We love cooking up haggis, neeps and tatties for Burn’s Night, but we decided to start our celebration a couple of days early with this selection of brews from Scotland-based brewer, Cairngorm Brewery.
Five different styles – a wheat beer with elderflower, a golden ale, an IPA, a Scottish ale and a milk stout. All good beers and a lovely selection.
Brewer’s website: Cairngorm Brewery
The beers
Trade Winds: Wheat Beer with Elderflower 4.3%
This was a lovely light and refreshing beer with floral notes and lots of sweet malt flavours. The elderflower flavour came through and there was hardly any bitterness.
Brewer’s note:
Light golden in colour, with a high proportion of wheat giving a clean, fresh taste. The mash blends together with Perle hops and elderflower providing a bouquet of fruit and citrus flavours.
Sheepshaggers Gold: Golden Ale 4.5%
A little heavier than the first brew, but still very refreshing. Lots of sweet maltiness with some floral notes on the end. This was the beer of the night for me.
Brewer’s note:
An exceptional continental style beer with good body and refreshing aftertaste.
Cairngorm IPA: IPA 5%
This one was more hop-forward (as you’d expect from an IPA), with a little more bitterness. It was a solid IPA, but nothing special.
Brewer’s note:
A full on New World hop explosion. Citra and Williamette hops gives pine, tropical and citrus fruit aromas combining with subtle malt undertones to create a golden pale ale with a mouth watering finish.
Cairngorm Wildcat: Scottish Ale 5.1%%
This one had flavours of sweet brown bread and hedgerow fruits like blackberries. A lovely beer that was very easy drinking.
Brewer’s note:
Deep amber in colour with a complex malt and fruit flavour and a delicate bitterness from Challenger and Fuggles hops. Strong and distinctive.
Black Gold: Milk Stout 4.4%
Nutty and roasty with a good body considering it was only 4.4%.
Brewer’s note:
You’ve struck Black Gold and you won’t be disappointed with this rich and smooth liquid. Not too bitter and just the right amount of sweetness.
A beer that lives up to its name, SIBA UK Supreme Overall Bottled Beer Champion for 2013!
This wholesome stout has a rich dark colour and nutty roast flavour. No less than four colours of malt make up the grist! A smooth sweetness leads to a dry finish and a satisfying after taste.
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