BrewDog Paradox Springbank (Batch 017) - BrewDog

johnnieoz

California

3.4/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Same best before date as noted previously, 3/31/11.

A: Smallish head on a dark, but not impenetrable, brew. A little light shines through on the edge, revealing maroon hues. There is a touch of lacing on the Burgundy glass.

S: Nice barrel-induced aromas: Scotch, vanilla, wood.

T: A tasty if subdued imperial stout, which is very dominated by the Springbank barrel it was aged in. There are some coffee and burnt malt flavors, but they are mild in comparison to other RISes. I am pairing this with dark Italian chocolate (Amedei from Tuscany) and this helps offset the extreme whiskey notes.

M: This feels thinner than expected. While the carbonation is low, this is fine for the style. The finish is dry.

D: The 10% abv is only vaguely noticeable, Paradox 17 works well as a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2009 05:31:01 | More by johnnieoz

nmann08

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%

04-14-2013 23:04:31 | More by nmann08

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%

10-29-2012 03:49:07 | More by Bouleboubier

bobv

Vermont

2.93/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Bottle given to me at a beer bar in Stowe. Last one they had. It was chilled so I let it warm.

A:
Almost black, poured hard and fast, head was gone in an instant!
Very light head that stayed on the edge of the Chimay glass for a little while.

S: Stout nose with Scotch that didn't stay for too long. Bananas, cat pee (yes!)

T: Slight Scotch and stout.

M: Very, very thin.

O: Damn, I was hoping for more than this, just like their Macallan, way too thin.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 04:31:14 | More by bobv

DrNo

Australia

3/5  rDev -19.6%

01-15-2012 10:17:03 | More by DrNo

BeerHunter76

Texas

4/5  rDev +7.2%

12-09-2011 21:32:02 | More by BeerHunter76

herman77

Minnesota

2.88/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Botled 5/12/09
A: Dark brown, almost black with a small light khaki head. Spotty lacing left behind.

S: Boozy, mainly whisky with a slight twang to it. A bit of roasted malt and honey like sweetness.

T: Much less scotch whisky on the palate, it is there and does add to the stout, but behind that is a pretty mediocre, at best, stout. Lots of coffee undertones, bittersweet bakers chocolate and a hint of dark fruits. Finishes a bit roasty with a bit of lingering alcohol.

M: Medium to lighter body. Very thin for the style. Moderate carbonation.

O: Pretty disappointed in this since I love Scotch and imperial stouts... It's got a really think mouthfeel, not the greatest nose and it's still pretty boozy and one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 03:06:12 | More by herman77

Rollzroyce21

California

4/5  rDev +7.2%

11-24-2011 16:27:19 | More by Rollzroyce21

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%

11-18-2011 22:17:20 | More by JAHMUR

fatmcb1

Texas

3.33/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle to a snifter.

Pours black with dark brown edges. Leaves a finger and a half of khaki head that fades quickly.

Strong scent of oaky bourbon. Chocolate and sweet malt, as well.

Much less bourbon than in the nose. There are deeper chocolate and sweet caramel flavors here.

It is a bit thin for the style with light carbonation.

This beer starts off with a good smell, but has a fairly one dimensional taste. I would make it a bit creamier and add some complexity to the taste. Perhaps vanilla?

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 02:05:08 | More by fatmcb1

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served from the bottle at room temp. Not sure why but thats what they told me when it was brought to me. Didn't bother me at all. I finished pouring the bottle into the snifter glass and looked it over. Black colored body, thin head retention not much lacing. The smell was boozy and roasted. The nose was full of barrel aged aromas and smoke. The flavor of the beer has a massive roasted taste and plenty of scotch in there left over from the barrels. The mouthfeel is full of heat, leaves an intense warmth down the chest as you drink it. Overall this beer was strong but if you take it in over a good amount of time, it's pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 04:33:24 | More by Knapp85

brotherloco

California

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer is about as complex as I expected. I'm a big fan of single malt scotch, so the mingling of flavors is quite intriguing.

First off, the nose is a lot more Wee-Heavy than I was expecting. The sweet malt dominates the front of the smell, and there is definitely a barrel aged presence, the end of the draw reveals the scotch whiskey and alcohol notes.

The flavor brings on oaky vanilla tinged malt, sweet at first and then transitions to a dry single malt finish with a lingering taste of the malt. A really fantastic blend of beer and whiskey, but without the intense strength of a single malt.

A real treat of a beer, I'm looking forward to trying the other Paradox variations.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 06:09:21 | More by brotherloco

Beerenauslese

California

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Body is a translucent dark brown/black. Poured to a half inch head produces lots of large round bubbles, which settle to a ring, with slight lacing.

Aromas of charred malt, chocolate, and Springbank single malt.

Taste is charred malt, dark chocolate, dark fruit, and Springbank whiskey. It is a bit sour and smokey (due to the Springbank).

Body is light and carbonation is low, giving this a flat mouthfeel.

This is a good tasting stout, and the Springbank barrel aging adds to the taste. It is a bit light in mouthfeel for a stout. One to have as a late night sipper.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 05:17:33 | More by Beerenauslese

donniecuffs

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Relatively recently at the Coppermine Pub's 2nd anniversary party (over a month ago), in North Arlington, NJ. Into a snifter, it poured a deep black with a thin brown head; very little retention or lacing, and expectedly no carbonation. Certainly very 'scotchy' in the nose; caramel and peat. For an American weaned on bourbon-barrel aged fare resulting in cherry/vanilla aromas, this was definitely a change of pace. The taste mirrored the nose, with no additional insight, save the fact that the alcohol content was VERY apparent, particularly in the finish. Thick, yet smooth due to the lack of carbonation. Very different yet good imperial stout, but I guess I've grown more accustomed and biased to bourbon barrel nuances.

Serving type: cask

12-23-2010 23:43:52 | More by donniecuffs

devinoconnor

New Jersey

2.6/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

In a one-sentence summary, The BrewDog Springbank is a scotch hidden in a beer.

It's color is dark and rich brown.

It smells like a stout with additional straight alcohol added and that's about how it tastes.

Only for the serious stout lover. . . I'll avoid.

Serving type: cask

11-08-2010 21:34:45 | More by devinoconnor

koopa

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this one on cask at the Copper Mine 2nd Anniversary Party yesterday.

Appearance: Pours black with minimal crown and no lace.

Smell: Band aids and iodine (aka scotch!) over dark malt.

Taste: Same as nose.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and uninspired.

Drinkability: One and done for me.

Serving type: cask

11-07-2010 19:43:58 | More by koopa

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.55/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 33cL bottle into a wine glass.

A: Oh-so-dark brown, with a fizzy tan head that sticks around the edges for ages.

S: Chocolate malts, vanilla/molasses overtones, and an alcoholic base. A small whiff of peat is probably just my wishful thinking.

T: Much lighter than expected. As recommended, I poured this at room temperature, but I'm not sure it did the beer any favours. The weakly carbonated body isn't very robust, nor is the flavour. Bitter chocolate dominates the taste until the end, when a glimmer of whisky shines through. Honestly, I expected more whisky character from six months in the barrel. I know and like Springbank, but I can only detect its presence right around the edges. Following a welcome warmth, the aftertaste is dry, pleasantly bitter, slightly smoky, and of medium duration.

M: Thin, but what is present is good.

D: Not the best effort, and not recommended at room temperature (next time I'll try around 50 degrees Fahrenheit). But still, an enjoyable experience. I think I will try other bottlings of the Paradox to see if I can find a batch more suited to my tastes. Springbank whisky is recommended, but its charm has not passed on to its namesake stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 17:32:47 | More by AgentMunky

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a one finger light tan head that fades quickly to a ring leaving a little lace. Black color, no highlights. Medium carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Molasses nose. Flavor is molasses, smokey, hints of alcohol. Best by Mar 31, 2011. Try once. Expensive at $11.99 for a 330ml bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 22:06:55 | More by jdhilt

Jesstyr

Virginia

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed this off the cask at Churchkey in DC, and its definitely a beer worth a shot, but doesnt live up to the use of one of my favorite scotches. Served in a snifter.

Pours a dark brown, perhaps a full black. Head is very thin, dark tan, and lingers throughout the drink. Nose is particularly peat smoky, really reminds me of a good scotch here. I get a good deal of barley and definitely the barrel.

Taste has a bit of smokiness, balanced with a subtle sweetness. Thick body, fully coats the mouth. A bit of chocolate in there too, really balances things out nicely. Hard to say this is really drinkable, perhaps as more of an after-dinner drink in smaller servings.

Serving type: cask

09-18-2010 01:27:15 | More by Jesstyr

charlieos

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I can't help but compare this to bourbon county stout. In any case, having recently had sprinbank scotch, I have a unique perspective.

It poured a light espresso head which vanished. This was after I opened it on a cabinet handle (the hotel hasn't figured out that people open bottles with bottle openers. I'm in London). It is british beer, so its probably not going to be super carbonated anyway.

As soon as i cracked it open on said cabinet handle, the room smelled like springbank.

Two things strike me. One, the mouthfeel. Very light, for a 10% RIS. Pleasant. If you're looking for a big drippy affair, this isn't it, but its a nice sipper all the same. I could drink this more readily than raison d'etre

Taste- you can taste the springbank, I think. There's a hit of peat in there, it's smokier than a bourbon stout. Like a smoky scotch, it isn't necessarily heavy. There's a hint of oatmeal in the underlying stout, too.

Overall, I like it. Will it replace BCS as my favorite? No. But its a more drinkable, different animal. I feel like its a lighter stout base.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 23:46:54 | More by charlieos

Tone

Missouri

4.4/5  rDev +18%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark black color. 1/6 inch head of an off-white color. Poor retention and poor lacing. Smells of alcohol, sweet malt, hint of acidity/sourness, slight oatmeal, and a hint of wood. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial Stout. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of alcohol, roasted malt, slight sweet malt, hint of hops, and a hint of earthy/woodiness. Overall, good aroma, feel, body, and blend.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 15:33:58 | More by Tone

Exiled

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(12oz Bottle)

Thanks to Mora2000 for sharing this bottle.

Pours dark brown almost black with little to no head. Smell is caramel malt, oak, vanilla, and peat smoke. Taste is caramel malt, smoke, and peaty scotch. Medium mouthfeel, low carbonation. Overall, its good but not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 22:36:11 | More by Exiled

drabmuh

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Beer is black, served in a snifter. When I hold it up to the light and look through the thinnest corner the beer appears clear and black. Its on cask and has no head or lacing. Carbonation is a mystery to me.

Aroma is bright and loud. Its pretty sweet smelling, like molasses. I can smell whiskey and some alcohol in there. It smells about what I expected but the volume has been turned up to 11 on this one. Yikes.

Beer is thick, coats my mouth, finishes dry and there's a roasty aftertaste. There is a lot going on with this beer but there is not a lot of connectivity to it. The second taste is dominated by sweetness and liquor flavors. The front of the palate is completely sugary and the back is dry and bitter from the roast. Its an interesting combination of flavors but overall its a little odd. I like everything but I don't like cheese on my Chinese food. Complex and difficult beer.

Serving type: cask

05-03-2010 18:03:49 | More by drabmuh

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black, brown highlights, small fine head.
Nose shows a complex and balanced mix of roasted barley, dark chocolate, charred wood, sweet peat, oak, caramelised malt and soft alcohol. Whisky doesn't play a high part, unlike some of the other paradox beers. In fact, if you don't look for it you might miss it. Lovely aroma, really.
Upon tasting this beer you realised you've been deceived by the soft, inviting aroma. This is a powerful beer. Hugh flavours of peat, charred oak, cocoa and dark chocolate, hefty boozy, a fair whack of whisky, and loads of smoke! Too much untamed booze!
Body is very rich, alcohol is very warming, carbonation is soft and creamy.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 11:32:34 | More by CrazyDavros

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On cask at Max's following their BeerDog event the other day.

The beer pours a chocolate milk dud color with pretty good head retention and lacing. The nose is complex and impressive in this beer, with coffee, leather, chocolate and a considerable peaty aroma as well. Flavors replicate the nose, except their really is a considerable single malt scotch flavor to this beer. It really tastes likes an imperial stout blended with scotch (which is great, I suppose, if one is a big fan of single malt). Otherwise, I get some smokey flavors of chocolate, coffee and more leather. Mouthfeel is pretty good, though it's not quite as impressive as I was expecting given the cask conditioning. Nevertheless, this is a fairly full bodied stout, with the low carbonation lending something of a creamy consistency. Drinkability is not bad at all, though the intense scotch flavor detracts from it just a bit.

Interesting to try these different paradox stouts from Brewdog, though some are clearly better then others. I would have to call this one of the better one's.

Serving type: cask

03-28-2010 14:20:44 | More by johnmichaelsen