BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 001)

Formerly brewed at BrewDog
Style: Imperial Stout
Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Bottled. Deep black coloured pour with a small fast disappearing brown head. Really really nice. Roasted and malty with notes of chocolate, liqourice, dark dried fruit, dark bitter chocolate, smoke, berries and hops. Yum.

courtesy of fiulijn - very dark brown colour with some ruby hue; irregular beige foam formed of big bubbles; typical aroma of iodine and band-aid of the Islay whiskies; smokey with notes of dark chocolate; very oily and sticky, solid malt body, a rather low carbonation and a decent late bitterness which tries to balance the strong sweetness; the Islay characteristics appear again in a smokey and chocolatey finish which also makes some place for vanilla and alcohol notes - bold and powerful but not without a certain subtility

Bottle at Chris_o’s. Dark. Sweet, strongly flavoured of peat, quite medicinal, a little salty.

Pours a pitch black color with a thin tan head. Aroma and flavor of peat, iodine and roasted malt. The body is light with a liquorous texture and soft carbonation. I definitely prefer the liquid that was previously in the cask!

Bottle (330ml) shared with HogTownHarry, tupalev & GregClow -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a very dark brown, almost black, with a spare diminishing off-white head. Very nice aroma, lots of smoke but also sweet along with chocolate, roasted caramel malt and dark fruit. Flavour: Now that’s different! Nice to have a barrel-aged beer that’s not all vanilla or bourbon. Lots and lots of smoke along with peat, roasted malt and alcohol. Oily mouthfeel, medium bodied. Interesting and different -- I wouldn’t drink this regularly but I quite like it.

Black of color with a small beige head. An aroma of liqurice, smoke and cacao. a flavor of Animal, smoke and whisky notes.

Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, Blankboy, and GregClow, thanks to Harry for this rare treat from over the pond. Smells like Islay! Seawater and dirt, alcohol, and roast as well in complex and up front aroma. Taste - maybe the smokiest beer ever? Like drinking charred wood from a smoldering peat fire. Lots of Islay like whiskey notes, body is thin, some acidic notes in finish as well. Needs more body in my opinion. A rare unique drinking experience that I enjoyed but am in no hurry to repeat, if that makes any sense.

NorCal December ’07 - First, I owe a HUGE thank you to oh6gdx for sending me this thing of beauty. Incredible beer. I think that sums it up for me. Incredible. Okay, so fantastic will also work. Perhaps incredibly fantastic? Sounds good. An aroma of the smoke, whiskey, light cocoa notes, vanilla, anise and wood. Appearance is dark mahogany in color, very still in the pour with barely any head action at all. Smooth and supple mouthfeel. No harshness at all. Liquid velvet on the tongue. Flavors didn’t stray too far from the aroma notes. Smoke, whiskey, vanilla, wood, and subtle cocoa nibs. The finish is fantastic on this beer as the smokey irish whiskey flavor really lingers. Loved this beer.