BrewDog Paradox Isle of Arran (Batch 016)

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

Pours black with not much of a head. Aroma of vanilla, dates, and oak. Taste of vanilla, whiskey, oak, spices. Finishes very smooth with low carbonation. Overall very tasty.

Draught at The Rover, Gothenburg Dark brown with an off-white head. Wooden and vinous aroma with some chocolate. Licorice, chocolate and wood in the flavour. Sweet with dried, sweet fruits; raisin, prune.

Draught at The Rover. Deep reddish brown colour. Low beige head. Aroma from mint-chocolate, edgy booze, light butterscotch, licorice, light whisky and vanilla-ish oak. Early vanilla tone in flavour, edgy booze again, and dry ashy notes. Oily body, light-ish motor-oil texture with light licorice. Meat also present. Slight salty.

On-tap. The Rover. Gothenburg. Deep brown colour with hints of red. Small beige head. Non smokey whisky, oak, light roast, licorice, dark chocolate, light sourness, saltiness, alcohol.

12oz bottle at Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco. Pours a slightly watery nearly opaque black with a very thin, creamy, tan head. Nice aroma of dark fruits, nuts, sour mash, dried fruits. Flavor was well balanced; dark fruits, nuts, toast, chocolate, bourbon, booze, coffee, all in moderation. Finish is slightly sweet, slightly bitter, slight booze. Don’t know if it’s worth what I paid or what someone else might pay, but it’s nice.

[RBESG, Sheffield]
Grand Tasting @ The Harlequin, Sheffield.
Pours deep brown with a small, creamy, beige, film head. Aroma has light fruity tartness, oak, roasted malts and raisins. Medium carbonation, fine creamy mouthfeel. Flavour is sweet, oaky, blackberries, roasted malts, coffee, lightly vinious. Nice.

Bottle into snifter. Really aggressive pour yeaild a very small bubbly head. Dark brown stream from the bottle, near black body in the glass. Aroma is nice - dark chocolate, vanilla, roasted malt, tobacco, Flavor is pretty much the same. Both have some nice woody whiskey character, obviously. Good though neither the aroma nor the flavor are as strong as the style and abv might suggest. Also, it isn’t as thick as either suggest - medium body. no carbonation. Silky smooth. Overall: alcohol is hidden well, its a good beer, one of the better examples of a whisky barrel ale that has just the right amount of whisky barrel character... THOUGH it is not even close to worth the 12 dollars I payed for it.

RBESG Sheffield 2009 Grand Tasting at the Harlequin. Black colour, beige head. Aroma of vanilla, roasted malts, whiskey, some chocolate. Flavour is sweet, roasted malts, some chocolate and molasses, lots of sweet whiskey and light vanilla. Bit sharp. Light bitter roasted coffee finish. Medium bodied.