BrewDog at it again (41% ABV beer)

[heywolfie1015]

BrewDog just released a 41% ABV beer called Sink the Bismarck in order to reclaim their title as the brewery with the world's strongest beer. (Link here.) Can't even imagine what that would taste like.

 

[BlueSunshine]

At that point it's just beer in name only in my opinion.

 

[remilard]

I hope nobody bought tactical nuclear penguin for the resell/trade value.

I'm more impressed with Utopias as an achievement in excess. A war to see who can freeze distill a beer more seems a little silly, but its all in good fun I guess.

 

[shortyjacobs]

So they distill it, right? They must, since I don't know of a yeast that can hit 80 proof. In my mind, if it's distilled, it's no longer beer. It's barley vodka.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I hope nobody bought tactical nuclear penguin for the resell/trade value.

I'm more impressed with Utopias as an achievement in excess. A war to see who can freeze distill a beer more seems a little silly, but its all in good fun I guess.

Yup. At least the BBC actually makde the effort to isolate yeast strains and "brew" the beer called Utopia.

I mean, hell "I" can freeze a beer to concentrate the alcohol (EisBier) but, I cannot isolate a 21% alc tolerant yeast strain.

Of course the dork who thought "Ninja" was a good name should be fired. Yeah, Jimbo I am calling you out!

 

[slowbie]

According to the website it's and IPA. I was kind of surprised by that.

Also, does anyone know if Sink the Bismarck or TNP are carbonated?

+1 to being much more impressed by Utopias though.

 

[bknifefight]

Is the name a jab at the Germans who took the title from them with their 40% beer? The Bismark was a Nazi war ship that was supposed to turn the war around but ended up sinking.

 

[Edcculus]

This is just getting stupid. Thats not beer.

I'd consider Utopias beer because it was fermented all the way with yeast. This is just another form of distillation at this point. ****, distillers mash barley and ferment too.

 

[jpc]

This is just getting stupid. Thats not beer.

I'd consider Utopias beer because it was fermented all the way with yeast. This is just another form of distillation at this point. ****, distillers mash barley and ferment too.

Stupid, yes, but then again, some of us think this whole "Imperial" movement is stupid as well. Bigger is not necessarily better, and less can be more.

 

[heywolfie1015]

Is the name a jab at the Germans who took the title from them with their 40% beer? The Bismark was a Nazi war ship that was supposed to turn the war around but ended up sinking.

Yup, explicitly.

 

[HVBrewtality]

So they distill it, right? They must, since I don't know of a yeast that can hit 80 proof. In my mind, if it's distilled, it's no longer beer. It's barley vodka.

I agree 100%.

 

[bwomp313]

I think it was Garret Oliver who described Scotch as "distilled beer", so then this is scotch in a beer bottle? (except for the hops)

 

[the_bird]

I hope nobody bought tactical nuclear penguin for the resell/trade value.

I'm more impressed with Utopias as an achievement in excess. A war to see who can freeze distill a beer more seems a little silly, but its all in good fun I guess.

Actually, I'm far, far more impressed with Paulthenurse and Yeager's clone of Utopias than the actual Sam Adams product. The Sammy Utopias I had was so hot, you could use it to remove old varnish; their clone version was only maybe 2% less ABV, but extremely smooth and with virtually no burning.

In any case, distillation doesn't count in the "extreme beer" movement, whether freeze-distilling or "regular." It's maximizing the fermentation that counts.

 

[Edcculus]

I think it was Garret Oliver who described Scotch as "distilled beer", so then this is scotch in a beer bottle? (except for the hops)

Im not sure if I would call it Scotch since there are pretty hard and fast rules for what can be Scotch. Its definitely an unclassified whisky though.

 

[mysterio]

So by the logic presented here, Schneider Eisbock is no longer a beer either?

 

[Edcculus]

So by the logic presented here, Schneider Eisbock is no longer a beer either?

No, Eisbock is a legit style. Plus, with that style, you aren't really concentrating it that much, and its still being carbonated. This 40% beverage is being concentrated/distilled beyond reasonable recognition as a beer.

 

[mysterio]

OK, just checking

So to be beer it has to be:

- Carbonated
- Not concentrated much (?)

 

[bknifefight]

How would you feel the next day after drinking 12 ounces of 41% ABV beer? That's the same as 12 shots of 80 proof liquor, right?

 

[remilard]

There is at least one classic style (straight lambic) that is uncarbonated.

I'll call it a beer as I call other freeze concentrated beers beer. It's just sort of a silly beer and as long as the producer and consumers don't take it seriously, that is fine.

 

[josiahcox]

Wow lots of haters in here. Lighten up a bit and have some fun with beer why don'tcha.

First off it is beer - Beer that's been freeze distilled. Other comapanies have done this before.
So even if you don't like it, it was beer when it was frozen and last time I checked it was beer when it came out - just missing some of the water.

I personally would like to try it just to see how it tastes. I think it's fair to say this would be a sharing beer.

And barley vodka??? Really?? Freeze distilling beer and distilling vodka are two very different animals. They are not even close.

-Quote:
Originally Posted by Edcculus
No, Eisbock is a legit style. Plus, with that style, you aren't really concentrating it that much, and its still being carbonated. This 40% beverage is being concentrated/distilled beyond reasonable recognition as a beer.

Sorry but Eisbock IS a beer made by using freeze distilling. It is a legit style that uses this technique.
And have you had this yet? Your claiming the it is "being concentrated/distilled beyond reasonable recognition as a beer"? I'd hope with a claim like that you have actually tasted it before.

Labels are for suckers, try it before you bash it.

 

[cercueil]

I think I'll stick to my lite beer from Dogfish Head.

 

[josiahcox]

I think I'll stick to my lite beer from Dogfish Head.

Priceless!

 

[Skacorica]

I think I'll stick to my lite beer from Dogfish Head.

Laughed out loud in my cube, nice job!

 

[scrambledegg81]

Wow lots of haters in here. Lighten up a bit and have some fun with beer why don'tcha.

First off it is beer - Beer that's been freeze distilled. Other comapanies have done this before.
So even if you don't like it, it was beer when it was frozen and last time I checked it was beer when it came out - just missing some of the water.

I personally would like to try it just to see how it tastes. I think it's fair to say this would be a sharing beer.

And barley vodka??? Really?? Freeze distilling beer and distilling vodka are two very different animals. They are not even close.

-Quote:
Originally Posted by Edcculus
No, Eisbock is a legit style. Plus, with that style, you aren't really concentrating it that much, and its still being carbonated. This 40% beverage is being concentrated/distilled beyond reasonable recognition as a beer.

Sorry but Eisbock IS a beer made by using freeze distilling. It is a legit style that uses this technique.
And have you had this yet? Your claiming the it is "being concentrated/distilled beyond reasonable recognition as a beer"? I'd hope with a claim like that you have actually tasted it before.

Labels are for suckers, try it before you bash it.

So you work for Brewdog then? And since when has distillation become part of the beer making process?

 

[z987k]

I mean, hell "I" can freeze a beer to concentrate the alcohol (EisBier) but, I cannot isolate a 21% alc tolerant yeast strain.

I can. It's called go buy wlp099 and treat it right or go buy EC-1118, they will both go that high and beyond.

 

[josiahcox]

That's funny, thinking I work for Brew Dog. That would be one hell of a trip to work in the morning.
Your right that distillation is not a NORMAL part of the beer making process but it has been done before. And so what if it is? Who does that really hurt?
I just think people are silly when they get caught up by what something is called or labeled as instead of just trying it.
Am I going to be drinking STB any time soon, F no. But I would love to try some just to see how it is.

 

[david_42]

Freezer beer doesn't count, sorry. 80 proof is why Scotch exists.

 

[DavidSteel]

How would you feel the next day after drinking 12 ounces of 41% ABV beer? That's the same as 12 shots of 80 proof liquor, right?

Nah, a shot is 1.5oz, so It's 8 shots. Pretty much my limit.

 

[alexdagrate]

Beer. Not beer. Whatever. I wanna try it.

BrewDog's decription mentions how hops play a role:

"deep fruit, resinous and spicy aroma."

No whisky has hops in it, and heat-distillation would not preserve any hop oils the way freeze-distillation can.

Why not focus on what really is driving these guys? THEY'RE DOING IT AS A BIG MIDDLE FINGER TO THE NANNY-STATE!

At this point, they've won:

"Alcohol Focus Scotland, for one, is waving the white flag of surrender with the news of Sink the Bismarck: 'Over the past few months BrewDog have continued to produce stronger and stronger beers. By commenting on this irresponsible brewing practice we only serve to add to their marketing and therefore we have no further comment to make.'"

 

[KYB]

Like someone else said, distilling is completely different than freeze concentrating.

Freezing concentrating: You make beer and remove the water.

Distilling: You make beer and remove the alcohol, and collect it.

At what point does it "not count"? What if you took a lighter style, freeze concentrated it to say 8%? It's still beer right? You just turned it into an Imperial beer. It's kind of the reverse of brewing it. When brewing it you just add more water to dilute it so you get more volume and less abv. Freeze concentrating is just the opposite. You brew it and remove the water.