Dogma: Honey, Opium and an Energy Drink Wrapped In One Ale

BrewDog Dogma
"Ale brewed with honey, poppy seed, kola nut and guarana"
Sampled: June 13, 2010

For all the crazy indegredients involved in Dogma, the simplest one tantalized me the most: Scottish heather honey. I've become a nut for honey in beer; it can take the harshest hop and malt complement, sand off the rough edges and craft a mellow ale at any alcohol content.

From first whiff, the Scottish honey is inescapable, blending nicely with the malts introduced here. Ruby-amber with head and lace that defnitely needs a minute to calm,

The poppy seed impresses early on the palette, with the kola and nut arising mid-palette then nearly carrying into the finish. I suppose they should induce a caffeine/energy kick, since guarana and the kola nut do that naturally, but it never comes (Any resemblance to Red Bull, Rock Star or any of those energy drinks is mainly imaginary). The guarana and kola nut work fine prior to the finish, because it ends with complexity, bitter that the honey cannot quite round off.

This is Scotch ale through the looking glass, but it's just as wonderful in this incarnation. While Dogma is a little heavy for humid summer day on which I sampled it, pour it to enliven any of the other three seasons.

Even by attaching a Scottish label to Dogma, it's a unique brew. If you seek beers with wild confluences of ingredients, this is for you. Anyone entranced by the possibilities of honey and beer should check into Dogma, just to see how far it divulges from standard honey ales.