Just right after new year, I was able to try the BrewDog Tactical Nuclear Penguin that have a whooping 32% abv in the beer. With that high content of alcohol, the beer itself is also very pricy. When mention, you may got heart attack, at cost of RM400+ per bottle this is for sure not your regular RM6 stuff.
Would you pay that much for a beer? That is a the question that I always asked. I know I will but how many will do so. For a quick start, I know many would say, “come on it’s a beer, why I wanted to pay so much for it”.
I totally agree with that. But I’ll explain why this beer is worth for it’s price?
Why I’ll pay for it?
Firstly the reason I’ll pay for it because it’s a unique beer, plus it taste so much nicer then a lot of the aged single malt whisky. As the taste and aroma of this beer are way more pungent, way more exciting and way more complex. Drinking it is just like drinking a very old age whisky that cost less then the same quality it offers. If you keep it few more years it can be more refine in body as well.
Is it better to drink whisky then drinking a high alcohol beer?
Not really, is almost 2 different things that have plenty of same quality. But when it come to taste, aroma and character, the high abv beer for me is the winner. Rather then distill like the whisky, all the original character of the beer are still in there. Because of the freezing process to take away the alcohol, all the flavour are not concentrated. The intense flavour are awesome.
*bare in mind we are not talking about the bison, eagle, polar bear beer that you can get in sundry shop or chinese medicine shop, which are very harsh to drink.
Any future in this?
Yes, I think they will be plenty of high ABV beer in the market soon. I believe the demand will be more once people drink not as common beer but as new genre of beer. With demand like China taking so much good aged alcohol, the supply are getting low. Having high ABV beer with so much good character will sure work in future. Now, people are sceptic and doesn’t seem to understand this genre at all. For me, this maybe the future of high ABV beer. In coming next few years, more and more brewers will start to explore on this market.
Can it consider as beer?
I’ll still consider it as beer, because is just using different method to create a new type from it. Beer is a flexible alcohol that can easily blend and create. Just adding different ingredient will change the character and style of the beer. High ABV beer is just another genre that many beer head out there will sink their head into.
I love to see beer evolve and frankly speaking we are looking at the beer evolution taking place right now. In the pass 10 years so much advancement on beer culture have change through out the world. Many countries beer consumer have slowly changing the mind set of new genre of beer. Commercial beer will always be there, but in my own opinion they should start up some new genre of their own to built this new market.
How can beer be so interesting?
Beer are always interesting, since the day it was created – mankind have been exploring to create beer to their own liking. With today understanding of chemical reaction and the taste of gourmet, more and more creative brewers are creating a new genre for beer. More taste, more aroma and for sure it’s becoming more interesting.
Conclusion
This is just my opinion, accepting new genre will never be easy. It take sometime to convince and slowly build. A person can come out with good comment about the beer or give a thumbs down. In my case, this is the evolution of beer. Beer drinkers should learn to explore a bit more, it will burn your pocket for sure. It will take sometime before someone realise that, they have try this good beer many years ago before it get popular. Either you will pay for it or not, is up to you. For 32% abv beer, I said Glory to Beer, Cheers!
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