Cask Aged Beer For A Cold Night
It was yet another cold and windy evening, which was OK with me because I was ready to try a beer that had been in storage for nearly a year, the BrewDog Paradox Macallan. Paradox is a series of Imperial Stouts that are aged in various Whiskey casks. The Macallan is aged in a 1987 Macallan Sherry cask. I tried it with some 85% cocoa dark chocolate from Trader Joes:
Ok, here’s the bottom line, BUY THIS BEER! That is if you can find it. BrewDog produces each version in small quantities so the Macallan could be hard to find. Paradox Macallan is an excellent beer with a great mix of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, as well as a touch of whiskey/sherry that is great. The 10% ABV is well hidden but this is still a sipper. Everything is well blended and balanced. To get the most from this fairly expensive beer, make sure to enjoy it at a minimum of 55 degrees, 60 would be better. Think of this as a bottle of lower ABV Scotch and you will be fine. I’m anxious to try some of the other versions of this beer. Stay tuned for those reviews
Here is the score:
- Appearance- 9 points (out of 10)
- Smell- 9 points (out of 10)
- Taste- 19 points (out of 20)
- Drinkability- 9 points (out of 10)
Total 46 (out of 50) Points- A 5 Mug Rating
ABV 10%
Approximate Calories
258-291 (11.2oz)
Hey Mark,
I’ve had a couple from this line, and I agree they’re fantastic. You should check out the Glen Grant incarnation; It’s superb. Also, did you hear about Sink the Bismarck!? A 43% ABV quadruple IPA. These guys are crazy.
Hey Chris,
The Macallan is the only one I’ve had but I want to try a couple others. I have enjoyed all the BrewDog beers I’ve had so far and would love to try the Bismark and Tactical Nuclear Penguin. They are definitely pushing the bounds as far as what “beer” is! Oh, by the way, I have a bottle of DFH 120 (and maybe another in a couple of weeks), would you and Randy be interested in trying it?
Great review. I have seen some of these at the shop I go to, but it’s hard to justify spending that much on a single bottle. I might splurge and save it for Christmas (or another special occasion).
Yeah, 10+ dollars for a bottle is pretty steep. But, it is an excellent beer. I don’t buy a lot of these types of beer either. Every once in a while is fine though.