Tactical Nuclear Penguin - BrewDog

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks JMBSH. Almost no head and very dark brown. Smoke city, in the aroma, in the atste. Almost pure smoke and peat, impeding drinkability. A touch of lace. Average mouthfeel. A little Scotch.More of a Scotch or an Eisbock than competing with the imperial stouts.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 23:09:33 | More by northyorksammy

womencantsail

California

3.33/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Huge thanks to Richard for opening this one during our tasting yesterday. This was a "surprise" beer he brought out and I'm glad to get a chance to try it.

A: The pour is surprisingly "light" considering the fact that the base is an imperial stout. The beer is a light brown color with plenty of red highlights and not much in the way of head or carbonation.

S: Obviously, there's a large alcohol component to this beer at 32% ABV. That said, there's more to it than just the heat. There's a slight caramel sweetness, vanilla, and a definite smokiness, almost peaty.

T: The alcohol heat takes a moment to get over, but after that, there are some decent flavors in there. The smoke and peat are a bit more pronounced than in the nose. There's some vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel in the middle with a bitterness to the finish.

M: The lack of carbonation and huge amount of sweetness and alcohol make this too hot and a touch syrupy for my tastes.

D: This is one that I'm glad to say that I tried. I honestly couldn't drink more than an ounce or two at once, and I think that perhaps in a couple decades, this might change a bit and become more palatable. As for now, I might taste it again, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2010 20:39:01 | More by womencantsail

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Huge thanks to JMBSH for this bottle!

I knew I couldn't handle this beast on my own, so the Man's Weekend provided me with the group tasting I so sorely needed. This thing pours a bleak black-brown topped by only an insinuation of a head. The nose provides a quick punch of alcohol (shocker, I know), backed by some dark chocolate, figs, brown sugar, blackened pork, and charcoal. Whoofah, what a smell! It still burns a bit every time I think about sniffing this BMD. The taste begins with some charred buttery biscuits, then allows the alcohol to let loose on the tongue with some flame throwers, then finishes off with some smoke and charcoal. I have never experienced anything quite like this before, and I don't expect to very often hence. Mama! The body is pretty thick and heavy, with a light moderate carbonation (surprisingly high, if you ask me) and a seriously hot and strong feel. This thing kicks harder than my buddy's slug gun (and my shoulder'll tell you just how hard that is). Overall, this was quite the experience; I'm not entirely sure it works on all levels, but it certainly doesn't fail. Though I do not see too many more weaponized brews on the horizon (or weaponized animals, for that matter), I hope I am able to at least see their effects first-hand like I was able to witness this mushroom cloud.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 05:46:36 | More by TMoney2591

drabmuh

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter by James Watt from Brewdog, thanks James. Beer is brown and surprisingly clear, not sure what I expected but not that. Beer has no head, no real carbonation to speak of and no lacing. When I swirl the glass the beer forms a thin layer on the glass and the legs fall down the walls. Looks neat.

Aroma is smoke, lots of smoke. Peated malt and strong smoke. Not as much alcohol as you'd expect but a lot of smoke. Some sweetness and the alcohol is there too but its not the star.

Beer is relatively thin and really smokey. Finishes rather dry (wonder why) and doesn't linger. It hides the alcohol surprisingly well, apparently the highland whiskey barrels is the way to make the smoke go away. Interesting. I don't think I would drink it again or seek it out specifically. Under the right circumstances I would definitely get a little more to get a another perspective from myself. A great opportunity, thanks again James.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2010 03:43:02 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Small pour split with hudsonphotog at The Meddlesome Moth.

The beer pours a clear brown color with absolutely no head. The aroma is very smokey with a lot of alcohol, dark fruit and a hint of toffee. The flavor is more of the same. The alcohol really stands out as expected, but there is also a big peat smoke character as well as some roasted malt, chocolate and some more dark fruit. Medium mouthfeel and no carbonation. You can really get the Scotch-barrel aged notes in the beer, which I think is OK, but not really my thing. A decent beer, but not as good as Sink the Bismarck.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 04:35:59 | More by Mora2000

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Can't believe I got some of this finally. This brew is out of this world. BrewDog has gone above and beyond the limits of brewing something very extreme here. This beer is very very black, it's aroma fills a room with whiskey, rich dark malts, and a little smokiness. Upon taking the first sip it kicks you in the teeth, really hard. My eyes opened with enjoyment. I was so amazed at how freaking brutal this beer was. I wanted to savor every smokey sip of it as much as possible but the longer it took and the warmer it got it became more difficult for me to drink. The Alcohol is so strong it actually burned the sides of my tongue everything I took a sip. I enjoyed the fact that I managed to get a bottle of this, it was very exciting to try and to have others try. I have a great deal of respect for BrewDog and this beer but I can't see myself buying this again. It was surely a once in a lifetime beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 23:59:30 | More by Knapp85

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Split 3 ways with friends, over the course of an evening...

Into a whisky tumbler, this beer pours a clear medium mahogany colour, with a wisp of soapy beige head, which leaves no lace, as it doesn't touch the edge of the glass. It smells of toasted molasses, caramel, treacle, and soft, slightly peaty whisky-like booze. The taste is strong caramel toffee, roasted malt, and an enveloping booze warming. The carbonation is very low, the body heavy, thick, viscous, smooth, with a slight thinning from the alcohol towards the finish, which shows more a sweet woodiness to go with the persistent dense malt.

This is indeed a decent imperial stout, on growth hormone. Take big and beefy, and make it bigger and beefier, they sure did. Wow. It smells like a sweet whisky, tastes like a strong, but very sippable, stout. However, there's no drinking this one even remotely like any other beer, obviously.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2010 02:33:57 | More by biboergosum

jlindros

Massachusetts

2.74/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2

Thanks to rudzud for picking up this share between a few of us.

No head as expected, dark murky cola brown color, long legs.

Booze galore, nose burning like whisky, once I get past it dark fruits come through, lots of syrupy brandy and port wine, candied raisins, then some dusty wooden oak and light vanilla barrel, and light wood esters, light oxidation.

taste wtf!! First, booze burns, again like brandy. Through that it has a green white dog liquor taste. Then syrup, thick syrupy sugar sludge, slightly burnt sugar mess. There's a weird bitter thing too, some earthy herbal hops but also like a weird conifer tree thing, then saw dust wood barrel that seems to have soaked up something awful. The booze again breaks on with a bad burning taste even. Also a weird vegetal fermented plants or something, and fair amount of oxidation cardboard. Just a little soy sauce like. Finish is syrupy and sweet, anestesizing, tingly, syrupy sludge.

Mouth is syrupy sludge and super burning booze, no carb.

Overall meh... No, blech. Starts OK with the aroma, but the flavors are just like fermented cardboard and pine then distilled into a super condensed version of ick. Undrinkable!

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 13:59:12 | More by jlindros

Zorro

California

3.85/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear black colored beer with no head formation.

Smells intensely fruity with a very strong fig and grape aroma. Certainly boozy it smells a lot like Grappa and is about as strong. Scents of cherry and apple and solvent alcohol.

Starts out sweet and fruity with an alcohol burn, lots of fig after taste. It doesn't lack for flavor, in fact it is extremely over flavored. Not exactly sweet but the flavors are intensified, fruit and figs with a fig after taste. Intense alcohol warming in the chest. The flavor doesn't change much as you drink it.

Mouthfeel is hot.and thick.

Overall interesting, it was designed for bragging rights not really to be the most flavorful thing ever.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:38:24 | More by Zorro

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into my SA Trippel Bock Snifter.

Pours a caramel brown color with no head.

Aroma: big amount of whiskey. Lots of malt and oak with vanilla. Very boozy. I also get apples and dark fruit flavors.

Taste: Huge booze flavors. Whiskey, oak, vanilla, and a caramel sweetness show. Also get apples and dried fruit flavors. It very big and warming, much like taking a shot of whiskey.

Mouthfeel: Warm and boozy. Large bodied with a low amount of carbonation. Ends hot and dry with whiskey flavors in the aftertaste.

Overall, an interesting beer. It simply tastes a lot like whiskey and drinks like it too. Burns when drinking it just like taking a shot. Very slow drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 23:41:01 | More by mothman

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

Bottle shared by djmiller92. Thanks Dave.

The beer is chestnut brown. No head or lace. The aroma brings alcohol, smoke, cracked pepper, peat. Reminiscent of scotch in some regards. The flavor offers syrup, candy, malt, peppers, dark fruits, booze, scotch, plums, raisins. Whoa. The feel is a bit like cough syrup. Coats the palate. Lingering alcohol and syrup in the finish. A 2 oz. pour is sufficient. I enjoyed the experience. This is a beer I have wanted to taste since I first heard of it. Bold, unique, and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 21:03:22 | More by Huhzubendah

largadeer

Kentucky

1.5/5  rDev -56.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Thanks for sharing this, Nick. My curiosity has been sated.

Dark mahogany brown in the glass, not quite black; on the light side for the world's strongest stout. It pours with surprising life, an inch of light tan head topping the amber body, though it quickly dissipates entirely. Swirling reveals thick, syrupy legs not unlike a spirit or liqueur.

It smells intensely of alcohol, peat, oak, faint roast - a hell of a lot like scotch. The alcohol is punchy and plainly noticeable, but not as stinging as I was expecting. That being said, there isn't much to this beyond peat and alcohol. It's simple and unimpressive.

On the palate it's much more harsh and boozy, with flavors of smoke, peat and a touch of oak. Not terribly sweet, just brutally strong. Tarry, ashy, ridiculously alcoholic and stinging. The body is somewhat full, but not as viscous as you would expect from a beer this big. I don't get much complexity from this, and it could really use more sweetness to balance the alcohol. More anything, really - it's lacking the depth of flavor you'd get from a good Scotch. It finishes harsh and solventy, like a charcoal and nailpolish remover cocktail. Have I mentioned that this is harsh? Holy fuck, what a trainwreck.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 17:53:41 | More by largadeer

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a deep amber color with no head. In the aroma, bacon and nail polish remover is all I can smell. In the taste, Nail polish remover, coffee, and molasses. A small bite from alcohol and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry nail polish remover with notes of caramel and coffee in the aftertaste. Too boozy! The nail polish remover essence was a bit too much for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 16:34:44 | More by OWSLEY069

jrallen34

Illinois

2.2/5  rDev -36.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Bottle into a shot glass...Light brown, that is very watery looking, no carbonation at all, not much to look at...Incredibly strong aroma of fusel alcohol, roasty, very hot stinging my nostril, a tinge of peppers, interesting but not very good...The taste is horrendous! Its so hot, burns. Burnt alcohol and charred wood Is all I get this. There were 3 of us and we couldn't finish a 2oz pour.

I was so fascinated to try this and this is beyond terrible. I total liquor but not a good one. SKIP this.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 16:34:54 | More by jrallen34

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330 ml bottle, Batch 008, best before 27-07-20. After taking it out of the fridge, I let the bottle sit out for around 30-35 minutes before opening it. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black, and what little head it had fizzled away pretty quickly. No lacing at all, but there are "legs" that I can see when I swirl the beer around the glass. I don't think I've noticed that in a beer before, I only usually see that when I'm drinking liquor. Aroma is very boozy. Along with the booze, I can also smell dark fruit, smoke/peat, chocolate, and some molasses. The brew tastes like booze (sherry), smoke/peat, dark fruit (raisins, cherries, figs) and molasses. It's still hot, but the other flavors aren't overpowered by the hotness. There's also a boozy smoky/sweet finish that lingers around for a long time. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a syrupy and very, very slick and coating with low carbonation. As I've noticed with other BrewDog stouts I've tried in the past, this is a thinner stout than I'm used to but since I liked the syrupy slickness I'm not going to knock down the score too much. I think this is a solid beer, it'll be interesting to see how this one ages. Definitely worth a try, it's surprisingly drinkable for a 32% ABV brew even though it took me about an hour to finish the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 22:06:26 | More by bluejacket74

tpd975

Florida

3.3/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Ratebeer Winter Gathering thanks to Diego.

A: Pours a deep brownish black with no head.

S: Evil smelling. A blend of liquid smoke, soy sauce, dirt, ash, and devils breath.

T: Earthy as hell. To call it smokey is an understatement. Lots of peat and moss with dirt still attached. The booze is there and does not even try to hide itself.

M: On the fuller side of medium, earthy, very bold.

D: Not at all. take an ounce or two of this one and sip for awhile. It really is not as bad as people say it is just overthetop in every way.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 13:51:21 | More by tpd975

dgilks

Australia

4.55/5  rDev +31.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This review is for Batch 007. I have heard bad things about other batches, but I thought this one was very good.

Clearish, red-orange colour verging onto brown. IT pours with a small head which disappears nearly instantly. Lots of legs.

Big aroma with lots of alcohol hotness, dark fruits, chocolate and plenty of smoky Islay whisky notes. It really is quite good and intense. That said, it's about as close to beer as it is to a good spirit.

Lots of flavour here. Behind a big shot of alcohol is lots of spicy, smoky phenols. Heaps of bitterness too with a moderate roast character. It's really interesting and grows on me. I get a touch of vegemite yeast character. Interestingly, the alcohol is hotter than it is in Sink the Bismark!

Medium body with low carbonation but with a prickly, hot alcohol.

This is an interesting beer and I don't quite know how to rate it. I like the beer, it is like nothing else out there and the hot whisky character works nicely, particularly if you like Islay scotch. Some will say that this beer is not beer, others will say that it is a stunt, others simply will not like it. I disagree with them and think that this is a legitimate contribution to brewing and am happy I've been able to try it.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 11:09:13 | More by dgilks

champ103

Texas

1.73/5  rDev -50%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Reviewed from notes. Sampled when James came to Houston a while back, and again at a BA Stout tasting.

A: Pours a dull, nearly opaque brown color. A tiny bubbly tan head forms, and in an instant is gone. No lace, and looks dead and lifeless.
S: Not as unpalatable as I was expecting. Sweet toffee with some figs and raisins. Plenty of smoke, and of coarse alcohol.
T: This is pretty unpalatable here though. Big and boozy. Ethanol and fusel like. Moldy dry wood, smoke, ash, and rubber. Cloying sweetness and some raisins try to make its presents known.
M/D: Really weak. Not very viscous, but thin and watery. Way under carbonated as well. Do I even have to say it? Not something I ever care to drink again.

The good news is I did not have to pay for either of my two oz samples. Both times I think it was a drain poor though. What was the point of this again? As harsh and unenjoyable a beer I have had in a while.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 19:51:16 | More by champ103

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

33cl bottle poured into a Lost Abbey style tulip at the BrewDog pub in Camden Town. £6 for a dram. Not bad.

A: Still red-brown body; coats the glass with thick legs and a light brown hue. Looks appropriately intimidating.

S: Monstrous. Booze is first and foremost, with plenty of sugary sweetness as well: butterscotch, creme brulee, and vanilla. I kind of like it.

T: Sweet. Diabetic-coma-inducing sweet. Sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and toffee. A touch of coffee. Oh, and of course plenty of burning booze. A little too treacly for me, but a tasty sipper all the same.

M: Thick, viscous, and glue-like. So sticky. Not good.

O: I think I just developed a new cavity or two. Wow that's sticky-sweet. On the plus side, it led to an amazingly aromatic burp while waiting to catch the tube back to my friend's flat - everyone on the platform was treated to a potent whiff of Penguin.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 18:58:51 | More by woosterbill

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

1.18/5  rDev -65.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Thanks to dpuia for sharing a 375ml bottle of this hyped-up beer on 2/1/11. Let's see how this turns out...

A - Emerged from the bottle as a menacing reddish brown murky mess with no head or carbonation, but plenty of oozy "leggings" (aka clear lacing) all over the glass.

S - Aroma is not appetizing at all. AT ALL. Some things that come to mind? Here's a list: beef jerky, dog treats, soy sauce, wet dog food and old shoes. Wow. I am afraid to put this in my mouth!

T - Oh my God! This is literally alcoholic soy sauce, or even moreso akin to Worcestershire sauce with rancid meat. TNP exhibits perpetual alcohol burn on the palate. Awful, or as the British might say... dreadful! I wish I could give this score a "zero". This is dis-freakin'-gusting!

M - Medium bodied with an oily, slick texture. Alcohol burn is akin to rubbing alcohol.

D - This beer had me longing for a Bud Chelada chaser! We saved this for the last beer of the night, and we actually had to drink something else (AleSmith Decadence) to get the flavor off our palates. To quote Bubbles: "You can barely get 'er in ya, but my fuck it'll get you some drunk!"

Brewslut's Quote of the Day:
"It smells like a box of old shoes."

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 15:21:20 | More by ffejherb

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.05/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I've had this on a couple of occasions, but never really sat down to review this, until now.
This pours a thick black with the viscosity of motor oil only darker. A vigorous pour produced hints of a head that disappeared almost instantly. Smells of roast and chocolate a little bit, but really this is an overwhelming scotch and peat bomb. Lots of higher alcohol and that smoky peaty aroma that you get from a scotch is amplified from the freezing process. The taste does have some stout attributes, roast, caramel and fruit, but those are buried deep beneath the onslaught of smoked peat moss. Thick body, light level of carbonation, burning sweet smokey mouthfeel. In small quantities this is a fine nightcap, albeit a bit rough. I'm glad I got to try this, but wouldn't seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 00:02:39 | More by johnnnniee

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Small sample at the Beerbistro brewdog dinner, and at this strength, a small sample is all you need.

Intense black pour with the faintest whisp of a tan head. Big tobacco nose, with strong ash tray aromas mixing with stale coffee grounds and a surprisingly light alcohol. Considering its weight, the alcohol isn't as prominent in the flavour as I would expect, and what I'm getting instead is some really powerful tobacco and smoke notes. There's coffee and dark chocolate in the background too. An interesting mix, but the concentration of flavours I'm not overly fond of doesn't really do much for me. Medium oily mouthfeel.

Interesting and worth trying, but not really all that great a beer. Funny, my favourite of the whole night was ther 5am Saint, which by Brewdog standards is a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 00:57:52 | More by bobsy

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

2.85/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Some how I ended up with a caged and corked 375 ml green bottle of this. Well, not quite ended up, I forked over a lotta clams to get this, although I was expecting a 12 oz. bottle instead. Bottle wrapped in brown paper bag, simple felt drawing of a penguin and 32% drawn on it. I allowed it to breathe for about an hour

Cork releases with a small pop. Poured out about 2 oz. into a taster glass from the local homebrewing guild. The appearance is that of a dark brown, with a mahogany nimbus and cola highlights when held to light, somewhat translucent. No head whatsoever.

Aroma is sharp, boozy and somewhat vinous. Beneath all that is a character of roasted malt and coffee. Intense warming alcohol emanates out with every inhale. No real refinement to it though, it's sharp booze like moonshine or everclear.

The flavour is far more refined than the aroma hints at, thankfully. Sharp spike of raisin and alcohol up front, softening up with coffee, dark roasted malts and some peat on the finish. The aftertaste dries out considerably, while the alcohol heat increases. Some char, licorice root and molasses can be detected now and then as it sits and breathes.

Mouthfeel is thin, texture is slick, slippery and a bit silky, carbonation is absent.

One can question--and many have--what kind of beer this is left after being distilled so many times? Fortunately the presence of roasted malt still found in the flavour offers some familiar territory and a beery enough hallmark to let it pass for something beyond an alternative form of spirits. I'll give BrewDog points for experimenting and pushing the limits, though that probably won't be represented very well with the scoring of the finished product. I can understand the hefty price tag based on the process involved in making this, however the justification of the consumer to pay for it given the calibre of the end result is questionable. Then again I am no better, just a beer geek who eventually bought into the novelty factor and the fact that it became available locally, in order to see what the hype was about all for myself, and I suppose to cross this one off the list in the end. Been there, done that, won't be buying another ticket. The final word? This stuff becomes palatable once you let it breathe a bit, the aroma is perhaps the most off-putting factor of it all, yet when all is said and done the flavour is far from complex--especially compared to the complex process necessary to produce it--and not really worth the cost for it, especially since there are far more intense, complex and approachable Strong Ales/RIS's on the market for a fraction of the price tag. A novelty you'll have to ask yourself whether you'll buy into or not. However you never know, this stuff may turn into pure gold after several more years of aging, and those with deep pockets and stoic patience may win out in the end. For now it's just a crap shoot of skepticism....

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 11:55:42 | More by IronDjinn

nickd717

California

2.8/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Bottle generously shared by Nick3 on BA - thanks, Nick. *COUGH* gimmick! *COUGH* I'm glad I got to try what was briefly (before the release of Schorschbräu Schorschbock 40%) the world's *COUGH* biggest gimmick! *COUGH* strongest beer. Wow, I really seem to have a terrible cough today. In all seriousness though, this "beer" is definitely interesting, although overpriced and overhyped. I liked it more than others at the tasting, but make no mistake, it will floor you. I feel weird calling this a beer, as it was a lot more like a liquor.

Pours very dark brown with a small tan head and great legs. This is a thick one for sure.

Aroma is very hot and boozy, like a rough scotch. Booze socks you in the face as hard as that guy in the bar punched Snooki on "Jersey Shore." Sweet caramel, roast, oak, and vanilla poke through the intense alcohol.

The most prominent flavor in this beer is BOOOZE! I didn't add all those Os for the hell of it. You're going to taste every bit of that 32% ABV. Bud Select 55 this is not. Definitely too hot. Someone else at the tasting commented that they should have eised and then -bal aged this, not the other way around. I agree. 10 years or so of age might do this beer good. Once you get past the booze though, it's a nice beer. Roasted malt and caramel malt, toffee, oak, and mild peat smoke. Like a Scotch, this needs time to round out. Poor execution there on BrewDog's part in my opinion.

Hot and boozy on the palate with good carbonation, unlike most other beers this strong, and fairly full body. Crazy beer overall, just crazy.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 23:28:59 | More by nickd717

rarbring

Sweden

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

The beer is dark brown, a chestnut small head with little lacing but good curtains.

Smelling much of roasted tones, raisins, glühwein and a bit funky.

The taste is dominated by sweet dark fruits, strong wine, some sausages and a slight booze presence.

Nearly no carbonation, oily and alcoholic, a coarse dry finish. Big body.

A hard and complex beer - or whatever it is.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 18:38:47 | More by rarbring