Warning: The World’s Strongest Beer is Stronger than Vodka
Sigh, this makes the beer lover in me wary. Lately, it seems that my favorite breweries are in a constant race to outdo and outshine each other in terms of raising the alcohol content of their beers. While the results are usually fantastic, take the Black Tuesday by The Bruery at 18.3% abv and the Tactical Nuclear Penguin by Brew Dog at 32% abv for instance, sometimes the results go awry. Former title champ for World’s Strongest Beer went to Finis Coronat Opus by Kleinbrauerei Schorschbräu in Germany. While the street cred they gained was quite an accomplishment in the beer community, many were dismayed by the brew’s overbearing Marmite-esque taste and flat texture (which often occurs with stronger beers).
Now, Scotland’s Brewmeister Brewery is set to launch Armageddon, a potent brew with an alcohol content of 65% at 130 proof. Note: That’s stronger than vodka, whiskey and tequila. The extreme alcohol content is achieved by freeze fermenting the beer, this way the water freezes while the alcohol (which has a much lower freezing point) does not. The resulting ice is removed and the beer retains the alcohol.
Brewmeister recommends sipping Armageddon “like a fine whiskey” and claims that “Despite being 65%, the beer has a lot of flavour – malty, hoppy, slightly sweet and lots of yeast still in the beer.”
Armageddon will be released this coming November, just in time to pair with that Thanksgiving meal. However, let’s hope quality isn’t sacrificed for novelty.