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Viva Las Vegas!

As the title of this post would suggest (or perhaps vaguely hint at), I'm headed to Las Vegas this Sunday for a period of 5 days.

I've only been to Vegas one other time - in 2002. It was more of a family trip then, as my mother and stepfather accompanied me. We had a great time, but I'm looking forward to going on my "me trip" and being able to cut loose a bit. I'm going to catch a few shows, do a bit of light gambling and enjoy myself in general.

I stepped away from this blog for a few months after my TNP review, but I felt moved to revive it. Upon my return from Vegas, I'll post some pictures here of my escapades. I'll try to avoid doing anything that's TOO embarrassing.

I'm also open to gift ideas. I'm buying for 1) my six year old son (that shouldn't be too hard), and 2) a lovely lady that likes anime, enjoys reading, listening to metal, and playing video games. The latter of the two will be the challenge.

BrewDog's Tactical Nuclear Penguin: Review

Brewery: BrewDog | Beer: Tactical Nuclear Penguin
Style: Imperial Stout | ABV: 32% | IBUs: ?
Serving Method: 330 ml bottle (about 12 oz.) in a 17 oz. glass



I think BrewDog's information on the Tactical Nuclear Penguin (or the TNP) introduces this beer better than I ever could:

This is the worlds strongest ever beer, ever (yes ever).

No Penguins were harmed in the making of this beer; some humans did get very, very cold though. It was worth it.

The Antarctic name, inducing schizophrenia, of this Ÿber-imperial stout originates from the amount of time it spent exposed to extreme cold. This beer was initially double barrel aged for 14 months; maturing in the deep, rich oak of Scottish whisky casks. After this epic maturation the beer was then frozen, then frozen again, then frozen again.

Specifically, the TNP is made using the following:

Malts: Marris Otter, Dark Crystal, Caramalt, Chocolate Malt, Roast Barley

Hops: Galena, Bramling Cross

This mix, and the freezing process used to bump the ABV up to 32%, creates a wholly unique (and powerful) beer that can't really be compared or critiqued in the "traditional" sense. While I classify this as a review, please keep in mind that I'm far from the most qualified person to "seriously" critique the world's strongest beer (or any beer, for that matter). Nevertheless, I will continue with the review in my own particular idiom. Note: Please see my previous blog posts for an explanation of the review process and where I got my format.

Appearance: Dark - very dark, as most stouts are. I'd even say foreboding. There's no carbonation, and no head - exactly what you'd expect of something that's almost 1/3 alcohol. It might just be me, but when I was pouring the TNP, it seemed "thick." I think I was intimidated.

Aroma: The first thing I noticed was the alcohol - the scent was very prevalent, but I expected it would be. Also present (to my nose) was a nutty, chocolate smell. As was the case with the appearance, I was intimidated by the strong alcohol odor and might have missed something. Actually, intimidated isn't accurate - I was a little frightened of ingesting the TNP at this point.

Taste: After saying a quick prayer, I tried my first few sips of the TNP. Yep - definitely nutty and chocolate, and perhaps a little sweet. Definitely HIGH in alcohol, which is impossible to miss in the taste. Not too far off from sipping on a whiskey. Most importantly, I didn't die.

Mouthfeel: As in how did it feel in my mouth? For a beer this strong, surprisingly smooth. I gulped down a bit too much once and the alcohol assaulted my throat as a warning not to make the same mistake again.

Drinkability: The key word here is "sip" - you can't quaff this beverage. Well, you could, but you'd find yourself on the floor sooner rather than later. Compared to "normal" beer, the TNP doesn't score high in drinkability, but this isn't a normal beer. If you sip it, as it's intended to be consumed, it's actually rather drinkable. Just don't sip too fast.

Verdict: While not something I'd drink on a regular basis (the price alone would make sure of that), I had a great time with the TNP. For now, I can count myself among a (relative) handful of people in the world who have had the opportunity to experience the current world's strongest beer.

Grade: You can't put a grade on the world's strongest beer.

"Slight" Delay

Since last I posted, the Tactical Nuclear Penguin was consumed, pictures were taken, and impressions written down. That said, I haven't gotten around to organizing it into a coherent blog post. Initially, I'd hoped to have it up last weekend. When "last weekend" didn't appear to be in the cards, I suggested that it would be Monday or Tuesday (today) at the latest.

As I've had a migraine headache for the majority of the day, I'm postponing my review even further; for that, I apologize. I leave you instead with an age-old piece of wisdom that was passed down to me several years ago:

Some socks are blue.