BrewDog Hardcore IPA

Brewed by BrewDog
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

I bought 21 bottles for just the slim 18 £ @ Sainsburys as a result of their 3 for 2 promo. There was thousands of bottles of this ,as most foolios go in there and buy Heinken or some shit : Economics aside , this is cool . The proverbial "you’re not worthy" aspect they like to include on their bottles iz there . Aromas be piney and floral and hoppy (no shit !) .Some caramel and sticky malt. How do you smell sticky malt? I dunno, but that’s what my synusis made me vizualize. I just found this way eazy to drink . Way optimistic drinking. Vibrant resiny hops .Marmalade and air-freshner bitterness. A psychic told me i’d end up emigratiing to California in my mid 30’s . I’ll be happy with imitation US -UK hop bombs like this in my late 20’s - till I get that damn green card. God bless and word to your mother.

Bottle @ SBWF 2009. Amber and very drinkable Double IPA. Distinct hop flavor but not as sweet and heavy as expected.

Bottle BBD 2/2/10. Pours a pale orange yellow with thin white head. Aroma is very sweet with caramel, malt, and pineapple. Taste at first is caramel and malt, followed by a slight blast of hops, and finishes bitter with a strange astringent quality. Thin and a bit watery on the palate. Not bad but nothing special, it all seems a bit out of balance.

Pours amber, slight head. Tropical fruit and hops on the nose, as well as in taste. Candi sugar sweetness balances out the bitterness quite well. Enjoyable.

Batch #207, Best Before Date: 02/02/10, 22.4 oz. Bottle. Pours a slightly-hazed orange-copper into the glass, with a light soap cap that reduces to sparse suds lace. The nose is of caramel, some toffee, Belgian Candi sugar, and grassy hops. The flavors are similar: caramel malt and candi sugar, with some tiny citrus and yeasty notes midway through, and a finish of heavy peppering bitter hops. The texture is syrupy, with a full body and smooth mouthfeel... but just this side of boozy. It simply doesn’t come together great for such palate complexities. The heavy, semi-boozy feel is a bit too heavy at the end of the pull, and knocks the brew out of balance. It feels like it’s going to be a barleywine at the outset... like an IIPA toward the middle... and just a heavy mess at the end. If controlled a bit, this would be a nice offering, especially as a nightcap. As is, I hope this is the "old" offering and await the "new" batch.

12oz bottle. Batch 072 Best Before 26/05/10 Golden in colour, also with thin head and very little carbonation. Nose is light and grassy. Much more complexity on tasting than the Punk IPA, there’s a caramel cookie quality to the malt which drops away quickly to reveal a pleasing though hard to identify hop finish that does linger. Despite a warm alcohol intensity in the afterglow of this beer the alcohol is well integrated. Still, like its Punk IPA brethren there’s something very Czech about the vibe here...where are they getting their hops from? Can you make an IIPA with Saaz hops? Maybe my palette is still whacked from that cold I got over recently...curious.

My first bottle of this tasted disgusting (too bitter, perversely hopped, I thought). The following night I had another and rather liked it. What a pity I only have a limited supply. But what does it matter? Nothing lasts, all is transient; tonight, tomorrow.....Yes, a delicious beer. But beware, it has a very powerful hop flavour.

Bottle @ Mathouse. Pours hazy amber, thin off white head.
Peppery hop nose, not jumping out at you but still very strong.
HOPS! Massive biting hop flavour. Biting bitterness beats the tongue initially, a little caramelly malt. The hops then grab you by the collar and beat you with bitterness for the next 5 minutes. And I love it. Eventually fades to an earthy bitterness. Have this one last, it’s a palate ruiner.