BrewDog Craft Beer Advent Calendar 2024 - full review, tasting notes and value verdict
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I’ve had all kinds of advent calendars over the years, from those reliably disappointing £2.99 efforts from Woollies through to more grown-up offerings that have included everything from grooming products, whisky to pork scratchings.
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It was probably inevitable that a beer advent calendar would be next on the list, so I thought I’d have a look at the most popular in the UK, from beer giants BrewDog.
In this article I’ll give you a full run-down of the contents, look at the variety of styles on offer and examine value-for-money. I’ll also give tasting notes on one or two that really stood out for me.
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Hide AdIf you want to go straight to BrewDog’s website and order your calendar for £55, click here.
First impressions
The BrewDog Craft Beer Advent Calendar costs £55, with free delivery, and contains 24 cans and a BrewDog-branded glass. Each beer is different, ranging from their familiar IPA and lager ranges, through some of the morse ‘interesting’ fruit-infused varieties and special editions, with a handful of some of the brand’s more out-there high ABV brews thatare definitely for beer connoisseurs.
The calendar itself has a rather functional cardboard design, but that’s OK as BrewDog’s signature can designs are on full display and it’s certainly fun to reveal what’s behind each door as you work your way through December.
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The calendar covers the full range beer styles, and even if you’re already a BrewDog fan, there’s bound to be one or two you’ve not tried before, which is one of the advantages of an advent calendar. You might not like them all, but then at least you know!
For me, the standout beers were Hazy Jane Peach, Wingman Tropical Storm and Black Heart Stout. The first two are great expressions of IPA and Black Heart just reminded me how much I enjoy a good stout on a cold autumn evening.
Hazy Jane Peach 5% ABV
Hazy Jane is BrewDog’s flagship New England IPA, with a fruited twist, described as a fuzzy, fruity marriage of soft tropical hops and ripe peaches. I enjoyed the smooth, almost creamy texture, and found the peach tones added to the IPA base without overwhelming its familiar flavour.
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Hide AdWingman Tropical Storm 7.2% ABV
This is a real step up from the much lower strength standard Wingman, but at Christmas you can treat yourself, can’t you? As a double IPA it packs a punch, but again BrewDog maintain the distinctive IPA flavour, this time with mango and passionfruit joining the party.
Black Heart Draught Stout 4.1% ABV
Beautiful packaging, and a robust but eminently drinkable malty treat with layers of coffee and chocolate. A reminder that BrewDog is an accomplished maker of all styles of beer, and a prompt for me to order a case in anticipation of the long winter months ahead.
What’s included
Here’s the full list of all the beers included in the Brewdog Craft Beer Advent Calendar.
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Hide Ad1. Punk IPA (5.4% ABV): Classic citrus and tropical flavors with a slight bitterness.
2. Lost Lager (4.5% ABV): Crisp, refreshing, with hints of lemon and light bitterness.
3. Hazy Jane (5% ABV): Juicy mango and pineapple notes, smooth and hazy.
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Hide Ad4. Wingman (4.3% ABV): Light, sessionable, with subtle citrus tones.
5. Elvis Juice (6.5% ABV): Bold grapefruit aroma, zesty and hop-forward.
6. Hazy Guava (5% ABV): Smooth tropical guava flavors with mild bitterness.
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Hide Ad7. Hazy Peach (5% ABV): Sweet peach aroma, balanced, with a hazy body.
8. Hop Frenzy (5.8% ABV): Intense hop-forward with citrus and pine.
9. Sprucy Lucy (4.5% ABV): Pine-forward, fresh with a hint of malt sweetness.
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Hide Ad10. Wingman Tropical (7.2% ABV): Tropical fruit notes with a medium body.
11. Rocky Road (6.8% ABV): Rich chocolate, marshmallow, and vanilla flavors.
12. AldIPA (4.5% ABV): Crisp IPA with mild bitterness and fruitiness.
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Hide Ad13. Speedbird OG (4.5% ABV): Classic lager style with a light, crisp profile.
14. Hoppy Xmas (6% ABV): Festive hops with citrus and light pine notes.
15. Clockwork Orange (4.9% ABV): Zesty orange flavor with a malty base.
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Hide Ad16. Post Punk (5.4% ABV): Balanced IPA with tropical notes and a light bitterness.
17. Elf (4.5% ABV): Light, malty, and slightly sweet with a hint of spice.
18. Arcade Made (8% ABV): Bold, high ABV with tropical and caramel flavors.
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Hide Ad19. Jack Hammer (7.2% ABV): Intense hop bitterness with pine and citrus.
20. Lucky Break (6.7% ABV): Rich caramel malts with subtle hop balance.
21. Cold Beer (3.4% ABV): Light, refreshing with minimal bitterness.
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Hide Ad22. King Crush (8.4% ABV): Powerful hops, full-bodied with tropical notes.
23. Shore Leave (4.3% ABV): Easy-drinking with hints of citrus.
24. Black Heart (4.1% ABV): Smooth stout with roasted coffee and chocolate notes.
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For beer fans who appreciate a variety of styles and enjoy experiencing new flavours and different expressions, the BrewDog Craft Beer Advent Calendar makes a present that will be appreciated. If nothing else, it stocks up the fridge ready for when Christmas guests pop round and fancy a beer! For me, it was a chance to reacquaint myself with beers I’ve not tried in a while and an introduction to some I’ve never come across before. As such, it’s a great sampler and a prompt to find and order some of the standouts. At £55, it offers very good value-for-money - some of the more specialist brews can cost as much as £4.99 for a single can, and of course there’s the brands schooner as well.
However, for those who know exactly what styles they like, it might be a better option to choose one of BrewDog’s other gift packs that concentrate on one product or style at a time, such as the Punk Dad Gift Pack.
How to buy
You can order the BrewDog Craft Beer Advent Calendar directly from BrewDog themselves, priced at £55. Delivery is included. Click here to order yours.
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If you’re tempted by the idea of a whisky-themed advent calendar, I recommend the selection at Mast of Malt, with options ranging from less than £80 to - ahem - £10,000! All kinds of whiskies are represented, and they’ve also added ranges of gin and rum calendars this year. Visit Master of Malt here.