Orkney Dark Island Reserve

Brewed by Orkney (Sinclair Breweries)
Style: Barley Wine
Stromness, Orkney, Highlands & Islands, Scotland

22Oz bottle from Hopscotch at the Solan’s Mom Throwdown. 100th rate. Poured a dark inky black with a small tan head. Nose was absolutely sick. Peat Smoke, Fruit, Chocolate, Caramel and Dalmore 12. For the 10% ABV the alcohol doesn’t really come into play until at the end. Its just warming, no burn. Starts off very heavy on caramel and oak. Then that distinctive Dalmore flavor comes through in the finish with a touch of molasses and smoke and some lightly bitter chocolate. Truly a remarkable beer. This is absolutely a after dinner beer.

750 ml provided by hopscotch...Poured a midnight black, and sported a mostly diminishing tan head. The nose on this beer was incredible: smoke, scotch, dark fruits, cocoa...Mmmm makes me drool just thinking about it. The beer was nice and mellow with well blended flavors of oak, smoke/peat, scotch, dark fruits and bitter chocolate. DIR offered a slight alcohol burn on the back palate, but was overall very smooth and enjoyable. I’d love to down a bottle with some friends after a big meal!

Black with a lasting light brown head. Aroma has licorice, tar, oak and chocolate. Tannin dry flavour is combined with a certain fruity sweetness. Burnt malt, charcoal finish.

Date: May 22, 2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Appearance: black, wispy tan head, streaks of drippy lace
Aroma: dark chocolate aroma with a dark caramel sweetness, light roasted, sweet dark fruit
Flavor: sweet chocolate and caramel flavor, nice dark fruits, touch of alcohol, light smokey and earthy character that grows as it warms

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Date: February 20, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Appearance: black, wispy tan head
Aroma: tart dark chocolate aroma, fruity tartness
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, good dose of lactic tartness, light fruityness balances some of the tartness

Aroma: 4/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 4/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 6/20
Rating: 2/5.0
Drinkability: 5/10
Score: *+/4

Pours an opaque black color with a brown head. Aroma is malty, caramel, oak, and sweet scotch. Flavor is malty, caramel, oak, vanilla, and a dry scotch finish.

Bottled @ Aarhus beerfestival 2008. Lovely aroma of roasted malt, peat, hint of medicine, coffee and licorice. Very malty taste, almost sour, oak, loads of peat, bit sweet. Great stuff.

750ml swing-top bottle. Pours a dark brown / black, dark brown head. Aromas of fresh peat, chocolate, hints of butterscotch. Flavor is a bit of roast, chocolate,some oak, lots of peat.

At Arhusbeerfestival.Dark brownish colour with no head.Aroma is smoked and warming with strong hidden alc.Some taste of vanilla and spices full body and well balanced finish.