BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 009)
Bottle; Special.
NOTE: Marked batch 009 on the bottle label. Matured in an Ardbeg cask although this is not detailed on the label.
This Imperial Stout has been matured in specially selected Islay Malt Whisky casks.
This aging process infuses into the beer all the threatening smoke, the encapsulating peat, the Atlantic essence and raw power of Scotland’s most distinctive Whiskies.
NOTE: Marked batch 009 on the bottle label. Matured in an Ardbeg cask although this is not detailed on the label.
This Imperial Stout has been matured in specially selected Islay Malt Whisky casks.
This aging process infuses into the beer all the threatening smoke, the encapsulating peat, the Atlantic essence and raw power of Scotland’s most distinctive Whiskies.
3.6
191 reviews
Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Community reviews
Bottled. A red-brown beer with a dark brown head. The aroma has notes of iodine, roasted malt, and wood. The flavor is sweet with notes of alcohol, roasted malt, and iodine.
Shared at DLD. Pour is jet black with a small tan head. The head fades instantly and leaves decent lacing. Aroma is of smoked malts, musk, earth, cigars. Flavor is of oak and smoke in the front with some booze and muskiness in the finish. Body has some hints of caramel and chocolate as well. Medium/heavy bodied, less than great carbonation/mouth-feel.
Pour is jet black with next to no head. Nose is very scotchy, with earthy tones. Taste is the same and the stout presence is still there, though it is dominated by the peaty earthy tones. The warming sensation is there as well in the mouthfeel which is thick and oily.
Bottle at Papsø’s - Thanks. Clear very dark brown - offwhite head. Smokey, ashtray, burned, berries, peated, harsh, high smokey, licorice, fullbodied, wooden, tartness, light whiskey. Nice.
Bottle at Papsø.
Clear dark brown coloured with a small beige head.
Light roasted aroma of whisky and peat.
Sweet and light roasted flavour of whisky, peat, smoke and earth.
Roasted finish.
@papsoe tasting
very dark brown, small brown head.
quite powerfull aroma of tar, peat, whiskey, roasted stuff,
flavor is licorice, roasted malts, whiskey, wood, peat smoke, charchoal, well composed and very tasty.
Bottle 33 cl. Courtesy of bu11zeye. Pours black with an orange hue and a rough beige head. Loads of tar and iodine in the nose - this is Islay for you alright! Solid body, fairly sweet hard roast, some dark fruits and then overpowering peat and tar. Roasty finish. 150311
Black with little tan head / Rich nose of cigar box, molasses, and oak / Full body, thick and lightly syrupy, almost flat, with great balance and finish / Flavors of peat smoke, whiskey, oak, and dark roast coffee / Not sure it’s needs to be this flat, even with 3 mos aging, but still great stuff.
Aroma is incredible Islay iodine!(I couldn’t resist an alliterative beer moment...forgive me.) There is also good smoke, roasted malts, and a bit of chocolate on the nose. Appearance is black with 1 finger of beautiful tan head and minimal lacing. Flavor is iodine, peat, pale malt, caramel, and chocolate. Medium bodied with a very satisfying smoky finish. Well done!
Pours a deep dark colour with a minimal tan head. Aromas are whisky, smoke, wood, roasted malts, chocolate and coffee. The bitterness is mixed with a strange alcoholic sourness on the finish... but that’s great ! Not to drink every day, but a enjoyable experience !
Bottled sample via and shared with oakbluff. Near black in colour with s bit of fizzy carbonation. Huge Ardbeg scotch aromas of peat smoke, iodine backed by pale chocolate and caramel malts. More of that wonderful iodine and peat smoke show up in the mouth, along with salty chocolate and pale malt flavours. Medium bodied. I am a huge fan of Ardbeg scotch, and this beer does not disappoint.
Bottle shared by obguthr at the 12th Richmond Ratebeer Gathering on 9/18/10. Pours a clear dark reddish brown color with a thin head. Aroma of scotch, caramel, earthy notes, light smokiness. The taste is scotch, caramel, light roastiness and a smoky finish. Medium bodied.
Poured a rather opaque darkish brown. The smell is very strong of peat moss, and not much else. Does every brew dog beer have to have so much damn peat moss in it? Anyways.... The beer is fairly light bodied. The taste has a lot of smoked malts and did I mention peat moss? If anything this beer is for you if you like a ridiculous amounts of peat moss. Otherwise, don’t bother.
Bottle 33lc. A brown ale with no head. Smell is very smoked. Aroma is on oak and smoked malt, less sweet and not too roasted, less complex than the Arran one.
Sampled at the Richmond Gathering XII. Wow this is about as scotchy as it gets. Almost moldy. Big peat, and malt profile. I don’t think I actually like it all that much, but this is very unique. Never come across a brew with the same profile.
(Sample Date: 9/18/2010 Source:Obguther) Big earthy peated malt aroma. Black with little head. Moldy peaty burnt sugar flavor. Would go well with a cigar. Medium body and mouth. Finish is earthy with some astringency and residual bitterness. Interesting complexity.
Bottle courtesy of obguthr at the 12th Richmond Ratebeer Gathering on 09/18/2010. Dark brown body with a small creamy off-white head. Big peat and scotch aroma with some caramel. Huge peated malt flavor, scotch and some caramel background. Medium body with moderate carbonation.
pours a clear brown with a small tan head, and little to no lacing.
smell is of wild yeast, a little cocoa, and dark fruit.
taste is slightly sour, dark fruit, some chocolate in the back, malt, and salmon berry, ends a little on the tart side.
12oz bottle. poured black with two fnger of off white head. strong wiskey aroma, smoky peat, booze. flavor is also of iskey. very strongly the peat skoy and oak. body is otherwise thin and there isn’t much sweetness. slighy stick on the tounge. hmm. tastes like guiness with a shot of wiskey.
Dark brown coloured body with a glowing amber tint when held to a light and a thinnish tan head. Aroma of pungent potent whiskey casks, meat, mushrooms, alcohol, oak, roasted malt, some very minor sweetness and more meat. STRONG. Medium to Full-bodied; Potent oak and whiskey cask flavours at first with very little else as variance - strong as hell and potent meat tastes take over near the end. Aftertaste is pure alcohol warmth, malt, caramel and more of the mushroom/oak/whiskey tastes - a bit too strong. Overall, a decent beer and well balanced for people looking for a mix between beer and whiskey, but this is a bit too strong for me. I sampled this in conjunction with the Paradox Grain, and this was worse in my opinion. I sampled this 33 cL bottle purchased from Kybecca in Fredericksburg, Virginia on 31 May-2008, sampled on the Eastern Shore of Virginia on 28-May-2010. Best by - 22 March 2009.
Wow, you really get the Ardbeg scotch in here. Something about the body too, reminds me of Ardbeg’s Arry Nam Baysht- If you know that release versus the Ardbeg 10, then you might know what I’m talking about. I was really impressed with how Brew Dog captured the flavor of Ardbeg scotch without the smokey flavors taking this beer over and making it one of those beef jerky tasting smoked beers- looks like its all in the cask. Nice work. The Macallan expression is still their best though, and that’s coming from a guy who likes Islay whisky over Speyside whisky any day.
Cask conditioned at Banbury Beer Fest ’10. Dark brown with no head. Peaty, smokey with a strong whisky like flavour, some tar and a grainy mash note. Sweetish towards the finish.
Poured black, very little head. Massive, massive peaty and iodine Islay malt aroma. Haven’t had Ardberg before, but now I need to try this one. It was like opening a bottle of Laphroiag instead of a beer. Flavor is smooth chocolate that blends in really quite nicely with the Islay malts. Peat, iodine, salt, and chocolate, all together. Works absolutely brilliantly. Fantastic sipper when one can’t decide between a beer and a whisky. After having had so many out of balance bourbon bombs, this was a great change of place. A Scotch bomb, to be sure, but one that complemented the beer. Palate is surprisingly light, I should note.
Pours thick black from bottle with tan head, aroma is HUGE islay whiskey with big peat and smoke notes. Taste is unique, unlike any other! I believe its the islay whiskey, but it has big peat notes, with a nice dirt taste and a big whiskey finish with a ton of smoke that leaves your mouth very dry. I can appreciate the quality of the brew, but the tastes are not to my liking.
Pours BLACK with a thin creamy swirling head. Aroma is like smokey Irish rubber and whiskey. Flavor is earthy with grassy notes, there is some wonderful sweetness and smokey flavors is there you just have to exhale and not breath while your drink. All in all this is a decent brew, but not worth the price.
Whisky and Irish cream nose, medicinal. Cola colored, no head. Very strong flavor of creosote and hickory, boggy peat and smoke finish. Traces of blackberry. Thinnish mouthfeel for the style. Earthy and roasty like a schwarzbier and less like an imperial stout. Very distinctive and quite enjoyable.
Bottled. Thanks to gnoff.
Almost black, with airy beige head. Islay Whiskey smoke and burnt rubber nose. Pretty thin mouthfeel with dry profile. Islay whiskey overpowers everything. Two sips and then down the drain.
Near black, thin beige head, light lacing.
Aroma is very smoky, light alcohol, not a whole lot else.
Flavour is overpowered by the smoke, minerial, some alcohol, some bitterness.
Bitter, warm mouth, med/light body, mild carb.
Finishes thin, more smoke, lots of alcohol.
Even if was a smoked beer it wouldn’t be all that great. As an imperial stout it’s really thin and highly alcoholic. Not all that good.
330ml bottle obtained in a trade with TheCheeseMan, thanks Dan.
Opened on March 29, 2009.
Best before March 22, 2009.
Bottle. Pours a dark brune body with a tan head. Peat y malt y body with ashen hints of wooden whiskey and bitter roasted coffee. Dark with char and a medium bitterness. Nice ale.
0.33l - The rich, peat aroma fills the glass. That’s what I was hoping for as a big fan of Laphroiag. On the palate it’s peat and sensations of the ocean, capturing Islay in a glass.