BrewDog Paradox Macallan (Batch 011)

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

Dark brown color. Aroma has a lot of depth combining the peaty whiskey character and the sherry character of the barrel with a touch of the base beer. Flavor is nicely balanced and integrated. Silky mouth feel with palate caressing flavors. Not overly smoky, just a touch. The added sherry notes are a welcome addition. Other notes of vanilla, caramel, with a pleasant sweetness and a pretty nice finish. This is my favorite Paradox so far.

330 ml, bb 12/12/09. Hard pour yields a small head that tries to cling to the rim of the glass. Aroma is vanilla, caramel, raisin, oak, light cherry and char. Well-blended flavors of caramel, chocolate raisin, vanilla, coffee, whiskey, sweet cherry and oak. Finish has some light char, salt and soy that provide a nice drying balance. The small head manages to leave some beautiful lacing all over the glass. Medium-heavy body is smooth and lightly sticky. Best of the five in the paradox series I’ve sampled to date.

Batch 011, bb 12/12/09, Dark black with red hints at the edges and a thin quick light tan head. Some sherry and roast in the aroma but is thin. Taste is roasty base with some wood and sherry over top.

This was from a 330 mi bottle that set me back a whopping $11.49 at Market of Choice in Ashland, OR. Was it worth it? You better believe it! Poured a dark brown, kind of the color of Coca Cola, with almost no head. Swirling it in the glass raised a little foam and left mild lacing on the side of my Duvel glass. But it also raised a terrific nose of smoky malts with ripe fruit and some hints of chocolate, and sherry. Almost made my eyes water. Mouthfeel is rich and kind of like a single malt whiskey. Flavor is complex, and shows oak, some sweetness, and again seems more like single malt whiskey than beer. Finish is slightly sweet. Overall a simple outstanding brew. This my 1000th rating, and I am very pleased to have it be one of this quality I will upload a photo as soon as I am able..

Sampled at Beerhawk’s Beer Gods in the Boro, aka 1000 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, By God Beer God Gathering, BG1K Tasting. Dark brown pour with small tan head. Chocolate, coffee, nice and roasty. But hella expensive.

(Bottle from Alko Arkadia) Poured almos black with light brown, sparse and bubbly head. Aroma contained roastedness, some coffee and whisky. Full bodied and dry palate with quite low carbonation. Flavours were roastedness, coffee, ash, lightly whisky, some creaminess and low bitterness. Aftertaste contained ash, bitterness and whisky.

Courtesy TheCheeseMan. Very dark brown pour, sparse soapy off-white head. Slight caramel, alcohol, spice, toffee, light whiskey notes. Heavy roast initially but yields to a mild whiskey taste. One of the milder Brewdogs.

Served at room temp as per bottle. Pours a thinner (for an IS) fairly dark brown, almost light enough to see-thru, with a minimal fizzy beige froth that dissipates quickly. Strong barrel aroma, woody chocolate, smokey peat, smells dry, quite malty, the aroma changes into something much more English, maybe a touch of diacetyl, toasty, a bit of fruit or maybe thats the sherry. First taste is not very Imperial Stoutish, definitely more of a BA Scottish Ale. Flavors of peated malt, lightly burnt malts, lots of toasted malts, some buttery diacetyl, some chocolate, every so lightly grassy. A bit sugary tasting while being dry with a decent amount of bitterness. The sherry cask really makes itself apparent in the aftertaste. Medium body, smooth and flat, oily. The finish and aftertaste really make this beer, otherwise it would be a complete disappointment. Definitely a sipper... this is one beer where its okay to breath lots and release the alcohol.