way of telling you to not put some things into it. Paradox Smoke is an incredible melange of several such nodes.

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into an Albemarle Ciderworks glass. Batch 010. Best by 01 January 2010. So two years late on this one.

A: Some bubbles; no head. It pours thinly. The not-quite black body is unexpectedly translucent, but only just.

S: It smells good. Strong and liquor-like, the whisky influence is obvious. Such sweet elixir! Little to no smoke.

T/M: Thin (old?) but perfectly palatable. An almost creamy sweetness fades slowly into a more noticeably smoky finish. Malt-heavy, with a touch of oaky dryness. Light, chalky, roasted bitterness on the aftertaste reminds me of dark chocolate. The mouthfeel isn't exactly thin as...flat? Insubstantial? It's the most disappointing facet of this Paradox, but I suppose my fair dues for being so late to the party.

O: Overall, a good beer that hasn't aged remarkably well. Increasingly whiskyish as I drink more of it, especially the finish. Very bourbon sweet-strong. I wouldn't go out and buy one again, but I'm glad I had one and the price ($3.49) seems reasonable. I still like BrewDog.

 

 

 

 

Bottle and label high quality, gold and black. Black dark. Strong and persistent foam. On the nose, it smells the smoke and acrylic paint.

In the mouth, such as Tokyo *, in the same style and in the same brewery, it is difficult to perceive that it is an imperial stout because not thick, not strength, not roasted malt. No traces of whiskey either, so it makes sense to marinate. Finally, it was just a taste of the cigarette in the mouth and it's not really appetizing. The finish is reminiscent of barbecue ash and can be persistent, which suggests that foul taste in the throat.

Okay, that's unique in taste but should not exaggerate by suggesting anything like taste. To drink this drink as much juice banging a cigarette ash. Then where is the stout apart in color?

09 vintage poured into a snifter. Barely below room temperature.

Pours black with brown along the edges. Half a finger of head that fades into a ring. Solid lacing along the glass.

Smell is more of bourbon than beer. It is incredibly smokey, reminiscent of when you use a charcoal grill.

Bourbon, oak flavor is very present. Still, plenty of smoke and barbecue. However, there is a lot of malt and chocolate in there to balance the flavors.

Carbonation is on the medium side for the style. It isn't terribly drinkable. I wouldn't want more than one in a sitting.

This beer is definitely "outrageous" as it says on the bottle. If it cost less than $10 per 11oz bottle, I could see myself drinking it again.

Had this beer on cask at khyber pass in Philly. This beer is pitch black with a nice ring of off white head. The aroma is ok. It has a mild scotch oak smokey roast aroma. It is really nice, but this beer really shines in th flavor. It's like a drier toasty coco stout mixed with some smokey peaty scotch. Really amazing beer. Mouthfeel is a little on the light side, but when it comes down to it this is a really amazing beer.

I should start by saying that I enjoy a good whisky. The smoky flavor that comes from peat is something that I really enjoy. I also like smoky beers as long as there is some balance and complexity to it. Hopefully, that information provides some context when I review this unspeakable error of a beer.

The problems with Smokehead are evident before you take your first sip. It appears thin and clouded in the glass and the wall of smoke hits you before you even approach the rim with your nose. No other smells are allowed to shine. There is no complexity or subtlety here. Just an unrestrained wave of peat smoke.

Things get worse once you raise the glass to your lips. The smoke is not just overwhelming. It has an astringent chemical quality that made me wince. The mouthfeel is thin and no other stout flavors are allowed any space on the palate. No chocolate. No coffee. No anise. Nothing. It tastes like a five-alarm fire blazed through Brewdog's facility and - rather than accept their losses -- they sold the charred remains to the unsuspecting public.

I've had some of the whisky barrel aged beers that Brewdog has to offer and some are not bad. This, on the other hand, is a near-instant drainpour.