(Fraserburgh, SCOTLAND) – Since the big BrewDog Sink the Bismarck! announcement, bloggers and even the German media have written up some interesting comments.

Barry at The Bitten Bullet provides an interesting translation from German media (note- Barry was first to report on Schorschbräu Schorschbock 40%):

“The brewer of the Franconian Brewery Schorschbräu, George Tscheuschner, however, expressed doubts about the alleged new record.

He has supposed that the Scots would have kept the beer in whiskey barrels and it was therefore also included whiskey alcohol, he told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in Nuremberg. He was just about to prove it. ‘I wish there to be fair competition,’ said Tscheuschner. He himself would soon bring out a beer with 45% by volume of alcohol.”

Interesting to see that Schorschbräu is coming out with a 45% ABV beer soon. Not surprising in the least. I know this record means a lot to Tscheuschner and Co. so it will be interesting to see how long this goes back and forth.

At least one writer and BrewDog shareholder finds the beer name offensive:

“I am young enough to have not been affected by the war. I am old enough to have learnt from many people who did suffer as a result of the war just how terrible it was. The sinking of a German boat [to which the beer name refers] , with 2,200 people on board, of whom nearly 2000 died, is a tragedy that may well have been a justifiable event in the circumstances, but it is no joke.”

Along the same lines, Sink! also made an appearance in Pump Clip Parade, a site dedicated to the “Aesthetic Atrocities From The World Of Real Ale (and beer in general).” A commenter likened it to calling a beer “United Airlines Flight 93.”

On the bright side, Michael at Diary of a Hop Head loves the beer:

“It was Sink the Bismarck. It sat like a spirit in the glass, golden and thick with absolutely no head at all and fantastic spirit legs. I have to point out at this stage that I had it before it was carbonated as I believe its going to get a light carbonation before bottling. It smelled wonderful, bitter and slightly alcoholic (oh the irony!?!). How did it taste……

Simply wonderful. […] It was perfect, bitter concentration with a healthy dose of malt, sweetness and alcohol kick. THIS DOES NOT FEEL LIKE 41%. It’s oh so very hoppy and as the title of the blog suggests, I like that!”

There’s a possibility of it being distributed to the U.S. though no official word yet from Preiss Imports.

And if you’re wondering, Tactical Nuclear Penguin ratings so far: 3.67 on RateBeer and 3.58 on Beer Advocate.