 "The aim of this beer was to make the perfect summer drink; sweet, fruity and refreshing.The aim of this beer was to make the perfect summer drink; sweet, fruity and refreshing." (Fyne Ales website). They have certainly achieved that with this lovely, fruity concoction. Celebrate Scottish raspberries and Scottish beer all in one drink. Fyne Ales are located on the shores of Loch Fyne in Argyll and have an excellent range of beers. This is influenced by German wheat beers, with a load of Scottish raspberries thrown in. It smells wonderfully of raspberries. I expected it to be very sweet, but not so. There is more of a sour taste than a sweet taste. It has the feeling of a soft drink, with a good amount of carbonation and at only 3.8 % it is not strong on the alcohol. This is certainly a drink for a sunny day on the shores of an Argyll loch. The bottle label stands out from the crowd with its vivid red colour and a joke about the JFK Berlin speech. I loved this beer and that it uses a Scottish fruit for its flavours. It is yet another innovative craft beer from a Scottish producer.  More Beer Reviews: 
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 I do love Belgian wheat beers and here is one brewed in Scotland. Hopocrisy gives you that delicious moreish wheat taste that is characteristic of continental beers. The twist is that it is made in Aberdeen by Sixº North who are passionate about Belgian beer and their name comes from the fact that they are located six degrees north of Brussels. On first taste I loved this beer. It is reminiscent of my favourite German and Belgian wheat beers. There is a slight bitterness that comes after the wheat taste and a hint of citrus flavours. It is 4.6%. Simply delicious and I will be having this again. The label design is distinctive and eye catching. On the rear there is a story about the founding principals of the brewery.  Sixº North have bars in Scottish cities, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, where you can drink their beers on draft or try something from a Belgian brewery. You should also be able to find the bottles for sale in supermarkets and beer shops.
If you enjoy wheat beers then you should definitely give this a try, particularly if you are travelling in the Aberdeen area.  Striking artwork make this bottle of beer standout. As does the taste which is rather like continental fruity beers, but it is brewed in Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders. It smells and tastes of passion fruit, but it is not overwhelmingly sweet or fruity. It is perfectly balanced and I loved it. My first thought on tasting this beer was 'interesting.' It certainly tastes of passion fruit, but it is not as sweet as I expected. There is a dry hop taste that tempers the sweetness. This is what makes it different to continental fruity beers, which can be intensely fruity. I do love Belgian fruit beers, but I also loved Passionfruit Berliner. I found it very refreshing and I will definitely be having this again. Tempest Brewing also produce Totally Radler, another fruit beer with continental influences. It is great that they are trying these different tastes and doing something a bit different to other Scottish beer producers. The label on Passionfruit Berliner makes the beer standout from the crowd in your local bottle shop. It was designed by an art student from Glasgow. I think that the bottle label is a vital element in a customer's decision to purchase a beer and you do see plenty of innovation from small breweries with their design.  Stunning art on the bottle label of Passionfruit Berliner by Tempest Brewing Co. Tempest Brewing has a shop in the brewery, located in an industrial estate that is adjacent to Tweedbank station, the last stop on the Borders Railway. There is great cycling to be had in this part of Scotland, so there is no excuse for not trying a Tempest beer. There are stockists throughout Scotland, mainly in the east and the Borders. The Tempest website lists all the stockists and you can also buy online.
Traquair House Ale, Jacobite Ale and Bear Ale. Brewed in Scotland's Oldest Inhabited House17/9/2016  Try an ale brewed in Scotland's oldest inhabited house. Traquair House had its own brewery in the 1700s, but it fell into disuse until being rediscovered in the 1960s. The brewery has since expanded and sells worldwide. The Traquair House Ale is the orginal product from the revived brewery. Despite being 7.2% I found this to be surprisingly light tasting with a subtle fruity aftertaste. I also tried the Jacobite Ale and the Bear Ale. This is history in a bottle. The old fashioned writing on the bottle and the dark brown, almost black colour of the liquid made me feel like I should be drinking this out of a tankard in a coaching inn. I like that this brewery sticks to its roots and does not try to compete with the hipster bottle label design that is becoming common with the newer breweries in Scotland. Traquair House was the hunting lodge for the kings of Scotland. Today you can visit the house and its brewery, a 16 mile cycle from Tweedbank, the last stop on the Borders Railway. There is nothing finer than drinking a beer in the place where it is produced and you can do this at the cafe. There is outdoor seating in the walled garden; the perfect place to enjoy your ale in the sunshine. At the very least you can buy some bottles to takeaway.  Traquair House Despite the 7.2% I did not find this a strong taste, which you usually find with ales. It has gentle carbonation, a subtle fruit taste and a hint of caramel. It does not taste sweet and the bitterness level is low. All in, I found it well-balanced and very satisfying. The historical connection and the location of the brewery in this beautiful house add to the appeal of this unique drink. On the back of the bottle there is a story about the bear gates at the house and a serving suggestion.  Jacobite Ale Another drink from Traquair House is Jacobite Ale. This was originally produced in 1995 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. It was so popular that they have continued to make it and I can see why. It is delicious and my favourite of the two ales.  The bottle design is also classic, following the historical theme of the house. The story of the Bear Gates also features on the rear of the bottle.  This ale is 8%, so slightly stronger than the House Ale, but it does not taste that strong. It is simply delicious and easy to drink. The balance of carbonation and tastes of malt, spices and caramel is perfect. Interestingly the ale is brewed with coriander which creates the slightly spicy taste, but I would never have known it was coriander if I had not read it on the Traquair House website. I loved this ale and will be having it again. Bear Ale This is produced for the draught beer market and is also available in bottles. It is much lighter tasting and does not have the complexity of flavours that the other two ales have. The main taste that comes through is pleasant malt, bitterness and gentle carbonation, making this a good, solid ale. It is 5% so ideal for a session ale with your friends, so I can see this working well in a pub, served from the tap.
You can buy crates of the ale on the Traquair House website and it can be found in some supermarkets and specialist beer shops.
 A beer brewed in East Lothian with a malty taste. If you are doing the cycle route from Edinburgh to Musselburgh and would like a local beer after your ride then this is the one. Knops Beer Company was started in 2010 and has a brewery within the Archerfield Estates, near the villages of Gullane and Dirleton. I like the picture on the bottle of the beer. It depicts the famous Musselburgh Racecourse and the name of the beer gives the impression that it is to do with losing money on a bet at horse racing. However, the story behind the beer is nothing to do with horses. Back in the day a brewer's drayman accidentally spilt a large amount of beer from one of the casks. He was worried about his boss finding out so filled up the cask from a stream on the road to Musselburgh and delivered it to a pub where he hoped that nobody would notice. When he returned to the pub later the landlady told him that it was the best beer she had ever tasted and her customers loved it! She described it as "brisk". The drayman then told his boss about the accident and the unexpected result, so the brewer started to produce the new ale and a drink with this character became known as "Musselburgh Broke." The malt taste is quite strong, but the gentle carbonation and a slight sweet taste makes it refreshing to drink.   Fallen Brewery is based in Kippen, about 10 miles west of Stirling. Light Freight is only 2.7% and has a lovely fruity taste. I found it easy to drink and rather delicious. The old Kippen railway station has been the home of Fallen Brewery since 2014. A railway theme can be found in the names of their beers, such as 'Just the Ticket', 'Local Motive', and 'Chew Chew.' The label on the bottle is a simple, rustic design. The bottle cap features the hop symbol of the brewery.  Light Freight has a fruity taste. I could detect exotic fruits like mango and papaya. It also smells fruity. I loved the taste and I couldn't get enough of it. It is not overwhelming and not sweet like a Belgian fruit beer or a cider. There is a slight bitterness which probably prevents it from being too sweet. The aftertaste is hoppy with, I thought, a hint of mango. Very nice, very refreshing and at 2.7% a good one if you still have some cycling to do after a beer stop.  On their website Fallen Brewery say that they supply beer to many pubs across England, Scotland and Wales. They also list some specialist retail outlets for their bottled beer, mainly in Glasgow and Edinburgh. I really enjoyed Light Freight and will look forward to trying some more of the brewery's beer.   A beer from the Orkney Islands, located off the north coast of Scotland. From the first taste I adored it. The hops and fruit taste are well balanced. Definitely one for after a bike ride on a summer evening. The bottle labeling evokes the romance of island life with a cottage facing a sunset. Swannay Brewery opened in 2005 on the mainland of Orkney. The small scale of the operation and the story of the father and son brewing team is appealing to travellers who seek out locally sourced food and drink.  Rear label of a beer from Swannay Brewery, Orkney The name of the beer is a play on the taste of hops and the 70 islands of Orkney. From the very first taste I thought 'mmm! I like this.' Some beers take several sips or more to get a taste for them, but not this one. It was delicious straight away. I reckon this is because there is no single taste that dominates, the fruit and hop taste are equally balanced. On the front of the bottle they call it a "session beer" meaning that it is ideal for drinking one after another on a night out. I really enjoyed this beer and I will definitely be having it again.  The bottle cap features the Swanny logo and the words "World Class Orkney Beer"  A beer created especially for cyclists. The concept of this beer is that you can have a drink and still be able to ride your bike afterwards. It tastes more like a soft drink than a beer with a malt and fruity flavour. Tempest Brewing are located in Tweedbank in the Scottsh Borders. They created this beer for the Tweedlove bike festival. In Germany "radler" means cyclist and there is a tradition of blending light beer with fruit juice to create a drink ideal for bike rides. Tempest added their own twist with blood orange and grapefruit.
This beer is only 2%, but that is the whole point. You should be able to have this drink and then safely ride a bike. This means that there is less of a beer taste and this might make it less appealing to those who love a traditional pint. My first impression was that it is an unusual taste and not really like beer or a soft drink, something in between. The blood orange and the malt are the dominant flavours. It does the job of refreshing you and the more I drank the more I enjoyed it.
I love the design of the bottle label with the shield featuring a bicycle and an idyllic countryside scene with trees, river and sun peeking over hills. Perhaps not a drink for traditionalist beer drinkers, but this has a specific purpose and market in mind. Good on Tempest for trying something different and introducing a continental style of drink to Scotland. I will certainly be taking it on my next bike ride and looking forward to the cool refreshment when I am warm and thirsty. Tempest Brewing has a shop in the brewery, located in an industrial estate that is adjacent to Tweedbank station, the last stop on the Borders Railway. There are stockists throughout Scotland, mainly in the east and the Borders. The Tempest website lists all the stockists and you can also buy online.  Hurricane Jack by Fyne Ales Hurricane Jack has a bitter and fruity taste. The more I drank the more I liked it. This is definitely something to have on a warm and sunny day. It is brewed by Fyne Ales, located at beautiful Loch Fyne in Argyll. My first impression of Hurricane Jack is of a bitter taste. It took me several sips to get used to the bitter taste, but the more I drank the more I liked it. The bitterness is tempered by the fruit, so you are left with more of a subtle fruit taste in the mouth and the bitterness is dispersed. It is gently carbonated so you get a nice tingly fizz on the tongue. It has the classic smell of hops. It is a refreshing drink, so a good one to have after a long cycle trip.  Hurricane Jack by Fyne Ales, Argyll, Scotland Hurricane Jack was a character in Para Handy, a newspaper series of stories about an early 1900s steamboat that delivered goods to Loch Fyne from Glasgow.
Fyne Ales was founded in 2001. The brewery has tours, a shop and a bar where you can have locally sourced food, like venison sausages with your pint. Fyne Ales also organise the annual FyneFest, a festival held in the fields around the brewery. It features guest beers from around the UK, live music and interesting food. If you are cycling in Argyll make sure to give Hurricane Jack a try. It is widely available on draft throughout Scotland and the bottled version can be easily tracked down in supermarkets.  Trade Winds by Cairngorm Brewery There is nothing quite like a nice pint of beer after a cycle ride. Scotland is blessed with many excellent independent breweries and I always try to find something local to drink when cycling in an area. Therefore, I have decided to begin a new section of my blog that reviews some of these fine beers and lagers. First up is Trade Winds by the Cairngorm Brewery in Aviemore. This is a wheat beer, but cut with citrus flavours to give a fruitier and cleaner taste. It has a Great Taste Gold award and is one of my favourites. This is a beer that you will find on tap in the ski and hiking mecca of Aviemore, a village about 30 miles south of Inverness. The Cairngorm Brewery, established 2001, is located on the outskirts of Aviemore. Trade Winds is the brewery's most popular beer. Pubs in surrounding towns and further afield will also have it. If you cannot get it on draft the bottle version is widely available, including from supermarkets, so quite an easy one to track down. Trade Winds is a frequent winner of awards. It has a Great Taste Gold award stamped on the bottle. It has also won CAMRA Highlands & Western Isles Beer of the Year, Champion Beer of Scotland and Speciality Beer of Britain. The full list of awards are on the Cairngorm Brewery website:  List of awards for Tradewinds. Taken from Cairngorm Brewery website Now, down to the important thing, the taste. The wheat is not as strong as you would find in traditional German wheat beers because of the elderflower which tones it down and brings a fruity sweetness to the drink. It is slightly fizzy and very refreshing. On the Cairngorm Brewery website they say it is perfect with white meats and summer salads. I would add fish and chips to that! It is one of those beers that is delicious with anything.  The back of a bottle of Trade Winds by Cairngorm Brewery So, why is there a sailing ship on the front of the bottle? The other beers that the brewery produce are mainly themed around wildlife and other things unique to the area, such as wildcats, stags and golden eagles. A sailing ship is not a common site in this area, but Trade Winds was a beer that had been brewed by the Tomintoul Brewery to mark the Tall Ships race in Aberdeen in 1997. Cairngorm Brewery purchased the Tomintoul Brewery in 2000 and made some changes to Trade Winds, including the addition of elderflower.
For a refreshing beer after a cycle ride you cannot go wrong with Trade Winds. Give it a try and let me know if you agree. You can buy Trade Winds on the Cairngorm Brewery website. I also recommend visiting the brewery in Aviemore. They have a large shop where you can buy all of their products and the tours are great because you get to sample most of their different beers at the end, rather than just one or two. |
