Archive for the 'BrewDog' category
BrewDog “Rip Tide” Stout
Third up from Beer of the Month Club this week is another brew from BrewDog, the brewery that rocked my socks last night. This one is, in it’s full name, is the BrewDog Rip Tide Twisted Merciless Stout.
It pours a motor oil black with almost no head at all, even following a vigorous pour. In the nose, the aroma is syrupy sweet, displaying hints of maple and horehound. The first thing I notice about this brew is the light mouthfeel. With a ‘twisted merciless stout’, I expect something thick and velvety, but this it positively light with no more viscosity than a run-of-the-mill lager. The flavor here is very earthy and bitter. There is just a bit of sweetness, and it is reminiscent of ginseng and licorice. The predominant flavor, however, is of a rootsy bitterness. It is pungent, a bit abrasive, and unfortunately sticks around well into the aftertaste. In short, I’m not so into this beer. I think there is a niche for this beer, and I think there are people that would love it, but I’m not one of them. When I think of big, ballsy stouts, I think of thick mouthfeels, rich syrupy sweetness, and generally luxurious flavors. Earlier tonight, I tried the Founder’s Canadian Breakfast Stout, and it certainly embodied all of these characteristics. However, the BrewDog Stout reminds me more of a bitter black ale, which isn’t a genre I prefer. So, frankly, I wouldn’t drink this again – quite a downer after my blockbuster experience with the Hardcore IPA last night…
BrewDog Hardcore IPA
Next up this month from the Beer of the Month Club is the Brew Dog IPA. This is a brewery hailing from Scotland, a place that isn’t known for any especially good IPAs (in my opinion), despite having great beers in many other genres. The bottle art on this is great, though, and I like that they call this a “hardcore” IPA, so we’ll see what it has to offer…
This pours a hazy golden color that is just slightly clouded by debris, and topped with a super-thin white head. The aroma here is chock full of hop. The fun thing is that it isn’t the typical hop of an English IPA. Rather, it smells fresh and flowery, just like I like it. In the mouth, the first sensation is of rich, biscuity malt. However, that richness is quickly cut with a sharp hop bite. I actually really love the hop in this beer. This tastes so much like a west coast IPA in the hop respect. However, the richness of the malt and the big mouthfeel addresses a more typical UK style. The end result is a super-rich IPA that still tastes very fresh and even has a bit of citrus sweetness to it. Frankly, this is the best IPA I’ve had outside of US west coast IPAs in a long time. Granted, a lot of this is personal opinion. But, hey, it’s my blog, so I guess I’m entitled to that. I have no idea where you can buy this stuff in the States. However, if anyone knows, tell me so I can pick some up when I’m in the area! Stay tuned for a review of their Imperial Stout – after this brew, I can’t wait to see how they handle another genre…
BrewDog Punk IPA
Trying to catch up with all my reviews in my notebook, I reach this IPA. BrewDog beers seem to be a relatively new addition to the beer stocked on local store shelves. As mentioned before on sevenpack, I like to start a new brewery off with their IPA. I feel I have a pretty good grasp of the IPA style, so my senses are tuned to what should be present. Lets see how BrewDog pulls off their IPA.
The beer, poured into my pint glass, was golden in color and slightly hazy. The white head dissipated very quickly to a thin covering, not that there was much head to begin with. The collapse of the head left a light lacing along the glass walls. The nose of the beer was quite hoppy. Earth hops were predominate, with some herb hops and light citrus hops joining the show. This one-dimensional aspect (i.e. hops) continued into the taste. An earthy character was present, but the previous mentioned herb note takes president, with a pepper-spice tilt. An aspect of the beer that really stuck out in the mouth was its lightness. This light character allowed the beer to run quickly through the mouth, finish clean, and leave little after taste. When compared to other IPAs this was on the very light side of the scale.
I was not all that impressed with this beer. To me it was one dimensional, and quite light. Though this was not a good start for BrewDog, I have not given up on them. When I am ready for a hop bomb I might have to check out their Hardcore IPA (style: Imperial IPA). If their regular IPA is high on hops their imperial should be pretty insane.
