Orkney Red MacGregor (Bottle)

Brewed by Orkney (Sinclair Breweries)
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Stromness, Orkney, Highlands & Islands, Scotland

AROMA nuts, citrus, earthy, bread APPEARANCE dark amber, clear, frothy, rocky head, TASTE very bitter, PALATE full body, slick feel, average carbonation, long finish, OVERALL Well-balanced bitterness.

Bottled 500ml. -Dark amber/copper coloured, medium sized off-white head, pleasant strong hoppy nose. Sweet toasted malt, grassy hops and caramel with notes of smoke and fruits. Bitter finish and long-lasting aftertaste. Better than cask version.

50cl bottle, with a new label (shape as before). Pours a deep, clear dark ruby with an impressively frothy, big beige head. Excellent retention, generous lacing. Aroma of lemon, cherry and caramel, some yeast. Medium-bodied esb with very moderate carbonation. Rather watery mouth feel. Nice malty bitterness which increases when the beer warms up. Oaky notes, with a citric "edge", as well as some sweeter, toffee-ish character add to the flavour, with a dry, spicy, hoppy finish and a moderately strong bitter after taste. This is an above-average premium bitter that, with a little more body and a less watery mouth feel, might have been a masterpiece. As it is, it’s a very sessionable, refreshing and complex-enough esb that I’d like to drink again.

Bottle. Nice beer. Great balance. I enojoyed this beer very much. Highly recommended.

bottle - Pours deep ruby with a small head. The aroma is citrusy, yeasty, and hoppy with some cherry character. There’s some decent hops in the flavor but the malt is coming up short. It’s subdued and thin bodied, even a little watery. Between that and a hint of sourness, I’m wondering if there’s a bit of infection here, not overpowering, but something seems off. I’m pretty tired of how common it is for the pricey English and Scottish brews in 500ml bottles we get over here to have quality issues. This one smells good and then it’s downhill.

(bottle) Clear, ruby amber colour with a thick and slightly beige foamy head. Lemon-fruity, slightly woody and zesty hoppy aroma with a toasty and slightly peaty malty blend. Bitter and slightly sweet flavour, light to almost medium bodied with a mild carbonation. Dry toast-malty base with hints of caramel and peat and a present underlying slightly fruity and woody hops character. Dry and moderately bitter finish with toasty notes and liquorice. Balanced brew. 06.XI.09

Bouteille de 500 ml achetée chez Bayside Liquors (Bar Harbor, ME). Arôme: Odeur de caramel avec une pointe de noix et d’épices. Apparence: La couleur est blonde légèrement voilée avec une moyenne densité de bulle. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Odeur de caramel légèrement fruité avec une pointe de noix. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence de caramel légèrement brûlé en arrière goût. (Rating #2713)

Bottle. Pours a deep copper color, minimal head with some lacing. Flavor is nice, soft roasted malts, hints of smoked malt and caramel. Slightly bitter towards the end with just the right flowery hop finish. Medium bodied and smooth, this is good and would make for an outstanding session ale. A nice surprise.