BrewDog Paradox Isle of Arran (Batch 016)
Paradox Isle of Arran = Stout Aged in Isle of Arran Whisky Barrels - This Imperial stout has been matured in specially selected Islay Malt Whisky Casks. The 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.
3.8
580 reviews
Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Community reviews
Draught at BrewDog, Camden on 4 Mar 2012. Poured black, with a dense tan head. Aroma of vanilla, chocolate, fruitcake and whisky. Dark fruits in the flavour, with dates, prunes, molasses, peal and roasted malt. Full, thick mouthfeel. Finish was earth, burnt malt, rum and whisky.
Visual: Pours coffee black-brown with barely any head, a thin layer of ultra-micro retention, no visible activity.
Nose: BIG roasted coffee caramel malt, very thick (lvl-10)-pungency
Attack: thicker viscosity, light-fizzy, slick
Mid-palate: thick-bodied, (lvl-7)-sweetness, (MAIN) persistent whisky alcohol detection, malt, cacao, chocolate, caramel, fig/date, coffee, soy sauce
Finish: deep-roasted coffee bitter, residual malty sweetness + lingering roasted bitter finish.
Summary: Solid depth of flavours and complexity, but more alcohol (as well as other subtle spices) come through as it cools down. Great overall brew but no distinct attention-grabbing traits particularly stood out, other than the whisky alcohol influence.
Sampled on draft at Hou Thou (they listed it at 10% so I am guessing this was the version even though it is retired) this beer poured thick, black and a bit oily with a large foamy dark brown head that lingered and left good lacing. The aroma was whiskey, anise, booze, dark fruits, chocolate and vanilla. The flavor was boozy - but in a way that worked - and was very malty with strong notes of vanilla, marshmallow and chocolate and hints of anise and more cognac than whiskey. Very long finish and the booziness grows almost to the point of distraction. Full bodied. Outstanding.
330 ml bottle. Pours an opaque, dark brown with a very thin tan head that vanishes completely. Aroma of roasted malt, whiskey, liquorice, dark chocolate and caramel. Sweet flavour of roasted malt, liquorice, dark chocolate and vanilla with a dry, bitter, whiskey finish. Medium body with an oily texture and flat carbonation.
Imperial stout matured on Arran barrels, with thin beige head and totally black colour. Rich and powerful aroma of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, bread, wood, walnuts; deep malty taste, bitter chocolate, candied fruits, woody finish with notes of single malt but a slightly disappointing finish: a bit thin and watery, especially in relation to the ageing on whisky barrels and the 10% ABV. Not as spectacular as what I’m used to from Brewdog.
Bottle at Craig’s. Pours black, sweet, roasty malts, harsh, chocolate, liquorice.
Darkest brown, tinged beige ringed head. Climbing whiskied clean coffee richness. Sweet brown sugar single matliness hangs tight. Rich rolling maltiness throughout. Overtly sweet, rich and a firm choc and a wet soil finish. Really really held up well.
Bottle, from the CAGarvie Brewdog stash, Not So April Fools Tasting
Sehr dunkelbraunes, fast schwarzes Bier mit geringer bräunlichen Schaumkrone. Geruch sehr röstmalzig, Kaffee, Schokolade, holzig. Geschmack intensiv röstmalzig, holzig, Kaffe, Schokolade, leicht alkoholisch.
Pours in black body with high creamy head. Aroma has licorice, nutty, coffee, light vanilla, tobacco, woody. Taste is caramel sweet, noticeable alcohol, woody bitterness, whisky character. Very balanced. Body is full, medium carbonation, oily.
Plums, booze, toffee. Pours black with a thin dark tan head. Lots of fruit. A hint of cocoa. A little salt (?). Medium bodied. Just a little boozy with some lasting warmth in the throat.
330ml bottle, batch 16, dark brown color, with a small tan head, with a mild maple syrup, coconut, vanilla, chocolate, mocha nose, with a faint smoked peat, roasted, black malt, soy sauce, whisky note, and a liquorice, wood, dried dark fruit accent in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a warmth fruit yeast, dried raisin, date, chocolatey, vanilla oak barrel, whisky smoked peat, roasted, black malty character, with a light black coffee, licorice, burnt fruitcake flavour, leading towards a warming, chocolatey, fruity, faint black coffee, lingering whiskyish finish.
To jest najpyszniejszy Imperial Stout, jaki piłem! Skosztowałem tego cuda w święta końca 2013 roku i dostarczył mi niesamowitych doznań. Torfowy, ziemisty smak, zapach taki majestatyczny, naprawdę przywołujący wiele skojarzeń... Łyk w ustach rozbudzał kolejne smaki, a w drodze do żołądka piwo nabierało mocy, której nie było czuć zupełnie na początku. Rozgrzewał i rozleniwiał... Dla mnie to mistrzostwo! Rewelacyjne i majestatyczne piwo!
Bottle bought some place I can’t remember. Pours black with a small frothy dark mocha head that quickly dissipates without leaving much trace on the glass. Smell is malty with roasted malts, grape juice, peat, dark chocolate, sweetened dark roast coffee, hay, smoked ham, vanilla fudge and charred wood. Taste is sweet, bitter and malty with roasted malts, vanilla fudge, peat, low quality scotch, smoke, burnt wood, toffee, bitter chocolate, dark roast coffee, hay and alcohol. Mouthfeel is soft, roasted astringent, boozy and medium to full bodied. Finish is bitter and malty with roasted malts, dark roast coffee, bitter chocolate, peat, hay and alcohol. Decent Islay whisky imperial stout.
Bottle. Pours black, with a finger thick reddish head. Aroma is burned malts, grain and leather, as well as some whiffs of cardboard. Full creamy body with soft carbonation. Flavour is very heavy with burned malts, liquorice, coffee and tobacco.
12oz bottle pours a dark black with a tan head. Tasted flat but had some oak and malt taste.
Botella de 33 cl en el lúpulo. Junio de 2012. Lote 016. una gran imperial stout en barriles de whisky de la isla de arran. Cuerpo fuerte con 10 vol que se notan bastante. Sensación de madera quemada con toques secos de whisky y tostados muy buena. Gran cerveza, para repetir sin duda.
Dark black red body. Small beige head. Aroma reminds me of bourbon or port. Some smokiness. Sweet taste. Oily texture. A bit flat. For 10% alcohol is not overpowering. I like it.
Aroma of port and oak. Hint of smoke, prunes, roasted malts, and cognac. Very sweet. Bottled 08/08/08, tasted 12/31/13; definitely aged too long, flat and no hop flavor left.
Dark brown with a tan head. Fermented grape aroma with a dark chocolate background. Malty flavor with coffee notes and some dark chocolate flavors. No hops flavor present. This one was a little flat.
Ridicilously strong tasting beer. Beer has notes of dark roasted malt and coffee. The whiskey flavors of the barrel aging gives the beer a warm and complex richness. Very good.
Dark brown with beige big head. Nice light chocolate aroma, also wood and alchol. At taste is light sweet and dry, liqueur flavour with long persistence.
Bottle @ delirium pub Merate. Colore marrone scuro, opalescente, con abbondante schiuma beige molto fine e cremosa all’aspetto. Profumo complesso.Intenso di alcolico lievemente torbato, nulla a che vedere con la Smokehead, note di caffè freddo, frutta sotto spirito, legno e tostato. Gusto in linea coi profumi, in evidenza il caffè , si avverte un lupopolatura che al naso era nascosta dalla prepotenza degli altri aromi. Di corpo un po’ debole per lo stile. Non riempie la bocca come ci si aspetterebbe, non ha quella sensazione di liquoroso delle altre paradox.
Old rating rerated 11.10.2013, 0,33l bottle @ home:
Nice slightly brown creamy longlasting head. Aroma is mild and balanced, dark malts, oak, alcohol, cocoa, licorice, dark sugar, coffee. Taste is mild and slightly sour-ish dry, dark malts, oak, licorice, alcohol, sour coffee, grass, cocoa. Medium bitterness, slightly dry mouthfeel. Nice. This one has aged really nice, and is now very balanced where it used to be really sweet and all over the place some years ago.
This bottle was from 2008. The aroma was predominantly whiskey and wood. This was coal black with virtually no head. What fizz it had was pretty much gone. Thankfully, it didn’t affect my enjoyment. Smooth a creamy with very little carbonation. Taste was of chocolate, wood and whiskey. Some roasted flavors hiding in the back. Good and interesting.
330 ml bottle. Pours a red-orangeish tinted black with a nice beige head. Aroma is hazelnut, smoke, fruits, coffee, pear, herbs. Flavor is cocoa, dark chocolate, hazelnut, smoke. Finish is coffee, wood, vanilla. Medium body, oily mouthfeel, weak carbonation. Pretty solid.
This is a massive beer. Poured from 12oz bottle from lakeview Liquors at home. Black flats pour with no head. Huge oil bourbon sweet aroma. Also sweet whiskey cocoa taste. Vanilla notes. Good beer. A sipping beer
shared by VT, thanks bro. pours dark brown, red tint, with a small light beige head, some retention. burnt caramel, vanilla, fruitiness, some smoke, booze and swetness. moderate to low carbonation, medium body - oily but not that heavy, smooth mouthfeel, grassy-peppery finish. ok.
Bottle. Dark in color with tan head. Aroma of roared coffee. Strong taste of roasted coffee with hints of malt. Bitter aftertaste
2008 vintage bottle from The Porter. Aroma of whiskey/booze and dates. Pours opaque dark brown with slight toffee colored head. Taste of roasted coffee with a boozy aftertaste.
Black pour ruby hue thin to no off white head ... aroma of anise, berries, dark roasted malts, caramel malts and light chocolate .... taste is of dark berries, roasted malts, light anise, sugary caramel malts, light chocolatey malts and somewhat of a bitter bite ... mouthfeel is oily, body is medium and smooth ..... no trace of whiskey ..... abv hidden well