Traquair House Brewery

Microbrewery in Innerleithen, Scottish Borders, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Established in 1965

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Traquair House, Innerleithen, EH44 6PW, Scotland
Description
Traquair House is the oldest inhabitat house in Scotland and dates back to 1107 and has been lived in by the Stuart family since 1491. Traquair House Brewery lies in the wing of the house directly underneath the Chapel. It dates back to the early 1700’s and was originally a domestic brewery serving the house and the estate. It was disused in the early 1800’s but never dismantled. It gradually filled with the family junk until it was completely forgotten.

Peter Maxwell Stuart rediscovered the brewery in the early 1960’s and began brewing again as an experiment in 1965 using all the original equipment and fermenting the ales in the original oak tuns, some of which were over 200 years old. In 1990, following Peter’s death, his daughter, Catherine, took over the running of the brewery and it was expanded in 1994. Traquair employs 2 full time brewers and its rich dark ales are now exported all over the world although production remains tiny at only 1,000 hectalites a year.

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7.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle, 0.33l. Deep amber pour, thin off-white layer on top. Good lacing. Nose is caramel malt, oak, pine. Herbal notes. Medium body, soft carbonation. Thick texture, nicely creamy. Taste is slightly on the sweet side with warming and slightly bitter alcohol bite. Caramel malts and sugar in the aroma. Toffee. Dried fruits. Wooden barrel notes, herbal, peppery. Liquor, slightly boozy. Dry. Mild roastiness. Medium lasting finish. Overall, pretty good brew. Gets even better when it warms up a bit. Tasty.
Tried from Bottle on 13 Apr 2018 at 15:53

8.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 9 Flavor 8 Texture 10 Overall 9
Bottle, 0.33l. Hazy deep ruby pour, no head. Minimal lacing. Interesting nose, malty, lots of caramel. Liquor and oak. Subtle smoke in the background. Medium body, soft carbonation. Smooth on the palate, really pleasant mouthfeel. Subtle bittersweet taste with a touch of alcohol burn. Aroma is malty, caramel and toffee. Candy. Wood notes, subtle smoke. Herbal liquor. Alcohol in the finish, nicely warming. Slightly sticky, gets a bit dry. Lasting boozy finish. Overall, fine quality ale. Rich, balanced and tasty. Lovely brew.
Tried from Bottle on 12 Apr 2018 at 18:16

6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
330ml bottle. Pours dark brown with a red hue, light tan head. Aroma: sweet, caramel, plums, spices. Taste: moderate sweet, roasted malts, chocolate, liquorice, overripe plums. Medium bodied, light carb, dry spiced finish.
Tried from Bottle on 26 Mar 2018 at 22:14

8.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Aus der Flasche (Vintage 2013) im 2016-03 getrunken. Ein typisches schottisches Starkbier mit deutlicher Malznote und kräftigen Körper. Nach gut 3 Jahre Flaschenreifung konnte sich das Bier noch mal deutlich steigern Wow - Lecker!
Tried on 07 Mar 2018 at 13:10

7.9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Bottle pours out amber with some red highlight topped with a small head. Nose is big sweet malts caramel toffee and some light spice. Tatse is more of the nice sweet malts toffee notes and a touch of peat.
Tried from Bottle on 06 Mar 2018 at 22:32

9/10
Rich malty sweetness,toasted bread,caramel,light dry fruits-fig, plum/prune tart sharpness,raisin,touch of honey,very subtle raspberry
Tried from Bottle on 20 Jan 2018 at 21:24

8.2/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 7
Bottle from Beer Yard. Dark ruby colored with trace of head. Caramel malt nose, very little carbonation. Tastes of dark fruit, licorice and oak. Finish is bitter malt.
Tried from Bottle on 13 Jan 2018 at 21:17

9.6/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 10 Flavor 10 Texture 8 Overall 9.5
Très belle réalisation que cette Jacobite Ale qui s'appuie à la fois sur un travail sur le malt et sur le houblon de très haute facture. Résultat : une très grande complexité aromatique et une intensité à la hauteur qui sont parfaitement mis en valeur par un parfait équilibre malt/houblon. Les deux seuls bémols, un final trop court et une bière qui manque un peu de progression dans les arômes (néanmoins compensé par une variation sur l'amertume). Mais on lui pardonne aisément tant la réalisation est belle. En verre, nous sommes sur un brun limpide (EBC aux alentours de 44), sans aucune mousse, faute à une effervescence très faible qui ne sera cependant pas péjorable à la dégustation. Au nez, ça swingue! Superbe complexité tout en équilibre : pruneau, café, chocolat, whisky, épices, molasse, candi, poire, banane s'assemblent parfaitement. On retrouvera d'ailleurs ce splendide assemblage tout au long de la dégustation, avec à l'attaque la découvert d'une belle amertume assez dosée pour conférer de la fraîcheur et donner du relief à la palette aromatique. La deuxième bouche voit d'ailleurs l'amertume se renforcer, avec par contre une arrière bouche davantage sur le mat et permettant aux arômes de gagner en ampleur et d'enrober tout le palis. Tous simplement magnifique. L'amertume se renforce encore très légèrement en 3ème bouche avant un final, trop court malheureusement, laissant la base maltée en bouche. Aucun doute, cela réveille vos papilles!
Tried from Can on 02 Nov 2017 at 10:09

7.9/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
Clear red-brown beer with a thin head. Smells of malt, fruit and caramel. Taste is dried fruit, malt, toffee, a touch of citrus, a little alcohol-y and with a sharp, dry aftertaste.
Tried on 01 Oct 2017 at 19:00

8.2/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 8
500 ml bottle. Deep copper red color. Frothy tan head. Faint sweet roasted malt nose. First sip is caramel malt with treacle notes. Fairly intense bittersweet notes. Hints of oak and coriander in middle are subtle, but present. Dryish finish hints at dark dried fruit, licorice and spruce tips. Quite complex, the flavor deepens as it warms. Warming alcohol notes as well.
Tried from Bottle on 15 Sep 2017 at 22:09