BrewDog Riptide

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

22.4 oz bottle
At $11.99 I thought this was fairly pricey until a recent run had me picking up more bombers in the same price range. Nonetheless I won’t be buying it again despite being a solid imperial stout. I understand the need to charge more for something that has to cross an ocean. However after my final bottle of Paradox I think I am done with Brewdog for a while.

Aroma / Appearance - Ashy brown in complexion the head contrasts nicely with the dense inky black body. Peat, smoke, anise, vanilla, caramel, and warm smores blend into an invitation to explore this more.

Flavor / Palate - Creamy molasses starts the show followed by smoke and peanut butter. Dried oak chips trace their way over the back of the tongue along with chocolate flakes. The finish gives a pleasant touch yet could be more assertive. Overall this falls into the "nice but expensive" category along with beers like DFH Black and Blue and Southern Tier’s Cuvee series.

Pours like coffee in a cup that hadn’t been properly rinsed of it’s soapy suds. Very English and very short lived is the head froth and very little lacing. I smell molasses, chocolate, and coffee. Very light in body with watery carbonation. I have mixed feelings about this brew. On one hand it surely doesn’t compare to the usual kickass over the top specimens that I have come to crave. This one is more subdued (the title says ’’twisted merciless’’...over statement city) and refined. But on the other hand I can’t deny the overall complexities it offers. OK, so it has a bad head on it’s shoulders but the aromas is delightful and so is the flavor. Like I said, this is refined with flavors of roasted coffee bean, molasses, cake bread, cocoa, and a little English toffee. The finish lingers forever with a solid bittering component. I really could drink this all night. I would classify this as a Foreign Stout though.

Bottle. [thanks to the parents for bringing this home!]
Pours a deep, deep brown, almost non-seethrough. A smallish beige head on top, fizzing away rather quickly. Aroma has liquoirice, roasted malts and chocolate. Nice and oily mouthfeel. Flavour is a bit alcohol, some mild chocolate tones, roasted malts, dry cocoa. Rather simply perhaps, but very nice. Gets much better as it heats up.

A large dark brown pour with tan head and lace. Aroma is chocolate and toasted malt. Flavor is dominated by chocolate and burnt coffee. A full bodied well carbonated beer. Very nice

Bottle: Dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma of roast and espresso. Maybe a little cocoa. Flavor is a rich blend of espresso, dark fruits, roast, molasses, and a little smokey. A feeling of the abv before the bittersweet tail. Nice.

Bottle. Opaque and coffee colored around the edges with an off white head. Outwardly subdued (that’s got to be an oxymoron) hop and chocolate profile. Roasty and quite smoky, cinnamon. Not your typical IS aroma. Belgian cocoa, nicely balanced. Flavor is more typical - chocolatey, hops more apparent, chalky and tannic finish. Good smoke, bitter finish. Beefy palate, but thin at the end. Big finish. I like it. It’s a slightly different angle.

(Bottle) Pours dark with some red hints. Roasted aroma of cocoa, espresso and liquorice. Fruity undertones. Hints of dark bread and tar. Roasted and salty flavour with tones of dry cocoa, tar, asphalt and espresso. Roasted and dry aftertaste. Medium bitter. Medium bodied. Nice.

Bottled. Pitch pour with ruby edges, and filthy caramel suds receding to a slick. Charred malt aroma wafting with bitter choc, liquorice, smoke and brine. Brackish and yeasty like a Baltic Porter, but the flavour is bittersweet, chunkily smooth, biting with cocoa and lingering smoke, and leaning towards America. Delicious impy.