BrewDog Paradox Glen Grant (Batch 003)

Brewed by BrewDog
Style: Imperial Stout
Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Bottle ordered online, though apparently it is now available locally. Swirling this initially reveals an ugly, formaldehyde aroma, but after sitting for a couple minutes that disappears and a very deep, complex aroma shows up, with light chocolate, scotch, brine, and seaweed. Very deep in flavor, with a perfect briny scotch, not overwhelming, but relaxed and great The scotch notes in this are top notch.

Tasting - Perfect Pour. Deep blackish brown, thick dark tan head. Intense bitter roasted chocolate and coffee oak aromas are well layered over notes of dark berry and coconut. Whiskey and black coffee flavors upfront balance well on woody coconut and chocolate berry tones. Nice late bitter hop component pull this together very well. Medium bodied with soft carbonation. A great sipper...

Served at room temp per the label’s suggestion. An aggressive pour yields a pitch black body covered with only a slight dark tan head that recedes to a random pile of floating islands. Strong woody, peat scotch aromas with apparent roasted malts. Nice and smooth body is not overly heavy. The roasted body is powerful but overshadowed by the excellent scotch and hop finish that blends and leaves a lasting impression of a fine single malt scotch sitting on the tongue.

Bottle: (Thanks Andy!) Dark, near opaque pour with a tan ring of head. Nose is boozy, but pleasant and balanced. Has notes of mild vanilla, piny wood, dark chocolate liqueur, and very subtle smoke (earthy character) Slick body, with a nice bitter/sweet chocolate presence in the flavor. That solid malt base is well integrated with the smooth boozy character and has a nice oak presence. As it warms there’s some mocha-chip-like qualities, making it reminiscent of chocolate covered coffee beans. Has a smooth roasted finish with subtle oak residuals. Well integrated and smooth. A tasty one.

Pours almost black with some brown hues. The beer was headless after a vigorous pour. Nice aromas of some sweet roasted malts and a pleasant touch of whiskey and oak. Soft flavors of roasted malt, sweeter dark malts, oak and scotch whiskey. Soft carbonation, lighter bodied than I expected, smooth drinking and not as hot as I would have though from 10%.

12-oz. Thanks, Skoi! Pours a dense dark black with amber highlights; with enough light behind it, it shows clear. But so much color. Very light gray swirls, legless, headless, laceless. Very mild nose for a ba impy--caramel, roast, maybe a bit of campfire. The roast comes up to an almost salty degree on the mid-palate. Nice clean medium body, maybe a bit of booze in the sinus and on the back of the tongue. Beautiful roast, caramel, and mild peat wash through the nice long finish.

Purchased at High Times, poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Pours a black hue with a modest tan head that dissipates. Aroma is roast malts, chocolate mousse, whiskey barrel, and cola. Flavor is initially smooth milky chocolate mousse with a backbone of whiskey, midway enters cola, vanilla, and some oak, brief finish is slightly sweet. Palate is lightly chewy with light carbonation. Probably the smoothest 10% stout I’ve had, the flavors are very calm and balanced with no discernible alcohol presence.

12oz from Holiday Wine Cellar. Pours black with a thin tan head. Nose is sweet and malty with clear hints of scotch. taste is sweet, smokey and very much a different kind of earthy taste than what i’d expect from a typical impy stout. Tasty and different.