Tokyo* - BrewDog

koganator

Illinois

2/5  rDev -48.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Had on 12/31/2012 at Brewdog Camden in London. This was my 3rd beer of the night and definitely got me drunk. Half filled wine glass from tap.

Appearance: Solid head, and pitch black RIS goodness, looking good so far.

Smell: Sweet, cloying, caramel-like... Like a weaker smelling Tactical Nuclear Penguin that I had earlier in the night

Taste: Good god, imagine a truck of sugar crashing directly into your mouth and spilling all of it's cargo therein. This is the most unpleasant beer I have had in a long time. Whatever else is happening here is completely overshadowed by pure malt. It's as if I'm drinking diluted malt concentrate mixed with maple syrup. Painful, simply and utterly painful. The alcohol was there, but it was somewhat co-opted by the sheer sticky presence of the maltose.

Mouthfeel: I had to struggle it down.

Overall: I don't even want to think about this beer again. I know it's rated fairly highly on BA, but it just was so not for me.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2013 19:27:01 | More by koganator

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes, at the Edinburgh BrewDog. Appearance is jet black with a coffee head, shows really good lacing and film.

Smell has some soy sauce, iodine, oak, dark malts, bitter medicinal hops.

Taste has a lot of mellow alcohol, creamy stout character, a lot of Whisky influence, layers of complexity, really dry towards the end. Finish has an overall medicinal character, interesting.

Body is very big, light carbonation, but very smooth, with coating bitterness.

Interesting stuff. Very big and quite medicinal but quite complex.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2012 21:01:01 | More by mick303

marc956

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wasn't too sure what to expect when I finally tried this last night. But it has complexity, depth and flavour which I'd not experienced in any beer prior eh. Not even other imperial stouts like Pranqster or high-end IPA's even come close. Obviously not a session beer due to high ABV but worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2012 10:44:20 | More by marc956

notchucknorris

California

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pitch black with no head whatsoever. Diggin it.

S: Lots of raisin, charred malt, dark bread, port and wood.

T: I've only had one other beer close to this ABV wise (World Wide Stout) and this is waaay smoother. Big burnt raisin skin flavor upfront with notes of plum, port, brandy and milk chocolate. The mouthfeel is pretty syrupy and it wears on you the more you drink. Overall a pretty accessible beer, all things considered. Pretty impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2012 22:25:46 | More by notchucknorris

ChBass

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appears a dark, dark black, with dark caramel around the edges. Pours like a liquor, no head whatsoecer

This beer smells incredible. Dark roasted flavors & plums dominate, with a hint of booze. My wife says it smells like umeshu, a Japanese plumwine!

The taste matches the smell. A sweet, sultry mouthfeel gives way to the alcoholic burn, then waves of dark fruit follow. The flavor gets more intense as the beer warms. You gotta man up for this one.

Overall, this is a great offering by the nuts over at Brewdog. Keep it coming!

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2012 04:08:33 | More by ChBass

THEOPTIMATOR88

Illinois

2.28/5  rDev -41.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Reviewed from notes 08/26/11 at the Bad Apple.

Pours a deep black, no head. Smells of straight malt. Hints of chocolate, and coffee but no hop aroma. Not much going on. Tastes rough and boozy giving way to more complex chocolate, cranberry and vanilla notes. Aftertaste is way too harsh though, even for a Imperial Stout lover like me. It was fun to try and there was definitely some nice flavors in there, but way too much of a hot mess. Tasted like cough syrup as it warmed as well. I'm not a Brewdog hater but this just didn't agree with me.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 22:57:49 | More by THEOPTIMATOR88

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1/3 pint served in a Teku glass in the BrewDog bar in Edinburgh. From notes. Reviewed 7 June 2011.

A: Thick finger of head fades softly, leaving traces on the sides and surface. Murky dark-brown.

S: Hrm. Deep, heavily alcoholic, fruity, and...stoutish. Very sweet. Strong and nice.

T/M: Thick, creamy, and strong, but with an odd fruity twang (cranberry?) and somewhat misplaced carbonation. Sweet like a liqueur. Lighter on the endtaste. A bit...not harsh, but it drys/burns the mouth like liquor. Rounder, and nicer than the bottle I had about a year ago. The aftertaste is wetly sweet and dryingly bitter. Jasmin-vanilla notes may be my imagination. Smokiness?

O: I dig this beer a lot more months later and on-tap. This, I would recommend. And drink again. Several times, probably.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 00:35:57 | More by AgentMunky

caryt

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on-tap at the Green Dragon, Portland, OR.

A - The color is a deep mahogany with a small cream colored head lacing.

S - The smell is overpowering making you think, "what did I get myself into here." The smell of alcohol hides any taste expectations to come.

T - Sour cherries, molasses, some smoke, and surprisingly not as much booze as you expect from the smell.

M - The mouthfeel takes a sip to get used to due to the acidity but after that it is amazingly drinkable for 18.2% and delicious.

O - This is a great unique beer and I'm extremely happy I walked into. This is a must try for anyone who indulges in this style of beer. It doesn't compare to anything

Cheers to BrewDog for another successful extreme beer venture.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2011 21:47:57 | More by caryt

homebrew311

Illinois

2.05/5  rDev -47.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: somewhat of a light brown, zero head, no lacing

S: aroma features some earthy tea notes along with bark, I pick up a spirit like spice character, not picking up any stout flavors, some medicinal cough syrup like character in there

T: the taste is also very spirit like with huge sweetness, some cranberry comes through, big time alcohol burn on the finish

Mf: thin, no carb

O: not digging this at all, way too booze forward, even for an 18% brew, no stout character at all

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2011 03:05:26 | More by homebrew311

paulozanello

Brazil

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque and pitch black color with a small head that recedes after a while leaving a good amount of foam onthe surface. Lacing is a little above average.

Aroma is strong and I get a lot of oak, vanilla, port wine, chocolate and of course, alcohol. I was expecting a very malty and roasted aroma but this is has a very fruity and woody/vanilla carachter.

Taste is quite as strong as the nose with dark malts, mollasses, dark fruits (raisings), chocolate, coffee, cherries, vanilla and oak in that order (it is that complex).

Body is huge with high carbonation. Aftertaste lingers for a long time and it taste just like port wine, with lots of booze. Drinkability is low. This is a sipping beer.

Overall a very sweet beer, with lots of residual sugars and alcohol. Maybe it would be better with some aging but it is still a damn fine imperial stout with tremendous flavor and complexity. Please try this if you can.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2011 23:38:51 | More by paulozanello

AAvgerinos

California

2.78/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

There's nothing Stout-like about this beer. No roast/coffee/bready qualities. Not even that characteristic old world Porter/Stout funk. Methinks they should have called this a barleywine or just strong ale.

In a nutshell, it basically tastes like cheap fortified Port. Maybe it will smooth out in a few years, but then it might just taste like syrup.

The aroma smelled strongly of brandy soaked prunes. Color was a hazy brown with red highlights. Besides the hot alcohol notes, the taste had some pleasant sherry/port qualities which got better as the beer warmed. As it warmed one could also pick out a vague burnt sugar note.

To give this beer a chance, serve and consume near room temperature. At typical bar tap temperature it was way too hot and thick.

Overall... meh.

Good idea, bad execution.

EDIT: Serving size was a "sample" at about 4-5 ounces. Like wine, this was plenty.

In case it wasn't obvious, I'd like to point out if you're hoping to find barrel/oak notes, dry hop character, or anything else described on the label of this beer, you will be sorely disappointed. It basically tastes nothing like the description will lead you to believe. That's not a bad thing, just be ready for it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2010 19:20:19 | More by AAvgerinos

Seanibus

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This beer is nuts. Almost not a beer at all. Frankly, its elements are good, but its sum total is hard to drink.

Pours super black with a slight tan head. The aroma is sharp and boozy, like a beer-flavored cognac. Taste is chocolatey and super hot and boozy, with lots of plum and raisin, maybe even pruny. This is so hot and alcoholic, with a currant or cherry character. It is so rich, it is almost hard to describe. There is a slow spread of warmth across my chest, like a great brandy. The mouthfeel is sticky, with a boozy, brandy-like finish.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2010 01:31:27 | More by Seanibus

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had this on tap at the Hulmeville inn. Poured black with some highlight's you could see through around the edges. Nice heading after the pour which did leave a thin lace around the glass. Not a bad heading at all for such a heavy beer.

Not too much of a nose as I would have anticipated the heavy alcohol content would have just reeked but stays in tune. Feint oak aroma. Nothing really popping out here.

Taste is just insane. At first taste I thought to myself Jesus this is just too much alcohol. After the second sip I let wander around a bit. Nice fruity flavors pull through for a quick to touchdown and are immediately put to rest by the burning alcohol.

Mouth is full bodied,thick and chewy with an insane hot booze feel. It did have some nice carbonation for how high in alcohol it was.

This is not a bad beer but anything more then a glass or two could be a downfall.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2010 16:54:14 | More by TheFightfan1

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours the typical engine oil black with a thin caramel colored head covering the top and lacing on the side of the glass that is very creamy looking and bubbly.

S - Bitter chocolate, dark roasted malt, tart cherries, and a very generous nose shot of booziness.

T - Booze, booze, and more booze. This is a very boozy Imperial Stout. Has a somewhat medicinal character and goes down a little bit like cough syrup. Dark roasted chocolate malt lays a nice foundation for some pretty intense alcohol. There's some creme in the background and when it goes down, there's some pretty intense warming in the throat that sticks around for easily a few minutes after. In fact, this stuff even warms my stomach. When the alcohol finally subsides, the mouth is left with a coating of bitter chocolate that lingers for quite awhile. There's also some mild tobacco flavor going on.

M - On the heavy side of medium bodied with a sweet stickyness and is very smooth on the tongue.

D - Who can really handle more than one of these? Drinkability runs low because of the ABV, but for as boozy as it is, it's still enjoyable. Definitely an extreme beer and definitely worth checking out, at least once. After one glass, Tokyo hung a sign on my back that said, "Kick Me". That it did. Maybe dial it back to 14% to let more of the flavor come through?

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2010 07:30:18 | More by jzeilinger

nickd717

California

3.23/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap at City Beer in SF.

Pours nearly black in color - not quite as black as I expected it to - with a small, fading tan head. Fairly viscous.

Aroma is pretty crazy. Very vinous and fruity, along with roast, chocolate, earth, and booze. Lots of booze. A little tartness evident even.

The flavor is dominated by dark fruits, interestingly. Red wine, cranberries, cherries, and prunes stand out. There is also some roast and chocolate, but it is definitely in the background. Lots of alcohol.

Boozy and warming on the palate with surprisingly thin body (although still above average) given the ABV. Carbonation level is medium-low.

This beer is fine overall, it's just not a very well-crafted imperial stout in my opinion. This seems to be a case of throwing as much as possible into a beer and hoping something good comes out. Tokyo* is definitely an extreme beer, but as for whether it's a good beer, the jury's still out.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2010 22:21:33 | More by nickd717

oregonskibum

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tasted on 4/26, review from memory. Served at a local pub in a six-ounce mini-snifter glass.

A: Color is a dark brown, bording on black. There are dark amber hints along the edge. Arrive with almost no head. On swirl, a thin, tan head appears and quickly disappears. Eventually takes on a flat appearance.

S: Aroma was all over the place. At first, smelled very earthy with hints of tobacco and leather. As it warmed, some dark fruits (raisin mainly) with a hint of sweetness (cranberry?). Also picked up typical roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. Oh, and the alcohol.

T: WOW. Intense. Substantial warming from the alcohol felt almost immediately. This is a sipper. Flavor profile is similar to the smell, although the dark (really dark) chocolate takes on a more prominent note. The problem, the alcohol creates such a warming affect that it kind of distracts from the tasting experience.

M: Quite big and oily, almost like a Vin Santo. Low carbonation.

D: This is a very unique beer that I'm glad I got to taste and I'll likely go down and get another pour just because it's so rare on tap. But at the end of the day, drinkability suffers due to the alcohol. Even as a sipper, this is a hard one. I also thought the beer peaked quickly and as it warmed and flattened out a bit, it lost a little bit of its enjoyment.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2010 04:01:35 | More by oregonskibum

geokills

California

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The Brewdog Tokyo Russian Imperial Stout was poured to me on-tap at the Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel, California, as part of their barrel aged brew month. At 18.2%, I just knew I had to try this monster. To my surprise, the monster was well tamed!

Fresh malty nose, tan head of soft fine bubbles. Significant lacing and a dark, dark mahogany. Lively mouthfeel, bready and rich with a bitter finish reminiscent of a strong barely wine. The heavy alcohol content is well masked amidst the sticky but not overly sweet flavor, though this one finishes with a definite hit of liquor like flavor, brandy indeed as owed to its aging in brandy barrels. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2010 21:19:57 | More by geokills

popery

California

3.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Draft, City Beer Store, BrewDog night. This was an interesting beer, but it was just a bit too big for its own good with heat overshadowing much of the complexity. Appearance is very dark brown to black with a pretty good light brown head, unexpected in such a big beer. Unfortunately, this beer is quite hot. There's a lot of booze in the aroma and even more on the palate. There's chocolate, vanilla, dark fruits, oak and roast, but it's all buried under alcohol and the more delicate notes just don't really show up. For instance, it's floral and fruity but I can't pick out jasmine or cranberries specifically. I would enjoy trying the normal version of this beer for a point of comparison and to see if more subtlety came through without quite so much booze. Mouthfeel is a bit rough, also from the booze. It's not terrible at all, but the alcohol content just throws things off-balance for me.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2010 20:40:50 | More by popery

glid02

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Neighborhood in San Diego.

Pours black with a half-finger brown head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of sweet molasses, roasted malts, dark fruits, and tobacco, in that order. As the beer warms hints of peat sneak out.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Loads of sweet molasses flavors kick things off, backed by mild amounts of roasted malts. Midway through the sip good amounts of boozy dark fruits make an appearance - plums and black cherries. Hints of tobacco come into play right before a sweet ending with a good deal of heat sticking around on the palate.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a very nice thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall this is a big beer but does a nice job of holding in the boozy heat. An interesting one and worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2010 19:16:12 | More by glid02

Kristing

Sweden

4.8/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Now this is truly a wonderful example of a strong, complex and sublime Imperial Stout. Of course, it is not the kind of beer you drink as a refreshment or as a session beer. This is the sort of beer that you kick back and relax with.

It would take a while to explain all the different levels of taste in the Tokyo, as it changes dramatically over time. But it suffice to say, that you will find plenty of coffee, chocolate, raisins, licorice and a beechwood kind of smokiness, not all at the same time though.

In conclusion, if you like complex, delicious beers to relax and indulge yourself with, then you will probably like this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2010 19:36:53 | More by Kristing

pastradul

California

4.75/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

i have had this on draft once before. and had for a second time at Stone Brewery this past weekend!

Pours a deep black, with a slight red tint to it when in the light.

Smell: of heavy malt, cranberries and alcohol

mouthfeel: like crinking candy syrup. So think and heavy. Pretty much exactly what you would expect it to feel like for an 18% Stout.

Taste: initial heavy malt that quickly turns into sweet cranberry covering the mouth followed by a strong alcohol warmth!

overall: This is an amazing beer. I have two bottle sitting in my "cellar" right now, The best before date is december 2019! I don't know how long I will sit on them... but is going to be a while!

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2010 16:12:09 | More by pastradul

DoubleJ

California

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Who would have thought I'd run into this beer on-tap? I already bought two bottles for myself, but maybe I'd be better off tasting a small amount before I dive into my bottles. On-tap at 38 Degrees in a 4½ ounce taster glass, on to the beer:

Creamy black color, not the super dark jet black I've come to expect from the style. A little bit of lacing stay on top the beer and on the glass. There's a lot of chocolate fudge in the aroma. I didn't really smell a lot of booze. The cranberry starts to come out and add another dimension to the nose. A really pleasant nose, and not harsh at all.

Ok, here we go. There is some good flavor, and yes, there is quite a bit of alcohol. Chocolate liqueur is the most dominant of the flavors. I like how the jasmine and cranberry additions are melded into this strong beer; it's not just a strong cloying stout. Strong vodka-like booze hits towards the end, but the boozy element is short lived. Body is more medium bodied than full, aftertaste isn't very intense, which helps get this beer down faster.

Tokyo* isn't just another high ABV stout; the spice and fruit really add to make this beer unique in its category. Personally, I've been dissapointed with the BrewDog beers I've sampled in the past, so I'm pleasantly surprised to see this beer come out without being a train wreck. Now, the hard part will be saving a bottle for long-term aging.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2010 04:52:37 | More by DoubleJ

nickfl

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured with a small head of orange-brown foam on top of an opaque, black body. The foam dissipates quickly and leaves nice lace.

S - An aroma of caramel and roasted malt with some sweet toffee and bread.

T - Dark caramel and molasses up front. Some soy-like malts and cola in the middle. Complex notes of alcohol and dark sugar including boozy fruit flavors of cherry and fig with thick molasses. Finishes with more dark chocolate and burnt sugar.

M - Thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - Like all of the super high ABV beers that I have had, drinkability isn't a word that belongs in any description of this beer. The six oz serving that I had was as much as I needed, and I would have had a hard time drinking any more. It has a soy sauce character that seems to be tied to the molasses flavors and that threatens to overwhelm the other elements of the beer. There are some nice notes of caramel and fruit that help create a level of complexity and counter the excessive molasses. In my experience, it seems like anything over 14 or 15% ABV develops a level of syrupy sweetness and alcoholic heat that cannot be balanced out and that begins to turn it into something other than beer. While Tokyo is relatively complex and balanced for a beer of this strength, much of its appeal is novelty.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2010 06:16:58 | More by nickfl

callmescraps

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this on-tap at the Goat. I missed the brewers, but managed to score some of the goodness they brought.

Appearance- Very deep brown. A hint of chestnut. But, almost black. Only 1/4 inch of tan head. Little bit of mocha head. It caps nicely. Minimal lacing.

Smell- Boozy raisins. Seriously. Smells like a rum fruit cake. It's hot, for sure.

Taste- Sweet chocolate off the bat. It's boozy and hot. But it settles down as you get used to it. Tastes like sweet cherries and whisky. It's like a digestif. Whisky + beer = interesting.

Mouthfeel- Fairly thin. I expected more body.

Drinkability- It's a big, hot beast. It tastes every ounce of the 18%. I've had beers of this strength that really hid the fact, but this one does not.

Initially, I thought it was a poor experience. But as I got used to it, I began to appreciate that it was surprisingly smooth. And certainly interesting. I thought it was hard to finish a small pour, but when it was gone I almost wanted another. Definitely interesting, and definitely worthwhile.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2010 05:41:54 | More by callmescraps

SShelly

California

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brackish brown with a light white head.

Light chocolate a sweet malt in the nose, a little bit of dark fruit.

Intense sweet malt, intense sweet, little bit of dark chocolate and malt behind all the sweetness.

Desserty, and a sipper, glad I got to try it not sure I want anymore.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2010 18:12:39 | More by SShelly