BrewDog
Hello My Name Is Vladimir
8.2%
Aberdeen, Scotland

Back in February 2014 BrewDog produced this double IPA, named Hello My Name Is Vladimir in protest against Putin’s anti-gay laws and even sent him a crate of it. As a result the brewery managed to get featured by various reputable news sources like the BBC, the guardian and The Independent for their sarcastic creation.

BrewDog get some unfair stick (in my opinion) for their ethos, branding and attitude. However, this is another example of why I really love BrewDog, they sent a crate of this beer to Vladimir Putin in absolute disgust for his anti-gay law and half the profits from the sales of the beer would be donated to charities that “represent oppressed minorities around the world.” What’s not to love about this protest beer? It sticks it right to Putin, it stands up for gay rights and it is a double IPA that has a lot of balls (sorry). At 8.2% it certainly is as strong as the meaning behind it.

There is lots of sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek comments on the bottle, including a statement that it is “not for gays.” Hello My Name Is Vladimir is one of my first forays into this style of craft beer, the double IPA and I will be most definitely going back for more. It has a strong hoppy and fruity smell and is rather bitter. It was only brewed once however it’s sentiment remains strong and it has given me an excuse to look into more beers of this style.

I love the idea behind the beer, think it was a fantastic way to get at Putin and his ridiculous views. Plus it tastes bloody great.

OVERALL: 4/5