Get Into The Spirit

BrewDog are one of my favourite breweries. Not just because they are from the same part of Scotland as my mother and most of my family; not just because they make fabulous beer (of the 4 bottles than came across the Atlantic with me, 3 were Paradox Smokeheads); not just because they actively involve their customers in their decision making processes; because of all the above and more.

Well, James and co are at it again and have created a website dedicated to their excellent Zeitgeist lager, which they are turning over to their customers to take ownership of. The idea behind the website is that the Zeitgeist brand belongs to the customers, as such the content is created by those who buy and drink the beer.

Here's how it works, firstly you need to buy some Zeitgeist through the website - use the purchase code SHEEP in order to get a 70% discount, and you will get a code allowing you to post content on the blog. Considering a 12 pack costs £12, a 70% discount will save you £8.40. Not only do you get to be part of something different and new, you can get some superb beer at an insanely low price, so get in there while the offer stands!

The Spirit of the Age

A while back I wrote about 3 prototype beers that Scotland's bad (but oh so good) boys of brewing, BrewDog, had produced. Of the three I tried, the prototype Chaos Theory was by far the one I liked the most, but I also thought that the Zeit Geist (the original name) had potential. So when I got a few bottles of the production versions I was well chuffed.

I have to admit that I am yet to try the production Chaos Theory, or the 77 Pilsner that came with the box, but last weekend I popped open the Zeitgeist to see how it compared with the prototype.

In my original comments I noted that it was:

dark ruby with a light espresso coloured head, which in common with the other beers disappeared very quickly. As you would expect from a dark lager the nose was dominated by coffee notes, with subtle hints of burnt toffee and even a delicate floral tone suggesting the use of Saaz hops. The burnt theme came through in the tasting, although this time it was less coffee and more chocolate, I would go so far as to say it was like a singed Hershy bar, sweet yet sour.

The production version is still dark ruby and the fluffy tan head disappears rather quickly. Again the nose was quite floral, but the burnt toffee I smelled last time was a bit toned down this time I thought, almost like tablet rather than toffee (for the non-Scots out there, tablet is the world's greatest confection!). Drinking the beer I felt there was more coffee than chocolate this time, which made the beer quite dry and bitter, which is never a bad thing in my world, although there was an undertone of sweet caramel, and even some smokiness - although apparently there wasn't any smoked malt used.

I think the production version is a step up from the prototype, even though the alcohol content is down by 0.2%. There is a more rounded body making it a more satisfying drink, which is still nicely balanced and easy to imbibe. While I don't think it will be replacing Budvar Dark or the magnificent Kout na Šumavě 14° Dark in my pantheon of dark delights, it would more than hold its own in the company of darks from Bernard and Svijany for example, and is a beer that I would very much like to try on tap, whether that be keg or cask.

Good stuff again from BrewDog, keep it up.