Tag Archives: Scotland

Beer Tasting

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A couple of weeks ago (yes, I have really postponed writing this), me and two friends gathered to drink some beer after work, and at the same time I could ‘get rid of’ / taste through some of my evergrowing beer stock to make place for more. We had nine beers on the agenda, with one of them being Lovecats, the homebrewed blonde ale, and many being beers I had tried before. The whole line-up from left to right was: Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale, Alesmith X, Port Brewing Shark Attack, Hopfenstopfer Jahrgangsbier, Lovecats, Green Glash Hop Head Red, Lindemanns Faro, William Bros Kelpie and Dark Star Espresso Stout.



 
We began by tasting Lovecats (left in picture below), Hopfenstopfer Jahrgangsbier (center in picture below) and Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale (right in picture below). Lovecats poured with the usual hazy orange color and quickly-collapsing white-colored head. The aroma was citrusy, grassy and also featured tones of tropical fruits, and compared to the other two beers in the lineup (and actually also compared to the hoppier beers tasted later during the evening), it became evident that Lovecats has a really strong hop aroma. The flavor began with a slight maltiness, which was joined by a grassy and citrusy hoppiness, that lingered on to a bitter and slightly tart finish. The beer had a light body and quite high carbonation. Overall, Lovecats is an okay pale ale, have brewed better though.

Hopfenstopfer Jahrgangsbier is  German Pilsener, apparently brewed with homegrown malts and hops. The beer poured with a crystal-clear golden-yellow color and a fluffy white head. The aroma was very mild, but featured sweet, malty, and perfume-like tones. The flavor was also quite sweet, with malty and bready tones dominating. There was almost no hoppiness nor bitterness present in the flavor. The beer had a light body and medium carbonation level. Overall, I didn’t really like this one. Very bland and boring.

Firestone Walker’s Double Barrel Ale is an English-style Pale Ale, fermented in oak barrels. The beer poured with a clear copper color and a fluffy off-white head. Nice looking beer. The aroma contained some herbal and earthy hops, combined with tones of oak, caramel and the slightest fruitiness. The flavor was similar to the aroma, with a caramelly and bready maltiness dominating together with a oaky woodiness and a herbal hoppiness. The finish was dry and quite astringent. The body was smooth and medium-full, and the beer had a medium carbonation level. Overall, a strange beer, but the oakiness went together quite well with the caramel and hops.



 
After this we moved on to the darker and (the only) sour beer: William Bros Kelpie (left in the picture below), Lindemanns Faro (center in the picture below) and Dark Star Espresso Stout (right in the picture below). Kelpie, which I have had a small taste sample of before, is a dark traditional ale that has been brewed with fresh seaweed in the mash tun. The beer poured clear and dark brown, almost black, with a quite long-lasting cream-colored head. The aroma was dominated by toasted and roasted malts, with slight coffee tones. There is also a minimal fruitiness present in the aroma. The flavor is also dominated by the toasted and roasted malts, and these are joined by a herbal hoppiness, and a minerally and dry finish. The beer has a quite light body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, I was not really fond of this beer, as the flavors were a bit strange and the beer felt a little light. I couldn’t really detect any seaweed, but there was a saltiness present.

Next up was Lindemans Faro, a beer in a style that was new to me. Faro Lambics are lambic (i.e. spontaneously fermented sour beers) blends which have been sweetened with (usually brown) sugar. Bottled versions are usually pasteurized, to prevent bottle-fermentation of the added sugar. The beer poured slightly hazy, with an amber color, and almost no head. The aroma was sweet and sour, with a combination of candy, sugar, a cherry-like tartness, and some funkiness. The flavor featured sweet caramel blended with a citrusy and cherry-like tartness and acidity. The flavor reminded me of some kind of sweet and sour candies I’ve eaten as a kid. The finish was slightly dry, while the body was a light and the beer had a medium-high carbonation level. Overall, a very strange beer, that I found surprisingly enjoyable I must admit. I’m not a fan of sour beer at all, but this was surprisingly drinkable (probably thanks to the sweetness).

Dark Star’s Espresso Stout is also a beer I’ve had before, and it is a stout brewed with ground arabica coffee. The beer pours pitch-black, portraying slight red tones when held up against the light, and a tan-colored head is formed, that leaves lacing as it collapses. The aroma is dominated by coffee, but there are some roasted malt and caramel tones present as well. You can definitely tell coffee has been used when brewing this. The flavor featured tones of roasted malt, coffee, ash, and some chocolate. The finish is quite dry and astringent, and I’m left wishing for some more body to back up the roastiness. The beer has a light body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, a very coffee-dominated beer that is a little light on the body. Would really benefit from some more alcohol and rest sugars.



 
We finished off the evening with the hoppy beers, tasting through Green Flash Hop Head Red (left in the picture below), Alesmith X (center in the picture below) and Port Brewing Shark Attack (right in the picture below). I had tried two of the beers before, but Alesmith’s X was new to me. Green Flash Hop Head Red poured with a clear dark amber-copper color and a cream-colored head, that collapsed leaving drapes of lacing along the glass. The aroma has lots of hoppiness featuring floral, citrusy, fruity, and pineapple-like tones. There are also some tones of dark fruits and candy-like sweetness present. The flavor features tones of caramel, toasted malt, and a resiny and grapefruit-like hoppiness, that ends in a semi-dry and moderately bitter finish. The beer has a medium-full body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, a nice beer, featuring some nice hoppiness (especially the aroma) and balance.

The next beer was Alesmith X, which is an American Pale Ale by the infamous San Diego-based brewers. The beer poured with a clear golden-yellow color and a white head, that collapsed leaving some slight lacing along the glass. The aroma was hoppy, featuring floral, citrusy, and grassy tones. The aroma also featured some mild caramel tones. The flavor featured a light maltiness coupled with a citrusy hoppiness, that finished in a dry and bitter finish. The beer had a medium-light body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, a better-than-average pale ale, but nothing very special. The hop tones were nice, but felt like the beer was lacking something.

The final beer of the evening was Port Brewing’s Shark Attack, previously tasted here. The beer had a very similar appearance to Hop Head Red, with a dark amber color and a cream-colored head. The aroma featured tones of dark fruits, raisins, red fruits, floral and citrusy hoppiness, and slight alcohol. I definitely remembered this being a lot hoppier and the last bottle I had was even much older (this one was only 3 months old). The flavor featured tones of caramel, dark fruits, malts, and a grapefruit-like hoppiness. The flavor finishes semi-dry and quite bitter. The beer featured a medium-full body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, a nice imperial red, but this was a lot maltier and less hoppy than I remembered. Still very enjoyable and a nice end to the evening.



 
All in all it was a good evening, with some really nice beers. The last three beers were among my favorites of the night, and something really surprising was that Lovecats had the most hoppy aroma of the lot.

Brewdog Abstrakt AB:06

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  • 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

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  • 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.”]

Brewdog Blitz!

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  • 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

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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)

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  • 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).”]

    Victory Storm King mini-review (featuring William Bros Kelpie)

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    Had a Victory Storm King Imperial Stout last weekend, and here follows a mini-review. The beer poured pitch-black, with a fluffy tan head, that collapsed leaving some nice lacing along the glass. The aroma was roasty and hoppy, featuring tones of roasted malt, coffee, caramel, resin and citrus. The flavour was similar with lots of roasted malt, coffee and chocolate tones, together with some caramel and resiny and citrusy hop flavours. The beer features alot of bitterness, but it is well balanced with the roastiness and alcohol. Thought this was very tasty. The beer has a medium-full body and a surprisingly high (moderate) carbonation level (for the style). Mouthfeel was good, but not perfect, as I felt it could have been better with slightly lower carbonation. Overall, this Imperial Stout, packed with lots of hoppiness and bitterness to complement the dark and roasted tones, was very tasty and will definitely drink again.

    My friend Artem had a bottle of William Bros Kelpie Seaweed Ale, which, as the name implies, was brewed with fresh seaweed. I only had a tiny sip, and couldn’t really taste any seaweed, but otherwise the ale was dark and malty.

    Brewdog Hardcore IPA

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  • 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

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

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