3-4-T: Brewdog Beers

I'm reviewing Brewdog not twice...but thrice...this evening with 3 beers I've had from these whacky Scots recently...enjoy.

1. Brewdog Avery Brown Dredge

Well I've touched upon the extreme angle that Brewdog has in their line of beers before and it's clearly evident in this...pilsner? Ok, maybe this isn't one of their craziest beers, but Brewdog does have a baseline of regular beers such as an amber ale, IPA and fruity ale. This beer, a limited release, is a step above, an imperial pilsner at 7.5%. I mentioned it last week when reviewing the very same style brewed by Dogfish Head: I like to see what breweries that produce extreme beers can do with a basic style. Overall, this pilsner definitely didn't disappoint. It had some very robust hoppy bitterness right off the bat from the smell to the initial taste to the finish. The level of flavor wasn't what bothered me but rather the actual taste was just a bit off. I found it a little too sharp - peppery, grassy and a somewhat harsh carbonation. It wasn't unpleasant, just a tad off for me. It didn't slow me down from finishing it though. I'll take it over any pilsner...except Dogfish Head's My Antonia. :)

Overall Rating: B+

2. Brewdog Paradox Smokehead

Brewdog aged this imperial stout in a number (17?) of different types of whisky casks. This one used Smokehead whisky casks. I've never had Smokehead whisky, but it's an Islay scotch that's apparently heavy on the peat. It definitely comes through in the beer. The smell of smoky peat will paralyze you...which could be good or bad depending on how you feel about smoky peat. Personally, I love it. The only thing that I hesitate about with scotch-aged beer is that some of them just absorb the scotch flavor, which overpowers the flavor of the beer, resulting in what kind of tastes like watered down scotch. Although the scotch flavor and aroma is dominant in this beer, you can still taste some underlying chocolate malt. The only thing I can critique about this beer is the mouthfeel. As you can see in the picture, there's not really any head on this beer. I think salts in the scotch thin it out a little too much. I'm not looking for a nitro-like Guinness creamy mouthfeel but a little bit thicker would be nice.

Overall Rating: A-

3. Brewdog Tokio

In my notebook when tasting this beer, I wrote down, "This beer isn't f'in around." This is one of the strongest beers I've had at 18.2% ABV. So no...it's not f'in around. [Side note: I do have a bottle of Brewdog's Tactical Nuclear Penguin, their 32% beer...I'm saving that one for a rainy day] This beer is definitely one of the most interesting ones I've ever had, mostly due to the ingredients used in the stout: jasmine and cranberries. I could definitely taste the cranberries in this beer. First off, there was a surprising amount of head considering how strong this beer is. There was a copious amount of sweet alcohol and dark fruit on the nose with a gorgeous reddish hue. The dominant flavor I got from this beer was a sweet cranberry taste with a strong alcohol warmth. The sweet alcohol taste transitions into a nice oaky finish. This is far from an everyday beer...maybe a "once a year" beer...that you share with a friend. But it packs a LOT of flavor. And it's a good thing I cracked it open because the best before date was 12/14/19.

Overall Rating: A-