Brewdog: BD/AB/01 Flapjack Stout (Scotland: Stout: 4.9% ABV)
Visual: Black, browned off white head that leaves suds.
Nose: Charring. Honey. Heather. Charcoal. Treacle. Quite roasted.
Body: Bitter chocolate. Oatmeal. Honey. Treacle. Actually, yeah kinda like flapjack in the middle. Toffee. Slight orange crème. Slight yeastiness underneath.
Finish: Honey and treacle. Flapjacks again. Quite thick sheen left on the tongue. Orange. Liquorice. Dry bitter chocolate.
Conclusion: Quite a satisfying beer this one. The honey calls to the scotch ale version of Dogma and its similar offshoots. This however is much more grounded to keep the sweetness from getting sickly.
There’s charring up front that can be to almost charcoal style, and a big bitter chocolate body that runs straight through to the finish. These are rough elements, but much needed to brace against the sweetness. Ah yes, the sweetness, seriously, mid body this thing is a honeyed flap jack. It is only for a moment, compressed between the early opening and the later body to early finish, but damn if it isn’t there, especially on large mouthfuls.
I would never call it sessionable, despite its reasonable abv considering the weight, but it lasts a half much better than misspent youth, balancing the rough and smooth well to create a full bodied and enjoyable beer.
Like a reigned in oatmeal stout with the flavor pushed big and rough edges. All harsh initially, then big sweetness, it is odd but with lots of charm in its intentions.
Well worth a half.
Background: What a great idea, each Brewdog bar is going to get a chance to brew their own beer, which is then put on keg in the Brewdog bars. I have already suggested that the beer scene is a bit like the old music scene in that you tend to get very localized areas with great scenes and I think this can but help. Also because I am childish I started wondering if there were any Brewdog bars in cities that would be abbreviated to SM. Possibly made with insane amounts of chilli, horseradish and aged on leather. Anyway…. This, as you may have guessed, is the first beer which comes from Brewdog Aberdeen .This has been made with oats, all UK hops, blossom honey, golden syrup and cinnamon in an attempt to replicate Flapjack flavours. As always I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog beers.
