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The P & B Beer, Lager, Ale, Stout and Cider Guide


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#15

Beer: Orkney Brewery Clootie Dumpling

Abv: 4.3%

Style: Tawny Ale

Aromas: Cinnamon, raisins, nutmeg, pine, the smell of christmas, mixed spice, root ginger, dark fruit

Taste: Hops are very faint, mince pies, slightly bitter cinnamon, caramel malt, fruity, definite christmas vibe

Overall: This is a seasonal beer from the great Orkney Brewery. Obviously a bit of a novelty but very well done. The spice is blended very well and the beer is very drinkable. Would actually like to try this with a clootie dumpling or maybe a christmas pudding.

7.5/10

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Edited by Derek Patterson
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Beer: Dorothy Goodbody's Blissful Brown Ale

Abv: 4.6%

Style: Brown Ale

Aromas: Fruity, a little floral and sweet.

Taste: Oaky, quite sweet. Pleasant aftertaste. Nice finish, no bitterness.

Overall: It's a classic brown ale, nothing much more. The sweetness is nice and it lingers well on the tongue. It's bottle conditioned, so you have to pour carefully and only chill it lightly. To be honest, I'm struggling to say anything else, it is exactly as described - a brown ale. There's nothing spectacular going on here, but equally there's nothing wrong either. Lovers of Brown Ale will like it, others may not be overly keen.

6/10

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Beer: Brewdog Dead Pony Club

Abv: 3.8%

Style: Pale Ale

Aromas: Pure hops!

Taste: Hops, tiny bit of citrus fruit.

Overall: This is a crisp and light pale ale that dances on your tongue. Brewdog are genius for marketing their beers, but they mostly live up to the hype. This one's no different. Definitely a summer beer, tiny bit of citrus fruit makes it crisp and it seems heavily carbonated but that doesn't detract from its enjoyable delight. This is a palate cleansing fresh summer ale and it's tremendous. It's pale ale in a California style (HOPS!) , but a lager drinker would find this great I think. I much prefer this to their mediocre Lager77 but it's nowhere near as good as Punk IPA or 5am Saint for me. Definitely a winner though - if you can look past the slightly cringeworthy marketing spiel what's not to like? Get some.

7/10

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Beer: Orkney Brewery Clootie Dumpling

Abv: 4.3%

Style: Tawny Ale

Aromas: Cinnamon, raisins, nutmeg, pine, the smell of christmas, mixed spice, root ginger, dark fruit

Taste: Hops are very faint, mince pies, slightly bitter cinnamon, caramel malt, fruity, definite christmas vibe

Overall: This is a seasonal beer from the great Orkney Brewery. Obviously a bit of a novelty but very well done. The spice is blended very well and the beer is very drinkable. Would actually like to try this with a clootie dumpling or maybe a christmas pudding.

7.5/10

a8edf194510411e180c9123138016265_7.jpg?w=300&h=300

Had this in Behind the Wall in Falkirk at Christmas. Was ok but seemed pretty bland on tap.

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#16

Beer: Camerons 6th Sense

Abv: 6%

Style: Strong Ale

Aromas: Faint fruits, roses, biscuits, caramel, malty

Taste: Quite sweet, good amount of malt, slight nuttiness, barley sugar

Overall: Another one from Tesco that I hadn't seen before. Guessing it's just in for this beer week thing. If it wasn't for the high Abv this would be a good session beer as it doesn't feel close to 6%. Would say it tastes/feels more like a 4/4.5%. Not an outstanding beer but it's tasty and refreshing.

7/10

*picture in previous post

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#17

Beer: Brewdog Rip Tide

Abv: 8%

Style: Imperial Stout

Aromas: Dark chocolate, brown sugar, faint coffee, roast malts, old fashioned cola, cake

Taste: Treacle, liquorice, bourneville chocolate, almost a hint of cherry, nice kick from the hops

Overall: A lot of folk don't like Brewdog for their marketing style. Yes I suppose it's unorthodox but if anything it gets more people interested in decent beer so fair play to them. With this one their bite stands up to their bark. Nice balance of sweetness and hops. A good quality imperial stout.

8/10

riptidemedia.jpg

Edited by Derek Patterson
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Tonight I'm having a couple of the Inveralmond Brewery's Ossian.

beers-classic-ossian.jpg

I found this after the brewery decided to follow me on twitter and I kept a look out for it. I found it in my local Tesco.

A gold coloured ale that goes down rather well chilled and has a lovely zesty aftertaste. Quite light as well so you could drink it all night.

8/10

Had a few pints of this pre- and post-match last season in a wee pub in Coatbridge - raved about it to all who'd listen. Wonderfully smooth and no ill-effects whatsoever after a sizeable session. I haven't seen it again since, so shall now visit Tesco.

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#18

Beer: J.W. Lees Manchester Star Ale

Abv: 7.3%

Style: Porter

Aromas: Tangy hops, raisins, dark toffee malt, dark fruits, pipe tobacco, hint of spice, chocolate malts, actually slightly reminiscent of Old Jock though a tad lighter

Taste: Dark chocolate but not bitter, roast chocolate malts, sweet and very smooth

Overall: This was a darker one than I expected. Absolutely lovely stuff though. Very smooth for a higher Abv beer too. As Monster says it's a cracking Winter beer. Almost too easy to drink :lol:. I'll be back to Tesco Sainsburys to get a few more of these before they stop selling it again.

8.5/10

JWleesManStar.jpg

Edited by Derek Patterson
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#14

Beer: Broughton Old Jock Ale

Abv: 6.7%

Style: Wee Heavy

Aromas: Initially smells quite boozy, almost a hint of a tangy white wine aroma, tangy fruit, faint hops, raisins

Taste: quite sweet, caramel maltiness, hops are quite faint but still give a bit of kick, roasted malt barley

Overall: Strong flavours but surprisingly light and drinkable considering the abv. If anyone has had McEwans Champion, this isn't a million miles away but is probably the more drinkable beer.

7/10

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Had a bottle of this not that long ago, 7/10 about right for me too.

Beer: Cairngorm Wildcat

Abv: 5.1%

Style: Amber Ale

Aromas: Malty and strong. Interesting creaminess, almost like Belhaven Best

Taste: Really robust and malty. Woody and a little floral, quite carbonated

Overall: This is one I like. Tastes stronger than 5.1% and is full of bitter malty notes. This is the first time I've tried this and I'll be having more. The blurb on the bottle says it's fruity, but I'm not picking that up at all. If I had a choice of any amber ales this would be on the shortlist. Nice one!

7/10

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Bought this in Sainsbury's (Hamilton) recently I liked it also, i would probably have given it 7.5.

Beer: Brewdog Dead Pony Club

Abv: 3.8%

Style: Pale Ale

Aromas: Pure hops!

Taste: Hops, tiny bit of citrus fruit.

Overall: This is a crisp and light pale ale that dances on your tongue. Brewdog are genius for marketing their beers, but they mostly live up to the hype. This one's no different. Definitely a summer beer, tiny bit of citrus fruit makes it crisp and it seems heavily carbonated but that doesn't detract from its enjoyable delight. This is a palate cleansing fresh summer ale and it's tremendous. It's pale ale in a California style (HOPS!) , but a lager drinker would find this great I think. I much prefer this to their mediocre Lager77 but it's nowhere near as good as Punk IPA or 5am Saint for me. Definitely a winner though - if you can look past the slightly cringeworthy marketing spiel what's not to like? Get some.

7/10

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Also tried this one recently. I would give it an 8/10. Maybe I'm biased though as I love the taste of American Pale Ales. A fine example of the genre from Brewdog.

#17

Beer: Brewdog Rip Tide

Abv: 8%

Style: Imperial Stout

Aromas: Dark chocolate, brown sugar, faint coffee, roast malts, old fashioned cola, cake

Taste: Treacle, liquorice, bourneville chocolate, almost a hint of cherry, nice kick from the hops

Overall: A lot of folk don't like Brewdog for their marketing style. Yes I suppose it's unorthodox but if anything it gets more people interested in decent beer so fair play to them. With this one their bite stands up to their bark. Nice balance of sweetness and hops. A good quality imperial stout.

8/10

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I reviewed this recently. I cant remember what I gave it but for me 8/10 is a bit generous. I felt the flavour was a bit sharp, kind of out of balance. I preferred the other stout I drank that night, namely Guinness Foreign Extra.

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#19

Beer: 99 Red Baboons

Abv: 4.2%

Style: Porter/Mild

Aromas: fruity hops, brown sugar, sweet herbs

Taste: Woody smokiness, lingering bitter malts, roasted nuts

Overall: An peculiar one as the brewers themselves don't specify if it's a porter or a mild. As the bottle says, "You decide!". I'd say it's pretty rich for a mild but it doesn't have as much of the darker chocolate type malts that you'd associate with a porter.

7/10

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Anyone going to Ayrshire Real Ale Festival in Troon next month?

I most certainly will be putting in an appearance. :D

You can bet your sweet bippy I'll be there. Been going every year since it started. Think we might get some Ayr Brewing Co. beers this year too - Leezie Lundie is well worth a go. :D

Edit: There's going to be Leezie Lundie, Jolly Beggars and Towzie Tyke! I haven't even tried Towzie yet! Happy fucking days people! 8)

Here's the link in case anyone wants to see the provisional list of beers available.

Edited by Monster
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What a fantastic thread. Inspired, I headed off to my favourite shop, the Scottish Real Ale Shop at the Lade Inn near Callendar to pick up a few bottles - trying to avoid those readily available in the Supermarket.

Just found out about a new brewery in Stirlingshire yesterday. Place in Perth has their gear in. Think I'm gonna get some tonight and give it a try.

Fallen Brewing Co

The name of the brewery (Traditional Scottish Ales) and the label made me worry it was one of those shitey things they market towards tourists but this was nicer than I expected.

I've always avoided TSA for this very reason! However, I thought £1.29 for 500ml wasn't too bad even if it is shite, so I bought Lomond Gold.

Beer #1 was from the aforementioned Fallen Brewery, whose beers are actually brewed by TSA for the timebeing.

Beer: Grapevine

Abv: 5.4%

Style: Pale Ale

Aromas: "Has an almost vinous aroma" according to the website.

Taste: The dominant flavours are: floral, citrus, tropical, fruity, bitter

Overall: This was up there with the best Pale Ales I've had such as Arran Blonde and Edinburgh Gold. Quite strong I think for a Pale Ale but very drinkable (no harsh, bitter aftertaste) and I'll certainly be on the look out for it on draught.

8/10

Edited by Kitty_Boy
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What a fantastic thread. Inspired, I headed off to my favourite shop, the Scottish Real Ale Shop at the Lade Inn near Callendar to pick up a few bottles - trying to avoid those readily available in the Supermarket.

Been to that shop once and bought a 5 litre minikeg of their own brew 'Waylade'. Enjoyed it very much.

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#20

Beer: Cairngorm Black Gold

Abv: 4.4%

Style: Stout

Aromas: Dark chocolate, cocoa beans, brown sugar, dark roast, coffee, treacle

Taste: Sweet, creamy (and uncommonly good :lol:), hint of smoke, dark roasted chocolate malt, light bitterness.

Overall: Good quality Scottish stout. Quite a sweet one. Left this out in the garden for an hour or so to cool it but I think that even if I'd just put it in the kitchen cupboard for a bit there would have been even more of the flavours. Would say this is a good one for someone unfamiliar with stout as it's pretty tasty and there's not a lot of bitterness.

7.5/10

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Black Gold is featured at the Ayrshire real Ale Festival in October. :D

In addition to the Ayr Brewing Co. beers I'm very much looking forward to Belhaven 60/-, Kelburn Goldihops, Fyne Jarl, Atlas Golden Amber, Black Dog Schooner, Dark Star American Pale Ale, Kelham Island Pale Rider and Thwaites Crafty Devil.

If I'm still standing after that lot I may even review some of them. :lol:

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#20

Beer: Cairngorm Black Gold

Abv: 4.4%

Style: Stout

Aromas: Dark chocolate, cocoa beans, brown sugar, dark roast, coffee, treacle

Taste: Sweet, creamy (and uncommonly good :lol:), hint of smoke, dark roasted chocolate malt, light bitterness.

Overall: Good quality Scottish stout. Quite a sweet one. Left this out in the garden for an hour or so to cool it but I think that even if I'd just put it in the kitchen cupboard for a bit there would have been even more of the flavours. Would say this is a good one for someone unfamiliar with stout as it's pretty tasty and there's not a lot of bitterness.

7.5/10

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I've got a bottle of this in the cupboard, probably will drink tonight.

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Black Gold is featured at the Ayrshire real Ale Festival in October. :D

In addition to the Ayr Brewing Co. beers I'm very much looking forward to Belhaven 60/-, Kelburn Goldihops, Fyne Jarl, Atlas Golden Amber, Black Dog Schooner, Dark Star American Pale Ale, Kelham Island Pale Rider and Thwaites Crafty Devil.

If I'm still standing after that lot I may even review some of them. :lol:

Had a bottle of the Fyne Ales Jarl a few weeks ago. I paid about £3 for a bottle of it. I wasn't that impressed, though it may be better out of a cask. I like a lot of the Fyne Ales beers particularly HIghlander and Vital Spark, the latter being one of my favourite beers. I was a tad disappointed tbh.

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Had a bottle of the Fyne Ales Jarl a few weeks ago. I paid about £3 for a bottle of it. I wasn't that impressed, though it may be better out of a cask. I like a lot of the Fyne Ales beers particularly HIghlander and Vital Spark, the latter being one of my favourite beers. I was a tad disappointed tbh.

Interesting, I'll give it a go though. Some beers just don't produce anywhere near as well in a bottle as casked (I'm thinking immediately of Timothy Taylor's Landlord) so I'm still reasonably optimistic.

Price isn't much of an issue for me (although three quid a bottle is pushing it), but at the Festival it isn't prohibitively expensive. I tend to go for half pints anyway to prolong my vertical status these days. Very much looking forward to it.

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Black Gold is featured at the Ayrshire real Ale Festival in October. :D

In addition to the Ayr Brewing Co. beers I'm very much looking forward to Belhaven 60/-, Kelburn Goldihops, Fyne Jarl, Atlas Golden Amber, Black Dog Schooner, Dark Star American Pale Ale, Kelham Island Pale Rider and Thwaites Crafty Devil.

Quality. Fair enjoyed it and looking forward to having it on cask.

Saw the provisional list on the website. Looks decent so far.

Quite fancy doing the beer tasting thing aswell where an "expert" teaches you more about the different style and types of hop etc.

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