Beer Reviews by SIGMUND

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# Beer Origin Style Score Date
5551 Two Brothers The Bitter End United States American Pale Ale 3.8

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

12 fl. oz bottle, thanks to BA richgo6. 12.5 degrees Plato, 36 IBU. ABV is 5.1%. Amber coloured beer, decent off-white head. Very nice aroma of fruity hops, notes of grapefruit, rambutan and blackcurrant leaves, hints of toffee and resin too. The flavour is maltier and less hoppy than the aroma made me expect, but the hops are still noticeable. Moderate resiny notes, some sweetness, quiet finish. Not bad.

Sep 23, 2007
06:23:23 PM
5552 Inveralmond Lia Fail United Kingdom Scottish Ale 3.9

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, bought at Peckham’s, Glasgow. Deep amber to copper coloured beer, decent off-white head. Lovely fruity aroma, also notes of malts and caramel, hints of spices. The flavour is fairly fruity and moderately malty, with distinct hops throughout, also notes of toffee. Well balanced. A very nice bitter!

Sep 23, 2007
05:46:23 PM
5553 Alba Scots Pine Ale United Kingdom Scottish Ale 2.5

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

330 ml bottle, bought at Real Foods, Edinburgh. ABV is 7.5%. Deep amber coloured beer, large off-white head. Unusual sweetish aroma, notes of over-ripe raspberries and pine needles, not very pleasant. The flavour is very sweet and alcoholic, piney and sugary notes. Unusual beer, but is it really good? I’m sorry, but this is not for me.

Sep 19, 2007
05:26:19 PM
5554 Valentins Premium Hefeweissbier Germany Hefeweizen 3.9

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, bought in Edinburgh. Brewed by Park & Bellheimer AG since March 2005. ABV is 5.3%. Hazy pale golden colour, huge white head. Lovely hefeweizen aroma, the usual notes: cloves, banana, bubblegum. Soft moutheel, sweeter than many other h.w.s, moderate flavour of banana and cloves.

Sep 19, 2007
09:11:19 AM
5555 Williams Brothers Black United Kingdom Porter 4.1

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, bought in Edinburgh. ABV is 4.2%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Large and lasting tan head. Very nice aroma of roast malts, coffee and dark chocolate, hints of blackcurrants and liquorice. The flavour is first fairly fruity and slightly acidic, then a moderate roastiness and pronounced coffee notes take over. Moderate hops and chocolate in the finish. Relatively light bodied for its style, but definitely an enjoyable beer.

Sep 18, 2007
04:41:18 PM
5556 Ipswich Original Ale United States English Pale Ale 3.7

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

12 fl. oz bottle, thanks to BA richgo6. Orange coloured beer, slightly hazy, with a huge off-white head. Nice hoppy aroma, very fruity. The flavour is also quite hoppy throughout, with resinous notes and some malty sweetness. Not bad at all. The style seems more American than English to me, though - but what do I know?

Sep 18, 2007
08:51:18 AM
5557 Whim Ales Dr Johnsons Definitive United Kingdom English Strong Ale 3.8

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, bought in Edinburgh. ABV is 5.0%. Copper coloured beer, large and lasting off-white head. Malty aroma with vinous notes, also plenty of caramel, notes of bakery. Soft mouthfeel. Malty flavour with caramel and hints of dark fruits, but not as sweet as expected. Very moderate hops, the finish feels a bit "empty". Still a nice enough beer to drink.

Sep 17, 2007
05:40:17 PM
5558 Meantime Wheat Grand Cru United Kingdom Hefeweizen 3.7

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

330 ml bottle, bought at Peckham’s, Glasgow. ABV is 6.3%. Sediment in bottle. Pours nearly clear golden, just a slight haze. Large to moderate white head. Typical wheaty strong aroma with banana, citrus and cloves, possibly some aromatic hops too. The flavour is also wheaty and fruity with cloves, slightly spicier than many German hefeweizens. The mouthfeel somehow seems slightly different from the Germans too, maybe fizzier and more lagerish? The ABV is also higher. Still, this is a very enjoyable wheat beer, easily drinkable and refreshing for its strength.

Sep 16, 2007
06:26:16 PM
5559 Williams Brothers Roisin Tayberry United Kingdom Fruit Beer 3.6

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, bought at Real Foods, Edinburgh (an organic food store, but there’s no mentioning on the label that this beer is organic). ABV is 4.2%. The basis of this beer is Williams Gold, with added tayberries and left to mature for a few weeks. Williams Bros Róisin Tayberry Beer pours with a clear pinkish red colour and a decent pale pink head. Strong aroma of ripe tayberries (which appears to be a crossbreed between raspberry and blackberry, much like boysenberries). The flavour is also dominated by tayberries, but the beer is not very sweet, nor very sour, and there are noticeable hops in the finish. The mouthfeel is a bit thin though. Still a nice change-of-pace beer.

Sep 15, 2007
07:14:15 PM
5560 Tullibardine 1488 Majestic Whisky Ale United Kingdom Scottish Ale 3.0

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

500 ml bottle, as "Tullibardine 1488 Majestic Whisky Ale", bought in Edinburgh. ABV is 7.0%. Brewed and bottled by Traditional Scottish Ales Ltd. for the Tullibardine Distillery, using the distillery’s spring water and malted barley. Clear and deep golden colour, pours very fizzy, when the fizziness subsides just a small white head remains. Strange aroma, sweetish / sugary and oaky, with peaty and fruity notes. The flavour is very sweet and alcoholic. There are notes of whisky casks and peat as expected, but I also expected something far drier and maybe more "scotch & club soda"-like, not this overwhelming sweetness. Are there any hops in this beer at all? Still, when you get used to the sweetness, the beer is drinkable - but remains a disappointment.

Sep 15, 2007
04:30:15 PM
5561 Pinkus Hefeweizen Germany Hefeweizen 3.7

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, bought at Real Foods, Edinburgh. ABV is 5.0%. Like all Pinkus Müller beers, it is organic. Cloudy pale yellow colour, huge white head. Strong and typical hefeweizen aroma, spicy notes of cloves and banana, hints of farmhouse and oak. Soft mouthfeel. Wheaty flavour, subdued cloves and banana, moderate sweetness. Another good hefeweizen, but not the very best.

Sep 14, 2007
07:40:14 PM
5562 Orkney Raven Ale United Kingdom Bitter 3.7

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, bought at Peckham’s, Glasgow. ABV is 3.8%. Amber colour, large off-white head, leaves a nice lacing. Malty aroma with notes of caramel, some fruit too. The flavour has a decent balance between malts and hops, notes of toffee and moderate fruit, hoppy finish. Quite good.

Sep 14, 2007
02:17:14 PM
5563 Unibroue Trois Pistoles Canada Belgian Strong Ale 4.4

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Dark brown beer with a huge beige head. Very fine and complex aroma with vinous notes, also notes of oak, spices, cocoa, red berries and dark fruits, hints of barnyard and tobacco. The flavour is sweet, vinous and fruity, quite smooth for 9% ABV beer. Moderate hops. Many of the elements of the aroma stay with you through the flavour and aftertaste. An excellent beer!

Sep 14, 2007
12:16:14 PM
5564 Exe Valley Devon Glory United Kingdom Extra Special Bitter 3.5

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow. Copper coloured beer. Malty and fruity sweetish aroma, notes of red berries. The flavour is also malty sweet and fruity, hints of blackcurrants. Minimal bitterness. A bit too much on the sweet side for me, but not bad.

Sep 14, 2007
12:10:14 PM
5565 Swannay (Highland) Dark Munro United Kingdom Mild Ale 3.5

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow. Very dark ruby colour, nearly black. Moderate roasty and malty aroma, hints of liquorice. The flavour is moderately roasty and fairly dry, notes of thin coffee.

Sep 14, 2007
12:03:14 PM
5566 Durham Golden Sceptre United Kingdom Blonde Ale 3.7

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow. Golden colour. Moderate hoppy / citrussy aroma. Distinctly grapefruity flavour, very nice. This golden ale is another successful try from the Durham Brewery.

Sep 14, 2007
11:52:14 AM
5567 Whitbread Pale Ale (UK version) United Kingdom Bitter 2.9

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Bottle at The Three Judges, Glasgow. ABV is 3.4%. Amber colour, decent head. Moderate aroma of cellar, dust and caramel. Thin mouthfeel. The flavour has toffee and biscuits, with barely acceptable hops in the finish.

Sep 14, 2007
11:42:14 AM
5568 Branscombe Vale Draymans Best Bitter United Kingdom Bitter 3.6

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow. Reddish brown colour. Nice malty aroma with toffee notes. Malty flavour with plenty of caramel / toffee, but also a noticeable presence of hops.

Sep 14, 2007
11:30:14 AM
5569 Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild United Kingdom Mild Ale 3.7

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow, as "Sarah Hughes Ruby Ale" - I presume this is the same beer? Very dark ruby colour, creamy head. Moderate malty aroma with caramel. The flavour is very malty and sweet with loads of caramel, slightly roasty. Decent hops in the finish. Not easy drinking, but nice.

Sep 14, 2007
11:11:14 AM
5570 Fyne Ales Chip 71 United Kingdom Bitter 3.7

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Chestnut colour, off-white head. Nice aroma of aromatic hops, some fruity notes, some malts too. Malty flavour, fairly rich mouthfeel, some caramel, low bitterness.

Sep 14, 2007
11:08:14 AM
5571 Falstaff ERM United Kingdom English Barleywine 3.9

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Hazy golden brown colour, large off-white head. Nice oaky aroma, some fruity hops too. Malty flavour with fruity hops, the high ABV is noticeable but not too dominant.

Sep 14, 2007
10:07:14 AM
5572 Dugges Bollox! Sweden IPA 3.6

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Beautiful red colour. Nice hoppy aroma. Malty sweet and hoppy flavour, somewhat alcoholic. A bit too much on the sweet side, but decent.

Sep 14, 2007
10:01:14 AM
5573 Hoegaarden Julius Belgium Belgian Strong Ale 3.6

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Golden colour, large head. Malty, oaky and vinous aroma. Malty sweet flavour, sugary, alcoholic. Too much on the sweet side.

Sep 14, 2007
09:59:14 AM
5574 Slottskällans Strong Ale Sweden Scottish Ale 3.6

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. 2006 vintage, bottle #459. Reddish brown colour, off-white head. Strong aroma of rhum-raisin, malts, aromatic hops and alcohol. Malty sweetish flavour, somewhat alcoholic.

Sep 14, 2007
09:56:14 AM
5575 Atna Riksøl Norway Reduced Alcohol 2.9

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

330 ml green bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Hazy golden colour (like a hefeweizen), moderate head. Quite nice aroma, notes of yeast, wood and heather. Smooth mouthfeel, light bodied. Refreshing flavour with a distinct hoppy bitterness in finish. Very bitter aftertaste. None of the "boiled" notes of other n/a beers. This is, par excellence, the best n/a beer I’ve ever tasted (but then most of the others have been pretty bad).

Sep 14, 2007
09:41:14 AM