Thursday, February 26, 2009
Edinburgh is not a good beer town, and for a beer connoisseur like myself, it has been difficult to locate excellent local brews to enjoy. Enter: Brew Dog. A growing craft brewery in Northern Scotland, their beers are perhaps some of the most interesting I have tasted over here. Mind you, however, they are not for the faint-hearted. In addition to their relatively high ABV, Brew Dog beers tend to have rather intense ingredients. In short, they don't really do session ales.
In any case, I recently ordered a new case they are offering called "Deals for Punks" that includes two of their newest beers. Neither has yet seen a wide release, so I was eager to try their new offerings. The package arrived yesterday, and in addition to the two new brews (Chaos Theory and Zeitgeist), it included a pint glass, a lapel pin, and a temporary tattoo. Good times, indeed. Now, to the beers:
Chaos Theory
I haven't always liked hoppy beers, and I think that it is only the lack of really hoppy beers over here in Edinburgh that has led me to appreciate these difficult beers. Chaos Theory is an IPA weighing in at 7.1% ABV and pours a deep copper colour with nice lacing in the glass. The ale smells of hops; you know what you are getting into before you take that first sip. Indeed, though there are nice fruit tastes on the front of the tongue, these are followed up by intense hops. Still, if you are into hoppy drinks, this one is strangely refreshing, though certainly not a session ale. Overall, a bigger, burlier version of their Punk IPA.
Zeitgeist
I'm not really sure what they have planned for this one. They have created a website dedicated to it, and oddly, the Brew Dog logo is nowhere to be found on the bottle. The beer, this one a black lager at 4.9% ABV, pours a deep black, nearly opaque, but not quite. The aromas are what one would expect - roasted coffee, chocolate, and the like. The taste is quite nice, again with the roasted coffee and malts, but the finish is lighter than one would expect from the colour. It almost reminded me of a stout, but it wasn't quite as thick as a stout. A nice beer, though again, I can't see this being a session beer.
Overall, a nice set of beer and beer paraphernalia. UK residents, do give these a try.