Good. One of the 300 Beers to try before you die. Bottle at home.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 6.5

Probably the most well-know and popular Scottish ale, the group of often misunderstood and today seldomly seen low ABV beers that fall below the much better known Scotch ale or 'wee heavy' category - in fact I recall it took me a long time to find one back in the day when I tried to tick off every single beer style listed by Ratebeer.com. I noticed that there are two entries of the same name on this site, the other being identified as a bitter, but I think the ratings under that other entry belong here, as the brewery clearly - though implicitly - identifies this beer as a Scottish ale. From tap at the hotel in Aberdeen where I paired it with a Balmoral burger. Dense, creamy (nitro-tapped), lacing, medium sized, snow white head, clear pale ochre-blonde robe with odd bronze-ish hue. Aroma of wet toast, lightly toasted peanuts, a smoky effect not of Rauchmalz but rather burnt cardboard or something alike, freeze-dried chervil, tea bags, fried parsnip chips, ferrous spring water, minerals, dry hay. Fairly neutral onset, some dried apple or dried pear perhaps, softly carbonated with slender yet creamy (again: nitro-tapped) mouthfeel; slightly peanutty, thinly toasty and cereally malt core, toasted grains becoming more apparent in the finish, where a pleasantly balancing leafy and tea-ish hop bitterness sets in - but the smoky effect appears as well, again more reminiscent of burnt paper or wood ashes than actual smoke, yet adding to a dry, bitterish, somewhat minerally finish. Herbal, smoky and smooth, but thin and toasty too: took me a while to get used to as it is very different from the much stronger Scotch ale style I know and love, but in the end it did go down easily...

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Pint on cask at the Booking office jdw.
Medium off white head. Clear amber pour. Light bitterness

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Old rating - 500ml bottle, pours amber with a white head. Aromas & tastes of caramel, liquorice, toffee & malt. Moderate body. Light bitter finish

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

50 cl. bottle @ home, bought @ Lidl Cuemborg. Clear copper with a white head. Malty aroma with some nutty tones. Light sweet taste with a low bitter finish. Nice malty ale

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Fles 50cl thuis. Toffee, grainy, caramel, hoptonen, bittertonen, maltig, fruitig. (8-3-2024).

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Cask, pint. @The Corryvreckan, Oban (Scotland). 07/08/2023 [#6.691 Global - #226 Scotland - #3 Belhaven] Pours deep amber to brown with an off-white head. Mostly lacing. Aroma: malty and nutty. Taste: smooth malty and caramelly leading to a creamy mouthfeel. Bit watery palate. Next one please!

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Cask at the Counting House. Deep amber to brown. Malty, nutty nose, toast and light caramel. Toasty, nutty malt flavor. Smooth. Spicy hop finish with crisp bitterness. Light, smooth body.