BrewDog Riptide

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

SDFOB-2008. Bottle. Very rich dark in color. Very smooth and soft Imperial Stout. Good bittersweet chocolate, some fruity flavors come in later. Some chewy roasted malts. Real good. Resampled in a better setting: Sweet roasted malt nose with a touch of oak cherry. Pours night black with a small off white head. Taste of subtle chocolate. OK. Medium bodied, smooth semi-dry finish. Easy to drink.

This is not the kind of in your face imperial stout that most american beer nerd palates have come to expect, which is why I’m surprised it’s still rated so high - it’s more like a slightly more aggressive take on the traditional british version of the style - dark brown, with a soapy, lasting lace - aroma of lactose, chocolate, coffee, intense roast, a tiny bit of alcohol - very smooth mouthfeel - the flavor is extremely roasty, with a lot of coffee character - some sweet chocolate malts ride through the middle, with a bit of plum and dark berry fruitiness as well - but a strong bitterness comes from behind that, making the other characteristics aside from the roastiness disappear from the palate pretty fast - the bitterness lasts quite some time through the finish, and the alcohol becomes fairly evident, adding a warming character - the dryness and bitterness work well in this one, and I kind of find it refreshing to have an impy that isn’t so over the top.

Bottle from Johns Marketplace in Portland, OR. Pours a very dark ruby brown with a good tan head. There is a rich dark fruit aroma along with toasted/burnt malt and coffee. A pleasant aroma. Full bodied with near chewy carbonation. Flavor is a bit of tar, very, very smooth burnt malt, and coffee. With time chocolate is detectable. Then it all coalesces into a well balanced and sturdy stout. Soft and smooth it is. Also very tasty.

Bomber. Pours fairly black with a spotty whitish head comprised of rather large bubbles. The aroma is something of a departure for an imperial stout. It has the coffee and roast going on, but it has a solid hickory and light spiced character too. I don’t get a lot of dense roastiness, but I do seem to find something creating a sharp, almost citrusy sensation. The flavor is a bit heavier and certainly roastier. Actually, the coffee presence in the flavor is quite delightful. This fades to an ashy, smoky note. Sappy hickory is noted throughout. I start to detect hints at raisins and a dash of port qualities towards the end of the snifter, but I think the drier flavors are Riptide’s strong suit. This is a pretty tasty beer, but not very large. I liked it but not enough to drop that kind of cash for another bomber.

Nearly black body with a pretty garnet edge. The large head is dark tan with lots of large bubbles. The aroma is at first quality roast coffee with some sweet pancakes. There was also a note of almonds. The taste is brash with strong coffee and dark chocolate. The finish has prunes and some bread crust. The body is nicely balance, but has a little bit of rubbing alcohol in the aftertaste along with a strong bitterness. Well made, but I would like a touch less roast.

Tasting - Perfect Pour. Dark brownish black, tan creamy head. Soft roasted vanilla coffee nose rides undercurrents of lightly smoked cocoa. Dried dark currants and coffee tones round with hints of vanilla and dark chocolate. Light to medium bodied, soft carbonation, bittersweet finish. Decent, but not in the world class league...

Black body, off white head; Very round slightly sourish grain nose; Very soft sourish deep body; Long finish with alcohol burn, malty grain bitter.

Pours a dark brown color, with a decent tan head. Smells of sharp caramel and chocolate, with hints of alcohol, and toffee notes. The flavor was much the same. Very sharp in its characters. The alcohol wasnt big, but tingled in a stinging way a bit. The chocolate and roasty flavors seem to stand out most. Not overly complex, but certainly solid.