BrewDog Dogma after rehab?

An aroma of seeds, thick and sticky. Open it up with a bit of oxygen and red berries burst in the nostrils. It tastes of marshmallows of course, with dashes of toffee, spice, poppies…

This might not be to everyone’s tastes in the same way as Theakston’s Grouse Beater whch has a similar complicated taste that cuts through the usual bitterness of British brown ales.

It’s what BrewDog’s Dogma might be like after a few months in the Priory.

I probably had to work quite hard on this beer, but underneath the initial taste, there’s much for than a hop or malt character to it – it’s interesting if not immediately ‘wow’.

I understand and to a point commend BrewDog for standing up to some of what the Portman group do, and appreciate they are not the perfect, unbiased solution – for instance I’m not sure that BrewDog’s labels incite anti-social behaviour as much as a Taste The Difference lasagne does. But, I am annoyed that they pulled last week’s stunt: firstly because they ignore the fact that the Portman group is an alternative to state legislation; secondly that they went out to actively ask people in the beer community to defend Tokyo, knowing damn well they’d sent the letter, and thirdly, does it really help an industry that some days looks like imploding in on itself?

As I’ve found with BrewDog recently, the sentiment and passion is no doubt there, but sometimes, execution lets them down.

BrewDog have moulded themselves into a bit of a cult brand, and one that is gradually making inroads into the wider population, with a rebellious brand persona that many supermarket shoppers and beer drinkers will enjoy and tap into. After all, BrewDog are still unique compared to the traditional brewers available in UK supermarkets.

I say cult because there is something dogmatic about following BrewDog, and I’ve no doubt that people hold BrewDog in high esteem. Much in the same way that they look forward to their favourite bands new release or the next big book by an author, people wait in keen anticipation of every move BrewDog make, regardless of what that move might entail.

Which leads us nicely onto Dogma, the second BrewDog beer review in our Sainsbury’s Beer Competition series (especially as it’s the 13th post in this series posted on Friday the 13th!)

Dogma: brewed by a Scottish druid?! A wonderfully sweet and exciting concoction but not everyone's cup of tea

Dogma is the reincarnation of Speedball, the heather honey infused beer that gave BrewDog their first really big PR piece just before we kicked this little blog off. The beer is a great idea and clearly influenced by all that is good about BrewDog – willingness by Martin Dickie and his brewing team to push flavour boundaries and to create something new and exciting.

The aroma of Dogma is potent, reminding me of the strength and herbaceousness of Thornbridge’s Jaipur. Spicy, gingery flavours mix in a way I can’t understand and I can’t fathom the seedy herbally overtones. I guess that’ll be the influence of guarana, poppy seeds and kola nuts then?!

This is a very different beer. It was a fantastic sweetness, natural like honey and berries, it smells and tastes unique (as far as my beer tastings know) and its colour is almost perfect red amber. Its composition and texture are also excellent. You can drink this at 90 miles an hour or over an hour and a half and it will settle to its pre-designed structure and retain, if not improve its complex flavours. Don’t drink it quick though, as a slow sip opens up all the sweet, spiciness of Dogma, the tree sap, bark and unique aroma.

Hyperbole and my best attempts at fancy prose aside, I don’t actually like this much. I appreciate it, and I like what it is trying to achieve, but I won’t buy it often. This is an acquired taste; the complex flavours are interesting but I don’t actually like the guarana tang and it’s a little off putting.

I love Reluctant Scoop’s description of a bottle of Dogma as tasting like an “apothecary’s floor sweepings that have been suspended in a caramel gloop”.

All in all, whilst I enjoy tasting Dogma and exploring it’s intricacies, it’s not quite my cup of tea. But I’m glad BrewDog brewed it.

I have to reiterate the sentiment of some blog posts I’ve read this week: BrewDog, get back to what you do best, making my taste buds tingle and my spontaneously combust with great tasting and bold, imaginative beers.

The first BrewDog in our Sainsbury’s Beer Competition series is one that we’re relatively familiar with. So far we’ve only got around to reviewing Punk IPA and Dogma, but we have quite a few ‘Dogs ‘in stock’ and it’s about time we wrote something about them.

Hardcore IPA is one of those beers that has a little bit of the ‘wow’ factor (or the ‘woah’ factor depending on your taste buds).

It has a crazy, tropical Um Bongo aroma that’s sweet and exciting. It smells like sweet, e-number fuelled heaven trapped in a bottle.

Hardcore IPA by BrewDog

Fruit salad penny sweet smells give way to a bitter overload, hops completely dominating and filling your mouth. Aromatic beers usually mean bitterness, but the pineapple aroma makes you expect something with an exotic fruit taste.

Beers with an imperial tag usually come at a certain strength and richness. Hardcore has the strength but it’s hidden treasures are perhaps just a little too inaccessible.

If you can work through the IBU frenzy you will get some of that, but boy does that take some acclimatisation.

This is a big beer. Drink it too fast and it becomes medicinal, but sip it slowly and it’s a world of hops, passionfruit and titilating tongue tingles. Oh, and it’s strong as hell to boot, so don’t down one before bedtime.

Ok, ok: I should have learnt by now that that is not the way to deal with these offerings. They should be sipped and savoured; explored beyond the taste of the alcohol.

Straight from the bottle, Dogma oozes aroma. There is a sweetness to the scent that reminds of wild berries and somehow defies the dark golden straw colour of the body.

The bottle label promises a whole range of unique ingredients: honey, guarand, poppy and koala nut. After my first oversized gulp, all I could taste (and feel) was alcohol; that warm, overpowering rush that overwhelms the back of the mouth and lets you know that it has been there for a good while afterwards.

So in attempt to find the promised flavours, I went on to smaller sips. This worked wonders. Left to linger in the mouth, Dogma shows it’s sweeter side with the aforementioned berries and honey being noticable. I also sensed a hint of spiciness in there as well, reminiscent of cinnemon. I couldn’t tell you if there was a Koala nut in there as, quite frankly, I’ve never heard of them let alone tried them!

Despite finally working my way through to the flavours in Dogma, I still found it quite a tricky 330ml to get through. Sipping takes a long time and it remains a beverage for those for whom the warmth of a high ABV is a pleasure and not a chore.

If you want to sample some of the new wave of high-alcohol, high-flavour ales coming out of the brat-pack breweries, this is by no means BrewDog’s finest offering, but a great example of how new flavours are being blended into bottled beers with interesting and exciting results.

Now that I’ve discovered a way of drinking strong beverages, I’ve always fancied trying to appreciate whiskies…

BrewDog goodie box

I got a very excited text from my girlfriend earlier on today, informing me that a rather large box had arrived from a certain Scottish brewery.

I have to admit I was really looking forward to getting home and opening it, so it’s typical that I didn’t get back home until about 8.30pm thanks to work, my own incompetence and a quick trip around Ikea (the downside of living so near one is its so easy to ‘go for a quick wander whilst it’s quiet’!!)

So, I was delighted to get home and realise that Sarah hadn’t been exaggerating, it really was a large goodie box that had arrived!

Unfortunately, the lovely folk at BrewDog might have selected a box that was a little too big, and as I eagerly opened my grandly wrapped package I was greeted with the smell of very strongly scented soggy cardboard and a distinctly beery smell.

My sad face (and sticky fingers) as I disect the undamaged bottles from the Chaos that awaited in my BrewDog goodie box

If you’ve ever worked in a pub you’ll know the smell, it’s the drip trays at the end of the night. It’s not pleasant and it certainly didn’t make Sarah smile as I quickly bundled it from the living room into the kitchen, trying not to drag beer stains into the brand new carpets in the process!

Anyway once I got the soaked cardboard out of the way I was presented with some sticky but nonetheless enticing bottles of 77 Lager, Punk IPA, Chaos Theory and Dogma. I haven’t had 77 Lager so I was pretty excited to get that in the cupboard and I’ll rarely turn down a Punk!

And then, at the bottom, a carcass of bubble wrap, brown shards of glass and BrewDog label, contorted and twisted, in a way only a BrewDog could smash.

I think it’s very apt that the offending article was none other than a bottle of Chaos Theory, a fitting and chaotic entrance onto the Real Ale Reviews beer shelf!

Mystery BrewDog's - what can they be?!

Despite the mess, a massive thanks to James and all at BrewDog for the beer, they will be much enjoyed and of course written about. Particularly these – three unlabelled mystery beers admist the chaos.

Did they just lose their labels in the melee? Are they rebel ‘Dogs that fought their way out?! Or new prototypes accidently slipped in the box?!

It’ll be a test of my beer tasting skills if I can work it out!

Does anyone have any idea what the mystery brews are? If so please let us know! In fact if you guess it right, we’ll share them with you!