Bashah - BrewDog

OakedCanuck

Washington

2.93/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into cervoise.

A - Pours a nice dark black with dark brown edging against the light. Nice light tan head retention and good lacing

S - Bitter piney hops with a nice coffee roast. Some belgian yeast like smell as well. A roasty smoke is also present

T - What? Did I just drink firepit coals? This beer tastes like ash. However, the piney hops do come through a bit at the end in an attempt to save this one, hardly is working though.

M - Good carbonation, medium, drying

O - The ash flavour totally took away from this one but there is some good hop balance hidden in there. Will not be having this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 20:43:34 | More by OakedCanuck

mdvatab

Indiana

4.72/5  rDev +21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into imperial pint glass.
Bottled in 12/2010

Aroma: Malted milk, dark chocolate, earth, & faint mulch aromas.

Appearance: Pitch black body, tan head, cascading foam, dense 3 finger head settles to rocky 2 fingers. Clumpy foam clings to sides of glass.

Flavor: Very malt-forward. Dark chocolate & caramelized sugar. Hops show up in bitterness at end.

Mouthfeel: Full body, creamy carbonation, & excellent viscosity.

Overall: I really enjoyed this beer! Just the right amount of carbonation, hops, and body. While it's not what one would call a session ale, I could drink one of these each night and be very happy. If only it were more readily available at a lower cost!

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 01:34:05 | More by mdvatab

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I have reviewed most of the Brewdog beers so far, but this is one of the few that I have missed. I was so blown away by their Tokyo* beer that it has set me off to try just about everything they make. So far, I haven't found another Tokyo*, but let's see what BrewDog can do with Stone.

Appearance: Pours a very black color with a small 1/8" head of tan bubbles after an aggressive pour. The head faded back into the beer within about 30 seconds and there is only a small ring of bubbles where the beer meets the glass. There is already a little bit of lacing getting stuck on the glass after swirling.

Aroma: I initially got some dry woody notes like this beer was barrel aged, but I didn't see anything about that on the front of the bottle, so I will have to read the rest of the description. Hops are apparent as is some chocolate and mild roast. There is evident sweetness in this beer, and it is coming out like Toffee or dark caramel. There is even a subtle liquorish component. A little it of spicy alcohol noticeable as the beer is warming up some.

Taste: The flavor follows the aroma pretty closely except that it is more palatable than I thought. The roast is a big player in this beer, but it isn't adding the acidity on the back of the throat like I thought that it would. The overall flavor reminds me a bit of a Porter, but it doesn't have the acidity, so it is coming across a bit like a Belgian Strong Dark. I guess that there is some American hops in here as there is a very subtle citrus lingering in here, but it is reserved and I probably would have missed it next to the roast and dark malts. As the beer is warming up some, the mouthfeel is getting a bit softer and more palatable.

Opinion: I have mixed feelings about this beer. It is a very well crafted beer overall, so that will be my finale to my review. I will have to read up on it a bit more to appreciate it more. There are no flaws, and the overall balance is nice. There are a few flavors and aromas that seem to clash with one another at differing points in their respective profiles. Somehow they seem to jive in the end, but this may be enough to turn off the novice beer drinker. Either way, I am glad that I tried this beer. I will definitely finish my glass, but I doubt that I will be buying much more of this beer as I prefer others (like Flanders Reds) if I want to challenge my palate.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 06:36:03 | More by SkeeterHawk

WankelEngine

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2 ounce bottle into a pint glass

A: This beer is dark brown, nearly black with a slight reddish tint when held up to the light. There is a thick tan head of maybe an inch which slowly diminishes leaving heavy lacing on the glass.

S: The smell is subdued but dominated by scent of chocolate and coffee. Very malty and slightly smoky.

T: The taste is an interesting combination of flavors. The dark chocolaty malts dominate the flavor, but are somewhat balanced by piney, bitter hops. The Belgian yeast is also present, and there are notes of caramel, nuts and coffee. I can faintly detect the taste of something fruity like raspberries. The flavor begins heavy on the chocolate flavor, but the hops are very noticeable as you swallow.

M: The mouthfeel is moderate in thickness and slightly oily. There is little carbonation. You can't taste the 8.6% ABV but you can feel it here.

O: A unique beer; I've never had anything else marketed as a "Black Belgian Style Double India Pale Ale".

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 03:48:16 | More by WankelEngine

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 ounce bottle into tulip, Batch 352, 12/19/10. Pours clear dark brown color with a dense 2 finger tan head with great retention that reduces to a lacing cap. Some fairly decent glass lacing. Aromas of citrus, roasted malts, coffee and some caramel. Taste of coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, citrus, and caramel. Might also have some smoke in there as well. There is a fairly prominent citrus bitterness on the finish, but it is not overly strong, and it is balanced out well with the rest of the beer. The bitterness lingers for a bit after the finish with roasted flavors. The mouthfeel is extremely creamy and smooth, the alcohol is hardly even noticed other than a very small hint of a warming after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Overall a very tasty beer, I am fairly impressed.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 02:57:45 | More by superspak

twaddlac

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Very yeasty, creamy, thick head. Pours a deep dark red with moderate lacing and no noticeable nucleation.

S - Chocolaty to the extreme with some toasty, nutty, and oaty notes.

S - Big nutty and espresso taste with a sweet malty finish followed by a fantastic balance of hops and caramel. Very strong flavors all the way through. Leaves that wonderful bitter taste for quite some time.

M - Medium bodied mild carbonation and finishes dry.

O - I think that the complexity of this beer as well as the potency of all the flavors definitely makes it enjoyable but would also limit you to only a few in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 01:39:33 | More by twaddlac

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours jet black with a light tan head. In the aroma, orange citrus hops, and a faint chocolate like hint. In the taste, orange citrus hops, a chocolate roast, with a Belgian like presence all the way through. A hop bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry citrus and yeasty aftertaste. Nice mix of flavors and really enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 19:41:40 | More by OWSLEY069

flipper2gv

Quebec (Canada)

4.8/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks a lot to crossovert for this one!

My first from Brewdog also.
Bottled December 19th 2010, I don't expect too much hops.

A: Looks like a stout: pitch black. Aggressive pour gave a one finger head. Color is light beige and seems creamy. Retention is ok and lacing is really good.

S: The smell is just awesome. Lots of milk chocolate forward with coffee a little bit in the background. Very strong vanilla and molasses. There seems also to have some dark fruits like: black cherries, raisins and over ripe strawberries. A little bit of cinnamon. Some very faint grapefruit and piny resins. Sadly, the overall smell isn't strong enough for the 5.

T: Well, this is nowhere as hoppy as the other ABA I had (Pionnière from Dieu du Ciel), but this is mighty tasty. Again, the malts are what dominates here with notes of milk chocolate, powdered cacao, coffee, vanilla and quite a lot of molasses. Some fruits like I said before: black cherries, raisins and over ripe strawberries. Light hop presence in the form of grapefruit and pine resin (but more than in the smell). Again, some spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Again, this was really really good.

M: Very smooth feel with light carbonation. Heavy but so smooth you don't notice it. A little bit sticky. Really drinkable.

O: Well, this was a really smooth and tasty Black IPA. This is definitively more on the imperial stout part of the taste spectrum of the ABA (rather than the IPA side). I really really enjoyed this beer and I can't wrap my mind around the fact the score is lower than what I expected after tasting it. Only the issue of pricing is what I'd consider the reason for the score.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 01:12:46 | More by flipper2gv

plfahey

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a wine glass.

Appearance-Black in color, with slight reddish brown highlights. Nearly opaque, but appears relatively clear. Moderately large light tan head with moderately high retention and nice lacing.

Aroma-Light roasted malt aromas of bittersweet chocolate and faint roasted coffee. Slight sour notes. I don't pick up too much hop aroma while smelling it from the glass, but upon aspirating, the beer shows rich earthy and green hop aromas to complement the chocolatey malt.

Flavor-Chocolate, dark fruits (plums, prunes), light roast and hints of bitter coffee. Well integrated green, herbal, and earthy hop flavors and moderately low hop bitterness. Hint of sourness. Long, dry finish of earthy hop flavor and chocolate malt. Alcohol is totally imperceptible.

Mouthfeel-medium light body, medium carbonation. Low to no alcohol warmth.

I wish the hops showed up more in the aroma straight from the glass, but that's a minor concern-this beer is absolutely delicious and absurdly drinkable for its 8.6% alcohol content. This was fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 04:14:50 | More by plfahey

THECPJ

Delaware

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark brown almost black with a 2 finger head

smell: hops, roasted malts,

taste: bitter, coffee, roast, malts

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body

drinkability: decent brew. Expected a little more out of this collaboration though.

Cheers,
the CPJ

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 22:15:35 | More by THECPJ

petacutlasaurus

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I enjoyed this beer from BrewDog recently, but wasn't totally knocked out. I think that's because the body of the beer was somewhat light, while the tastes were rather heavy. Malty, toffee, coffee. A solid trio of flavors that comes through quite clearly. More than average carbonation along with the body of an ale make this beer much more drinkable than were it one of BrewDog's imperial stouts or similar. I enjoyed, but I think a little more weight wouldn't have hurt.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 19:23:06 | More by petacutlasaurus

broken22

California

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Anytime I see a stone beer I have not tried I buy one without hesitation. This collaboration between Stone and Brew Dog is one I hadn't heard of. I was surprised when I found just a few of these in the cooler away from where the stone is usually kept. Placing these beers away from their normal spot was good because it sort of hid them so I could selfishly take them out one by one as no one seems to have spotted them yet. I've had about 6 of these now and decided it was finally time to review this beer.

Popping the top and pouring this beer out and it's a nice rich dark color. The head that forms was very mild and died away quickly. This beer has a toasty like smell to it with a little hop note. The taste is nice. That toasty smell gives way to a bitter and hop flavor. The beer seems to be stuck somewhere between a heavy and full bodied beer. The carbonation is medium to low.

I really like this collaboration between these two great breweries. Brew dog has some great stuff and they seemed to play well with the gargoyles. I would love to see this beer go into a full production capacity so I could buy a whole six pack instead on having to buy single 12oz bottles. If you can find this then buy one. Its a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 06:04:01 | More by broken22

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nearly completely black with a tinge of red, and soft bubbles rising along the sides of the snifter. Did not produce much head, lacing was thin sheets and not bad.

Smell is crisp and fresh, with nice and outdoorsy smoky aromas, roasted malts, and some tingly hops.

Taste is over the top dark and roasted malty, a little bit burnt, earthy, hoppy, and coffee-like, just a touch of chocolate.

Feel is pretty good, albeit a bit lighter than expected. Bitterness lingers on, along with an alcohol warming.

Drink is pretty good but not great. This would be a once in a while sensation, as it's a bit overblown.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 03:09:54 | More by AlCaponeJunior

bmwats

Louisiana

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into my Lost Abbey stem.

A: Black. Medium carbonation. Pours about a 1 finger, creamy, brown-white head. Settles pretty slowly. Nice beer ring left behind as it does. Plenty of lacing.

S: Roasted coffee malt. Oak and a little peat, unsweetened dark chocolate, and licorice.

T: Coffee and baked bread, and a little of that unsweetened dark chocolate. Nice.

M: Rich and hearty, but with an almost light and refreshing body. High alcohol profile. Bittersweet finish.

D: Sip and enjoy.

Atmosphere is really good. Great deep dark appearance, nice head, and lacing. Nose is coffee and roasted malt. Great oaky flavor with malt and a little bittersweet. Overall, this is a great quaff.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 04:47:52 | More by bmwats

jeonseh

Indiana

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - color of a dark shot of espresso with a cocoa colored head with light lacing

S - smells of citrus hops and sweet apricot; definitely not what you would expect looking at this beer

T- taste up front is light sweetness and then a strong hit of roasted malt with a slight hint of peat that reminds me of a lot of a Scottish ale; definitely not the taste you would expect from the nose

MF - Slight carbonation that bubbles in your mouth to make the beer feel like a mouthful

D- overall an interesting beer in that it seems to be multiple styles in one without being any at all; worth a try and not a bad beer but. Not one that i would probably have too often

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 00:09:01 | More by jeonseh

anotherpg

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle with a born on date 11.25.10

Pours black with a head that disappears quickly. Smells of malt and hops. The taste is very chocolately malt with bitter hops after, and a smooth finish. Almost an imperial porter, frankly, but less chewy. The abv is well balanced.

Overall, a strong offering and recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 03:16:07 | More by anotherpg

HiGravShawn

Louisiana

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black with a decent head.

The aroma is actually not that pronounced for the style. Some roast and hop, but nothing over the top.

The body actually seems light compared to the other style examples, but in a good way. Almost scarily drinkable.

The flavor is amazingly smooth starting with the roast and silently sliding through the range of flavors to a final clean bitterness. I think this should be the bar for the style although plenty would probably like more tongue scrapping bitterness. I am a hop head, but I rate balance highly and this is the most balanced of this style I have ever tried.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 21:48:51 | More by HiGravShawn

LittleDon

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Motor oil black with a short lived head. On second inspection a smidgen of light passes through when back lite. Aroma has elements of dark chocolate, dried cherries, grassy hop tones, and a bit of alcohol. Bit of carbonation up front. Plenty sweet and bitter, but very well balanced. Long mild bitter finish. Some alcohol is noticeable at the finish, but a pleasant amount. Big and chewy body. Well done, but considering the somewhat extreme nature of the sugar, hops, and body, this is a one and done for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 22:43:14 | More by LittleDon

radioscooter

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed this at Vintage Estate in Boardman, Oh. along with some other BD stuff that I know I already love.

I like this brewery. I want them to succeed. I love their marketing and wish they'd make a couple more really "Scottish" brews.

This one looks great. Dark root beer, almost black consistency. Great creamy, variegated froth with small and large bubbles. Head lingers and never disappears. Syrupy lacing that sticks to the glass when swirled.

Smell. Ah. Now here's where they start to lose me. Chocolate, coffee, maybe some vanilla - but there's also a boozy ether hint and burnt peat smell that makes me feel like it's going to taste too tarry.

Pleasantly surprised by the taste. Some black ale people may find it too sweet. I think there's definitely a malt presence, but well-under the top roasty, toasty burnt toffee and chocolate tastes. Some Belgian yeast going on. As it warms, we get some candi-sugar. No earthiness though, very urban. Not as boozy as the abv would suggest. Well crafted.

The finish is a quick one, that leaves a little pepper and cocoa and burnt marshmallow on the back of the tongue.

Overall - an excellent beer that surprises you as you're drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 18:24:10 | More by radioscooter

megahurts4

Louisiana

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brew Dog Bashah

Appearance: dark brown, a little lacing, and a small head.

Smell: dark chocolate, cocoa, and hops.

Taste: hops, roasted malts, cocoa, and some dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel: medium.

Overall:
It's a pleasant brew. It has lots of good flavor. The alcohol is masked well. There is a lot of malty flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 22:53:10 | More by megahurts4

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pleasing dark IPA, a bit lacking as a memorable brew but a good offering nevertheless.

Presentation: 33 cl brown capped bottle. Black label with silver lettering and illustration, essentially the Stone gargoyle holding a Brewdog shield. Rambling tongue in cheek side narrative, perfunctory given the collaborating breweries... Succinct description of the brew on the front, with a brief and generic side description of ingredients. Notes batch 352, bottled on 12/25/10, and Alc. by Vol. 8.6% Served in a tulip glass.

A - Black pour with dark brown edges, 1/2" creamy brown head with moderate retention, fair surface memory, and nice lacing.

S - Nice nose, a bit tamed with a roasted chocolate sense, generic and pleasing hoppy dash with some fruity sense.

T - Mouth rides with a bitter roasted profile that does its trick rather nicely. It has a fruity estery sense around the Belgian insinuation that weaves itself back nicely to the hoppy profile. that coats the chocolate malt notes.

M - Medium to medium/full body with medium carbonation that works well.

D - While nothing extraordinary it flows well and it is worth the try.

Notes: Not the most memorable of collaborations despite the hype. I had the chance to try this on tap long ago and was not particularly impressed, now with more care on this bottled version it feels good but not a significant improvement. Still rather glad to try it. Thanks Toño, one more time!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 19:23:15 | More by Daniellobo

kellyst

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A Belgian black double ipa? At first I am skeptical that this will just be a mess, but I end up semi-pleasantly surprised. Pours a clear medium black with a thin head which quickly dissipates. Aroma is of roasted malts, cocoa, and piney-citrusy American hops. The flavor follws suit. It is dominated by roast and chocolate. This beer seems to have a substantial chocolate malt presence despite the fairly light color and less than tan head. Pine and citrus hops play second fiddle, but blend nicely. This isn't a bad hoppy stout, or black ipa, whatever you want to call it, but I wouldn't call it "Belgian." There are no noticeable Belgian aromas or flavors. That might be a good thing, since I was afraid this might be a mess.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 21:51:33 | More by kellyst

ommegangpbr

New York

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

While it's tempting to lower scores based on what style this is listed in, the style itself is still not well classified and I enjoyed this beer far too much.
To my palate this drinks like an imperial porter. There are smokey flavors and sweet flavors. The drinking experience is far too smooth for me to relate it to anything like an IPA. There isn't enough of a raspy quality. While hops are quite present in this beer they are very much used as a supporting element as opposed to a feature. Dark, sweet flavors are front and center.
Great tastiness here. The price point is high but it's worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 09:20:02 | More by ommegangpbr

WhiteOak

Connecticut

2.45/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A- Pours a black-olive color with a chestnut edge. The dark tan head and lacing is moderate, and fades to a persistent 1/8".

S- Roasted malt and chocolate are equally mingled with grapefruit/piney hops.

T- Dark over-roasted malt and oily fragrant hops. The finish is bitter and lacking in sweet balance. The char and big hops are an unappealing combination.

M, D- Medium bodied with a bitter, drying effect. For the simple reason that this beer conveyed little pleasure, I found it accordingly limited in drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 21:50:13 | More by WhiteOak

Vineyard

Vermont

2.93/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Overall: An interesting beer, not really what I was expecting. I don't get as much of a belgian quality as I was hoping for nor as much hop flavor. I was fairly disapointed as I was really hoping for a knock your socks off BIAP.

Appearance: Very black, completely opaque. Thin head swirled up during the pour but quickly receded with virtually no head and minor lacing.

Smell: Some coffee but mainly bittersweet chocolate. A little bit of roasted barley in the background.

Taste: A lot of chocolate, a little bit of funkiness but not enough for my tatste in something labled "belgian". A little bit of burnt malt flavor too(?), some bitterness but not enough for a double IPA and not enough hop. Not too bad a taste overall though.

Mouthfeel: Fairly thin, but not crisp at all.

Drinkability: Average. I could drink more of this beer without feeling bad. But it really doesn't taste or drink like a double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 04:06:42 | More by Vineyard