Strathaven Ales

Microbrewery in Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Established in 2005

Closed in 2022

Contact
Sandford Road, Craigmill Strathaven ML10 6PB, Strathaven, Scotland
Description
Strathaven Ales is the pinnacle of traditional real ale brewing with our stone clad brewing kettle and well used brew-house based in an old mill dating back to the early 1800s. The mill originally manufactured crushed barley for the brewery trade and flour for the local artisan bakers and it sits next to the river Avon near the market town of Strathaven.

We consider our beers to be very traditional, our brewing, unlike modern facilities is a hands-on labour intensive process crafted by three generations of the same family.

Manufacturing in an old building brings its challenges and we have retained many of the original mill features and a large part of the original gearing. Although this often gets in the way we feel it is part of what ensures the beer has a character not achieved in modern production units.

     Show


5.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 5
Cask @ Sir John Moore, JDW. Dark golden colour, off-white head. Nose is spicy, cinnamon and cloves, bit malty. Flavour is light malted, bit of spicyness, followed by dry biscuits. Thin bodied. Slightly dry finish.
Tried from Cask on 06 Nov 2011 at 06:34

4/10 Appearance 4 Aroma 4 Flavor 4 Texture 4 Overall 4
Cask at Blackfriars, Aberdeen. It pours golden yellow, with a decent, bubbly white head. The nose is dust, lemon washing-up liquid, wood and leaves. The taste is toasted malt, soap, lemon, dust, wet wood, straw and green vegetables, with a unpleasant, dry finish. Light body and soft carbonation. I couldn’t even finish a half....
Tried from Cask on 20 Sep 2011 at 05:48

5.2/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 5 Texture 6 Overall 5
From mini-cask @ Counting House, JDW. Hazy golden colour, no head. Nose is light malty, citrus, bit of vegetables. Flavour is vegetables, bit of citrus, hoppy. Slightly bitter and dry finish.
Tried from Cask on 13 Sep 2011 at 04:06

5.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 5
Cask @ Counting House. Clear golden colour, off-white head. Nose is fruity, citrus, caramel malts. Flavour is light malted, caramel, citrus. Slightly dry and bitter finish.
Tried from Cask on 13 Sep 2011 at 04:04

4.9/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 4 Texture 6 Overall 4.5
Cask @ The King’s HIghway. Inverness. 250811
Golden beer, clear, thin white head.
Aroma - Very light aroma on the nose, some sweet malt.
Taste - Fruity light malt, some citrus hop, honey syrup, crunchie bar honeycomb centre. Muddled.
Palate - Sweet then moves to a bitter sweet finish. Soft carb, rather slick texture.
Overall - Rather sweet and muddled flavour. Not great. An IPA?....Er, no.
Tried from Cask on 27 Aug 2011 at 06:24

6.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
cask at SRAF ... amber ... soft ginger nose ... light soft fruits ... soft mat ... clear ginger ... light bitterness
Tried from Cask on 16 Jun 2011 at 06:42

6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
Cask-conditioned at the Abbotsford, Edinburgh 7/06/2011. Deep gold in colour with a slight white head. Light summer fruits, biscuity malts and a touch of caramel sweetness, leading to a decent bitter finish. Fine.
Tried from Cask on 12 Jun 2011 at 00:40

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Cask-conditioned at the Bow Bar, Edinburgh 7/06/2011. Almost black in colour, with a tight, off-white head. Aroma of chocolate, dark fruits and a touch of roastiness. Flavours of coffee, charcoal, more chocolate and fruit, before a bitter moderately finish. Enjoyable.
Tried from Cask on 12 Jun 2011 at 00:34

6.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Cask-conditioned at the Halfway House, Edinburgh 7/06/2011. Amber coloured with a slight, off-white head. Sweetish, fruity aroma with a touch of leafy hop. Flavour had some caramel, hedgerow fruits and biscuity malts, leading to a bitter finish. Fine.
Tried from Cask on 11 Jun 2011 at 23:53

5.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 5 Flavor 5 Texture 4 Overall 5.5
Bottle from the Cave, Glasgow. Golden with a decent white head. Sweet. apricot and butterscotch aroma. Clashing flavours of sweet fruits, diacetyl and slightly ashy malts leading to a bitter finish. Not for me.
Tried from Bottle on 11 Jun 2011 at 23:24