Traquair Jacobite Ale 9/10

Traditional Ale, Traquair, Scotland, 8% ABV Jacobite is perhaps the most famous beer made by the Scottish brewery  Traquair.  The beer is named to honor the Traquair House’s role in the Jacobite cause, the building is also Scotland’s oldest inhabited house.  Jacobite is modeled after traditional ales of the region flavored with colander. After reading [...]

Paradox SmokeHead (Batch 015) 6.5/10

Imperial Stout, Brewdog, Scotland, 10% ABV A collaboration of Brewdog and SmokeHead Whiskey, this is a whiskey barrel aged imperial stout, that is extreme in every way.  While cold the beer seemed to have not much of an aroma. but after warming smells like high-octane alcohol, not overwhelming but has a burn to it.  The [...]

Heather Ales Alba 8.5/10

Traditional Ale, Williams Brothers, Scotland, 7.5% ABV “Introduced by the Vikings, spruce and pine ales were very popular in the Scottish Highlands until the end of the 19th century. Many early explorers, including Captain Cook, used spruce ale during long sea voyages since it prevented scurvy and ill-health. Shetland spruce ale was said to “stimulate [...]

Traquair House Ale 9.5/10

English Strong Ale, Traquair Brewery, Scotland, 7.9% ABV Pouring an opaque brownish black, this ale creates an intimidating drink, that is not quite realized once you get a taste.  Traquair House Ale has a strong scent of coffee beans, which later transitions to that of dark powdered coco. The aroma is reminiscent of a good [...]

North Carolina Trip

While I was visiting my parents a couple of weeks ago I made another trip up to NC to visit some friends and my mother in-law. I was surprised and very happy to note that Greensboro-Highpoint area of North Carolina has a strong and thriving beer culture. I found many beers and breweries that I’ve [...]

Grozet 7.5/10

Grozet is another one of those Scottish beers that is made after an ancient recipe involving fruit in this case gooseberries. The beer is labeled as a wheat beer but is close to 80% malt. The beer has a strong scent of sour, dark fruit and tastes lightly sour around the edges with a semi-sweet [...]

Revisit The British Isles Part 2

Guinness This beer really needs no introduction, most everyone who drinks beer is familiar with it from TV or has seen those offbeat ads with the Toucan birds.  I really cannot remember when my first Guinness was, but I do remember it was prior to me really getting into beer, and I remember at first [...]

Revisit The British Isles

Samuel Smith Pale Ale Samuel Smith Old Brewery Tadcaster, England. I was very impressed with this one. It had a good body a very pleasing flavor, goes down smooth like a newly waxed bikini line. I would recommend this one to any fan of pale ale. This is the type of pale ale I like, [...]

Scottish Suprise

As I’ve been slowly fleshing out this site I have been re-reading old reviews, I really should be trolling the job sites for new postings, but why do something now you can delay till later.  Much like looking at a nice menu or catalog, re-reading my reviews have made me thirsty. Thus I cracked open [...]