BrewDog/Stone Bashah 2009 Highland Park and Black Raspberry Reserve ABV 8.7%: Open It!

Tonights Open It! is a bottle of the BrewDog / Stone collaboration Bashah which has been aged in Highland Park Whisky casks which have also had Scottish Black Raspberries added.

I loved the original Bashah, a black IPA fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. I was amazed at the depth and complexity of flavour. Roasty, Hoppy and 'estery' as in giving of fruity/bubblegum aromas and flavours from the strain of Belgian yeast. I've sinced learned that the recipe was very similar to Stones 'Sublimely Self Righteous" albeit with that different yeast strain.

Its worth mentioning what a beautiful label this beer has. The bespoke hand drawn label by Johanna Basford is as nice as I've ever seen.

Here are my tasting notes:

Pour: After a bit of persuasion the cork explodes out of the bottle. Dark black pour with a big off white head, which is mottled with something, yeast? Raspberry residue?
Aroma: Earthy Hops, Raspberry, Whisky, Chocolate, hint of Coffee, Summer Fruits, pleasant bubblegum/estery sweet aroma.
Flavour: Raspberry, Summer Fruits, Chocolate, soft, full mouth feel, fruity esters, very light Whisky, soft carbonation.
Aftertaste: Subtle, warming aftertaste with slight bitter Raspberry and Chocolate.

I loved Bashah and I really loved Stones Sublimely Self Righteous, but this is a different beast all together. Its amazing how much the barrel ageing has changed this beer. Its a while since I had a Bashah but i'm sure it was much more bitter than this. The ageing in the Whisky casks and the Raspberrys have really softened the beer and infused it with fruit flavours which in turn are really complemented by the belgian yeasts, estery flavours.

The alcohol is really hard to detect as well, as is the Whisky but if you think about those flavours and taste the beer, they're there, just in great balance. There are myriad flavours in this but you have to think and taste to pick them out, as with the Founders KBS I drank last night the alcohol is really well disguised.

I really loved this, big thanks to BrewDog's Scottish sales manager Chris Mair for sending it down.

Thanks to Mark and Andy for coming up with the great idea of Open It, there's still the rest of tonight and tomorrow to get involved!