Blessed Thistle
Cairngorm Brewery in Aviemore, Highland, Scotland 🏴
Bitter - Ordinary / Best Bitter Regular|
Score
6.26
|
|
"Thistle Beer" from Cairngorm Brewery. A reddish brown ale, bittered with thistle and late Goldings hops. Hints of roast malt and fruit finish this most complex of beers. Alias with M&S Scottish Ale confirmed at the brewery (Oakes).
Sign up to add a tick or review
6.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 5.5
9th April 2007
Warning! Early amateur rating! Dark with a floral fruity tone plus a trace of smoke. Long bitter finish.
Warning! Early amateur rating! Dark with a floral fruity tone plus a trace of smoke. Long bitter finish.
Tried
on 02 Jan 2011
at 10:41
6.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
(bottle) Slightly unclear, reddish amber colour with a big and slightly beige foamy head, leaving lace work. Toasty malty aroma a fruity and slightly spicy (thistles?) hops. Moderately sweet and bitter flavour, light to medium bodied with a soft carbonation. Toasty malt-character with notes of caramel and spicy and subtle fruity hops; dry, bitter and spicy hoppy finish and a slightly roasty aftertaste. Pleasant. 09.XI.07 & 20.IX.10
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Sep 2010
at 12:13
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Very strong ginger and toffee malt aroma. Clear chestnut color with large head. Slightly sweet ginger and light toffee malt flavor. Medium body. Nice enough - pretty much an even mix between a ginger beer and a regular bitter.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Aug 2010
at 09:28
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle 500ml.Clear medium to dark brown amber color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to light light heavy malty, caramel, burnt caramel, moderate hoppy, herbs, spices. Flavor is moderate to light light heavy sweet and bitter with a average to long duration, chocolate bitter. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20100514]Earlier Rating: 3/2/2010 Total Score: 2.7Bottle 500ml.Clear medium to dark amber color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel, spicy, light to moderate hoppy, flowers, thistle, ginger notes. Flavor is moderate sweet and bitter with a average duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20091231]
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 May 2010
at 12:30
6.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Big, beige lasting head. Deep dark red body. Strange meaty floral aroma with roasty toffee notes. Dry-sweetish roasty floral taste with gingery chocolatey notes. Mild, astringent mouthfeel. Light body. Dry milky chocolate and ginger aftertaste with floral notes. Nice hoppiness in the aftertaste. Can’t say I taste any thistle, however that may taste. Decent, but not great. (0.5l bottle, RealAle.com.)
Tried
from Can
on 03 May 2010
at 13:28
5.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
50cl bottle from M&S Liverpool. Attractive dark brown colour with a thin beige head. Ginger, spicy herby aroma. OK in mouth, actually quite attractive if you like ginger style beers. Quite a good bite on the finish. Nettley and thistlely. So a Scottish Ale that isn’t a Scottish Ale. Malts are just about ok, enough to carry the other flavours. You do kind of have to like ginger and nettle spiciness. But I thought it was kinda ok, but not sure I’d buy this again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Mar 2010
at 13:15
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Reddish-brown pour. Aromas of sultanas, root ginger, sweet spices, chocolate, malts. Very vibrant nose. Flavours of chocolate, licorice, ginger, black treacle, dried fruit. The ginger flavour really eases through in this one. Sweet, spicy finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Feb 2010
at 08:34
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Copper-red in colour with a decent, off-white head and moderate carbonation. Aroma of forest fruit, herbs, root ginger, citrus and floral hops. Flavour had some sweetish malts, tingly herbs, a touch of spice and berry fruit and orange, before a dryish finish. A great bottled beer.
Earlier Rating: 3/18/2008 Total Score: 3.4
500ml bottle. Deep copper colour with a big, foamy off-white head. Sweet malt aroma with plenty of earthy hops. Big malt and red fruit flavours, with some slightly astringent herbs, spices and a decent bitter finish. Very good.
Earlier Rating: 3/18/2008 Total Score: 3.4
500ml bottle. Deep copper colour with a big, foamy off-white head. Sweet malt aroma with plenty of earthy hops. Big malt and red fruit flavours, with some slightly astringent herbs, spices and a decent bitter finish. Very good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Jan 2010
at 10:07
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
50cl bottle. Slightly hazy golden copper in colour with a thin tan head; the aroma has chocolate malts and peat smoke, some wood and heather; the malts explode in the mouth, with lots of surprising and unusual flavours, blackcurrant and raspberry fizz on the tongue, over deeper chocolate and winter spices; the finish is clean and refreshing with fresh leafy hops. An excellent beer, and a pleasant surprise.
Earlier Rating: 12/30/2008 Total Score: 2.8
[500ml bottle.] Chestnut brown with a thin cream head; strongly malty aroma; stewed vegetable flavour (perhaps the thistle?), rather acidic and with stale malts; a dry metallic finish. Rather unpleasant.
Earlier Rating: 12/30/2008 Total Score: 2.8
[500ml bottle.] Chestnut brown with a thin cream head; strongly malty aroma; stewed vegetable flavour (perhaps the thistle?), rather acidic and with stale malts; a dry metallic finish. Rather unpleasant.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Jan 2010
at 11:07
6.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
500 ml bottle from Marks & Spencer. Brown colour, off-white head. Aroma of caramel, molasses, spices. Flavour of caramel malts, spices, wood, fruits. Well drinkable.
Earlier Rating: 5/19/2009 Total Score: 2.8
Bottled @ Peckhams Beerfestival. Amber coloured brew. Aroma of caramel malts. Flavour of caramel malts, nuts. Didn’t get the ginger.
Earlier Rating: 5/19/2009 Total Score: 2.8
Bottled @ Peckhams Beerfestival. Amber coloured brew. Aroma of caramel malts. Flavour of caramel malts, nuts. Didn’t get the ginger.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Oct 2009
at 07:57