Skinny Blonde, Oban Bay Brewery, 4.1% ABV.

There’s been a string of warm weather lately and Skinny Blonde is working really well for me right now. While there are specific beers that I will drink in any weather, I love it when the right beer meets the right weather. Now, I’m not all that well versed in blonde ales, but I know a good beer when I drink one, and this is certainly a decent ale.

Yes, while this ale meets the requirements of the weather, I don’t think it rises above the level of a decent ale. Truly good ales I rate around 4 out of 5, but there’s just something about Skinny Blonde that doesn’t strike me as quite right. It tastes almost unfinished to me, like they bottled it too quickly. And there’s an odd citrusy-melon flavor going on, mixed with a sort of honey sweetness. The Oban Bay Brewery says that this ale has “lager like nuances and colour. It has a pleasant and surprising fruitiness along with citrus notes.” I in no way disagree with the content of this statement, but I think it is a bit misleading. “Surprising fruitiness” does not mean that it works really well. I think it’s an odd fruitiness to combine with citrus notes.

But I don’t mean to be too disparaging.  I am actually enjoying this beer. I wonder what it would taste like with a slice of lime…to bad I don’t have one available.

I rate this at 3 out of 5. It works well with this warm weather, but there’s just something about this ale that begs for more.

 

 

Jarl, Fyne Ales Scotland, 3.8% ABV.

There are only two words I need to describe this beer, but for those of my readers outside North East Scotland you won’t fully understand. This beer is “affa’ fine.” For those of you who don’t get the full inference of the Scots phrase, this beer is tremendous, superb, excellent, tasty, delicious, magnificent and soul-soothing.  This must truly be a near perfect summer session ale.

The only thing I find off-putting about this beer is the color. It’s just a bit too pale for my aesthetic tastes. So I think the next time I drink Jarl, I’ll drink it straight from the bottle. But that is honestly the worst thing I can say about this beer, it’s just not pretty enough for me.

But the flavor is fantastic! This has to be one of the best uses of hops I have ever come across. There is just so much going on with the hops. You get strong citrus flavors which makes it feel like you’re in the tropics. But it’s not so fruity that you feel like you’re drinking juice. It still has that bitter metallic bite that I usually look for from hoppy beers. Really, this is fantastic! The blend of the citrus with the metallic bitterness makes for an amazing experience. Often beers that are hopped like this will have different flavors throughout the drinking experience. The citrus will be the first thing to hit you, largely from the fruity aroma, then at the end you’ll get the bitterness from the hops. But with Jarl the bitterness and the citrus is there the whole time, from start to finish. It is excellent.

If you can get a hold of this beer this summer, definitely pick it up. It carries all the hope of warm weather, complete with golden tans, good food and banter and laughter with friends. It’s low alcohol content makes it a fantastic session ale, but it’s one that I’d keep to the backyard as you spend a lazy Saturday barbecuing and playing garden games with friends.

This is definitely a 4.5 out of 5 for me. I’d give it a 5 out of 5 if I thought that it feel like an appropriate beer for more than just the summer months.

 

 

 

Galleon Gold Blonde Ale, Isle of Mull Brewing Company, 4.1% ABV

I love discovering new beer and new breweries and I am delighted to have discovered the Isle of Mull Brewing Company. I only wish I had taken the opportunity to look up the brewery when I was staying in Tobermory a couple of months ago. Ah, if only…

But on to the beer, sort of. I want to start with the name and the logo, which I think are fantastic. Galleon Gold is named for the sunken treasure of a Spanish Galleon off of the Isle of Mull. According to the history printed on the bottle, a Scottish prisoner from the MacLean clan was able to set fire to a magazine aboard the Florida in Tobermory Bay in 1588. While items such as brass and silverware have been recovered from the ship, the treasure still remains as legend. Seriously, this is a great name and a great story for a pale golden ale.

This beer really does have a beautiful pale golden color, and that’s about the most dynamic thing about it, which is not meant to imply that this is a bad beer. It’s lager-esque in it’s lightness. The malt is by no means heavy, nor are the hops, but it’s a smooth drinking ale. I think it will be delightful in warm weather, particularly if you’re barbecuing or relaxing on the beach. I suggest garnishing it with a slice of lime, just to kick the citrus notes up a notch. Yes, I know it’s something commonly practiced with bottles of Corona, but I think it would work a treat with this beer. At 4.1% ABV. this can be a great backyard session ale, I just wish I knew where to get it outside of Tobermory or Oban.

I rate this a 3 out of 5. It’s good, but not amazing.

 

 

 

Maverick, Fyne Ales Brewery, 4.2% ABV.

So….

I just took my first two sips of Maverick and I am absolutely delighted. As my reviews suggest, I’ve tried a string of underwhelming ales lately and I am so happy to be drinking what can accurately be called a fine/Fyne ale. This ale is soothing both my palate and my soul at the moment.

Let me explain.

Today I made the half-mile or so trek to the supermarket and the journey home, while laden with groceries for the next couple of days, it was drizzling. Or in Scots’ terms, it was dreich and I was drookit by the time I made it home. Now, being as intimate with the weather as I was, I wanted to be sure to choose the right beer to review today from the ten or so bottles I have laid by. I have to say, Maverick is just what the doctor and/or the weather ordered.

This is a wonderful dark, malty ale. Fyne Ales calls this “A fine, robust fruity ale with reddish mahogany colour and warm roasted malt flavours. A full ‘mouth’ taste and fruity hop aromas generate a distinctive character to this beer.” Now, I’m not catching the fruity hop aromas. I smell more of a roasted raisony scent, not too unlike some of the Dalmore single malt whiskies I’ve tried. But I digress. What I’m really loving is the dark, roasted maltiness of this beer. It’s similar to Ivanhoe, but without the mustiness. It’s more like drinking a loaf of fresh wholegrain bread. You get hints of dried fruits, a mild sweetness and a mellowing bitterness.

This is, without a doubt, a beer to come in out of the rain for. It’s a peaceful sort of ale that makes you glad to be alive. I’m not quite sure why Fyne Ales calls this beer Maverick, but it’s a great beer for whatever reason.

I am so glad to be rating this as a 4 out of 5. It’s a great one!

 

Misty Law, The Kelburn Brewing Company, 4.0% ABV.

I’m going to keep looking out for Kelburn beers because I ardently support small craft brewers, but I keep on hoping for something a bit better than what I’ve found so far. I suspect that as I look for darker, more malty ales from Kelburn I’ll begin to find the expertise I’m looking for in a craft beer.

But I don’t mean to be too disparaging. Kelburn makes beers that I think will be quite popular with the drinking populace in Scotland. That’s largely because they make beer that is palatable but not so dynamic that you spend a lot of time contemplating the sensations in your mouth. So far I’ve had beer from Kelburn that would work so well on a session with my friends, allowing more time to converse about everything except the beer.

Misty Law is another underwhelming beer, in my opinion. The Kelburn Brewing Company says that this beer is “A dry hoppy amber ale with a long-lasting bitter finish.” I think this is an under hopped amber ale with a mild bitterness, a very wet and watery mouthfeel, with middling maltiness on the palate, combined with a nothing more than a slight hint of citrus fruits.

Personally speaking, this beer is too wet, the malt is not strong enough, and I think they need to reconsider what hops they use. That being said, Mist Law is a very drinkable beer. If I could find it in bottles it would be the sort of beer I would gladly quaff after getting home from the gym. It’s a thirst quenching beer that wouldn’t be all that bad in a session.

I rate this as a 3 out of 5, and I think I’m probably being a bit generous. I look forward to hearing other people’s opinions, but I stand by the fact that this beer could be a lot better than it is.

Pivo Estivo, The Kelburn Brewing Company, 3.9% ABV.

It’s always exciting to find new breweries of a high quality. I first heard of the Kelburn Brewery a few months ago, but this is my first taste of one of their beers. I find it to be very promising, and I think if you’re in Scotland, Kelburn beers are ones you’ll want to look out for.

This ale has a beautiful pale gold color with an almost eggshell white head. Truly, this is a gorgeous looking beer. On the nose I find hints of cereal along with the more dominant hop aroma. But for some reason these combine to form a very clean scent.

On the palate there’s a hint of citrus fruits combined with a dry bitterness that makes for a unique tasting experience. But, to be honest, I don’t think it’s the right kind of bitterness. I’m looking for something a bit more metallic and a lot less dry. The bitterness of this ale is just sort of lacking.

On the whole Pivo Estivo lacks the flavor contrast I look for in really good ales. That being said, this is still a decent ale. With its slightly lower than usual alcohol percentage it makes for a decent session ale.I think this ale might become a bit more thirst quenching  as summer kicks in.

This is strictly a middle of the road 3 out of 5 ale. It’s worth a try, but it could definitely be better.

1811 Lager, Fort George Brewery 5.1% ABV.

 

I am so happy to be reviewing this beer. I am an avowed ale drinker and I will on most occasions shy away from consuming a lager. As a US expatriate living in Northeast Scotland, I love it when I find local ales using ingredients that are quite common in the Pacific Northwest craft brewing industry. But nothing means more to my palate than drinking a delicious craft brewed beer from the PNW while I’m sitting in my flat in Aberdeen, Scotland. I suppose that at the moment I can colloquially stipulate that while I drink this beer, I am in hog heaven.

Ok, so I think I might upset a lot of lager drinkers when I say this, but I absolutely love the cloudiness of this beer. 1811 Lager is brewed using no filters, finings or clarifiers which brings this lager to a fantastic result. I would compare it to the difference between a cider like Strongbow, which is a very clear cider, and a cider you might find at CAMRA Beer Festival in Aberdeen. When it’s cloudy like that, it just feels more authentic, more finely crafted. It tastes like a real beer, the beer, I mean, not the ciders I was just talking about. There is more flavor packed into a can of this lager than any other I’ve tired packaged in a similar manner.

I love that I’m tasting citrus fruits in this beer, and I a slice of orange for garnish would not go amiss. But what I really, really, really love about this lager is I can taste the hops! Too often I find lagers to be so under-hopped to be just incredibly bland. Seriously brewers, give your lagers some character. Thankfully, there are breweries out there that are committed to brewing better ales and better lagers. I’ve not tried the other beers from the Fort George Brewery in Astoria, Oregon, but you can rest assured that I will be visiting their brewpub the next time I find myself in Astoria.

I rate this beer at 4 out of 5. Seriously, you have to try this beer.

 

 

 

Talorcan, Deeside Brewery, 4.5% ABV.

I sincerely hope this “Velvety Smooth Stout” is still available at the St. Machar Bar when my officemate gets back to Aberdeen next week. I think this is one stout he will really enjoy. I’ve rated a few stouts and porters before, and while I contend the “stout” nomenclature for any dark beer that’s only 0.5% stronger than Guinness, this is still a cracking (or craicing, if you wish a more Irish spelling) beer.

As I’ve stated in other reviews, the bench mark for stouts and porters is Guinness. And when it comes to Guinness it’s largely about the mouthfeel, or the texture, as I sometimes call it. Talorcan is one of the few cask-pulled porters or stouts that comes close to the right mouthfeel, in my opinion. I’m sure avid Guinness drinkers will contest that with me, but if you’ve not had a pint of Guinness in Ireland then I don’t think your argument will have much validity. The mouthfeel with this beer is, for me, smooth and full, filling my palate with a body that you really look for in a good stout. It has that soft, creamy or velvety texture that makes this a very easy drinking beer.

But what’s surprising with this dark beer with it’s latte colored head is it’s sweetness. I honestly expected more of a dark chocolate or coffee malt bitterness. But it’s almost like drinking milk-chocolate, with hints of spice and winter fruits. Wow, this is tasty.

I rate this at  strong 4 out of 5. Honestly, this is a great beer and I will again reiterate that Deeside is a brewery to look out for. Definitely a cracking beer. I think I might have another…

Brude, Deeside Brewery, 4.5% ABV.

Well, once again I’ve found a delicious ale from the Deeside Brewery. I’m so happy that my favorite Aberdeen pub, The St. Machar Bar, regularly carries Deeside beers. Deeside is making some of the best beer in Northeast Scotland. For non-Aberdonian readers, if you ever see a Deeside Brewery beer available, try it. They are worth the experience.

For my money, Brude is an exciting ale. I first tried it in a bottle a couple of years ago before the brewery was, well, rejuvenated. I am incredibly pleased at the reappearance of Brude.  It was great a couple of years ago, but I am absolutely loving it right now. And I can readily explain why.

It’s getting to that time of year where everyone is serving some sort of golden ale or pale ale. And they will all taste incredibly similar. I don’t mean to sound like I’m complaining. I love golden and pale ales. But what I really love about this “Citrus Best Bitter” is the combination of the sweet citrus with the sharp bittering hops. The citrus flavor should be coming from hops as well, but I’ve tried some beers lately that have gone for a similar combination of fruity and floral with a bitter edge, and they have habitually got the bitterness wrong. But Brude does it just right. I love the sharp metallic bitterness you find in so many aggressively hopped IPAs in the United States. Lately I’ve encountered bitterness that smacks more of raw coco powder rather than the metallic bitterness I usually look for.

This is a definite 4 out of 5. Well done Deeside, well done!

Grozet, Williams Brothers Brewing Company, 5% ABV

Seldom will you come across a brewery that is as traditional and innovative as the Williams Brothers Brewing Company. I’d even go so far as to say that they are the most distinctively Scottish of all of Scotland’s breweries. Tennent’s may be the most well known of Scottish beers, but the Williams Brothers draw the most on local traditions, local recipes and local ingredients for their beer. And I, for one, love the result.

Grozet is another example of the Williams Brothers unique blend of tradition and innovation. It is a lovely beer. It’s crisp, has a refreshing citrus aspect and is mildly fruity.  It has a well balanced malty, floral and fruity aroma and the color is a beautiful pale gold with quickly dissipating white head. But don’t think that the absence of the head infers a flat beer. This beer bubbles on my tongue down to the last drop. Delicious!

But for me the thing that makes this an incredible beer is the yeast. It’s a lager! I’ve been continually baffled that hot environments tend to brew more lagers, which require colder temperatures to ferment, yet frigid places like Scotland brew a large amount of ales. But this is one Scottish lager to take note of. I mean, finally, a lager that isn’t boring to my palate. The tart citrus flavor you get from the use of gooseberries in the brewing process pushes this lager past almost every other lager I’ve ever come across. Or, perhaps, that you’ll come across.

I think the Williams Brothers have one or two more lagers that I need to review, but Grozet makes me want to approach larger breweries and scream, “Look, this is what you could be doing!”

I rate this at a definite 4 out of 5. Happy drinking!