BrewDog Hardcore IPA

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

Bottle at Blackfriars. Now my problem with this was that I got distracted from it for about 2 hours by Chris and Stephanie from Toronto. Stephanie described it as reaching down into your throat and bringing the bitterness up from your stomach, or something. Certainly very very bitter. Very toffee. Nice though. Could do with a bit more floral hop to balance the bitterness. 3.4/5.0 Re-rate bottle batch 037. Always thought the first time round it was a bit metallic and just too bitter. Hop character definitely seems to have changed, far more aromatic real hop flowers on the aroma. Simcoes and or Amarillos I would suggest. Far better balance of biscuit/toffee malt that has some sweetness with the lasting hops on the finish. Whopping huge hops, but no where near as bitter as it was, better balance. Far more likeable DIPA. Love the aroma. Just so drinkable. And those hops. The resins build and build on the finish. Superb.

Blackfriers. This was vented then sealed back up, i just opened it again last nite to see how it was getting on. I started with a half pint then had an full pint after my shift. I’ll rate both accordingly. HALF: Aroma is noteably cat pee off the hops, very grassy with peppery hints oif alcohol. Taste hits your tougne with bittering hops, a hint of butteryness rolls through a syrupy sweetness thats full of grassy lime zest goodness, then the bitterness kicks in just in time to balance it out. The alcohol is noteable esspecially in the finish, leaves the mouth pluckering and knowing its been punished (4.0) FULL PINT: Aroma has loads of grassy hops, biscuity caramel sweetness, a citrus zest makes you want to start drinking it while your still just smelling it. Taste bursts onto your mouth peppery grassy hops balanced with a sweet biscuity hints of toffee malt sweetness, again the citrus flavours kick in just when they should do. Throughout the cat pee trys to kick in but is held back by all the other flavours. The finish is dry and pluckering, and says well that was quite an experiance but when are you going to give me more? This beer in itself is a taste revolution for british brewing. Like i was sitting in black friers just having a pint of imperial IPA, that just doesnt happen in britian, anywhere. Its just an amazing thing that such an intence outstanding beer is being brewed here, and heres to it!

Pours densely apricot w/ a pancake that settles slowly w/ creamy lacing. Beautfull! Smells sweet lik barley wine. Full nectar w/ a creamy texture. This is only mildly hoppy w/ defined fresh fruit malt which is totally enjoyable. Very english. Soft and chewy, fresh and dense, candy necklace.

Bottle from Arden Wines, batch 037. Brilliant lagery gold with a fluffy white head going nowhere. Honey slick and miraculously lacy. Looks, smells, tastes and behaves like a beer several percent weaker; alcohol utterly masked by the narcotic sweaty citrus pungency of THE HOP. Ridiculous dribble-making hum of dishcloth, tropical Starburst, blackcurrant and grapefruit; succulent grapefruit resins beyond balanced by the same biscuit, husky malt and caramel hints as Trashy Blonde and Punk IPA. There’s got to be a Starburst floating around in here somewhere? Nope, it’s all hop devilry. The danger of this little cheeky is it tastes like fresh pulped breakfast juice, tropical flavoured confectionary and tonic water but is as strong as Special Brew. Outrageous. (DELETED RATING, AS V2009, CASK, LEICESTER 09)
Earlier Rating: 3/17/2009 Total Score: 4.1 Well, within the first sniff the waiting’s over. This is 2000. Thank god the CAMRA lady was too deaf to serve me a nip and presented me with a full measure. Although I was slurring a bit by this stage, to be fair. Innocuous dull gold, hazy with a rim of froth giving no forewarning of the hop treasures beyond. Asphyxiating, multi-coloured aroma of mango, passion fruit, Starburst, freshly pulped grapefruit and hairy chlorophyll. Smells like breakfast juice. Jesus. Hops don’t let up in mouth, it’s all tropical Starburst loveliness; not overpowering or aggressive, just ripe, narcotic and pungent. Background splash of alcohol but no heat. 9%?? Surely a typo. Punching fleshy grapefruit nothing like as dry as juice- there is a slight countering honeyed sweetness there, a nibble of nuttiness from the malts, and that’s it. Outstanding humming contemporary UK beer singing its heart out with hops, and as 9% DIPAs go, devilishly sessionable. Billling the lads for my taxi if I don’t make the train (I didn’t).

Again a rare beer from a micro in britain. Very hoppy aroma. Orange, citrus and toffee. smooth mouthfeel, dry and balanced which makes this a pleasent drink. good bitterness but I did leave a touch of alcohol sting at the last. Good

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.

One of the best "non-american" IPA’s I’ve tried in a while. Pours almost a golden yellow, very hoppy and citrus notes to the nose, and taste, not bitter or sour, just right!

Oct. 22, 2009 On Cask at Frisco’s Cantina, Columbia, MD. Advertised at 150 IBUs: This beer poured from grafity tap with good caronation, with a golden orange color. Aroma was fruity with pine overtones. Very aromatic. Taste was a mouth full of hops, gentley at frist then spreading accross the pallet. The hoppiest IPA I have ever had.