PARADOX UNCLE DUKES

The clocks have fallen back; Christmas will be here before you know it. But where to turn in the interim? With November stretching out ahead our advice is to tackle the colder weather with beers that embrace the warming, welcoming power of barrel-ageing. As a brewery in north-eastern Scotland this is where we turn on a regular basis – it’s no coincidence that our longest-running series of beers is a barrel-aged imperial stout. And the latest edition?

For those seeking out a heart of darkness, Paradox Uncle Dukes is out now.

Paradox Uncle Dukes

You can buy Paradox Uncle Dukes here

For the uninitiated, Uncle Dukes is a powerhouse – a transatlantic mashup of Scotch and Bourbon that results in a whisk(e)y that delivers a supersonic blast of flavour. On seeking new and unusual barrels to continue our Paradox series, using first-fill Uncle Dukes casks was a no-brainer. Powerfully charred, they impart a huge amount onto the spirit – and even more to our imperial stout. We never rush Paradox, unless the flavours pull rank.

And boy did they do so here. Paradox Uncle Dukes is one of our most expressive beers to date. Pulling up at 13.2% ABV, it contains six malts and three different hops – but make no bones about it, this beer is beholden to the oak barrels that give Duke everything and have so much left. Darkly roasted malt, woodsmoke, blackberry and raisin. Good ol’ frontier molasses. Campfire coffee. With a warming alcohol backbone this is the one to see you through November and well, well beyond.

To celebrate the release of our latest Paradox we have decided to embrace the dark side for an entire month. Guard against the creeping chills at your local UK BrewDog Bar; throughout November we are hosting a Month of Darkness. Each bar will dedicate a quarter of their guest taps to dark beers. Porters, Stouts, Schwarzbier, Black IPAs – everything you can think of that adds deeply roasted malt into the mash. Dark weather is made for dark beer.

Speaking of which, Paradox Uncle Dukes is live in our online shop right now and will be pouring from the taps of our UK Bars from 6pm tonight, Thursday 1st November. We think it is a fitting latest stage for the longest running series of beers on our roster – and we hope you agree. Leave your tasting notes below and if there are any other spirits barrels we should use for forthcoming Paradoxes let us know too!