BrewDog Riptide

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

Bottle. Not sure of the reason for the high ratings - and like Rastacouere I’m surprised at the amount of two line high scores. I’d appreciate people saying why they liked it: "Colour is black, aroma is coffee, flavour is strong, I liked it." seems a bit shallow. It’s a strong stout for sure, and people like strong stouts, but this is really not one of the best strong stouts I’ve encountered - and considering how easy they are to make, and how home brewed strong stout can taste really nice even from kit, I’m perplexed at the scores (can’t say praise as nobody has really praised it) this beer is getting. The aroma is not exciting. It’s an indifferent slightly fish-tinged chocolate. The taste is strong, but not actually that pleasant - and I’m aware that people can get quite excited about intensity. There is a strong bitterness. It’s quite oily with a viscous and firm mouthfeel - and a firm mouthfeel is often rated highly. For me the beer is not good. Given that a strong stout is baby school easy to impress with, the brewers are revealing themselves as inept with this garbage. It smells unpleasant, tastes unpleasant, is boring and unadventurous, is too bitter, too oily, too fishy, and lacks character, This is simply a badly designed and brewed beer. Crap.

Bottle. Low but lasting creamy light brown head. Clear dark ruby body. Coffee choccolate aroma with a bit of hops bitterness in the background. Sttrong and lovely coffee flavor with choccolate. Very nice palate. Can almost feel the coffee beans. Strong but still smooth and nice without alcohol taste. Low carbonation and a very long aftertaste.

Bottled. Poured deep brown with a short cap of beige head. The aroma picked up dark chocolate, brown sugar, and lesser coffee with earthy and grassy hoppage around.. almost artificially sweet, but quite enjoyable. The flavor was also on the sweet side with chocolate and roasted barley at the core.. bitterness was light and earth-inspired.. a little warm, but alcohol was not overt. This was very average for the style, but quite servicable.

Just OK stout from this brewery which makes some great barrel aged stuff. The stout is quaffable, its not offensive, but there is no complexity,nor bold flavours.With so many good double stouts out there, why waste your bucks on this premium priced import. A bit above average mouthfeel and black colour with a moderate head.

Bottle (330ml). Shared with blankboy and tupalev, my bottle. Deep, near opaque ruby pour, smallish dimishing frothy tan head. Dry, acidic aroma, initially it seemed a tad vegetal, but it burned off to dark roast chocolate coffee malt, dry herbal hops. Taste - even drier and more sour, cocoa and coffee, milk chocolate linger. Smooth, silky on the palate, lightly acidic, creamy finsih. I like it!

Bottle at JoeMcPhee’s. Pours a black body with a tan head. Aroma is hoppy with some sweet malt and vanilla. Flavor is sweet chocolate and some hop character. a note of coffee and a little etoh. decent.

Bottle. Small light brown fizzy head that mostly diminished. Pitch black color. Spare lacework. Chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, dried fruit. Over the palate grapefruit, and bitter burned malt. Medium to full bodied with a light dry texture and a soft carbonation. Moderated to heavy bitter with a light sweet note. Heavy bitter and burning finish

Bottle at Århus Ølfestival 2008. Roasted, chocolate, dried dark fruits, raisins, prunes, light smoke, coffee. OK - but Imperial Stout ??