Thornbridge vs BrewDog – Imperial stout-off
The sometime-groaning BeerCast cupboard is looking decidedly bare as of late – apart from a mighty selection of Kernel Brewery beers for an upcoming podcast, only two bottles remained as of yesterday. Co-incidentally, they were both British imperial stouts over 7% – so a direct comparison sprang to mind, and a grim September night suddenly turns into an unexpected drinking fest. Pitted against each other are Sheffield’s Thornbridge brewery and Fraserburgh’s BrewDog with their respective St Petersburg (7.7%) and Rip Tide (8.0%). There’s a connection between the breweries themselves – BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie originally cut his teeth in Derbyshire with the fledgling Thornbridge, before moving back North.
First up is the blue corner, and the Scottish entrant. BrewDog need no introduction, particularly on this website as our tag cloud highlights – 14 articles relating to the Aberdeenshire duo, compared with the next highest (Alloa’s Williams Bros) on 8 articles. Rip Tide is a nudge stronger at 8.0%, and – as can happen with BrewDog beers – totally overflows on opening and becomes a gusher. Pourwise it’s the expected deep black, with a thick consistency and a peaked tan head. The aroma is bitter dark coffee, which comes through on the taste – heavy coffee with slight smoky flavours, and a hint of liquorice before more bitterness and the alcohol punch follows.
The immediately notable difference when pouring Thornbridge’s St Petersburg is the carbonation – a very small fizzling head which reduces to a thin lacing. A strong aroma of liquorice and coffee comes off on the nose, and visually there is very little difference between the two – both dark and viscous as expected. Both are also very full, but St Petersburgh has none of the bitterness of Rip Tide, there’s a smoothness that runs throughout. A nice warming finish, with peaty smoke on the aftertaste – plus the overall balance – puts the English entrant on top in this particular comparison.
4 Comments
BeerKnowledge
September 29, 2010It was Martin who was tied to Thornbridge before, he worked there for a couple of years before starting brewdog
Richard
September 30, 2010Thanks – course it was, got the wrong Dog there! I’ve changed the text
Mark, Real-Ale-Reviews.com
October 22, 20102 cracking beers. I adore Riptide but St Petersburg is such a smooth operator. A beer night of just these 2 would be a good beer night!
Richard
October 24, 2010Certainly was a good beer night Mark – interesting to put the two up against each other. As long as it doesn’t verge into cloying, then smoothness wins every time over harshness in my book…