Rip Tide - BrewDog

capra12

New York

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed solo at Rattle n Hum.

Appearance: Deep opaque brown with no head.

Smell: Roasted coffee and fresh dirt

Taste: Opens with coffee sournotes as earthy and malt profiles come in through the middle. A woody profile continues into the finish with a booziness lurks in leaving a tangy/ coffee earthy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, warm in temperature with no carbonation.

Drinkability: I wouldnt have this again but I recommend this to those seeking an imperial stout with coffee bitter and sourness with earthy profiles that come in and out of the flavor spectrum in this brew.

Serving type: cask

12-21-2009 03:28:46 | More by capra12

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on cask at the Pub at Polaris (Columbus area). The pour is dark brown to the point of black, very little head. The beer smells most strongly of roasted malts, maybe some chocolate or maybe I'm just wishing it in. The taste is interesting, very much like a dry stout crossed with a RIS. Kind of neutral in most aspects but with an abundence of roasty notes, a little sweet in the aftertaste. Where this really shines is the body, but that's due to the cask of course. Goes down like water, giddy water.

Serving type: cask

11-13-2009 21:09:50 | More by TurdFurgison

Bierguy5

Ohio

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Inky black pour. A frothy mocha head sits for a few minutes, then trickles down to a thin layer. A few spots of lace.

Nose has some vinous character to it. Some bittersweet chocolate, booze and a hint of charcoal.

Bittersweet chocolate comes up to the front, but remains slight. Some darker fruit, along with a bit of booze.

Medium body, very lovely light carbonation. Alcohol is somewhat hidden. Very easy to drink. A nice treat on cask.

Serving type: cask

09-15-2009 23:30:24 | More by Bierguy5

brentk56

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Arrives with a coal black color and a creamy mocha head that drapes some nice lace

Smell: A real meaty aroma, with lots of char as well as some caramel and peat

Taste: Opens with a charred mocha flavor, with some dark fruit arriving by mid-palate; piney flavors arrive as well; after the swallow; the caramel and chocolate flavors clean up in the finish

Mouthfeel: Creamy, with a medium to full body and gentle carbonation

Drinkability: Almost a combination of a Wee Heavy and a Stout; quite interesting and enjoyable

(Note: I have had this in the bottle and the beer wasn't nearly as impressive; while the flavor profile was comparable, the body was too thin and the carbonation was lacking; I am not going to re-rate the beer but it would have been in the B range)

Serving type: cask

09-07-2009 23:09:32 | More by brentk56

Nickls

District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(From notes)

A - Poured with a very thin white head; deep, dense dark brown color

S - Peaty; roasted malts; bit of booze; bittersweetness

T - Bittersweet chocolate; light roastiness; some whisky notes; hint of vanilla and peat smoke

M - Medium to thicker MF; no carbonation really (cask); a little viscous and slick

D - Nice enough for a sipping brew and I though the cask did the brew justice, if not giving a better drinking experience.

Overall, though I haven't tried this in bottled form, I enjoyed it on cask pretty well actually.

Serving type: cask

09-01-2009 02:17:02 | More by Nickls

projectflam86

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Poured a deep black color with a thin caramel colored head that quickly dissipated. A tiny bit of lacing.

S- Lots of roasted malt and chocolate aromas. Bittersweet chocolate, caramel, coffee, and vanilla were the easiest scents to pick out.

T- Nice roasted flavor with smoky malts and roasted coffee flavor. A bit of bitterness from the cocoa with a ton of malt sweetness and vanilla to balance it out. Alcohol is hidden extremely well.

M- Medium bodied with low carbonation. A bit thin for a traditional imperial stout.

D- A nice bold flavor that needs just a few tweaks. A solid offering on cask.

Serving type: cask

08-02-2009 05:26:01 | More by projectflam86

bcdees47

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've enjoyed BrewDog's imperial stout from the bottle many a time, but had the opportunity to have it on tap at a beer festival in Edinburgh. The appearance is quite dark, and even looks thick in the glass. It's got quite a kick, you can definitely taste the 8% ABV as well as the roasted malt notes one would expect from a stout. Something in the taste almost reminded me of tobacco, like smoking a nice cigar. Overall, a drinkable beer, though probably not a session beer.

Serving type: cask

05-10-2009 17:32:03 | More by bcdees47

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Pours brown, blatantly not black. Looks like a Belgian Dark Ale. Head is darker tan spittle.

S-Not very Stout-like. Dried, dark fruits. It has some chocolate and roast but not as much as I want.

T-Again, more of the dried, dark fruits. Lots of caramel and molasses. Slight roast and a nearly nonexistent chocolate flavor.

M-Not thick. Slight bubbles. A bit boozy.

O/D-Not really a Stout in my opinion. More of a big Beligan Dark Ale. I was not a big fan of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 23:31:17 | More by VelvetExtract

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.04/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Fullers snifter glass.

Pours a black colour, with a lively off-white head. Nice lacing.

Smells dark and rich, roasted malts and dark fruits.

Tastes of roasted and burnt malts, with rich and dark, almost sour fruit, and bitter coffee, with a large hit of booze bringing up the rear. Very warming. Nice thick mouthfeel.

Overall yet another pleasant surprise from Brewdog. Getting to like them now.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 17:48:29 | More by CwrwAmByth

Tone

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a black color. 1/3 inch head of a tan color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of alcohol, roasted malt, sweet malt, oak, and hops. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial Stout. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of roasted malt, sweet malt, strong alcohol, hops, and slight oak. Overall, good appearance, aroma, and body. The blend is dominated by the alcohol, almost overwhelmed.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 16:27:42 | More by Tone

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330 ml bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours black/deep brown in the glass, with a couple fingers of rich mocha head. This retains with a thin creamy foaminess, which leaves back foamy swathes of lacing that stick to the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of thick chocolate fudge in the nose, which segues into ripe citrus character while underlying roast notes darken things up a bit. The chocolate and citrus really stand out here the most though.

The taste is actually still fairly hoppy, with green citrus flavor that melds into sweeter notes of chocolate and caramel. This has bitterness to it throughout though, which lingers rather prominently in the finish along with some burnt char notes that stick to the tongue. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with a big mouth filling firm creaminess to the carbonation. Alcohol is present in the form of an underlying warm spiciness that seems a little too fusel feeling for only 8% alcohol.

Well this was certainly bold feeling on the palate, with hops, roast, and alcohol all leaving an impression. The problem is this just lacked overall focus, with this being overly sweet in the nose but then much more aggressive with the bitterness and char in the taste. I wish it could have found a nice middle ground. This was certainly drinkable but I expect more craftsmanship for the price point here.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 14:30:57 | More by Kegatron

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown in color, nearly black. Dark fruit notes along with a decent roastiness. A bit on the sweet side with some brown sugar and toffee. Not too much in the way of chocolate. Hints of licorice along with dark fruit, roast, and dark chocolate. Pretty straightforward imperial stout profile to this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 20:56:10 | More by womencantsail

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review from 1/2011 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours dark red amber. Minimal carbonation but the thin head lefts some lacing. Aroma of roasted and dark malts and dark fruits. Taste is similar. A mellow, unassertive flavor, but fairly complex; dark and roasted malt, sweet malt, chocolate, maybe a touch of wood. Somewhat dry finish. I like the multiple flavors in this stout even if it is a bit low key. Year old refrigerated bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 03:13:48 | More by LiquidAmber

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the BrewDog pub in Camden Town. Served in a Lost Abbey style tulip.

A: Black-appearing body that glows translucent brown when held up to light; one-finger head of fine off-white foam. Good retention, great lace. Lovely, albeit a bit light for an Imperial Stout.

S: Intense roastiness, with smoke, char, licorice, coffee, dark chocolate, and some almost cranberry-like dark fruit. Very robust, but not all that appealing: the aftertaste is pure ethanol.

T: Follows the nose - hugely roasty, very bitter, and ultimately boozy. It's enjoyable, but not too impressive.

M: Soft, moderately carbonated, and a little lighter-bodied than I'd expect. Ok.

O: Too roasty, too boozy, but since I expect nothing but just this kind of extremeness from BrewDog, I can't complain too much.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 14:07:53 | More by woosterbill

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bought this one in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in January 2012.

The beer is dark black with a timid foam head on top of it. The foam head is beige and disappear quite fast. The aroma is milk chocolate with some licorice and some metallic notes in the nose. Not bad, but not great also. Very aggressive in the mouth. Some coffee grains in there with chocolate. Not a bad beer, but was expected so much more.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 22:16:41 | More by ZorPrime

nickfl

Florida

3.28/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with a small head of light tan foam the dissipates very quickly and leaves no traces on the glass. The body is very dark brown with just a bit of light showing through and good clarity.

S - Dark, sugary aromas of brown sugar, molasses, and some smoky licorice.

T - Dark and bready malt with lots of burnt sugar character up front. Molasses and licorice in the middle with a building smoky character. Finishes with an oily, peat like smokiness, dark, burnt caramel, licorice, and lingering molasses.

M - Medium-thick body, moderately low carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - Very dark, sugary and odd. There is a smoky quality that almost reminds me of the Paradox series and it works nicely with the burnt sugar character. As one might expect from Brewdog, this is an atypical stout with a lack of roast character and lots of very dark sugar. The smoke and molasses provide a nice level of complexity but do become kind of cloying in the end. Not the most drinkable imperial stout and not the best of Brewdog.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 05:01:03 | More by nickfl

Ruds

United Kingdom (England)

3.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at BrewDog Camden into a tulip style glass

Not too much of a head, maybe a finger, dark brown to black in colour

roasted malt and toffee smells came across, but for a beer of 8% ABV I thought the general aroma was somewhat lacking?

taste wise roasted malts, toffee/coffee, a little chocolate and a slightly burnt roast flavour

served a little too cold to be able to appreciate this beer fully and the flavour/taste improved as the beer warmed up in my glass - again something to be said for Keg vs Cask!

mouthfeel - a little thin for a beer of this strength

overall - a decent offering and would love to try on cask, although not sure the chances of such an occurence are particularly high!

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 13:42:46 | More by Ruds

bark

Sweden

3.13/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The colour is black (>100 EBC). The low brown head slowly sinks down leaving no lacing.

The smell is roasted, somewhat tart and malty. A bit sharp, I think. Hints of raspberry jam. Milder than expected.

The taste starts of with a dry roasted flavour. Cask matured hints. Red berries, vanilla and Italian liquorice. In fact, the flavours are quite mild. The body is quiet light. The aftertaste brings a slowly growing bitterness that keeps in the background. Black wine gums, smooth sweetness and a long lasting dry fruity flavour in the finish.

The carbonation is quite strong, the bubbles are small. The liquid is quite light and a bit dry.

Clean, smooth and quite light for the strength.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 21:39:07 | More by bark

SawDog505

New Hampshire

2.93/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a 13 oz tulip, aggressive. Pours very dark, almost black, with a tiny half inch of light tan head, tiny amount of lace.. Smell is some chocolate, biscuit, fig, and coffee. Taste much more pungent, actually much better than the smell would lead on. Lots of dark chocolate, the other things I smelled also. Body is pretty thin for the style, lacking life, not dry, and overall easy drinking for the style. Nothing great here, will never notice the bottle again.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 19:46:19 | More by SawDog505

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle a friend brought me from Edinburgh.

A - Pours black with good carbonation coming up. Two fingers of creamy and rocky light brown head. Good chunks of lace and a half finger of retention.

S - Quite roasty, and a generous amount of chocolate. That bitter smelling Imperial Stout element is very present with tons of dark and roasty, charred malt. If you ever eaten the raw materials that constitute Imperial Stouts you know what I mean.

T - Chocolate comes out alot more in the taste. Roasty again with some licorice and very dark fruits perhaps. A typical Imperial Stout flavour.

M - Decent carbonation, medium to full body and some good bitterness.

O/D - A flavourful strong stout. Easy to drink and nice. Good for the style while not being something earth shattering.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 23:54:21 | More by tbeckett

armock

New York

2.7/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Bottle from Specs Smith St in Houston, TX

A - Poured a black color with no head or lace

S - Is of roasted malt with a good bit of coffee

T - Like the nose the flavor is dominated by coffee

M - This beer has a thin watery body with light carbonation to it

O - This was a very disappointing beer from pour to finish the flavor was even average at best to me its not worth the money or time spent with this one don't bother

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 17:37:45 | More by armock

fostachild

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

pours an extremely dark brown, tons of creamy tan head with good lacing.

smell has chocolate malts - coffee, roasted aromas.

taste is chocolatey, very slight smoke flavour, bit of coffee, malt. average carbonation and drinkability. overall something was off about this beer, was decent but didn't love it.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 04:22:57 | More by fostachild

grapetonix

Sweden

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Dark as crude oil, not an ounce of light passing through. Moderately high viscosity.

S: Pure tones of coffee, smoked sausage and walnut.

T: Heavily smoked Salami sausage and walnut, surprisingly little warmth and booziness considering 8% abv. Quite bitter compared to for instance a Guinness.

MF: Half-rough but still not offensive. Light to moderate carbonation clearly tickles the tongue.

O: Not the best stout I ever had but at 8%... Well, not bad, in fact very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 17:32:24 | More by grapetonix

Immortale25

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Cigar City pint glass. Label says best before 7/7/10. Uh-oh. Hopefully this beer ages well.

A- There wasn't much of a psst when I opened the bottle and the pour reflected that since there was only an 1/8 inch head at best that instantly dissipated to some big bubbles and now just a ring of foam around the top with a decent foam pattern on the surface. It's an almost completely opaque black color. Hopefully it's not oxidized...

S- Smells pretty good. Roasty, charred smell reminiscent of barbequed meat. Some coffee notes, maybe some cocoa.

T- Sweet and smooth with coffee and semisweet chocolate notes coming through a bit stronger. Can hardly notice the 8% ABV. Wow. I'm not usually a stout drinker but this is making me want multiple sips at a time. Roasty malts with a slight metallic aftertaste but isn't as apparent as in most high alcohol stouts which is a big plus.

M- Creamy, bordering on buttery mouthfeel with low carbonation that isn't a big deal because it's a stout. Good stouts are ones that can be enjoyed at warmer temperatures and this one definitely accomplishes that.

O- Very well done stout. Add Brew Dog to the list of breweries that just straight up does not make bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 00:49:34 | More by Immortale25

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brew Dog : Rip Tide

Pours black as night with little to no head or signs of carbonation. Aroma is full on alcohol, alittle malt, almost spirit-like. In the taste, roasted malts, sherry like alcohol and a touch of dark fruit. The alcohol is much more played down in the taste. There is a subtle hint of cocoa. This bottle is showing some age, at least 2007 vintage if not older. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation. Overall, must have been a beast fresh, even after all this time alcohol is still pretty dominant.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 19:03:00 | More by Stinkypuss