Scotland

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Beers 1 - 20 of 85:

Arran Brewery, Arran Blonde (Scotland) From this island off the Scottish West Coast come Arran Blonde, a light golden-coloured beer with a white, quite persistent head. On the nose it is very crisp and quite elegant, with citrus and hops and a distinct wheatbeer perfume. On the palate there's a touch of grassy, herbal character and a smooth, medium- to full-bodied texture. The fine citrussy flavours fill-in on the mid-palate, and a real creaminess develops. It is a refreshing style of beer served quite cold, with a touch of caramel sweetness too. Lovely stuff. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, ?1.75, Asda, Booth's, Luvians, Safeway, Waitrose.

Arran Brewery, Arran Dark Premium Beer (Scotland) Dark is a realtive term here, as this beer is a ruby/amber colour with a thinnish white head. There's a nice hoppy freshness here rather than overt malt on the nose, with spice and orange aromas in the background. On the palate it is very smooth and creamy-textured, though again quite fresh. There's a bitter orange and orange pith grip to this beer, with very good hopping and only the merest suggestion of treacly darkness. It is grown-up and quite sophisticated beer, with good bitterness and fine drinkablity. 4.3% ABV, 50cl, ?1.99, Booth's, Peckhams.

Atlas Brewery, Latitude Pilsner (Scotland) Styrian Golding, Saaz and Hallertauer Hersbrucker hops join continental lager and British ale malts in this crisp Pilsner beer brewed in the Scotish Highlands. It pours a pale to medium gold, with quite a persistent white head. On the nose it is extremely juicy and aromatic, with a burst of tangy orange and lemon zest, and all sorts of floral, elderflower notes. In the mouth it is medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, and that tang and zestiness continue, with grapefruit and orange flavours building in the mid-palate. The oily bite of the hops starts to take effect, with an endive and nicely bitter character coming through, to give this a clean, refreshing finish. An excellent Pilsner. 3.9% ABV, 50cl, ?1.79, Morrisons (Sco), Tesco (Sco), Utobeer.

Atlas Brewery, Nimbus Blonde (Scotland) A beer brewed from a mix of barley and wheat malts as an hommage to Continental pale beers. It pours a slightly darker than expected golden colour, with a lacy and persistent off-white head. On teh nose there's a rich biscuity malt character over some floral-tinged, orangy fruit. There's a nice grassy and nettly suggestion of the hops, in an aromatic profile. On the palate this is quite a full-bodied, chewy beer, witha rich texture and smooth, mouth-filling structure of sweet malts, a touch of caramel, plenty of Seville orange fruit and that balancing tang of acidity and resinous hops. There is a lingering sweetness to this beer, but I find enough bite to balance. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, ?1.79, thefinewinecompany, Morrisons (Sco), Tesco (Sco), Utobeer.

Atlas Brewery, Three Sisters Scottish Ale (Scotland) Taking its name from the towering mountains of nearby Glencoe, Three Sisters is brewed with Styrian Golding hops and chocolate and crystal malts. The colour is a deep ruby red, with a creamy, cappuccino-froth head. On the nose the dark, chocolaty toast of roasted grains and a touch of burnt toast is inviting, with a subtle fruitiness too. On the palate this is a full-textured, mouth-filling beeer, with those dark, roasted flavours of chicory and toast playing against a nicely bitter hop background. Any suggestion of mid-palate fruity sweetness is buttresessed by these dark, crisp flavours, in a very quaffable beer. 4.2% ABV, 50cl, ?1.79, Morrisons (Sco), Tesco (Sco), Utobeer.

Belhaven, Belhaven Best (Scotland) Definitely one that falls into the "session beer" category with only 3.5% alcohol, Belhaven Best is one of Scotland's most ubiquitous draught ales, and this widget-dispensed can is a pretty close copy of the real thing. I'll confess I find Best a little too sweet for my taste, but with its ultra-creamy head and body, smooth, malty flavours and clean finish, it may lack hoppy bite or real complexity, but is easy to drink and very likeable. 3.5% ABV, 44cl, Luvians, quite widely available.

Black Isle, Organic Blonde (Scotland) This bottled-conditioned beer has cloudy, pale gold colour with a white head that is quite persistent. The nose is both citrussy and floral, with a really perfumed edge to lime and quite exotic, lychee fruit notes. On the palate it has some real wheat beer bite, with a fine-grained palate of citrus fruit in a medium-bodied format. Perhaps it is the Hersbrucker and Hallertau hops, but this is very distinctive, with lots of grassy qualities on the finish. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, ?1.89, Booth's, Luvians, Safeway Scotland, independents.

Black Isle, Organic Porter (Scotland) This is a live, bottle-condition Porter made from dark-roasted malt. Its colour is opaque black, with a low-foaming cream coloured head. On the nose it is quite subdued, with nutty and charry aromas with a hint of black plum. On the palate it is smooth though quite light-bodied with very gentle carbonation. There are dry, roasted barley flavours and hints of burnt toast and charcoal before a nicely bitter, coffeeish finish. Subtle charms and very grown-up. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, ?1.89, Luvians, independents.

Black Isle, Organic Scotch Ale (Scotland) This ale pours a brassy amber colour with a quickly disipating white head. The slight cloudiness settles to a steady amber. It has quite gently nettly aromas, in a fruity, herbal style without too much malt in evidence and a citrus character. On the palate it is medium bodied, with fruity, orangy, pleasant, but rather understated flavour. It doesn't really carry a lot of interest, but is quaffable and enjoyable in its way. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, ?1.89, Luvians, independents.

Black Isle, Organic Wheat Beer (Scotland) The colour of this bottle-conditioned beer is a very pale yellow/gold that pours hazy, with a thin white head. On the nose it is very fresh in style, with a clean citrus aroma, some grassyness and a little background note of burning embers. On the palate it is quite light-bodied, with an extremely clean, pure flavour of orange and a light caramel. There's a little spice and a clean, quite long finish. This is a light and simple style of wheat beer, but is very appetising and moreish. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, ?1.89, Luvians.

Black Isle, Red Kite Organic Ale (Scotland) This beer form Black Isle has a lovely ruby/amber colour and creamy head. Brewed with whole hop flowers it is quite aromatic, with hoppy, slightly vegetal notes of nettles, but also plenty of vivid fruit. There's a little background of coffee. On the palate there's an initial sweetness as this smooth-textured beer coats the tongue, with a tangy fruitiness, but then a big raft of bitter hop flavours takes a grip. A very nice beer indeed, that is crisp on the finish despite a developing malt character. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, ?1.89, Booth's, Luvians, Safeway Scotland, independents.

Black Isle, Yellowhammer Organic Bitter (Scotland) Though it is not a live beer like most in Black Isle's range, this pours slightly cloudy with a little deposit in the bottom of the glass. It is a gold/pale brown colour with a thin white head. It has an intensely fruity, citrus nose with notes of grapefruit and lemon, but also a hint of lemongrass and spicy nuances. On the palate this is quite rich and smooth, with very sharp, crisp, citrussy flavours in a dry, slightly mineral style of beer. It perhaps lacks a little depth, and there's a faintly medicinal note that some may not like, but that adds to the complexity for me in an interesting beer. 4.0% ABV, 50cl, ?1.89, Luvians, Peckhams, Beerritz.

BrewDog, Atlantic IPA (Scotland) The beer pours a deep amber colour with a hint of ruby at its core. The head is thick and almost tan-coloured. The nose has plenty of toast, with a burnt grain and caramel character, a dark, Seville orange note and a hint of something resinous and herbal. On the palate there is a massive attack of hop bitterness, a real endive bite, with more of that roasted, grainy character and only the sweetness of the alcohol steeping in to relieve the full-on attack of the beer. An outstanding brew this, and one to contemplate the meaning of life as you sip it. 8.0% ABV, 33cl, ?10.00, brewery website, Cornelius (Edinburgh), realale.com, Beerritz, Utobeer.

BrewDog, BrewDog (Scotland) Brewed with 'insane hops' according to the boys of BrewDog, this strong IPA pours a dark, burnished copper/chestnut colour with a light tan head that is creamy and thick. The first impression if of chocolaty, dark malts and alcoholic sweetness, but there's quite an intense fruitiness lying behind this too. In the mouth it's a big, no-hold-barred brew, with masses of creamy-textured body and a wallop of bitter hops that play against that notion of sweetness. But it is the dark, rich, roasted fruit flavours and hoppy grip that win out in another striking beer from Brewdog. Not for the faint-hearted. 7.1% ABV, 33cl, ?1.59, Sainsbury's.

BrewDog, Hop Rocker (Scotland) Dry and lemony on the nose, Hop Rocker lives up to its name with a big, punchy blast of astringent hops on the initial palate, which then develops more lemon and a suggestion of peaches. BrewDog describes this as ?A statuesque lager,? and while it may frighten off the Carlsberg drinker, it is a distinctly characterful and thirst-quenching alternative for more adventurous quaffers of the genre. 5.5% ABV, 33cl, ?1.99, brewery website, independents.

BrewDog, Paradox Ale (Scotland) An innovative Imperial Stout, brewed to 8%ABV and marketed in two varieties ? a peaty-flavoured version which has been matured in ex-Islay whisky casks, and a more citrus style of beer which comes from ex-Speyside casks. The whisky influence increases the strength to 10.0%ABV at bottling. The first limited edition batch is Paradox Islay Cask, which was filled into a 1996 Caol Ila single malt whisky barrel, and the powerful Imperial Stout interacts well with the full-bodied, earthy, peaty and slightly medicinal Caol Ila influences. Liquorice, roast malt, dark chocolate and a smouldering bonfire on the nose. Lapsang Souchong tea on the palate, with a not unpleasant fishy note. A bold fusion, and the perfect alternative to a dram and a chaser? 10.0% ABV, 33cl, ?2.75, brewery website, independents.

BrewDog, Punk IPA (Scotland) According to its brewers this is a ?Post modern classic pale ale.? They go on to antagonise the drinker by stating that ?It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to appreciate the depth, character and quality of this premium craft brewed beer.? If you take up the implied challenge, you will find that the nose is dry and grapey, and Punk is actually full-bodied and hoppy enough to be not far removed from a traditional India Pale ale, as exported in the days of the British Empire. Well balanced and very pleasing on the palate. 6.0% ABV, 33cl, ?1.99, brewery website, independents.

BrewDog, The Physics (Scotland) A bright, amber beer with hops and caramel on the nose and an intriguing interaction of fruit/fudge and spicy, hoppy bitterness on the palate. This dog can bite! Brewed using Caramalt and Crystal malt, plus First Gold hops, this is ?A beer with a slight identity crisis,? as the attitude-laden bottle label puts it. However, it is an identity crisis that works very well in the glass. 5.0% ABV, 33cl, ?1.99, brewery website, James Clay.

BrewDog, Trashy Blonde (Scotland) If the BrewDogs know one thing, it is how to brew a tasty beer. This blonde ale delivers a modest 4.1% ABV, but a bucket-full of decisive hop flavour and fruitiness, making it a wonderful summer beer. It pours a golden colour with a thinnish, white head. Dry-hopped for extra aromatics, fruit dominates the nose, with orange and passionfruit notes and a touch of leafy greens. In the mouth this is fairly crisp and medium-weight, with a low carbonation. The immediate impression is of those dry, chicory-edged hops, but the fruitiness rolls back on the mid-palate, with masses of citrus and a very crisp, mouth-watering edginess. There is a hint of malt sweetness in there, but it is under the thumb of the hops leaving this savoury and very moreish. 4.1% ABV, 33cl, ?1.29, Asda, Tesco.

Broughton Ales, (for Marks & Spencer) Organic Ale (Scotland) Brewed for Marks & Spencer by Broughton Ales in the Scottish borders, I'm not sure if this is the same beers as broughton's fine 'Organic Gold' (also 6.0% ABV) repacked, but it is certainly very similar. It pours a burnished gold colour with a thick off-white head that disippates fairly quickly. On the nose there's a sweet and orangy aroma, with plenty of caramel malt notes, herby, nettle aromas and a little earthy whiff of silage. On the palate it has a fine, chewy, creamy texture and plenty of malty character. The hops are there, adding a bitter twist to the finish, and that earthy, quite rich quality extends through the finish. Border Gold is cheaper, so better value, but I have to rate these equally. 6.0% ABV, 50cl, ?1.89, Marks & Spencer.