The Strongest Beers Money Can Buy

Beer is a beloved beverage, but some brews pack a stronger punch than others. While the average beer bottle has a maximum ABV of around 11%, some beers have remarkably high alcohol content, reaching up to 67.5% ABV. These beers are crafted by breweries pushing the boundaries of brewing, creating unique, intense flavours that thrill adventurous drinkers. From BrewDog's The End of History to Schorschbräu's Schorschbock 57, these beers offer a potent drinking experience that demands moderation. This paragraph introduces the topic of the strongest beers available, exploring their high ABV percentages, distinctive flavours, and the breweries that dare to challenge the norms of beer-making.

Brewmeister Snake Venom (67.5% ABV)

Brewmeister Snake Venom is recognised as the strongest beer in the world with an ABV of 67.5%. It is brewed in Moray, Aberdeenshire, or the Scottish Highlands, from smoked, peated malt using two varieties of yeast, one beer and one champagne. The brewmaster wanted to brew unusual beers, so in 2013 he came up with Snake Venom. The beer is made with smoked peat malt, two yeasts, beer and champagne. Despite the high alcohol content, you can still taste hints of malt, hops, and caramel. The beer style is a blend of brown beer and lager.

The beer is similar to a spirit in terms of consumption and is recommended to be shared and sipped in small doses of 35ml measures. The manufacturer has issued a warning that the beer is not for the faint-hearted. Brewmeister Snake Venom is best enjoyed ice-cold and can be sealed and refrigerated for later.

The beer is powerful, viscous, and intensely flavoured, with a sweet, nutty aroma, a fruity flavour, and a fiery, intense finish. It lacks carbonation due to its high strength, as the liquid is too thick to hold carbon dioxide bubbles. The brew is also fortified with additional alcohol to increase its strength.

To achieve such a high ABV, the brew is frozen multiple times during fermentation, and the ice crystals are removed. This process concentrates the alcohol, flavour, and body of the beer as water is removed each time. Brewmeister Snake Venom can be purchased online and delivered worldwide, with prices ranging from £33.32 to £49.99 per 330ml bottle.

Brewmeister Armageddon (65% ABV)

Brewmeister Armageddon is a strong beer, with an ABV of 65%. It was first brewed by the Scottish brewery Keith Brewery LTD (formerly known as Brewmeister) and was, at one time, considered the world's strongest beer.

History

The Armageddon beer was the first beer produced by the brewery, which was founded in 2012. It was later replaced by an even stronger beer called Snake Venom, with an ABV of 67.5%.

Taste and Flavour

Armageddon has been described as having a strong smoky malt aroma, with a very smoky, warming, and strong malt taste. It has been likened to a Scotch ale, but with five times more aroma. The beer has also been described as having a sweet taste, with hints of brown sugar and caramel.

Alcohol Content

The high alcohol content of 65% ABV is achieved through fractional freezing, which involves cooling the beer to a low temperature where water freezes but alcohol does not. The ice is then removed, leaving a higher percentage of alcohol.

Serving Suggestions and Warnings

Due to its high alcohol content, Armageddon is best sipped like a spirit and should be approached with caution. It is recommended that no more than 35ml is consumed in a single sitting.

Koelschip Start the Future (60% ABV)

Koelschip Start the Future is a 60% ABV beer, which was once the strongest beer in the world. It was created by Dutch brewery 't Koelschip in 2010 in response to BrewDog's 55% End of History beer. It was priced at €35 ($46 US), much cheaper than the $764 price tag of the End of History beer.

Start the Future is a heavy alcoholic beverage made with water, malt, hops, and yeast. It is meant to be consumed from a small glass, rather than a beer glass.

The beer has been described as having a strong peppery citrus nose and flowery notes. One reviewer noted that it tasted like whiskey, with a "'weird edge on a highland scotch'. Another reviewer described it as "painfully bad", with a harsh sweetness and booziness.

It is no longer being produced by the brewery.

BrewDog and Schorschbräu Strength in Numbers (57.8% ABV)

BrewDog and Schorschbräu's Strength in Numbers is a collaborative effort between the two breweries to create the strongest beer in the world. The result is a 57.8% ABV beer, made using the traditional eisbock method, which involves freezing the beer and removing chunks of ice to create a highly concentrated liquid.

The beer is a blend of BrewDog's own Death or Glory, an ice-distilled Belgian golden ale that has been aged in whisky casks for 10 years. The result is a unique and powerful beer with an incredibly high alcohol content. In fact, Strength in Numbers has such a high alcohol content that it is sold in tiny 40ml bottles.

The collaboration between BrewDog and Schorschbräu was the result of a decade-long rivalry between the two breweries to produce the world's strongest beer. The back-and-forth battle between the two resulted in increasingly strong beers, with BrewDog releasing Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32% ABV) in 2009, followed by Schorschbräu's 40% ABV offering, and so on, until Schorschbräu's 57% Schorschbock in 2011.

After a decade of this intense competition, the two breweries decided to put aside their differences and work together, combining their expertise to create Strength in Numbers. This collaboration was a significant moment in the world of craft beer, as it brought together two former rivals in a display of camaraderie and a shared passion for brewing.

Strength in Numbers is not just a powerful beer, but also a testament to the spirit of collaboration and the art of brewing. It stands as a unique creation in the world of beer, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in terms of alcohol content and flavour.

Schorschbräu Schorschbock 57 (57% ABV)

Schorschbräu Schorschbock 57 is a full-bodied beer that currently holds the record for the strongest beer in the world with 57% ABV. The title is hotly contested and has often changed hands in recent years. Schorschbräu, the brewery behind Schorschbock 57, fought an alcohol-heavy battle with the Scotsman Brewdog, with both breweries taking turns to launch full-bodied beers that outdid each other in the world rankings.

Schorschbock 57 pours flat ruby-brown with a lacy tan head, bearing a rich bouquet full of fine cognac, laced with inviting tobacco and leather, black cherry, raisin and walnut. On the tongue, there’s a sweetness that shows off the same rich character, lifted by an incredible alcohol burn that stays on your tongue with astonishing longevity.

Reviews of Schorschbock 57 are mixed. Some describe it as tasting like "cask strength whiskey alcohol", with a "fiery" and "dehydrating" blast of booze. Others note an overpowering maltiness and a "dogfood" smell. However, some reviews are more positive, noting the boozy nose with some "tropical notes", and a taste of "booze and tropical fruit, but with more pineapple".

The Schorschbock 57 ended the battle for the title of the world's strongest beer for the time being, and it has since reigned at the top of the strongest beers in the world. However, it's important to note that the definition of what is and isn't a beer is highly contentious. Some people argue that changing the traditional brewing process isn't innovation but blasphemy, and many people disqualify beers that are fortified with additional alcohol.

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