The third beer of my Christmas vacation is Rip Tide by BrewDog Brewery. BrewDog is a relatively new brewery in Scotland that I first learned about through a collaboration they did with Stone. They have now appeared in Florida with their full collection of bottled beers and this is my first opportunity to give them a try. The cooler weather always gets me in the mood for a stout and a Russian Imperial Stout is always a nice way to unwind. According to the brewer, Rip Tide is a "contemporary Scottish take on an age old Russian classic style originally brewed for the Tsars. Our interpretation brings together hops from both sides of the Atlantic, amazing flavoured malts and dark sugars." At 8% ABV this beer is smaller than many of the RIS's being brewed here in the US. BrewDog also adds muscavado sugar to this brew which is a first for me with this style. This type of sugar is a natural form of brown sugar made from sugarcane juice and has a noticeable molasses flavor. With the roasted and coffee flavors typical of stouts this could be a nice addition.
- Package: 660 mL bottle, batch 94 best by 12/12/09
- Appearance: Dark black; little to no foam and appears to be flat (may be low carbonation combined with being too cold from the refrigerator.)
- Aroma: Roasted coffee and chocolate combined with some sweetness
- Taste: Starts with a roasted sweetness with some caramel flavors that fade and give way to a heavier roasted flavor; Alcohol not as forward as normal with this style; Muscavado sugar is hard to pick out on its own as the sweetness I taste could also be from dark caramel malts
- Mouthfeel: Low gentle carbonation level which I am guessing is intended and is to style; Slightly creamy but now as full bodied as I prefer in a RIS
- Finish: Roasted grains and hop bitterness at a pleasant level
Overall this beer was enjoyable even if not to style or to my expectations of a RIS: It certainly was balanced and without any major flaws. I look forward to trying more beers by BrewDog to get a better handle on the craft scene across the pond.
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