Tactical Nuclear Penguin - BrewDog

Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.

BA SCORE
80
good
-
192 Ratings

rAvg: 3.49
pDev: 25.5%
Reviews: 108
Hads: 84

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
BrewDog

United Kingdom (Scotland)

Style | ABV
American Double / Imperial Stout | 32.00% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (108).

Notes:
Made by freezing Paradox to remove water.

View: Beers (84) | Events (0)

Reviews

Sort by: Latest | High | Low | Top Reviewers | Show Hads:

« first ‹ prev | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | next › last »

Reviews by jondeelee:

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.6/5 rDev +31.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

NB: this review is for Batch 007.

Poured into a Sam Adams Utopias glass (which seemed appropriate, this being one of the only other beers I've purchased which approached Utopias' price), Tactical Nuclear Penguin is a deep chestnut brown that reflects dark ruby shades when held against a bright light, and maintains its dark shade near the edges of a tipped glass. The high ABV--32%--leaves wine-like legs oozing gently down the sides of the glass. There is no head, and only the faintest presence of carbonation is visible in thin streams of bubbles rising from the bottom. In appearance, this more resembles a cognac or a brandy than a beer.

The aroma drifting up from the glass is so potent that it can be easily detected from three feet away if wafted toward the nose, and from a good eighteen to twenty inches away in still air. Inhaled deeply, the nose is literally dripping with sugars and fruit esters, the beer smelling less like a beer than a heavily alcoholic mashed fruit extract. Berries, figs, orange liqueurs, raisins, plums, and dates abound, mixed with a drowsy syrup of toasted pecans, burnt coconut shell, and walnut. The aroma also bears striking earthy tones, reminiscent of charred oak, fresh loam, and peat moss. Thick vanilla beans lace through everything, joined by molasses. Also present are port, cognac, and brandy aromas, thick with charcoal filtering and oak barrel aging. The aromas also remind me somewhat strangely of open pit suckling pig on a rotisserie spit, fat bubbling and dripping onto the hot coals, and the wet, woody scent of the inside of freshly-peeled tree bark. I imagine this is what the inside of a very rich man's study would smell like: full of the remnants of expensive brandies and cognacs, with touches of pipe tobacco lingering in the curtains, and the oak and cedar paneling adding its own woody layers. In short, this is one of the more unique aromas I've ever encountered, and I have difficulties winding my way through the seemingly infinite layers of scents drifting from the glass. I could honestly sit here and simply smell the beer--as I have been for the last twenty minutes--for a very long time, the aromas so enticing and intriguing that I hesitate to take a sip for fear that the taste not match the aroma. As it is, I can report not only no loss in the potency of the aromas over the last twenty minutes, but a continued sensation of marvel at the complexity, nuance, variation, and depth of the aromas.

Still, at some point I suppose some of this must pass my lips. So: on the tongue, the beer begins with a charcoal and ash slam so powerful that it literally takes over my tastebuds, reminding me of the heavy charcoal of whiskey, vanilla-flavored pipe tobacco placed directly on the tongue, campfire ash, burnt pecan husks, blackened and burnt steak fat, and what I imagine would be the taste of charred oak. These flavors are literally overwhelming, and it is difficult to find other flavors against their strength. However, there are a myriad of fruit esters begging for attention, including fig, raisin, plum, date, orange, and black cherry. Huge port, whiskey, and cognac flavors are also present, ripe with charcoal filtering and the oak-and-vanilla flavors of barrel aging, and joined by an alcohol bite that at least equals any of the strongest of those liquors. The alcohol is so strong that it burns the nose during exhalation, and bites angrily at the soft palate and at the back of the throat when swallowed. Much like a strong liquor, however, this is part of the process, and while the alcohol is indeed potent, it somehow adds a layer of charm and swagger to the beverage. There is a somewhat unfortunate touch of an almost bike-tire-rubber squeal at the edges of the brew, especially noticeable later in the mouthful. The aftertaste is heavy on charred ash, black malt, charcoal, and lingering molasses and burnt sugars, and like cigarette smoke, squats languidly on the tongue for a very, very long time. Mouthfeel is a gloopy, syrupy, viscous, alcohol-burning medium-high, and carbonation is hardly detectable.

Overall, and noting that it is difficult to make any sort of judgement about a beer that in almost every conceivable way does not in the least bit resemble a beer--given an unidentified glass of this, I would have most likely thought it bourbon or scotch--this is still a stunning brew, and should be on the must-try list of any serious connoisseur. Admittedly, the flavors are so warring in their charred, ashy, smoky, charcoal, fresh-out-of-the-campfires-of-hell potency that they're very likely to simply disgust anyone not already a fan of bourbon, scotch, etc., and anyone expecting this to simply resemble a very, very strong Imperial Stout (which, admittedly, it was before the special aging and freezing process brought it to 32%), will be very, very surprised at how much this exactly does not resemble that beer. So try with caution.

But try you must.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 00:40:10 | More by jondeelee

More User Reviews:

tzolandz

Virginia

3.5/5 rDev +0.3%

05-19-2013 19:21:19 | More by tzolandz

AlaskanYoung

Alaska

2.5/5 rDev -28.4%

05-16-2013 02:40:44 | More by AlaskanYoung

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.25/5 rDev +21.8%

05-13-2013 05:56:48 | More by Bonko_the_sane

blee107

Ireland

4/5 rDev +14.6%

05-04-2013 16:57:29 | More by blee107

iL0VEbeer

New Jersey

3/5 rDev -14%

04-28-2013 19:40:23 | More by iL0VEbeer

nrs207

Pennsylvania

3/5 rDev -14%

04-28-2013 01:47:41 | More by nrs207

JohnnyWoodchuck

Illinois

5/5 rDev +43.3%

04-10-2013 15:19:29 | More by JohnnyWoodchuck

BAsbill

California

3.25/5 rDev -6.9%

03-30-2013 04:06:31 | More by BAsbill

Mlitesonata

New York

4.75/5 rDev +36.1%

03-26-2013 00:40:07 | More by Mlitesonata

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5 rDev +7.4%

03-07-2013 21:09:16 | More by mick303

CaptainNomihodai

Illinois

3.5/5 rDev +0.3%

03-06-2013 06:05:11 | More by CaptainNomihodai

twh7

Ohio

3.5/5 rDev +0.3%

03-05-2013 02:42:32 | More by twh7

owend

New Hampshire

4.25/5 rDev +21.8%

02-27-2013 20:35:21 | More by owend

KentMills

Germany

4.4/5 rDev +26.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

I bought this hard to acquire beer at Bacchanalia in Cambridge, England.

It poured as black and thick as used oil with a lovely brown head.

It smelled at first like alcohol, but turned into hints of chocolate and raisin as it breathed.

The taste was a mind grenade for me. I assumed a world record setter for alcohol couldn't have flavor, but my mouth was flooded with dark cherry, chocolate and molasses. Amazing!

It's sad I may never get to try this beer again, but at least there are some annually released imperial stouts that are this good, though still not very easy to get.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 08:12:51 | More by KentMills