BrewDog Paradox Speyside (Batch 010)

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

(33cl bottle, sampled side-by-side with Islay 009, Macallan 011, and Glen Grant 003) Small beige head that mostly diminishes atop clear red-black body, no lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, chocolate, some Scotch/alcohol, light caramel. Taste is medium sweet, Scotch/alcohol, chocolate, some smoke. Medium body, low carbonation.

Bottled@RBESG Grand Tasting 2008
Almost pitch black color, small tan head. Strong Scotch whisky aroma. Soft start, some fruityness, licorice, Islay whisky, which bursts and dominates aftertaste. Quite good balance of flavors in this one.

Bottle. Almost black and opague. The aroma has dark chocolate, cream and hints of oak and peat. Malty sweet flavor with oak and peat, followed by dark chocolate and toffee. The single malt whisky is well noticed and adds to the character. Well balanced and delicious beer, maybe still a bit young.

A Mes rate: Bottle that my lovely Mrs picked up from OddBins.
Pitch black and opaque with a thin tan head. Roasted malt aroma with chocolate and blackcurrant. Slight whisky but not over powering. Once in my mouth the whisky and the Riptide just never quite gel. The base is clearly the same, lovely imperial stout but the whisky just feels a little unrefined and, dare I say it, cheap. Certainly not as good as some of the other Paradoxes. Still a decent beer though. Lovely soft palate and typically brilliant alcohol hidage until you get an obvious belly glow. Good but not a show stopper.

(Bottle, Batch 10, BB 01/09/09) Pours a dark brown body with a bubbly off-white head. Aroma of roasted malt, oak, light licorice, and peat. Flavor of roasted malt, scotch, salt, and wood.

11.2oz bottle. Batch 10 BB 01/01/10. Poured a dark brown color with red edges and an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of wood, chocolate, a little earthy, roast, raisins, and some vanilla. Tastes of whiskey, vanilla, wood, chocolate, and dark fruits. Medium alcohol in the finish.

Bottle in Blackfriars. Aroma is typical paradox, roasty and burnt malts, chocolate, slight wet grassy hay character, whisky is not too noteable, though adds a pepperyness. Taste is similar, though clearly the thinnest of all the paradox so far and most drinkable, the whisky shows itself in the finish and adds an ashy alcoholic note to it, finishes quickly though. Possibly the most whisky like mouthfeel of all of them and least stout like, But t the same time least whisky character in it?

Bottle... Post RBSG ’08 O-Town/Vero Beach Throwdown Chapter 8... Clear, very dark ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. The malty, acrid nose extends heaps of cocoa, coffee and peat smoke. Full-bodied with a lightly oily mouthfeel and soft carbonation. Acrid, bitter, burnt coffee grounds and ethanol in the robust flavor. Finishes boozy and scorched. Thanks go out to growler for sharing this brew!