BrewDog Hinterland (9% abv)
Walk with us through the ink black velvet portal. Journey to the place where secrets live and Darkness holds court. The Land of Hinter. Where Jackalopes and raven black rivers run free. Draw up your glass from the depths of the ebbing flow. Let the rich dark chocolatey aromas seduce you. And drink. Be enveloped by the candy roasted malty warmth. Fall into the liquid black pools of the Jackalope’s eyes. Then – clarity. The Hinterland comes sharply into focus. Lose yourself in black. Roam his inky kingdom, until the darkness melts, and your world slowly reappears. The Jackalope King will return. Darkness will reign once more.
Here lurks a rare beast, the mythical imperial vanilla and cocoa oatmeal milk stout, a beer I’ve been eager to experience since I heard those first hushed tales of it. If there was any doubt that the liquid darkness within would live up to Johanna Basford’s exquisite Jackalope artwork it was extinguished as a rolling wave of decadence enspelled my taste buds at first sip.
Sumptuous as all fuck, it starts sweet with cocoa, vanilla, dark roast coffee, hints of liquorice and stewed dark stone fruit flavours before a good earthy, spicy, hop presence brings balance to the roasty, malty goodness. The finish is long, dry and moderately bitter, the whole thing is full and so silky smooth it’s unreal.
I’ve said it before, although these Aberdeenshire craft beer legends are best known for their hoppy pales (note to my American beer chums: Avoid those bright blue bottles of Punk IPA, they’re 18 months old at best), stouts are where their true genius lies. And this is up there with their best, a beguiling, beautifully balanced brew that delivers an embarrassing wealth of complex flavours while managing to be effortlessly drinkable. A fantastical creation.
And the best thing is: some of this lovely beer is aging in an oak barrel in Ellon for me – and a couple of hundred other Equity Punks — right now!
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