Paradox - Islay (Batch 009)

Bottle shared by obguthr at the 12th Richmond Ratebeer Gathering on 9/18/10. Pours a clear dark reddish brown color with a thin head. Aroma of scotch, caramel, earthy notes, light smokiness. The taste is scotch, caramel, light roastiness and a smoky finish. Medium bodied.

Dark brown coloured body with a glowing amber tint when held to a light and a thinnish tan head. Aroma of pungent potent whiskey casks, meat, mushrooms, alcohol, oak, roasted malt, some very minor sweetness and more meat. STRONG. Medium to Full-bodied; Potent oak and whiskey cask flavours at first with very little else as variance - strong as hell and potent meat tastes take over near the end. Aftertaste is pure alcohol warmth, malt, caramel and more of the mushroom/oak/whiskey tastes - a bit too strong. Overall, a decent beer and well balanced for people looking for a mix between beer and whiskey, but this is a bit too strong for me. I sampled this in conjunction with the Paradox Grain, and this was worse in my opinion. I sampled this 33 cL bottle purchased from Kybecca in Fredericksburg, Virginia on 31 May-2008, sampled on the Eastern Shore of Virginia on 28-May-2010. Best by - 22 March 2009.

Whisky and Irish cream nose, medicinal. Cola colored, no head. Very strong flavor of creosote and hickory, boggy peat and smoke finish. Traces of blackberry. Thinnish mouthfeel for the style. Earthy and roasty like a schwarzbier and less like an imperial stout. Very distinctive and quite enjoyable.

Black with a lasting off-white head. Aroma of caramel, tar and peat. Ashy and smoke flavour with overwhelming peat.

22oz bottle @ Scheffel. Pours pitch black with a small creamy bubbly head. Nose is roast - chocolate, coffee and peat smoke in the back. Rubber and smoke. Smooth body. OK

33 cL bottle, courtesy of chris_o. Pours dark brown to black with a diminished tan head. Fruity and roasted malty aroma. Litght chalky aroma. Smoke and wooden flavour. Smooked and acidic flavoured into the finish. Lasting/lingering finish.

The Ardbbeg one, my favourite scotch so yes I’m biased. Dark brown and murky. Only a little head. Big iodine, peat, chocolate nose with smoke. Massive chocolate palate with iodine and big fat smoke. So Ardbeggy, but with chocolate. Rich and unbalanced, but what are you gonna do?

Bottled (BB 03/2009)
Almost opaque black (ruby) color, very small head. Strong Islay whisky, oak barrel aroma. Smokey, woody flavor dominated by whisky. Dry palate, alcohol picks up in the finish. Oaky aftertaste. Good as these Paradoxes are (always).

Bottled (thanks omhper!). Pitch black colour, mediumsized off-white/beige head. Aroma is peat, oak, tar and smoke. Flavour is dry wood, peat, very dry, mildly leathery notes as well as smoky. Quite mild Paradox Islay...