Brew Dog has an entire Paradox series of these beers, so this could easily become an expensive habit - "collect the whole set!". I was told at the bar that when the rep came in to pitch the product and do a staff tasting they treated these bottles like rare Burgundy and alloted all but the tiniest tastes before squirreling the bottles back into the cooler. Brew Dog chooses whisky barrels that aren't just 'good' but exceptional - this is likely the closest I'll ever come to truly high end scotch.
Aroma:
Deep unsweetened molasses and caramel sherry reduction. Reminded me of what it must be like to remove the cork from the top of a 20 year old barrel of balsamic and breath deep.
Taste:
We drank while it was still fairly cold, which certainly limited the complexity this brew truly offers (I regret this), but damn was it delicious! Every possible component of this monster came through loud and clear, a momentous task considering the strength of each component ran the risk of overpowering the other. The sweet and sour combo of a great imperial stout was right there where it belonged while the scotch and wood sang complex notes akin to wine tannins before the sherry ran away with the aftertaste. To simplify it a bit, imagine a great big stout with a shot of reduced wine vinegar syrup dropped in and you'll get the idea.
A great beer to enjoy outside on a rainy Portland spring evening, perfect for the moment. Was it worth a buck an ounce? If the situation fits and you have great friends to share it with - there's no question that this beer delivers on it's promise.
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