The continuing saga of advent calendars
Back again with a comparison of two 2019 advent calendars. This year I’ve gone for premium calendars from BrewDog and Honest Brew.
The BrewDog calendar is effectively the same as last year, although they have introduced a cheaper calendar and so this one is called premium. I’m expecting that it will be very similar to last years.
Honest Brew also do two calendars and this this is the premium one which is a step up from last year. I’m expecting great things from this one as it is nearly twice the cost of the standard one (and that’s why there’s only two calendars this year!)
In the daily reviews, BrewDog beers are on the left, Honest Brew on the right.
Verdicts are purely subjective and based more on anticipation of how good the beer will be. Only the Tasting Notes will tell.
Day Twenty Four (aka It’s all Over)
Once again, last day is stout day.
Like last year, BrewDog deliver a strong stout packaged in it’s own cardboard box. The same Paradox branding has been applied, though a different whisky barrel has been used.
Brouwerij de Molen are have the pride of place in the calendar and have produced Mout & Mocca, a Bourbon and coffee infused imperial stout.
Verdict
Has to be a draw. Both beers are premium examples of stouts and I’ll look forward to drinking them both!
Tasting Notes
Paradox Islay: A strong stout aged in whisky barrels from a distillery in the Isle of Islay. Hmm, having had a few whiskies from Islay I can attest that they are peaty, and this stout is just that, very peaty. A bit of an acquired taste, not bad, but probably not what you were expecting.
Mout & Mocca: A strong stout that compares well with the gold-standard BrewDog equivalents. Doesn’t quite have the thickness of my favourite Cocoa Psycho, but is less ‘chewy’ and sweet, so you might prefer this one.
Day Twenty Three
BrewDog push out a barley wine named Clown King.
Honest Brew have an English trappist ale from the monks of Mount St. Bernard abbey in Leicestershire called Tynt Meadow.
Verdict
Another strong showing from both calendars. I’ve had a version of Clown King before from BrewDog’s Fanzine #7 but this has been amped up through barrel aging. I think BrewDog have a narrow win today.
Tasting Notes
Clown King: A strong barley wine, thick and fairly sweet. Best sipped over a long xmas dinner.
Day Twenty Two
BrewDog have another strong stout with their Abstrakt 27.
Honest Brew have a competing strong coffee stout from Pühaste called Midnight Macchiato
Verdict
Xmas has come early, it’s the battle of the stouts: Fight!
I’ve had 27 before and it even got a thumbs up, Pühaste stout from it’s Silver Series beers sounds too good to dismiss and so it’s a draw, not just a ‘one all’ draw, but the equivalent of a cup final ‘four all’ draw and now it’s on to penalties. Only the tasting notes will tell.
Tasting Notes
Midnight Macchiato: A fine example of strong stouts to rival any BrewDog one. We are approaching Tokyo* levels of deliciousness. Still, Cocoa Psycho just beats it for thickness and pour.
Abstrakt 27: Another lovely example of BrewDogs strong stouts. Thick and strong tasting, sweet and not too bitter.
Day Twenty One
BrewDog have a barrel aged IPA, the Albino Squid Assassin.
Honest Brew have a sour beer from La Calavera called Hellshock.
Verdict
I had the Assassin before and it’s OK, so for novelty value Hellshock wins today.
Day Twenty
Another strong stout from BrewDog with their Tiramisu Crew. A stronger beer (!) than Cocoa Psycho and aged in Bourbon barrels.
Romanian brewers Hop Hooligans feature in the Honest Brew calendar with Milky Sourpuss. This version is the sour cherry ale as they also do other variants. Maybe this one will taste of cherries ;-)
Verdict
I’ll say it’s a draw again. The stout might have won but whilst I’ve had this before, I can’t recall if it met my expectations. Hop Hooligans have produced an interesting sounding beer that I’m looking forward to.
Tasting Notes
Tiramisu Crew: A sweeter and stronger version of Cocoa Psycho, which I prefer over this, but damm, it’s still delicious.
Milky Sourpuss: Moderately sour and a hint of cherries. Not as milky as most Milkshake IPAs, but a nice allrounder.
Day Nineteen
Another strong stout from BrewDog with Cocoa Psycho.
Honest Brew have an xmas themed beer from Belgium trappist brewers St. Bernardus and they’ve graced us with the Christmas Ale.
Verdict
Close, but the Cocoa Psycho is a favourite of mine so BrewDog narrowly win this round.
Tasting Notes
Cocoa Psycho: I love this drink. A “so dark it’s Vantablack” stout that is thick and strong without being sickly sweet. Pours like black milk with a dark head.
Christmas Ale: A dark but traditional tasting Belgium triple but with a hint of something else, not too dissimilar to the taste of the spices found in the Krampus Nicht earlier this week but less overpowering which is welcome.
Day Eighteen
Another special from BrewDog with Abstrakt 20.
Honest Brew have a collaboration beer from Spanish brewers Edge and Belgian brewers BIIR, named Triple Virgin Cherries.
Verdict
I’ve had Abstrakt 20 before as it has featured in previous calendars. A barley wine that comes across like a port but it’s not unpleasant. The Triple Virgin Cherries looks interesting, so it’s going to be another draw.
Tasting Notes
Triple Virgin Cherries: Not as cherry tasting as I expected, still a nice drink.
Abstrakt 20: A nice strong barley wine. That plastic cork is a bugger to remove though!
Day Seventeen
Another good choice from BrewDog with Hazy Jane.
A Red IPA from Siren Craft grace Honest Brews door today.
Verdict
Strong IPAs from both calendars, another draw.
Tasting Notes
Big Red Machine: A flavoursome IPA but not overly hoppy. Quite enjoyable.
Hazy Jane: A lovely hoppy drink from BrewDog that beats the Siren Craft beer in taste.
Day Sixteen
BrewDog are in the xmas spirit with Hoppy Christmas, a festive IPA.
Honest Brew have an Old Fashioned Blonde Ale from Irish brewers Rascals. It’s got an orange peel twist and a whiskey kick courtesy of the Dubliner Irish Whiskey company.
Verdict
Honest Brew’s choice of a novelty blonde ale with whiskey kick win out over the xmas themed BrewDog beer.
Tasting Notes
Old Fashioned Blonde Ale: Quite dark for a blonde ale, definitely orange tasting with a whiskey twist. Worth digging out for a traditional beer with a twist.
Hoppy Christmas: Not too dissimilar to the Hazy Jane, nicely hoppy.
Day Fifteen
BrewDog have an Imperial Milk Stout from the standard range called Aloha. I’ve had this before and enjoyed it.
Honest Brew partner with London brewers The Kernel who have a Biere de Saison, a sour cherry IPA.
Verdict
Ooh, close again, a stout that I’ve enjoyed before versus a sour cherry. Another draw.
Tasting Notes
Aloha: Thick, warming, no-nonsense. A great example of BrewDog’s signature strong stouts.
Day Fourteen
BrewDog ship their Bird Brained Barracuda, a barrel aged porter in a artfully designed can which is not part of their standard branding.
Honest Brew have a collaboration between Norwegian brewers Amundsen and the hop producing group Barth-Haas. This has produced a New England IPA, Weapon X.
Verdict
A good selection from both calendars make this another close call. Nothing between the artistic designs, so it’s a battle of Porter versus IPA, and as we know, Porters and Stouts are my goto choice, so again BrewDog narrowly win by default.
Tasting Notes
Weapon-X: A pale IPA, slightly clouded and very, very hoppy. Recommended.
Bird Brained Barracuda: A nice tasting, strong porter. Lovely.
Day Thirteen
BrewDog deliver a new, for me, beer Krampus Nicht, a “sour black ale spiced with cinnamon, clove, star anise and orange zest”.
Honest Brew have a sour IPA from Brew By Numbers in collaboration with German brewers Fuerst Wiacek called Fruit Smoothie.
Verdict
BrewDog should win hands down, but I’m put off by clove and cinnamon. Not my favourite spices at all and this could be a disaster, but it’s BrewDog and they don’t normally do disasters! The Brew by Number collaboration sounds good too, so it’ll have to be a draw today too. Happy Days!
Tasting Notes
Fruit Smoothie: Not very fruity and not very smooth. It has a real burnt taste (they call it Earthy) and a not un-welcome sour aftertaste. Undecided as to whether I like this.
Krampus Nicht: As I suspected, a nice enough sour ale only spoilt by the choice of spices.
Day Twelve
A slightly obscure one from BrewDog with Coconut Shy, but it is on their standard list of brews.
Lizard King from Chicago brewers Pipeworks grace Honest Brews doors today. Fantastic artwork too!
Verdict
Hmm, I’ve had Coconut Shy before and it is a stout, so this should be a no brainer for winning, but I can’t remember if it was good or not (Shuddap already, Paul, I’ll add a star system to the app so next time I’ll know!). Lizard King looks impressive too. Doh, too close to call.
Update: Actually, this is a different beer from BrewDog even though it’s named the same as one of their others. Naughty BrewDog. The other Coconut Shy is a standard pale ale.
Tasting Notes
Lizard King: A hoppy beer, fairly light colouring and clear. Worth getting a can if you can (see what I did there?)
Coconut Shy: It’s not shy about the coconut, that’s for sure. Not as full on as BrewDog’s normal Imperial Stouts, I’d question the 9.5% ABV as there’s not hint of strength or heart warming feels.
Day Eleven
Another standard beer from the BrewDog range with Elvis Juice.
Cloudwater grace the Honest Brew selection with What’s Said and Done. It’s voting time (again!) in the UK so this is a timely beer from Cloudwater with its election topic.
Verdict
Elvis Juice is OK, but the novelty of the Cloudwater beer wins out.
Tasting Notes
What’s Said and Done: Another hazy hoppy beer that hits the sweet spot. Wish I had a few more of these to quaff.
Elvis Juice: An underrated beer that eschews the current sour trend for a strong beer that has a welcoming fruity tartness. A refreshing change.
Day Ten
An OverWorks brew from BrewDog and it’s Funk x Punk.
Honest Brew have a CR/AK brew called Cantina, a sour apricot beer.
Verdict
Close again, with similar styled bottles (conspiracy!) but having had the Funk x Punk a few times, I’m looking forward to the CR/AK beer.
Tasting Notes
Cantina: Labelled as a sour wild ale, it tasted like a cider and given that it was capped with both a bottle top and a cork, then I’m calling it a cider. A nice surprise but not one I’d bother with again.
Day Nine
BrewDog deliver another of their regular brews, the red ale 5AM Saint.
Honest Brew have Metamorphosis from Irish brewers O’Brother. This brew is part of their ‘Off the Wall’ series.
Verdict
No comparison, the Double IPA trumps BrewDog’s red ale and then some.
Tasting Notes
Metamorphosis: A great example of a DIPA beer. Worth adding to your collection too!
5AM Saint: It’s a nice red ale, not too hoppy.
Day Eight
BrewDog have collaborated with Cloudwater to deliver New England IPA.
HonestBrew have a Double IPA from Track Brewing in Manchester. This is named №4.
Verdict
A clash of IPA and DIPA. The Cloudwater beer is a good brew, but I think the №4 may just edge it.
Tasting Notes
№4: Strong and cloudy beer with a frothy head. Nice tasting but lots of sediment, so take care pouring.
New England IPA: A nice hazy IPA, try it!
Day Seven
BrewDog keep up the quality with one of their customer voted #MashTag brews.
Honest Brew invite Spanish brewers Naparbier who bring along It’s a Riot. A hazy IPA with decent strength.
Verdict
We’re going to call it a draw again. The test will be in the taste, but that’s for later.
Tasting Notes
It’s a Riot: A more bitter tasting brew when compared to the recent DIPA’s. If I knew what I was talking about, I’d say if was due to different hops, but I don’t, so it’s just different but tasty :-D
Day Six
Today is strong stout day. BrewDog slip in one of their signature Abstrakt beers, #24. This was in last years calendar and I enjoyed it.
Honest Brew have a similar strong stout from Polish brewers Laugar, the Black Tundra Russian Imperial Stout.
Verdict
A very pleasant draw.
Tasting Notes
Black Tundra: A good stout that would normally, in isolation, prove excellent. Back to back with the Sunmaid Stout though and the mouthfeel is less rich and smooth. Good stuff.
Day Five
BrewDog bring out the big guns, a strong stout with rum and raisins, reverently named Sunmaid Stout.
Honest Brew have Londoner’s Whiplash deliver an IPA named Six Million Ways.
Verdict
Oooh, close one. Having a preference for the BrewDog signature strong stouts it just edges out an enticing IPA. Today was a good day for beers ;-)
Tasting Notes
Sunmaid Stout: a good attempt, but lacking something compared to BrewDog’s usual beers in this category. A good warming aftertaste though, so worth a try.
Six Million Ways: An excellent example of strong, hazy IPAs. Very smooth and thick mouthfeel, almost verging on a milkshake style brew.
Day Four
A BrewDog collaboration with York brewers Turning Point gives us Chip Hazard, a minty IPA.
Honest Brew present a beer from Manchester brewers Wander Beyond Brewing, called Gulp. This is a strong peach and apricot MilkShake IPA.
Verdict
I’ve had Chip Hazard a couple of times from BrewDog and, being honest, it’s not one of my favourites. The aftertaste leaves a lot to be desired with a weird and not too pleasant mintiness.
Honest Brew wins by default with Gulp, but this 12% ABV looks promising.
Tasting Notes
Gulp: And it was with a gulp as I approached this. 12% ABV on the back of two strong stouts already meant this was a drinking session of strength. Gulp was a fantastic, strong, hazy and fruity drink. A smooth and refreshing change following the stouts. Grab a can if you see one.
Day Three
BrewDog have added an iconic beer from their range, Punk IPA, albeit in a larger can than is usual.
Honest Brew have the Triple Fruited Gose from North Brewing Company.
Verdict
Iconic vs fruity, let’s call it a draw for this one.
Tasting Notes
Tipple Fruited Gose: Well, it is most certainly fruity. Almost verging on an alcho-pop which, to be honest, is an acquired taste as the fruitiness overpowers the hops.
Day Two
BrewDog have provided their first festive drink, Mistletoe Mafia and Honest Brew have a pale ale from Verdant called Even Sharks Need Water. There must be a story behind that name.
Verdict
Beer, or ale, if you prefer, always wins over lager in my book. The description for Verdant’s beer promises a lot with talk of tangy fruit and creamy texture.
Tasting Notes
Even Sharks Need Water: Yep, it’s definitely creamy and fruity. Quite a lively effervescent pour with a thick creamy head when it settles down. Very nice.
Day One
A standard IPA from BrewDog and a Patron Projects beer by Northern Monk and Neon Raptor in the Honest Brew drawer.
Verdict
Of the two, the DDH IPA from Northern Monk and Neon Raptor is a clear winner. This is a well presented, premium packaged item, more pictures here.
Tasting Notes
SKGN2: Neon Raptor have produced a great beer, cloudy, hoppy, sweet. Lovely.
Unboxing
Both calendars are in almost identical packaging as last year, here’s BrewDogs:
And Honest Brew:
Verdict
Brewdog win for the colourful and slightly more useable packaging.