As I was carefully deciding which beer to review, I grabbed the closest bottle to where I was sitting. This method of problem solving is the equivalent to the way men shop in a mall. Find something, buy it, then leave.
The beer of choice today was the BrewDog Paradox Speyside.
Their Paradox line of beers are special single batches of Imperial Stout that are aged in Scotch Whisky barrels. These particular barrels come from The Speyside Distillery. Speyside is located in the Highland region and is known for lighter bodied and sweeter whiskies with strong flavors of honeyed and fruit notes.
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%
Score: 9 out of 10 (lost a point for the price). The score is biased, as I love this style of beer.
Cost: about 12$ per 11.2oz bottle
Overall- This is a special batch (ie. supposedly only brewed once) aged in Scotch Barrels From the Speyside malt whisky barrels. beer is a kiss between someone who just took down a few fingers of scotch and another who has a . this is as a car bomb should be, no shot necessary. Not light on the wallet, but for the occasional treat, this is one for the record.
Recommended Glassware: anything that will let you get the aroma. It has such a rich scent that you want to not waste a sniff.
I drank it out of a: Pint Glass (but wish that I had used something that would have captured the aroma better).
Appearance- Black as a moonless night. Think thin molasses.
Smell- Scotch breath, not scotch, but the breath of one who just drank some. There is a bit of peat in the nose of the beer, but it stays creamy and smooth.
Taste- I believe that every single taste bud in my mouth was pleased by this well balanced beauty. Sweet and earthy, with that tar and char of a nice scotch. It doesn’t keep much of the peat of scotch, but there is a musk to it that keeps telling my brain that I’m not drinking beer. The aftertaste is malty and roasted, yet keeps a fine sweetness on your mind and scotch on your breath. This beer masterfully blends the tart twang of scotch gained from it’s aging with the a delicate malty sweetness.
Mouthfeel- Ale smooth, it that the body of a barley wine that keeps a coating on your tongue for taste, but isn’t an overwhelming aftertaste.
If you get a chance to find one of these beers, take a shot. The BrewDog beers are not cheap, but they are worth the price. Yes, when you pay more than $10 for a small bottle of beer you are turning a corner away from the PBR, but you don’t have to lose yourself in beer snobbery. This is a great line of pricey beer to guess at, because they are interesting and tasty.
