Being a cheeky bugger, having given a mention to BrewDog’s awesome and controversial Tokyo* imperial stout, I blagged a sample from them for review purposes. Thanks guys, you were very generous.
The other night I finally got round to trying it. I gave it an hour in the fridge and then drank it half at a time in a wine glass. To be honest, Pete Brown sums it up perfectly, and there’s not a lot I can add. It is incredibly thick, dark, rich and heavy, with a taste redolent of molasses and dates, but it remains very identifiable as a beer, and it is drier than you might expect. I would certainly echo Pete’s comment that you would struggle to get through a 330ml bottle in less than an hour. The closest comparison I can think of is some Pedro Ximenez dessert wine I once had.
It’s the last beer in the world you would want to binge on – realistically it is something like a vintage malt or claret that you would want to keep for special occasions. This only served to underline how misplaced were the criticisms of the anti-drink lobby.
Perhaps they should make it available in 170ml bottles which would be more suitable for a single serving.