Barrel Aged Orkney Porter (Isle of Arran)
Swannay Brewery in Swannay, Orkney, Scotland 🏴
Porter - Imperial Special|
Score
7.77
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Aged for 18 months in Isle of Arran Bere whisky barrels and made with Orkney-grown barley, you'd be hard pressed to find a porter as Scottish as this one! That long ageing period has given it a brooding, deep brown pour that carries dark scents of chocolate-laced leather. That slightly sweet cocoa carries over onto the tongue too, where its offset with red fruit and a subdued whisky kiss.
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7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle split at Chriso Easter tasting, thanks to Daniel, 04/04/15. Mahogany brown with a decent tan covering that quickly dissipates. Nose is rich toffee, roast malt, whisky notes, light cocoa, whisper of smoke. Taste comprises rich malt, chocolate, light spice, dark fruit rinds, dates, light charr. Medium + body, fine carbonation, subtle woody BA strokes in the close. Decent well balanced BA offering, drinks below the ABV.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Apr 2015
at 15:19
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle at Chriso easter tasting. Aroma is meaty peaty malts, raspberry fruit, nutty malts. Light mahogany brown coloured pour with a fading off white head. Flavour is composed of sweet, nutty, viscous, some strawberry jammy fruits, little meaty, Palate is semi sweet, moderate carbonation, Lingering earthy berry and woody.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Apr 2015
at 13:12
8.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Bottle from Appellation Wines. Appearance - very close to opaque black. Nice thin crema head. Nose - dark chocolate and light smoke. More of a wood note than whisky but there is a whisky note but some sweet round whisky notes all the same. Taste - dark chocolate, toffee, light wood and whisky note. Toffee returns. Palate - medium to full bodied with a creamy yet boozy texture and a long finish that is sweet and lightly boozy but has great balance. Overall - I’m generally not in favour of chucking a beer in a barrel that had contained a stronger alcohol. However, this does work as the beer is big, the barrel choice is more subtle than most I’ve experienced. Also, the positive thing I’ve neglected to mention in previous tasting notes is that the barrel does smooth out the edges of the beer. This is austere but gives a lot of pleasure.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Feb 2015
at 18:20
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle shared at Craig’s - big thanks to the host. Rating 12k. Pours black-brown with a creamy tan head. The nose has rich dark fruits, chocolate, relaxed roasted malts. Medium sweet flavor with notes of burnt marshmallows, toast, vanilla, cocoa, mellow earthy bitterness. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Warming finish with nice, rounded dark malt character, some milk chocolate, more marshmallows and vanilla. Exceptionally well rounded and drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Jan 2015
at 11:32
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle at home. It pours black with a medium tan head. The nose is earthy roast, dark chocolate, espresso coffee, fudge, Scottish tablet, smooth whisky, rocky road and vanilla. The taste is smooth, roasted malt, earth, coffee, chocolate, toffee, vanilla, soft whisky, warming alcohol, nougat, light spice, chocolate brownie and charred wood with a warming finish. Medium-full body, fine carbonation and oily mouth-feel. Totally delicious. Smooth and balanced. Very impressive stuff from Highland.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Dec 2014
at 13:33
8.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
Cask at the hanging bat. Pours black with a thin white head. Chocolate, booze, vanilla aromas. Taste is creamy, more chocolate and vanilla. A touch flat, but very nice.
Tried
from Cask
on 18 Nov 2014
at 14:57
9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 10
Cask at the hanging bat... Dark black... Thick tan head... Soft meaty chocolate malts.. Tiny vanilla nose... Sofy creamy chocolate malts... Soft woody malts... Soft vanilla... Juicy roast.. Quite a lot of alcohol.. Rich sweet chocolate Cask at the hanging bat day 3...deep black.. Perfect tan head with light pink tinge.. Dark sweet roast... Big chocolate... Low soft whisky tones and a fair bit of them... Full round body sweet chocolate malts.. Long whisky linger Bottle at home ... deep black ... thin tan lacing .,..soft whisky ... lightest acetone ... soft chocolate malt nose ... light fizz ... dark malts ... dark roast .... chewy chocolate ... dark malts ... mellow malts ... soft toffee chocolate ... 4.4 bottle at home... Dark black.. Thin tan lacing.. Soft sweet chocolate.. Light whisky nose... Soft chocolate roast.. Rounded chocolate malts nose.. Dark fruits.. Dark malts.. Big soft whisky.. Soft chocolate roast.. Dark berries.. Long soft whisky linger 4.3 Bottle at hanging bat... Dark black.. Thin tan lacing... Soft sweet. Dark chocolate roast malts nose... Dark chocolate roast.. Heavy chocolate.. Heavy malt roast.. Rich chocolate roast.. Dark malts.. Heavy chocolate roast malts.. Soft boozy malts..Light licorice 4.2 Cask at the Stockbridge tap.. June 2017 ...Dark black. M small tan head... Dark dry honey chocolate roast malts nose.. Dark chocolate roast malts.. Heavy chocolate roast.. Sweet chocolate roast malts.. Light licorice... Light spirit 4.5 bottle at home spetember 2017 ... dark black .. small tan head ... soft dark sweet chocolate malts .. dark roast .. heavy sweet chocolate .. light bourbon nose .. heavy roast malts ... dark chocolate .. quite boozy whisky .. sweet rich chocolate malts .. very very fruity 4.3 ask at the hanging bat.. October 2017...Dark black.. Small tan head... soft sweet meaty toffee chocolate roast malts.. Soft sweet toffee fruit.. Juicy sweet chocolate roast... big soft sweet.. Rich soft sweet chocolate.. figs plums... Sweet fruits.. Dark sweet chocolate
Tried
from Cask
on 18 Nov 2014
at 08:05
8.2/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Cask at the Hanging Bat. Pours black, nose is meaty, light smoke, chocolate, taste is sweet chocolate, rich, floral whisky.
Tried
from Cask
on 18 Nov 2014
at 01:45