BrewDog Riptide

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

Thanks to my sweetness kaggie. A little thin. Flavor is whack. I wish he would have just given me his love juice instead.

Poured from bottle into a snifter. Opaque dark brown with minimal head but has nice lacing lines down the glass. Aroma of chocolate, licorice, alcohol, roasted malts. The smell becomes very subdued after a couple minutes. Dark chocolate and licorice backbone, with some fruitiness (BrewDog says cherry, I’ll go with that). More bitter and smoky than sweet. Especially bitter at end, likely due to both burnt malts and hops. Very low carbonation, full body, very smooth, and very dry for an Imperial Stout. Not syrupy or oily as some big malty beers are, but way too flat. Very nice, late evening sipper. Overall, much more bitter than typical for the style, but that is part of the appeal.

possibly the worst poem i have ever read and the only poem i have ever seen on the side of a beer bottle. actually reads more like manowar lyrics or something, but being on a beer bottle i can’t be sure of the irony. brewers are pretty earnest. this beer is an american style imperial only watered down, much like the punk IPA - a more drinkable and approachable version of US microbrew so as not to scare the scots who never knew about hops apparently. grapefruit and chocolate and alcohol, thin finish leaving alcohol and rough high AA hops. a bonsai version of the west coast stouts everyone on ratebeer [except me, silktork and ernest] loves. in fact i just read silktork’s rating and it is hilarious.

CASK!!! not much aroma, but the flavor is a very strong dark black roasty malt that lasts for about 15 minutes after each sip. This tastes much higher in alcohol than there is. Cask at The Pub, Naples.

Bottled 330ml. -Courtesy of and shared with Doggythedog (thanks!). Batch No.164
Almost black with reddish glare, small tan head, notes of chocolate and cocoa in the nose. Roasted coffee, chocolate and some hops with notes of dark fruits. Alcohol is well hidden. Bitter finish and pleasant long-lasting aftertaste. Enjoyable stout.

Bottle: The aroma consists is loaded with chocolate with lots of dark chocolate and cocoa powder and some light roasted nuttiness. It pours a dark brown with red highlights that borders on transparency when held to the light. It has a moderate beige head with good retention. The flavor starts with some light cocoa powder. The finish turns to moderate dark chocolate, roasted nuts, and just a hint of fruit. Medium bodied with mild carbonation. This really seems like more of a stout than an Imperial Stout.

Poured a black body with a small white tan/gray head. Light chocolatey nose, malty notes. Sweet, soft taste, coffee mostly, roasty, clashing with a strong hop bitterness found in the end and going long into the aftertaste. Alcohol very well hidden. Not too complex but nice.

From a 750 ml bottle this poured a very dark garnet red that looked nearly black in the glass and raised a big tan head and left fat tan lacing rings behind as it slowly settled. Very attractive. The nose is roasted malts with chocolate, mild coffee, and some ripe fruit. Very rich and smooth mouthfeel is a delight on the tongue. The flavor is heavy on the roasted chocolate malts and there is some floral hop bitterness. Bitter finish. A very well crafted beer that is remarkably easy to drink. Good to the last drop.