Brew Dog Rip Tide

Sometimes, not always, it's best to try something before you dismiss it out of hand. I'd never tried any of the Brew Dog beer but that didn't stop me from denouncing their Paradox Smokehead and Punk IPA products in posts passim. And neither should it have. So it didn't.

But look here! In my local last night what did they have on but Brewdog's "hobnail" offering, the disappointingly named, Rip Tide. Their marketing team have dropped the ball here, no? Dirty Old Bastard or Shitstorm would surely have been more like the thing for an 8% beer for da kidz.

I decided the time for idle blogging was over. I had to at least do them the service of trying the blasted stuff. I ordered a pint of proper beer first. Ossett's Fine Fettle which is a truly splendid ale. Then I asked for a taste of the Rip Tide. The barman told me that they'd sold a couple of pints but no-one had managed more than a few sips. He said they'd end up giving the barrel away as free tasters.   

I tasted my free taster and quickly realised that there's no such thing as a free taster. Not when it comes to Brewdog. I've tasted plenty of strong beers in my time. With strength one might reasonably expect sweetness. Riptide somehow managed to deliver sickly sweetness with bilious bitterness. It tasted like the worst medicine you've ever tasted. I took a large gulp of Fine Fettle to clear my ailing palette.

I've been feeling bad for a while now about my ill-informed, dismissive opinions on Brewdog and I'm delighted, finally, to have put that right.