Well well well.
I’ve hung on to this drink for the right moment to try it.
New Year’s Eve seems like a decent time.
This is a HUGE bottle of beer.
The cap popped with a definite mist of fruit soaked in rum.
The aroma isn’t anything new, it’s the intensity of the aroma that’s different.
I took a mouthful, having looked for some time at the deep, rich liquid sitting in the glass, and the first thing to hit me was the heat.
It’s not a bad alcohol burn though, it’s a beautiful spirit heat – warming your chest and sitting sexily in your belly.
And the heat provides a terrific platform for this stout.
Thick, deep, dark chocolate wrapped around stewed prunes and plums, the skins intact, providing a lovely acidity that cuts through and keeps your palate fresh.
I’ve just taken another sip and man alive, this beer is full of hidden depths.
There’s a definite biscuit malt which is almost conventional, until the fragrance of the jasmine sends you off at a tangent, setting you up for a blast of sweet shop liquorice dipped in sherbet.
Finally, as with 99% of BrewDog beers, the hopping is exquisite.
Full of lemon juice and grapefruit zest, the finish is dry and crisp and delicious and, even though you know you shouldn’t because your brains are going wonky, you demand another swig.