Brewdog Elvis Juice Grapefruit Infused IPA

No disrespect to the Brewdog brewmasters, but there's not a lot of variety in this variety pack. The way I envision a variety is different styles of beer, not just seven IPAs with different fruit flavors added.

Sorry, all that I can say about this beer is:

"Same as the other IPAs I reviewed, this time with grapefruit and no cranberry"

 

Brewdog Double Cake

Ill-Gotten Booty has mixed feelings about adding flavorings to beers. On one hand, the right combination of malts and hops can unleash a myriad of flavor profiles without adding anything; on the other hand, some flavors add to certain styles resulting in a total that is greater than the sum of its parts. Stouts and porters are often enhanced by the addition of chocolate, vanilla or coffee. Double Cake has added marshmallow and chocolate to their very fine stout and it's a winner! Double Cake pours a midnight back with some scarlet highlights, with a reverse waterfall resolving itself into a three-finger khaki head. The chocolate and marshmallow flavors are there, but rather than distracting from the stoutness of the stout, they, as the man said "kicked it up a notch". In addition to the added flavors, the stout boasts notes of vanilla and coffee, with the marshmallow imparting a smooth creaminess. 8/10 on the IGB stout scale. 
 

Brewdog Hellcat India Pale Lager (Collaboration with Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson)

 Previously unbeknownst to me Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson is a beer aficionado who has partners with numerous craft breweries to produce the "Trooper" family of beers. (Photo below).

Hellcat is styled an India Pale Lager (IPL), which I can only assume, is an attempt to cash in on the popularity of IPAs while brewing a lager. The reading I did on the IPL style indicates that it's pretty new, so there are no real guidelines as to what makes an IPL. They're apparently brewed using lager yeast, which is typically cold/bottom fermenting, so I'm not sure how they tease the esters out of the malt that normally come out with the higher temp top fermenting yeasts. Research for another day I guess. Mainly what they're going for is a marriage of the crisp, cleanness of a lager with the hoppiness of an IPA. I didn't think Hellcat was especially hoppy (Brewdog doesn't list the IBUs of their beers), but it did have some complexity not normally found in lagers. It reminded me of a helles style, with some floral and strawberry notes. Maybe a hint of pineapple. Somewhat unexpected - I would need another to really appreciate it, but the 12 pack only had one

 

Brewdog Light Speed Hazy IPA

There's not too many craft or micro breweries that brew light beer, but here we are. Light Speed pours a brilliant lemon yellow with a snow white, two-finger head. At 4.0% ABV, it sessionable for sure, but like many of Brewdog's beers, I can't find the IBUs anywhere. I'm detecting some grapefruity hoppiness, but I think despite them calling it an IPA, it's more like a pale ale. I've often commented how "IPA" being so popular among craft beer geeks and hipster types, just about everything gets labelled an IPA, whether or not it warrants the appellation. There are no flavors added, but the hops impart notes of grapefruit, mango, pineapple, and most prominently, lemon(ade). Pretty decent. 
 

Brewdog Santa Paws Cranberry & Grapefruit IPA

Number 4 of 12 in the Brewdog Holiday Variety Pack. Unless most variety 12 packs that offer at most 6 different beers, Brewdog includes 12 different beers in their holiday selection. Tonight's special will be Santa Paws, a IPA made with grapefruit and cranberry. Not everything in this 12 pack could be classified specifically as "holiday", "Christmas" or "Winter", but in my opinion, Santa Paws fits the description. Santa Paws pours a hazy ripe apricot hue, with a two-finger white head, its 6.5% ABV puts it in the range for an American IPA, but I couldn't find any reference to the IBUs, although if I had to guess, I would put it in the 45-55 range. It's hoppy enough, but the fruit flavoring hides the bitterness somewhat. The cranberry gives it that holiday feel, balanced perfectly by the citrus bite of the grapefruit. Not earth-shaking, but a solid representative of the IPA style. 
 

Brewdog Hoppy Christmas IPA

This creators of this variety pack have proved to be hops enthusiasts! Tonight's selection is Hoppy Christmas, a "Christmas IPA". Now when I see a beer billed as a "Christmas" or a "Winter" ale, I expect there to be some kind of flavoring, usually spices of some description, but Hoppy Christmas is nothing of the sort, it's just a very, very hoppy India Pale Ale. And by very, very, hoppy, I mean 66 IBUs. It's also got an ABV of 6%. Now, don't think that the lack of added spices is a knock on this excellent brew, just that it's not what I expected - I suppose hops look a little like tiny Christmas trees, so I guess that's the connection...other than the holiday-themed label. Despite the absence of anything the Reinheitsgebot would disapprove of, there's a lot of complexity and shades of various flavors brought out by the malt and the hops. Pineapple, pine, apricot, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, and orange peel. Even though the hoppiness is a robust 66 IBUs, it's not astringent or overpowering. Overall a pretty decent IPA, albeit without anything remotely Christmassy about it. 
 

Brewdog Jet Black Heart Espresso Oatmeal Milk Stout

Beer #3 in the winter seasonal pack from Brewdog, tonight's offering is called Jet Black Heart - Espresso; it's a nitro oatmeal milk stout. It poured, just as the name implies, jet black, with what I call the reverse waterfall effect with the head taking up the whole glass, swirling around as it ebbs to a creamy, tan, two-finger head. The consistency is like chocolate milk, and there's a definite suggestion of chocolate milk in the mélange of flavors. Of course, again as the name indicates, there's a whiff of strong coffee. Not as obvious is the presence of notes of dark fruits: figs, dates, black cherries; and some brown sugar. This is without a doubt in the top tier of milk stouts - IGB gives it a 9.25 on the Stout Scale.