BrewDog Hardcore IPA

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

Much better than anything else I’ve tried from these guys...this one was drinkable!!! Crystal clear brass color with a small fizzy head that left minimal lacing. Aroma is more fruity than most IIPAs; not citrus and pine but more tropical influences of papaya and mango. Flavor is Del Monte fruit cocktail in a can and actually has a slight metallic quality. Medium mouthfeel and pretty good!!! Finally!!!

A little hazy yellow/golden colored beer, with a small foamy white head. The aroma of hops and malts. Fruits like citrus with nettle. Thetaste of hop bitter with a lot of citrus, some spices. You don’t taste the alcohol. The aftertaste is bitter.

Bottle, thanks to jjpm74. Deep golden pour. Minimal white head. Pretty hazy. First whiff reminded more of a strong pilsner than an IPA, much less a double. The more I sat with it, it took on some almost Belgian (or to be more exact, American version of Belgian) notes with some definite yeasty characteristics and sweetness. Some citrus and hops definitely present on the nose, but not so much in a DIPA way... again, more like a hoppy American Belgian style. Thick palate. Sweet flavor, with some malty biscuit action happening a bit in the back of the palate. Started to seem more like an IPA the more I drank it, but I wouldn’t consider it typical of the style. Actually more like an IPA mixed with an American Belgian Golden. Maybe my palate was ruined by drinking Hopslam earlier in the evening. I do find myself liking it more the longer I drink it. I guess folks are looking for subtlety when they pick out a Double IPA, but I think it’s an asset to this beer.

33cl bottle, batch #037. Pale hazy golden, tiny white head, mostly disappearing. Sweet and exotic nose, loads of sweet grapefruit, passion fruit, little resin, hint of flowery honey. Flavor has a tad more straightforward hop profile, sweet pale maltiness, clean yeast, lingering soap ’n’ sap bitterness in the finish, slighly numbing. Nearly full bodied, homebrew-like yeasty palate. Some similarities with Hopslam on the nose, sadly that soap gets a bit overpowering later on. Not the most balanced one, but alright.

Golden color, lighter than most IPA’s. Moderate sized white head with moderate persistence and nice lacing. Nose is of alcohol, fruit and yeast. Taste is distinctly hoppy and very strong of alcohol, with noticeable floral notes. Finish is of hops and alcohol. The alcohol component is almost like the finish of doing a shot of vodka or something. This basically tastes like an IPA with lots of extra alcohol. NOTE: I love Scotland and am 50% Scottish myself; the following is out of loving esteem, not mockery: I can almost hear the Scotsman saying, "What ye be drinkin’ that soda pop IPA for, lad? Ye’ll ne’er get drunk offa that! Have some-a this! It’ll put hair on ye chest!" Pretty good, but would be better if they hid the alcohol more.

Bottle shared with friends, compared alongside the Punk IPA. The colour again is a fairly golden yellow with a thin white head. The aroma is quite citric as well, much more strongly hopped. Mouthfeel is medium in body. I taste more melon, grapefruit, avocado, a fair bit of hop bitterness.

Appearance was floodwater muddy brown with a slight tan head and a bit of lacing. Smell was freshly mown grass and a hint of orange peel. Taste was hos, hops, hops. Dry and bitter with a hint of malt but dominant hops, very long finish with slight black pepper. Not too over the top, a good example of an American style IPA.

courtesy of fiulijn - slightly hazy blond colour, almost no foam; aroma of fresh cut apples and oranges, phenolic; very sweet and oily, solid malt body, robust late bitterness; long fruity (apple, pear) finish - original