Orkney Dark Island Reserve

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

Courtesy Degarth. Nice looking bottle, first off. Dark chestnut pour, thin sparse white head. Sweet caramel malts, plum, molasses, a very English aroma, reminds me of the Fullers Vintage ales. Sweet dark canesugary taste, but kept in check. Plums, oak, tobacco, mild English hops all on the taste. Everything melds perfectly and this was one of my favorites from the Tampa tasting.

750, swingtop. Black. Thick (though shallow) creamy tan head. Huge coffee, roasty nose--along with port, and red wine grapes. Rich creamy, oily body. Tawny port, raisins, figs, bourbon, roast, and coffee on the mid-palate. Long cocoa finish. Indescribably delicious, much more than the sum of its flavor parts. So much happening with the brewing...there must be a dozen specialty malts in here.

Bottle. Creamy lightbrown fair mostly lasting head. Black colour. Heavy malty powerfull aroma. Strong rasin notes. Very spicey complex flavor. Long nice finish. Very creamy palate. Great stuff but expensive.

Cleveland tasting

Once again an amazing brew was cracked open. I am going to have to start doing some serious trading to have something worthwhile to contribute to these tastings as I don’t know how people find these rarities. Actually in this case I do as it just hit Ohio according to someone. If you run across this in the store don’t hesitate to put it in your cart.

Aroma / Appearance - The fluid black body was darker than I expected a barley wine to be. Whiskey, malt and oily scents stand out though there is also resiny burnt pine providing a solid foundation.

Flavor / Palate - Blue raspberries blended into iced coffee form a very strange partnership. Oily and slightly stale hops unfold before the vinuous warm finish. The alcohol is evident but does not ruin the experience. Overall this is a very solid release.

Beautiful dark brown color with very dark tanned head. Burnt malt flavor and a lot of vinegar.

Strong fluid raisin. Very good straight beer. The absence of head odsent disturb because its so clean fluid...

Bottle. Dark brown colour with a small beige creamy head. Powerful malty aroma with notes of raisin and viniger. Flavour of caramel, fruits and spice. Nice full palate.

Bottled 20th of March 2006. Small head with short duration. Color is pitch black. Aroma and taste are fruits, wood, caramel and vinegar. Sour long finish.