BrewDog Paradox Isle of Arran (Batch 016)

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

Why a kid from a southwestern suburb of Chicago is the second to rate this, I don’t understand, but I picked up a bottle of Batch 016 from Binny’s Beverage Depot in Orland Park, Illinois, and here I am. It poured a dark brown body, clear around the edges, and had a narrow bubbly ring in lieu of a head. Perhaps it’s because of all the alcohol contained in a somewhat thin body, but the resultant aroma was almost perfumey, comprised of burnt bittersweet chocolate, whiskey, dark toffee, some dark dried fruit, roasted malt, peat smoke, and alcohol. It had a thin, oily, peppery hot mouthfeel. The flavor was pretty well reflective of the aroma and had the addition of a light charred wood bitterness. It finished sweet and hot. Very nice.

Bottle from recent KW private order (thanks Mat!). Oily black, oily brown head. Nice woody, boozy aroma with hints of barrell. Taste is very nice - oily body, barrel notes of whiskey and peat well integrated in background. Almost a very strong porter here. A very nice sipper - really wish I bought more!

Thanks to Typalev, shared with HogTownHarry, blankboy and I. Appearance: Dark dark brown/ruby red, small off white head. Aroma: Peat, coffee, winter fruit, cinnamon, some creaminess and alcohol. Flavour: Peaty and malty, some chocolate with a good amount of coffee, winter fruits, bourbon and caramel. Long peaty finish. Nice indeed.

Bottle (330ml). Shared by blankboy with me and garthicus - courtesy of tupalev. Clear deep ruby, average off-white creamy head. Roasty-sweet woody and somewhat boozy aroma - whisky, oak and cocoa. Taste - cocoa, dry wood, peat and booze. Average sticky body, light carbonation, long barrel finish - strong, but tasty.

Black color; medium creamy head, reducing quickly. Light aroma of caramel and molasses; very light chocolate. The body is medium to light, there is a sweetish caramel and chocolate aroma, some rhubarb candies, strong bitterness, some roasted malt at the end, but also alcohol. Unimpressive.

Bottle with a best before of 08/08/20. Cellar temperature. When poured vigorously produces a medium sized tan head with a black body. Splotchy lace dark fruits, chocolate, raisins, nutty fudge brownie, fusel alcohol, light wood and smoke. Touch of cinnamon or spice with brown sugar. Decently high in sugar in the aroma. Taste is chocolate, dark fruits, smoke, wet wood and a chalky after taste. Kind of bland actually. Some burnt caramel or flan sauce. Not bad, but kind of blah. Thick, creamy mouthfeel, light bubbles. Good...but not 10.99 per 12ozer good...

Bottle 33 cl. The pour is clear brown with almost no head at all. Its filtered wich I can´t find a good answer for. Why filter a good thick beer like this and remove all the goodies??? The nose is with brown sugar, roasted malts, marzipan, spirits like bourbon ans som raisins. The taste is with an alcoholtaste up front but with a nice sweetness and bitterness too. Actually its good balanced. Burned malts and suger. Its a little parfumish. The finish is dominated of the alcohol with an smooth feeling in the very end. OK

Bottle as shown. Pours a very dark brown with a paperthin light tan head that diminishes quickly to nothing. The aroma is a faint roasted malt and wood with whiskey. Medium mouthfeel and a bit watery on the palate. The taste is a dark fruit and peat with a nice roasted whiskey flavor coming through in the finish. Very complex and a lot different from your everday imperial stouts. Enjoyed this one from BrewDog.