It’s August newsletter, Scottish craft brewery, Brewdog, announced it had yet again brewed the world’s strongest beer. This one weighing in at 55% ABV. For the longest time, Samuel Adams Utopias was the strongest, weighing in at around 7%, depending on the year. Then last year, Brewdog hatched its Tactical Nuclear Penguin, weighing in at 32%. This was achieved by freezing the beer, removing water from it, thus increasing the alcohol by volume. Soon after, German brewer, Schorschbrau, came up with a brew that was 40% ABV.Ok, now we’re justing trying to one up each other. Not to be out done, Brewdog came bck with a 41% ABV concoction called ‘Sink the Bismark!’. Now Brewdog has arrived at ‘The End of History’. A 55% ABV beer.
Although beers of this high an alcohol concentration should be enjoyed in very small pours and over a sufficient period of time, it’s hard to really enjoy these beers. Utopias was pushing it as it is. That tasted like a fine cognac and a very good one. With Tactical, Sink The Bismark! and The End of History, we seem to be getting to the point where were artificially upping the abv simply because we can, and not pushing the edge of brewing.
It seems to be trendy to have the highest ABV beer out there and as much as I love and respect what Brewdog is and seems to be trying to do, please, let’s stop the madness and brew a beer that isn’t a marketing ploy. Brewdog has some very solid beers and I buy many of them, let’s stick with creative and not blow my palette .
That being said, I don’t mean to offend the fine folks at Brewdog. I love their stuff. I just had to get this off my chest.
Just posted an article about the High ABV Arms Race myself. I’m with you in that I would like to try these beers and I realize also that it’s just good advertisement for these breweries. But I am also not somehow indignant at BrewDog or Schorschbock for making the beers.
By the way, about a week ago, a 60% was released by a Dutch brewery called Koelschip. No kidding: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100729/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_dutch_beer
I agree with the comment about “artificially upping the ABV simply because we can, and not pushing the edge of brewing.” These beers are more novelties than anything else.
No way Brett! This is ridiculous. The way I look at it, breweries can do whatever they want. In fact, I encourage it. Just do it for the right reasons and the right way.