About
Pilot was born when Matt Johnson and Patrick Jones met while studying for masters degrees in Brewing & Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in 2012. A shared view that there was something different to be done in brewing – not traditional real ales, but not just another U.S. craft beer clone either – led to home-brewing together, which eventually led to buying a second-hand brewhouse and moving to the heart of cosmopolitan Leith, commencing brewing right at the end of 2013.

We’ve never done things the easy way. We dismantled the plant ourselves. We moved it to Leith and rebuilt it ourselves. We dug out the drainage (pro-tip: pay real men to do that), installed the flues and built the cooling system ourselves. We design, brew and drink the beer ourselves. We are Pilot.
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cagarvie (40318) ticked
Grain & Grape from Pilot
2 years ago
7/10
keg at the jolly judge ..pithy yellow ..thin white lacing . ..soft dry sherbert ..juicy sherbet ..soft tart floral fruit
Tried on 21 Jul 2024 at 06:51
jamestulloch (10072) reviewed
Grain & Grape from Pilot
2 years ago
7.2/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Can from Great Grog. Pale golden body with a light haze and a white head. Steady carbonation. Patchy lacing. Aroma of lemon and elderflower. Flavour of white grape and lime. Thin to medium body with a slick texture. Soft fizz. Light and subtle.
Tried from Can on 20 Jul 2024 at 08:38
McCash (16382) reviewed
Grain & Grape from Pilot
2 years ago
7.2/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Can from Appellation Wines. Appearance - hazy golden with a fluffy white head. Nose - grape, and Sauvin coming through well, so reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. Elderflower and lightly biscuit. Taste - dank, apple and elderflower. Caramel and brown bread brings in the finish. Palate - light bodied, a mixture of sweet and sour. Zesty, only slightly sour finish. Overall - this was better than I expected.
Tried from Can on 17 Jul 2024 at 18:18
danlo (13924) reviewed
Leith Lager from Pilot
2 years ago
6.6/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
330ml can from Cork & Cask. Gluten Free. Golden colour, foamy white head and aroma of malt, grain, citric, hops. Taste is malt, grain, fruity, with citrusy hop bitterness. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, dry tangy bitter finish. Quite drinkable.
Tried from Can on 16 Jul 2024 at 18:17
Scopey (25563) reviewed
Lager Tops from Pilot
2 years ago
6.8/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
Can from the interweb. It pours bright yellow - gold with a thick, fluffy white head. The aroma is soft, fresh, clean, bready malts, biscuit soft lemonade character, twist of lemon zest and a touch of damp grass. The taste is crisp, dry, snappy, pleasing bitterness, pithy, zesty, lemon peel, waxy rind, grassy, leafy, some bread and biscuit with a firmly drying and pithy finish. Light body and moderate carbonation. Less lager tops, more a lager worth a slice of lemon in it. Not as sweet as I expecting, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Decent quencher.
Tried from Can on 15 Jul 2024 at 15:58
McCash (16382) reviewed
IPAndarin from Pilot
2 years ago
7.1/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Can from Appellation Wines. Appearance - cloudy orange with a proportionate white head. Nose - mainly sweet orange, or mandarin, I suppose. Taste - sweet mandarin followed by orange zest. Palate - light bodied, good texture, tangy/zesty finish. Overall - good stuff!
Tried from Can on 12 Jul 2024 at 17:15
ianwelby (4915) reviewed
The Antidote from Pilot
2 years ago
7.1/10 — Appearance 10 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 5.5
Slightly hazy dark reddish-amber with a solid white head. Smells of sharp, fresh apple and berries, just slightly tart. Flavour has a little sherbet, some apple, some earthy blackcurrant, a little hop. Slightly bready throughout with just a hint of lingering citrus. The blackcurrant really lingers into the finish too, with a little dry bitterness. Very sessionable.
Tried on 09 Jul 2024 at 19:21
Scopey (25563) reviewed
The Antidote from Pilot
2 years ago
7.4/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Keg at Fierce Bar, Aberdeen. It pours pink/red/blush with a thick, fluffy white head. The aroma is fresh, vibrant, fruity, tangy, raspberry, bramble, red apple, tart, zingy and sherbet. The taste is crispy, dry, snappy, lightly sour pucker, clean, bright raspberry, bramble, red apple, crunchy, touch of toasty grain, white bread and a hint of grassy bitterness with a drying, puckering fruit finish. Light+ body and moderate, fluffy carbonation. A grown up fruit beer, bright and crushable. Very quenching.
Tried on 09 Jul 2024 at 11:42
McCash (16382) reviewed
The Antidote from Pilot
2 years ago
6.5/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 7
Can from Appellation Wines. Appearance - cloudy reddish with a fluffy white head. Nose - blackcurrant, lemon and apple. Funk lurking. Taste - funky blackcurrant mainly. Some apple if you search for it. Palate - close to medium bodied, tangy and slightly sour finish. Overall - ok.
Tried from Can on 06 Jul 2024 at 17:27
jamestulloch (10072) reviewed
Stout from Pilot
2 years ago
8.1/10 — Appearance 9 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Cans from Against The Grain and Lupe Pintos. Black body with a thin beige head. Faint lacing. Aroma of espresso, charred wood and dark chocolate. Flavour of burnt toast and coffee with a nice bitterness on the finish. Medium body with a smooth texture. Soft fizz. This is rich and full flavoured. Punches above its 4% ABV. Pilot brew dark beers particularly well.
Tried from Can on 04 Jul 2024 at 21:53