Tag Archives: Brewdog

Beer Tasting Evening

I organized another beer tasting event together with a couple of friends (Kimmo, Marcus L. and Marcus N.) yesterday, and this time we tasted through a total of 21 different beers (we had 24 beers total, but didn’t taste through them all). Out of the 21 beers, 8 were homebrews (one of my own, two from Marcus L., and five that our Swedish friend Ingo had sent us; Thanks for them!). Most of the beers were fantastic and we had a great time. We also had some tasty homemade hamburgers and potato wedges to fill out stomachs between the beers (thanks Marcus L. and Marcus N. for making them!). Here is a picture of the whole line-up:

The line-up included:
Back row, left to right: Cigar City Jai Alai, St. Feuillien Saison, Black Isle Goldeneye Pale Ale (not tasted), La Trappe Witte (not tasted), Southern Tier Iniquity, Green Flash Imperial IPA, Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout, Southern Tier Backburner, Norrebro Pacific Summer Ale, De Molen Hemel & Aarde, Brewdog IPA is Dead – Galaxy, Brewdog IPA is Dead – Challenger, Brewdog IPA is Dead – Motueka, Brewdog IPA is Dead – HBC, Brewdog Hardcore IPA (not tasted), Brewdog DogA.

Front row, left to right: “1 AM” – British Yeast, “1 AM” – American Yeast, Citra IPA (mine), Slinka V IPA, PMX II – Sällskapsporter, PraktPretto II – Ale, Slinka V IPA (again), Zum Zum, Grabthar’s Hammer – Imperial India Pale Ale.

We began the evening by trying out Brewdog’s IPA is Dead series:

The beers poured with a similar golden-amber color and a slight white head that left some lacing. The Galaxy version was slightly hazier than the rest of the bunch. The Challenger version featured an earthy, grassy and slightly citrusy aroma, that pulled my mind towards ‘English’-style ales directly. The flavor was the least hoppy of the bunch, and you could get tones of caramel, toasted malt and red berries, along with the earthy and herby hoppiness. The Galaxy version had an aroma featuring tones of mango, passion fruit and grapefruit. The flavor was similar, featuring strong tones of grapefruit, citrus, resin and some tropical fruits. The bitterness of the Galaxy version felt the harshest and most present. The HBC version also featured tones of tropical fruits (mango) in the aroma, but had more of a grassy feel. The flavor felt the sweetest of the four beers, and featured tones of citrus, currants and some grassiness. The Motueka version featured tones of dill and lemon in the aroma, and it reminded me a bit of the tones you get from the Sorachi Ace hop. The flavor contained some tones of tropical fruits alongside the lemon which was present in the aroma already. The beers all had a medium body and a medium-low carbonation level. My favorite of the bunch was the Galaxy version.

Next up was a foursome of homebrews (My Citra IPA, and Ingo’s Slinka V IPA, Zum Zum and PraktPretto II):

Again the beers had a similar appearance, all being slightly hazy, having colors in the golden-amber range and having white to off-white heads. The Citra IPA featured tones of passion fruits, lychee, mango and some alcohol in the aroma. The flavor began slightly sweet, with honey-like tones, which are joined by hop tones of tropical fruits. The finish is quite smooth and with some bitterness. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. Slinka V IPA featured tones of caramel and ‘fruity bubblegum’ in the aroma. The flavor was quite different, moving towards resiny and earthy hop flavors, and a bitter finish. The beer had a medium body and low carbonation level. Zum Zum was a little strange, as according to the label it should have been a beer with a low IBU but loads of hops (I was expecting a beer in the style of an American Pale Ale), but it felt more like a Hefeweizen. Both the aroma and flavor was dominated by spicy phenols, some banana and yeastiness, which are typical of the Hefeweizen-style. The beer had a light body and a medium carbonation level. I wonder if this was infected? PraktPretto II (an English Ale, hopped with EK Goldings, 5.9%, 30 IBU, 1.055->1.010) featured earthy and grassy tones in the aroma, and it felt very true to the style. There was some cherry in the aroma as well. The began with a sweet maltiness, that was joined by some earthiness. The flavors were well balanced. The beer had a medium-light body and a medium carbonation level. This was my favorite of these three Ingo beers.

After this it was time to try two of Alko’s summer beers, St. Feuillien Saison and Norrebro Pacific Summer Ale, and Marcus L.’s two homebrews (the same Amber Ale base, but fermented with S-04 and US-05):

The saison poured golden-yellow with a fluffy white head. The aroma was mostly spicy (Belgian yeast tones), with some slight citrus. The flavor was quite light, with the same spicyness from the aroma and a dry finish. The body was light and carbonation level was medium-high. Refreshing summer beer. The Norrebro Pacific Summer Ale poured golden-amber, with a minimal white head. The aroma contained tones of caramelly malt, honey, and a slight fruity hoppiness. The flavor was similarly malt-dominated, with bready and caramelly flavors dominating, with a slight grassy hoppiness in the background. The finish was quite dry with not much bitterness. The body was medium-light with a medium carbonation level. The “1 AM” ales were amber colored, with slight off-white heads and a oily texture. Both beers had a caramelly and malty aroma, with the British version having some red berries in the aroma as well, while the American version had some ‘dishcloth’ tones as well. Both beers were quite bland in flavor, featuring mostly maltiness and some sour undertones. Both beers had a light body and medium carbonation level. Both were probably passed their prime unfortunately.

After this we started to get hungry, so we cooked up some burgers and potato wedges. While cooking we enjoyed Cigar City’s Jai Alai IPA (unfortunately no picture or tasting notes, but see this post from when I tried it last), full-packed with citrusy hoppiness. After dinner we moved to the heavier beers, and poured up Ingo’s Grabthar’s Hammer (9%, 101 IBU, 1.086->1.018, Amarillo, Riwaka, Cascade, Chinook, and Summer hops), Green Flash Imperial IPA, Southern Tier Iniquity and Southern Tier Backburner:

Grabthar’s Hammer poured with a hazy amber color and a white head. The aroma featured tones of sweet tropical fruits, citrus and slight alcohol (the aroma was similar to his Slinka V IPA). The flavor began with a sweet maltiness, that is joined by tones of tropical fruits and citrus. The finish is quite sweet with a huge bitterness. There are slight solvent tones present as well. The beer has a medium body and medium-low carbonation level. Green Flash Imperial IPA poured with a golden color and a really fluffy and large white head, that collapsed leaving tons of lacing. The aroma featured a sweet citrusy and herby tone, that felt really familiar, but that none of us could pinpoint. Maybe it was tangerine, which Summit hops are known for. The flavor was dominated by hoppy tones of resin and lemon, and the finish was quite sweet and bitter. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. Southern Tier Iniquity (Black IPA) poured very dark brown (almost black), with a off-white head. The aroma contained tones of roasted malt, spices and a slight hoppiness. The flavor began with some roasted tones and caramel, and it was joined by some resiny hop tones and a bitter finish. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. Southern Tier Backburner (Barleywine) poured with a dark amber color, and a slight off-white head was formed. The aroma was nutty, malty and caramelly, and the flavor was similar. The flavor was dominated by very sweet caramelly tones, together with a nutty maltiness and a slightly bitter finish. The beer had a full body and a medium-low carbonation level.

The final beers of the evening were the Imperial Stouts and Porter. Brewdog’s Dog A, De Molen Hemel & Aarde, Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout and Ingo’s PMX II Sällskapsporter (6.8%, 30 IBU, Magnum, EK Goldings, 1.062->1.010). Fortunately I had read warning notes on the internet about opening the Hemel & Aarde, as when we opened it in the kitchen sink, 75% of the contents came out in a beer fountain.

Dog A poured pitch black with a minimal tan head. The aroma featured tones of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and some fruitiness from the chili. The flavor was intensive, featuring roasted malt, coffee, caramel, chocolate and some warming chili tones. The beer had a full body and a surprising amount of carbonation (medium level). It was very drinkable already, but I think it will improve with some aging. Hemel & Aarde was a bit hard to comment on, because of the small amount of beer that remained for tasting. It was also pitch black and no head was formed during pour. The aroma was full of smokey whisky tones and some roastiness. The flavor was similar. The beer had a full body and low carbonation level. Shame about the gusher, since it would have been nice to try more of this beer. The Big Bear Black Stout poured pitch black with a cream-colored head. The aroma was quite light compared to the previous two beers, and it featured tones of roasted malt and coffee. The flavor was also surprisingly light, with roasted tones of coffee and chocolate. A slight tartness was present as well. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. The Sällskapsporter also tried to come out of the bottle when opening, so it poured with a black color and a massive cream-colored head that collapsed quite quickly. The aroma was quite light, with some roasted malt and coffee, together with a slight sourness. The flavor was mostly roasted malts, with a very dry finish and slight bitterness. The body was medium-light with a medium-high carbonation level. I wonder if this was infected as well?

Overall I’m very happy with the evening, as there were some fantastic beers. Personal favorites were Brewdog IPA is Dead Galaxy, Cigar City’s Jai Alai, Green Flash Imperial IPA and Brewdog Dog A.

Brewdog Abstrakt AB:06

  • Brewery: Brewdog
  • Country: Scotland
  • Style: American Black Ale / Black IPA / Cascadian Dark Ale
  • ABV: 11.2 %
  • Size: 375 ml
  • Bought from: Arkadia Alko, 18.32 euro
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I recently had Brewdog’s Abstrakt AB:08, a beer from their one-off series of concept beers (known as Abstrakt), and today I will be trying the sixth beer in the series. AB:06 is a triple-dry hopped imperial black ipa (their words), which has been brewed with maris otter and various dark malts (including dehusked black malt). There is no information available on the hop varieties used, but the IBUs should be around 120. Haven’t tried many Black IPAs/Ales earlier, but it seems like most craft breweries are making one nowadays. I like the idea of a huge amount of hoppiness coupled to some dark and roasty malt tones. Let’s see how it tastes!

[easyreview title=”Brewdog Abstrakt AB:06″ cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a clear dark brown color, and a minimal cream-colored head is formed. The surface is oily and is full of foam islands.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma features tones of caramel, roasted malts, dark fruits, pine and citrus. There is some alcohol detectable.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins quite sweet and malty, and there are tones of brown sugar and molasses together with roasted malt. This is joined by a slightly spicy and citrusy hoppiness. The flavor finishes quite dry and with an earthy bitter tone, that clings to the back of the tongue. There is a lot of bitterness in the beer, but it is subdued quite well by the sweet tones. There is surprisingly little hoppiness in this, but it is a year old though.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a quite full and oily body with a low carbonation level. Quite easy to drink, and alcohol well hidden, but the bitterness is definitely present.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”Overall a nice beer, and I liked the AB:06 better than AB:08. This Imperial Black IPA, had turned more into a Imperial Stout light on roastiness, and I was missing some resinous hop aroma and flavor, that probably was present when the beer was fresh. An interesting beer, but not worth the high price.”]

Brewdog Abstrakt AB:08

  • Brewery: Brewdog
  • Country: Scotland
  • Style: American Strong Ale
  • ABV: 11.8 %
  • Size: 375 ml
  • Bought from: Brewdog Shop, 9.99 pounds
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Brewdog brew a series of one-off concept beers, known as Abstrakt, with a new beer released every 3 months. AB:09 was just recently released and today we will be trying AB:08, which was released in December 2011 (so about half a year ago). AB:08 is a blonde imperial stout, which has been brewed with Oats, liquorice, heavily toasted oak chips, cacao, coffee and smoked malt, to give it the taste of an imperial stout, without the color. Seems like an interesting experiment. Let’s see how it tastes.

[easyreview title=”Brewdog Abstrakt AB:08″ cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a clear golden-amber color and a slight white-colored head, that collapses quickly. Looks like a pale ale.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is interesting and reminds me a bit of an imperial stout. There are tones of coffee, smoked malts, caramel, alcohol and hops. Seems to be missing the roastiness of a stout.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins sweet and caramelly, but is quickly taken over by some earthy tones of liqourice, oak and smoke, that last all the way to the bitter aftertaste that stays on the tongue. Very strange flavors, that certainly try to mimic an imperial stout, but are missing the balance to make this beer enjoyable.” cat3rating=”2.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a relatively full and oily body, with a quite low carbonation level. The bitterness is quite unpleasant, and there is some alcohol present as well. Maybe needs some age.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”This was a fun experiment, but not that fun of a beer. The aroma was promising, but the flavors didn’t go well together, and the beer felt a bit unpleasant to drink. This might have needed some aging. This is the first Abstrakt beer I’ve tried, and am definitely disappointed. I have a bottle of AB:06 waiting in the fridge, so hopefully that one is a bit tastier.”]

Beer Tasting Evening

Last Friday I arranged a small beer tasting event for some friends and we tasted through 7 of my homebrews and 11 other beers that I had hanging around in my beer storage. There were some fantastic beers during the evening and we had a good time. Here are some pictures and short notes on the beers:


The whole lineup (two of the homebrews were tasted from keg, so they are not in the picture).


First up was La Tourmente’s Blond, a belgian ale from France. The beer poured golden and had a slightly sweet and malty aroma, but it was surprisingly tasteless and bland. A good beer to start with though.


Next up was my homebrewed smoked vienna lager, which had lost a lot of its hoppiness, and now had more of a toasty and smokey edge. No off-flavors, and overall one of my favorite homebrews to date.


Then it was time for one of Alko’s 80th Anniversary beers. Prykmestar’s Hunajabock was a bit strange, I am wondering if it had started to go bad, as the aroma was a blend of honey, vinegar and mint, while the taste was sweet, malty and honey-like.


Then it was time for my homebrewed Tripel, which had aged nicely, with the spiciness and fruitiness blending together well, while the alcohol level was well hidden.

After this we tasted two homebrewed IPA/APAs straight from the keg (where they had been sitting for 6 days), and as expected with heavily dry hopped and recently kegged beer, they poured murky with a huge head. There was lots of fruity hoppiness in both beers, with the Citra leaning more towards the tropical fruits, and the Simcoe+Centennial towards grapefruits and other citrus. The beer felt a little young still, with the bitterness a little prominent still and some yeasty tones as well, but overall I find the beers very promising. Unfortunately there are no pictures of them.


Next it was time for the beer I was looking forward to the most during the evening, Cigar City’s Humidor Series IPA. There was a very prominent woodiness in both the aroma and taste, which blended together with fruity and resiny hops. The beer has been aged on Spanish Cedar, the same material used to make humidors, and one of my friends commented the beer smelled just like one. The flavors were quite well balanced, but felt the woodiness was maybe a bit too prominent.


Then it was time for a blended imperial ipa, as we tried Southern Tier’s Gemini (a 50-50 blend of their Unearthly and Hoppe). There was a lot of citrus and resin in both aroma and flavor, and this was backed up by a caramelly and quite sweet malt backbone. The bitterness was quite smooth, and felt the beer was well balanced. Really liked this one.


Next it was time to try Mikkeller’s and Three Floyd’s collaboration barleywine, Boogoop, which has been brewed with buckwheat. Haven’t tried any of the other beers in the series (Oatgoop, Hvedegoop or Ruggoop), but this was definitely leaning towards the imperial ipa category, as it was very hoppy and bitter, but backed up well by a malty and caramelly backbone.


Then it was time to try Stone’s Double Bastard (which was one of the few commercial beers of the night I had tasted before) and it also featured lots of hoppy tones, coupled with tones of caramel, red berries and even some raisins. There was some alcohol present as well.

After this we tried Brewdog’s and Three Floyd’s collaboration barleywine Bitch Please Islay, which has been brewed with peat-smoked malts and aged on Islay whisky casks. Tons of smokiness in the aroma and flavor, and it felt almost like sipping on a whisky. There was some sweet maltiness present as well, but overall a beer I wasn’t very fond of.


Then we tried three of my homebrewed imperial stouts, the breakfast stout to the left, black panther in the middle, and oak-aged black panther to the right. The breakfast stout had strong tones of coffee and dark chocolate with blended nicely together with the roasted malt tones. The black panther featured tones of roasted malt together with an earthy hoppiness, while the oak-aged version added in some vanilla tones. All of them had aged well.


Next it was time for the only Trappist beer of the evening, Rochefort 10, which featured tones of dark fruits, raisins, caramel and malt. Very smooth, and definitely different compared to the imperial stouts we just tried.


Then we tried a coffee-spiked imperial stout from Southern Tier. Jah-va, compared to the homebrewed breakfast stout, was smoother and more well balanced, with the coffee flavors merging perfectly with the roasted tones. Very easy to drink and tasty.


After this we tried one of Mikkeller’s breakfast stouts, Beer Geek Brunch Weasel, which has been brewed with Kopi Luwak coffee. Compared to Jah-va, the flavors were stronger and more complex, with lots of roastiness and bitterness blending with coffee and chocolate tones.


The last beer of the evening was Brewdog’s Tokyo*. The beer was completely pitch-black and the flavor featured tones of roasted malts, coffee, red berries and sweet caramel. The alcohol was surprisingly well hidden for being a 18.2% beer. Nice way to end the evening.

Thanks to everyone who made it!

Brewdog Blitz!

  • Brewery: Brewdog
  • Country: Scotland
  • Style: Amber Ale (?)
  • ABV: 2.8 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Brewdog Shop, ~2.4 euro
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Brewdog released a set of four prototype beers (Blitz, Hops Kill Nazis, Prototype 17 and Scotch Ale) on their online shop in the end of last year, and allowed blog visitors to vote for their favorite (with the winner apparently becoming a part of the original line-up). I ordered two sets of the prototypes, and having tasted them all now, I like the Scotch Ale the most, followed by Hops Kill Nazis and Blitz. Blitz, which I will be drinking today, is a ‘low alcohol’ (2.8% ABV) hop-bomb, brewed only with caramalts, to give a perceived greater body and some balance to the bitterness. The problem with most low alcohol beers, is that they usually feel thin and watery, and are difficult to balance, since they are made with a less amount of malts. Brewdog tries to counter this by using only caramel malts, which are not as fermentable as base malts, such as pilsner or maris otter malts, and hence they should leave some residual sweetness and body. I have no more information on the ingredients or other vital beer stats, so let’s just have a sip and see how they have succeeded.

[easyreview title=”Brewdog Blitz!” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours clear and with a deep amber/bronze color. A compact cream-colored head is formed during pour, but it quickly collapses, leaving the slightest bit of lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is hoppy, with resinous and grassy tones, together with some caramelly maltiness.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with just a slightest maltiness, that is joined by a slightly grassy hop flavor. There is somekind of metallic off-flavor present as well, that after a while becomes irritating. The aftertaste is dry, with a slight bitterness. At least the bitterness isn’t overdone, as I often find is the case with hoppy low alcohol beer. But on the other hand, the flavors are overall quite light in this one, and was hoping for more based on the aroma.” cat3rating=”2.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The body is thin, the carbonation level is moderate and the beer quite dry, making it easy to drink, but feeling very watery. But still a better mouthfeel than other low-alcohol beers.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”Everything seemed promising up until tasting the beer, and unfortunately the beer was very lacking in flavors and also had a weird metallic off-flavor present. As could be expected, the body was thin, but this style is difficult to tackle, and it was a good attempt. I like the idea of a tasty low-alcohol beer, but unfortunately this one didn’t quite deliver. Hopefully Brewdog doesn’t stop experimenting though!”]

Christmas Beers: Brewdog There Is No Santa & Nøgne Ø Underlig Jul

Since I haven’t reviewed a single ‘Christmas’ beer yet this year (even though I have a couple of them in my beer cabinet) and tomorrow is Christmas Eve, what better time than to try two spiced beers by Brewdog and Nøgne Ø. I’m not usually a big fan of beers that are spiced to taste as something else, e.g. gingerbread or glögg, but hopefully these will be drinkable, and at least go along with the gingerbread and ‘christmas pastries’ we baked today. Merry Christmas to all you readers!

 
 

  • Brewery: Brewdog
  • Country: Scotland
  • Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer
  • ABV: 4.7 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 4.20 euro
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Brewdog’s Christmas beer, There Is No Santa, is a stout seasoned with cocoa nibs and ginger stems. Since it’s only 4.7% ABV, it is available in shops other than Alko as well. I found no information on any malts or hops used, but I assume the spices are the central flavor element of this beer. Let’s see how it tastes!

[easyreview title=”Brewdog There Is No Santa” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a dark brown, almost black, color, and if held against the light, one can notice some red tones in the color. A fluffy cream-colored head is formed during pour, but it collapses really quickly, leaving minimal lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The spices dominate the aroma, and especially the ginger is prominent, which together with some tones of cinnamon, give this an aroma similar to that of gingerbread. There are also some tones of roasted malt and chocolate hidden behind the spices.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor is very similar to the aroma, and it is dominated by tones of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. This is joined by some roasty tones from roasted malt, cocoa and dark chocolate. There is a slight sweetness in the flavor as well, making the flavor, like the aroma, very reminiscent of gingerbread. The flavor ends with a lightly dry and bitter finish. A bit too much spices for my taste, but I guess it suits the occasion.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has quite a light body with a medium carbonation level. It was quite easy to drink, but felt it was a little too watery, and could have used a bit more body to it.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”This is definitely a Christmas beer, as it tastes very much like the gingerbread we just baked. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a big fan of spiced beers, but still felt this was drinkable and suited the occasion. Could have used a bit more body, a little less spices, and some more flavor from the malts. Might buy again next year.”]
 
 
 
 

  • Brewery: Nøgne Ø
  • Country: Norway
  • Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer
  • ABV: 6.5 %
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: Alko, 6.33 euro
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The second beer of the evening is Nøgne Ø’s Underlig Jul. This is a beer inspired by glögg, mulled wine, and has been spiced with 5 different spices: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, coriander and cloves. Other than the spices, the beer has been brewed with Maris Otter, Munich, caramel, and chocolate malts, and hopped with Columbus and Cascade hops to an IBU of 30. The beer was fermented with an English ale yeast. Nøgne Ø also brew another Christmas beer, called God Jul, which is more of an American Strong Ale, and not spiced at all. Seems more to my taste, but is unfortunately not available in Finland. Let’s see how Christmasy this one is!

[easyreview title=”Nøgne Ø Underlig Jul” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer also pours with a dark brown color, though slightly lighter than There Is No Santa. A huge cream-colored head is formed during pour, and while it collapses (which takes a while) curtains of lacing are left along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”Spices also dominate the aroma of this beer, and similar tones of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, typical of gingerbread and glögg, can be detected in the aroma of this beer. Behind the spices, tones of floral hops, as well as a slight maltiness and roastiness, can be detected.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor is also very spicy, but I think it has a slightly different focus compared to There Is No Santa (it’s more ‘harsh’). There are strong hints of cinnamon, ginger and even some licorice-like tones, and these are joined by roasted (almost ashy) tones from the roasted malts. The flavor ends with a slightly bitter finish. Again, not really my cup of tea.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium-full body and a medium carbonation level, making easy to drink. The spices were a bit too harsh, and felt it decreased the mouthfeel a bit.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”Of these two beers, I liked Underlig Jul slightly more, due to it having a bit more body, and a bit more complexity in the spiciness. On the other hand, it was a little harsher on the tongue. I really like when brewers are experimenting with beer and exotic ingredients, but overall I’m not really into Christmas-spiced beers. Again, it fits the occasion, but would probably not drink again, especially due to the quite high price.”]

Brewdog Hops Kill ? (Nazis)


 

  • Brewery: Brewdog
  • Country: Scotland
  • Style: Imperial Amber Ale (could be classified as an American Strong Ale or even an Imperial IPA)
  • ABV: 7.8%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Brewdog Shop, ~3€
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    After a tough week of studying and exams, it was time to have a rewarding beer. Another bottle from my recent Brewdog order, this beer was advertised as 5AM Saint’s bigger brother, and shareholders (see Equity For Punks) were allowed to pre-order it from Brewdog’s online shop. Unfortunately for anyone else wanting to try it, it sold out extremely quickly (even before non-shareholders had a chance to buy it). The beer is described as an Imperial Red Ale, and it has been kettle hopped with Centennial and Chinook to an IBU of 80, and dry hopped with Chinook. This should be interesting, as I usually like maltier hop-centered ales.

    [easyreview title=”Brewdog Hops Kill ?” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a dark amber-mahogany color, is just slightly hazy, and forms a slight cream colored head, that quickly collapses leaving some lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is a battle between the sweet caramelly and toffee-like tones from the malt and the citrusy, piney and floral tones from the hops. I think the aroma is lovely, so that promises good. There is also a slight hint of alcohol as the beer warms up.” cat2rating=”4.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with some malty tones, featuring caramel, toffee and even a slight roastiness. These are joined by tones of resin, pine and grapefruit, contributed by the C hops. The flavor ends dry, with a huge bite of bitterness. I felt the flavors competed/clashed a bit too much, and didn’t fit together as good as in say Port Brewing’s Shark Attack. Tasty, but in no way perfect. The combination of the dryness and bitterness in the finish bothered me as well a bit.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a smooth and medium-full body, and a moderate carbonation level. Felt it was quite drinkable, but the dryness and the flavor clashes draw some points from the score.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”An interesting beer, that definitely is a bigger and meaner brother to Brewdog’s 5AM Saint (which I just noticed I haven’t reviewed yet even though I’ve had it several times already). The beer featured some great tones from both malt and hops, but I felt they didn’t fit together so well. I have another bottle of this in the fridge, and will let it age a bit, to see if the flavor changes (this one had only been in the bottle for 1.5 months).”]

    Brewdog Hardcore IPA

  • Brewery: Brewdog
  • Country: Scotland
  • Style: Imperial India Pale Ale
  • ABV: 9.2%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Germany, 2.89€
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  •  

    Brewdog’s Hardcore IPA has also (as their Punk IPA) recently had its recipe updated. The new version has an ABV of 9.2%, and is hopped with Centennial, Columbus, and Simcoe to give a massive IBU of 150. The malts used in the mash are Maris Otter, Crystal, and Caramalt. This should be an awesome beer for a hop lover like me!

    [easyreview title=”Brewdog Hardcore IPA” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has an amber (translucent) color, with an almost non-existing cream colored head, that leaves some traces of lacing along the glass. The texture seems slightly oily.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer’s aroma is full of resin, citrus, and spice, and you can tell from it that this beer is full-packed with hops. There is also some caramel present in the aroma.” cat2rating=”4.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The first flavours that hit the tongue are sweet, caramelly, and biscuity, but there are quickly overtaken by a hop explosion, lending tones of grapefruit, pineapple, pine, resin and spices, that leave a pleasant bitterness on the tongue. The beer is very well balanced, with an almost barleywine maltiness, balancing out the hoppiness, high bitterness, and alcohol level very well.” cat3rating=”4.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer is smooth and oily, with a medium-full body and moderate carbonation level. The drinkability is good, and the beer is well balanced.” cat4rating=”4″ cat5title=”Summary” cat5detail=”A fantastic beer, full of hop flavour and aroma, well balanced in a malty and bitter beer. The Hardcore IPA will be available in Alko next week, so you should all pay a visit and have a taste, I definitely recommend it. One of my absolute favorites!” cat5rating=”4.5″ overall=”false”]

    Brewdog Sorachi Ace – IPA is Dead

  • Brewery: Brewdog
  • Country: Scotland
  • Style: India Pale Ale
  • ABV: 7.5%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Germany, 10.99€ for 4-pack
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer
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    This is the last part of my four-part review of the Brewdog IPA is Dead series, which (surprise, surprise) consists of 4 different single hop India Pale Ales. They are all brewed with the same malt base, to the same ABV, and to 75 IBU. The last one up is Sorachi Ace, which is a hop variety originally from Japan. Nowadays alot of the Sorachi Ace is grown in the USA. Alpha Acid % is high, and usually around 13-16, and the hop is known for its very lemony aroma and flavour. Other hops used in the series are: Bramling X, Citra, And Nelson Sauvin.

     
    [easyreview title=”Brewdog Sorachi Ace” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beers in the series all have a similar appearance, that is a golden-amber color, slightly hazy, with a minimal white head, leaving some traces of lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”This one has a very interesting aroma, with hints of lemon, lemongrass, herbs, and even a bit of bubblegum. The hops dominate the aroma, with only a little sweetness coming through.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavour is initially sweet and caramelly, with lemon taking over the flavour quickly. Lemon, grapefruit, spices and ginger dominate the flavour. This hop definitely lives up to its reputation, as it almost tastes as if there is lemon juice in the beer. The aftertaste is bitter, but not as harsh as the Bramling X. Very interesting hop, but not really my cup of tea.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer is quite smooth, with a medium body and carbonation level, and just a slightly oily texture. The beer is easy to drink, and quite well balanced.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”A perfect end to a series of beers offering a lot of surprises. Even though they were brewed with the same malt base and to the same specs, the beers all had very different aroma and taste, which show how much the hops can do to a beer. The beers were all really interesting, but I liked some more than others. Nelson Sauvin and Citra were my favorites, with Bramling X also being good, and Sorachi Ace just a bit too strange for me. Single hop beers are a good way of showcasing different hop varieties, but they usually seem to lack a bit of complexity that makes a really good beer.”]

    Brewdog Nelson Sauvin – IPA is Dead

  • Brewery: Brewdog
  • Country: Scotland
  • Style: India Pale Ale
  • ABV: 7.5%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Germany, 10.99€ for 4-pack
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer
  •  

    This is the third part of my four-part review of the Brewdog IPA is Dead series, which (surprise, surprise) consists of 4 different single hop India Pale Ales. They are all brewed with the same malt base, to the same ABV, and to 75 IBU. Next up is Nelson Sauvin, which is a hop originating from New Zealand. Alpha Acid % is usually around 11-13, and the hop is known for its very fruity (grape-like) aroma and flavour. Other hops used in the series are: Bramling X, Citra, and Sorachi Ace.

     
    [easyreview title=”Brewdog Nelson Sauvin” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beers in the series all have a similar appearance, that is a golden-amber color, slightly hazy, with a minimal white head, leaving some traces of lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”This aroma is full of citrus (orange and mandarin), spices and grapes, with just a slight bit of malt in the background.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The taste beings with some sweet and caramelly tones from the malt, but moves on to hop flavours with tones of citrus, grapes (white wine like taste) and spices. The fruit flavour that are present are grape, mandarin and mango. As with the Citra version, the aftertaste is only slightly bitter, and more subtle than the Bramling X version. Very interesting hop flavours in this one.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer is quite smooth, with a medium body and carbonation level, and just a slightly oily texture. The beer is easy to drink, and quite well balanced.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”This one is my favorite thus far, and it offers hop flavours I’ve never tasted in a beer before. The very fruity and almost wine-like flavours fit well in with the rest of beer, and offer a well balanced whole. With only one beer left, I become more and more interested in what the Sorachi Ace can offer me. Known for its extreme lemon flavours, I am really eager to try the last of the series!”]