A Brew Dog Triple Threat Match

The contestants weigh in.

I like Brew Dog. I like them so much I got three bottles for this extravaganza of a post.

Their aim is to make outstanding, flavoursome beers that actually get your tongue questioning why you have never had anything like it before. I might as well add, before we really get started… They stick to their aim.

I bought two pale ales: Punk IPA, a 5.6% ABV brew that is becoming the mainstay, the measure that all future Brew Dog beers can be compared to; and Trashy Blonde, 4.1% ABV. Strangely complicated yet very subtle.

And I got one amber ale, just to mix it up a bit: 5 A.M. Saint, 5% ABV.

Let’s start with Punk IPA. There is almost (Only almost, but not quite) too much going on. Light and bubbly, strangely sweet, washed down with a strong, smooth maltiness. There is some sort of fruitiness tucked away in there for sure. It’s almost purposefully grabs your attention as it goes down. If this is the ale to compare to, then they have a hell of a job on their hands.

Mighty Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Trashy Blonde next. Actually very similar to the one above, except it is much more subtle. Definitely something new. Again, richly malty body. And that delicate flavour? It’s Passion fruit hops. An enthralling mix of flavours. Intriguing enough to make anyone take a sip I’m sure. And you will certainly want to finish the bottle after a sip, you just may not fall head over heels like we all have for a trashy blonde in our time.

Mighty Rating ★ ★ ★ ★

So now, the final contender. 5 A.M. Saint is a slightly different breed. An amber ale, more fizzy and light than we have seen. Well, usually, this can’t be seen as the lightest by any stretch of the imagination. It’s almost as if they’ve thrown as many hops and malts in as they could. Which is good, it’s sticking to the strong, no compromise philosophy of the company. However, the twist is missing. You drink it and there is no surprise, no little nuance on your tongue. Maybe that’s all we want sometimes though, straight forward and sturdy.

Mighty Rating ★ ★ ★ ★

So we have our winner. The bench mark for what’s to come. The undefeated champion (until my next review at least). It’s Punk IPA!