Seriously, you call a 7% alcohol content beer “strong”? Prepare to blush in shame with one swig of the Tactical Nuclear Penguin, an “uber-imperial” stout with almost enough kick as your favorite whiskey.
Introduced by BrewDog, the unusually potent brew is as much a collector’s concoction as it is an exercise in decadence. Forget about gobbling bottles upon bottles of brewskies – it’s intended to be “enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance.” The first is probably a good idea, while the rest is unnecessary marketing spout. Still, kinda gives you a hint about the type of recreational drink you’re looking at.
The Tactical Nuclear Penguin starts off as a 10% imperial stout that’s been carefully prepared for consumption through an 18-month stretch. It spends over eight months aging in a whiskey cask, another eight plus months in an Islay cask and a little under three weeks in -20 degree storage (at an ice cream factory, no less).
Replacing German brew Schorschbraer’s 31% alcohol tally as the most irresponsible bottle of beer ever manufactured, it has been available in 330 ml bottles since Thursday last week. Only 500 units were produced, all of which are now sold out, with a second batch being targeted for the 17th of December (which will likely be all sold out soon, too).
Half of the first batch were sold for £35 apiece, with the remaining half sold for a considerably pricier £250 each. The second price includes a small share in BrewDog as part of its “Equity for Punks” campaign, which aims to raise money for the company’s planned brewery in Aberdeen.