Barney's Beer

Microbrewery in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Associated Venue: Royal Dick (Barney's)

Established in 2010

Contact
1 Summerhall Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL, Scotland
Description
Barney’s started brewing at Summerhall in July 2012 in time to supply the venue’s Royal Dick Bar for the Fringe, but Barney himself began brewing aged 16 as a brewery apprentice. After bagging a first class degree in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University and packing in a high flying career promoting rum and whisky around the world, Barney decided it was high time he started to brew his own beer.

In doing so, his immaculate microbrewery has injected new life into Edinburgh’s brewing history, not least because he’s chosen to resurrect a brewery at Summerhall where beer has been brewed off and on for three centuries.

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6.9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
440ml can. Pours very dark brown with a large head. Aroma is sweet roast with a little butterscotch. Taste has sweet butterscotch and caramel throughout, with a salty roast finish.
Tried from Can from Wine Seller Compton on 09 Jun 2026 at 20:20

7.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Can from Great Grog. Clear deep golden body with an off-white head. Steady carbonation. Faint lacing. Aroma of coconut, green apple and lemongrass. Flavour of lemon, paracetamol and lemongrass. Medium body with a slick texture. Soft fizz. A solid IPA that showcases these two unusual hops well.
Tried from Can from Great Grog Bottle Shop on 07 Jun 2026 at 17:51

7.9/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Keg at wee vault. Pours clear golden, nose is funk, vinegar, dill, pickle, taste is funky, white grape, pickled onion, sour finish 7/8/8/8/8
Tried on 12 May 2026 at 06:45

7.6/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7
Keg at wee vault. Pours clear reddish golden, nose is cucumber, dill, hint of spice, taste is salty, dill, pickle, warming chipotle. 7/8/8/8/7
Tried on 12 May 2026 at 06:45

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
Can at home. Pours black, nose is chocolate, caramel, salt, popcorn, some berries, taste is sweet, salty, caramel, chocolate, jam. 8/8/7/7/7
Tried on 02 May 2026 at 10:55

6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
Keg at the jolly judge. Pours clear golden, nose is piney, floral, mango, taste is bitter, lemon, zesty, grassy. 6
Tried on 01 May 2026 at 09:22

7.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
Cask at the jolly judge. Pours deep amber brown, nose is roasted, peppery, chocolate, taste is roasted, liquorice, chocolate, bitter. 8/7/7/7/7
Tried on 01 May 2026 at 09:21

7.4/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Near black pour. Aroma of dark roast malt and coffee. Pleasant roast malt and coffee flavor. Some chocolate. Lingering roast. It’s medium bodied and well balanced. Quite nice.
Tried from Cask on 28 Apr 2026 at 05:29

6.8/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 6.5 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
Can from Westhill Service Station. It pours crystal clear golden - amber with a handsome white head. The aroma is fresh, fruity, tropical, coconut water, pineapple, mango, touch green, herbal, weedy and floral. The taste is crisp, dry, snappy, pleasing hit of bitterness, fragrant, floral, peppery spice, slightly metallic, tropical fruits more subdued than in the aroma, waxy citrus peel, quite herbal, medicinal almost. Finish is lingering bitterness. I feel this is more Sorachi than Sabro, which for me isn't so good. Not bad anyhow.
Tried from Can from Westhill Service Station (Hop Shop Aberdeen) on 15 Apr 2026 at 16:34

6.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 7.5 Texture 7 Overall 6
Can thanks to allmyvinyl.
Appearance - matt black and opaque. Beige, thin head.
Nose - something a bit like rocky road, strawberry jam and hazelnut.
Taste - salt, chocolate mainly this time, with the confectionery coming through later.
Palate - sweet and medium plus bodied. still sweet on the finish.
Overall - ok, but not keen on adjuncts.
Tried from Can on 13 Apr 2026 at 14:32