THE 2017 BREWDOG PROTOTYPE CHALLENGE
If you love a chance to compare and contrast different beers, then this is your week. The Prototype Challenge returns – and once again you are the ones calling the shots! If you’re unfamiliar with the contest, we release different beers at the same time and hold them up to a public vote across our social media channels to see which we brew again. Previous runnings have unearthed future stars such as Jet Black Heart, Jack Hammer, Cocoa Psycho, Vagabond Pale Ale and Hop Fiction.
So which beer will rank alongside them and win the 2017 Prototype Challenge?
TANGERINE SESSION IPA
Buy our 2017 Prototype Series online here
Malts: Pale, Cara, Crystal
Hops: Chinook, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, Cascade, Nelson Sauvin
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 40
OG: 1.045
First up we have a perfect summer cooler – an IPA that combines new world hops and the bright flavour of (you guessed it) tangerine. We have combined a fairly colossal selection of favourites from the hop store and used them in the boil, whirlpool and then the dry-hop stage to release as much of their aromatic resins as possible. The reason for this is we wanted this IPA to be as citrusy as we could get even before we added the tangerine. Also we used a touch of Cara and Crystal malt to give the body a hit of toasty caramel and add a slight sweetness to counterpoint the enormity of the citrus on the flavour. Coming in at a session-happy 4.5% ABV, this is your first contender!
BLACK RYE IPA
Buy our 2017 Prototype Series online here
Malts: Pale, Rye, Carafa, Dark Wheat
Hops: Columbus, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, Citra
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 70
OG: 1.060
Next up we have a dark challenger, and it is one that has a left-right jab of two classic twists on the American IPA. Firstly we added into the malt bill enough Carafa and dark wheat to leave a beer as typifies the modern classic Black IPA style. But we also went ahead and introduced rye into the grist as well, hitting that sweet spot between Rye IPA as well. The result is a meeting of two of the titans of the maltster, all layered through with some seriously resinous and piney C-hops (with Simcoe playing the role of honorary C-hop). The result is a bitter – 70 IBU – dark brew with coffee, dark chocolate and a huge amount of sticky resin and pine flavour.
DOUBLE IPA
Buy our 2017 Prototype Series online here
Malts: Pale, Maris Otter
Hops: Columbus, Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra, Amarillo
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 60
OG: 1.073
The final of our three challengers is a Prototype at which we threw the proverbial kitchen sink. Kettle hopped with Columbus and Simcoe, Whirlpool hopped with Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra and Amarillo and then enormous levels of dry-hop with more Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe – this is a hopheads dream. We pared back the malt bill to leave a base allowing these hops to shine and they haven’t let us down. Our American ale yeast powered this double IPA through to 8.5% ABV and leaving a bone-dry beer with flavours of mango, peach, pine, apricot and citrus. Intense and vibrant from start to finish.
In our latest Upcoming Brews post where we previewed this Prototype Series we also revealed there would be four beers this time around. Sadly the Prototype German-hopped Blonde Ale did not make it through our stringent Taste Panel so we have decided not to release it. We live or die by the quality of the beer in your glass, and if we don’t love a beer 100% then it won’t see the light of day. So we are rocking three Prototypes this time around instead!
The Prototype beers are live in our online shop now, and will launch in our UK Bars at 6pm tonight, Thursday 17th August. As with previous Prototype Challenges, it’s over to you to decide which we will brew again – taste them, make notes, compare and contrast – and then vote in the poll below this post, or by checking out the posts on our social media feeds.
So which will it be? The Prototype Challenge is on!
Join the Discussion
Comments (61)
Tangerine IPA is nearly there but doesn't beat Elvis
Black Rye is good but too dark for an IPA but not quite a stout
Enjoyed the tasting though. Might have to try again!
To be honet, although all 3 were deent, I don't feel any fill a gap in BrewDog's line up (Elivis works better as a fruit-flavoured, and Libertine was a far better Bliack IPA), and I'd rather they put something like 9 to 5 Wizard on the slate.
Had to go through three bottles of each to make a decision about the other two…
The Black Rye is good, with a nice bite that's sometimes missing in this style. But the DIPA wins for me, even though it has similarities to one of my all-time favourites and current range stalwart, Hardcore.
DIPA - tasted like it was very strong. Very pleasant.
Black Rye - very lively. Dark, Rye, very tasty, smooth, Coffee. AWESOME!
Tasting notes (tasted from bottles):
Tangerine Session IPA – A bit lacklustre compared to Fierce’s Tangerine Tart. It’s got a great nose but doesn’t follow up on it.
Double IPA – A welcome change from all the sweet DIPAs that’re all the rage these days. Bone dry, minimal malt, ALL THE HOPS. Harks back to Hardcore IPA.
Black Rye IPA – Brewdog have always struggled to make even passable BIPAs. This, however, is a fucking good effort. Black Hammer still wins.
2. Black Rye IPA: (7/10), very good, a bit too roasted.
3. Tangerine IPA: (5/10), most unique, too much tangerine flavour.
2. Black rye IPA (7/10) liked it, but a little too dark for my taste.
3. Tangerine IPA (4/10) didn't like it at all. Tangerine flavour way too strong.
Double IPA - Very well balanced. Good flavour, a delicious and harmless drop. 7.5/10
Black Rye IPA - Good smokey flavour. A bit too basic and stouty. 7/10
I didn't really like the Tangerine sessions IPA, However I don't eat orange or any kind orangey citrus flavours, so was always going to be a hard one to like. I think it has been made really well and the infusion of the flavours is really good, just like Elvis Juice.
Black Rye was very nice, love the idea of it and again really well made.
Double IPA was the one for me, Punk is my favourite so a double hit of that flavour was immense. I could drink it all night!
Enjoyed all three but it squeaks ahead. The Black Rye had a nice taste, not too overpowering but also not quite my bag, so misses out on my vote for that reason. The DIPA, although nice, didn't seem to set itself apart from many others I've tasted recently.
Tangerine was crisp and clean with a proper little zing to it. I'm hoping it wins out so I can look forward to having a few cold ones next summer in the sun!
You're wrong.
6/10 - Wonderful tangerine nose and makes a great first impression, but if you took the tangerine away it would be a really average beer. I feel like the entire beer is riding on its "tangerineness". It's a slacker.
Black Rye IPA
9/10 - Absolutely wonderful, literally can't fault it. I can't give it 10/10 because it doesn't have the wow factor of something like an imperial stout but its a truely great beer. Like, truely great.
Double IPA
7/10 - Really good beer, would order any day. Its a real meat and potatoes kind of beer, has everything you need. But it's not pushing the envelope.
Black Rye IPA 3/5. Nice hoppy flavour not too overpowered by the dark malts and a nice spicy finish but as someone earlier said it's not a patch on Libertine imho.
Double IPA 4/5 Great mango aroma and good hoppy flavour with a nice piney resinous finish. Kinda somewhere between BTD and Hardcore. However it just makes me hanker for BTD one of my favourite BrewDog beers!
Tangerine Session IPA - who knew I liked tangerines so much! This fruity bad boy is belter! Great summer feel to it and easy to drink. A session so 4.5% is perfect. If you like Elvis juice I think you will like it and less alcohol if your on an all day session. Not sure yet if I could handle 8 of them as I think it would be a bit sickly but in terms of 4 beers at a BBQ this is a winner. 9/10
Black Rye IPA - wasted on me sorry. I thought it's going to be similar to Rye hammer. Although it is smooth I think I will leave it up to someone else to review as it's not really my bag and would be unfairly judged...
Anyway I've just tried them and, unfortunately, the black rye IPA is no Libertine. It doesn't have the hoppy/orange kick that Libertine used to, nor is it very rye-ish. It might as well be a standard black IPA. Sorry but Libertine and Black Betty were/are better.
So we move onto the double IPA. Initial impression is quite good, it's got the bitterness of Hardcore, but not the maltiness (Over the years I started to think Hardcore was increasingly too malty for my taste). However it doesn't deliver in the hop aroma enough for me. It's not a patch on Born to Die but, then again, it's aimed at potentially being a core beer so I understand the reduced hop profile. Overall, it's not different enough to catch my vote.
Which leaves the "Session IPA", he says deridingly. I'm not much of a session beer drinker. Not that I am all about ABV but I simply don't drink pint upon pint of beer like I did as a student. I tend to drink 3 or 4 small beers in a session so aim for big beers. My approach to this beer wasn't favourable to say the least. I have to say, however, it packs a flavour punch so different from anything in the range that I am intrigued. The taste is close to orange Nerds (remember those sweets that came in a carboard packet?). It's tasty, different, and gets my vote.
The take away from this rant, however, is simple. Please bring back Libertine! As it was, thank you very much :-)