Orkney Dragonhead Stout (Bottle)

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

Tasted at the 2007 Beer Festival in Edinburgh Scotland. Ok. Average. Black. Chocolate. Dry finish.

Lovely complexity. Lots of chocholate/ coffee roasted flavor. Yet really easy to drink.

Large light brown head initially, then settles into a thin covering, lace is thin but coating. Nose is fruity up front followed by a light roast aroma and maybe a touch vinous. Body is medium, a hint chalky but with a silky mouthfeel, nice. Flavors of chocolate, light roast, cocoa and some earthy dirty notes as well. Finish is fairly dry, roasty and bittersweet. A decent little quaff.

Sampled March 2007
Pours with a frothy, initially three-finger thick, light brown colored head that sits a top an almost black colored beer that has some brown in it. The aroma initially has notes of chocolate to it, both a chocolate liquor note as well as a dusty cocoa note. Quite malty as well with a touches of sweet burnt caramel, lots of toasted grain character. This has a touch of alcohol heat to it in the nose, or perhaps something similar to this as this beer is quite low in alcohol.

The beer is quite dry with an accompanying dusty chocolate note. The middle and finish actually have a note of burnt malt sweetness. This has quite a light body to it; it is very quaffable. The beer finishes with a hint of roast grain astringency, a touch of chalkiness, and a nicely lingering roast coffee character. This actually has a touch of roast derived acidity here, which adds a nice tart backdrop to the other flavors. This is an interesting beer, quite tasty and I like that it is so light. This is something that Guinness draught should aspire to be.

Utterly black and opaque with a solid tan head. Dark roast coffee beens and cocoa on the nose. Flavour is less intense than the nose would promise, with some roasted chestnuts, some of the usual coffee and dark chocolate, and maybe a hint of vine fruit. Mouthfeel ever-so-slightly watery, but made up for by the lingering licorice and coffee finish with no astringency at all. Very good.

A cracker! Typical stout in appearance, good head and nice lines down the glass. Rich roast malt /coffee nose, very smooth palate, perhaps just a touch light, could perhaps do with another % of alcohol to add a bit more body, but never mind it’s lovely and worth seeking out. This came from The Fine Wine Shop on Musselburgh High Street.

Bottle (500ml). Thanks to Degarth for this one!. Opaque black, lively pour, large fluffy beige head. Oily, nutty, deep roast malt aroma, a little milky with a touch of cherry tartness - very rich and appealing. Taste is very roasty, light nut and tart fruit, some acidity and grassy hops in the finish. Light, still, silky mouthfeel, nice bitter aftertaste - solid stout, would have it again.

Bottle. Poured Dark Brown with a tan head. Tasted strongly of roasted coffee and malt. Slight bitter taste for the finish. A good first experience of Scottish brews!