Beer Advent Calendar Day 14- BrewDog Prototype 17

Good evening everyone. Tonight is my last advent calendar blog post from the flat in Guildford, as tomorrow I'll be starting the journey back to Devon for Christmas. Because of this, I decided that another BrewDog Prototype beer would be a fitting end to this portion of the saga. Even though I tried them all on tap at BrewDog Camden, I feel they should be given proper reviews in this context. Onwards then, with BrewDog's Prototype 17....

Prototype 17 (4.9% ABV), a pale ale with American hops, Belgian yeast and raspberries, pours a golden colour with a thick head that drops down to a thin, broken coating on the surface of the beer. The aroma is fairly heavy on the phenols, characteristic of the Belgian yeast used to ferment the beer. The raspberries add an unusual funk to the proceedings, but it's not overly offensive like a pungent lambic so don't be too worried! The taste is reminiscent of a diluted Belgian beer- i.e. weaker flavours than expected- with the raspberries complimenting the experience without overpowering the taste of the beer. No sense of the hops in the aroma or the taste, with no bitterness in the finish. In conclusion, another unusual beer from the guys at BrewDog, but the sum of great ingredients and brewing concepts doesn't always equal a great beer. The taste of the beer when the Belgian yeast combines with the raspberries is slightly too "out there" for me to really like it, but if you're after something quite different, give it a try. Hops Kill Nazis still remains my preferred Prototype so far!

Tomorrow, there may or not be an advent calendar post. If not, I'll combine it with Friday's beer. Until next time....