Orkney Skull Splitter (Bottle)

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

nice deep red pour with one finger head. Nose is strange, bandaid, nutty malts, fruit but with a wierd spicey chemical overtone. Flavor is plasticy, chemically, hot alcohol, some spice. no balance here for me. there is some fruit hiding under the odd flavors, maybe some chocolate, woodyness as it warms. not horrible but not great...

Cloudy orange color. This is a weird beer, which i can’t decide if I liked or not. It doesn’t taste like a Barley Wine. Maybe it isn’t. The taste is very heavy on the malts and the alcohol is covered well by the rather thick palate.

Deep hazed orange, creamy white head. Toffee caramel- aromas lead to light smoked cherry notes. Soft sweet peat flavors ride cherry toffee crunch tones. Medium bodied and oily, soft carbonation, warming, malty finish. More wee heavy than barley wine, but a nice sipper none the less...

Bottle: Pours somewhat muddy, dark brown with a medium-sized cream head. Dark malts, raisins, plums, figs in the nose which also has a bit of a vinous quality, though subtle. Medium-bodied, slightly creamy mouth feel. Nice warming sensation hits immediately and feeds into a dark malt dominant base with dark fruits and some earthiness to compliment it. Good, solid brew.

11.2oz bottle thanks to Double D. Ruby red with medium white head with excellent lacing. Semi-sweet malty aroma. Well balanced with a sugary malt start and a light hop finish that’s a bit peppery. Hides the alcohol pretty well and goes down too easy.

Bottled. Pours a nice clear copper/mahogany colour. Thin tan film on top with a little lacing. Nice aroma of buttery caramel and sugar with a little alcohol. Easy drinking flavour with more caramel and some dusty earth plus a little spice. Different barley wine.

Great beer for drinking a lot of. With how easy it is to drink, I think "skull splitter" could also refer to the feeling you have in the morning after drinking way too much of this very easy to drink beer, considering its alcohol percent. It’s not complex, but I really like it.

I’m not sure why this is in the Barley Wine category, I’m gonna rate as if it were a Strong Scotch Ale, the category it should be in. Aroma is very "scotch" aleish. Slightest hints of floral and earth. Extremely low head retention, too style. I’m not sure what to make of the flavor... nice earthy notes, vinous, soapy medicinal, get the picture it’s all over the place with I suspect some off flavors. Very nice mouth feel. Something of a disappointment. I’ll try it again as hopefully this bottle was stale, but if not the score will be lowered and the bier will not be drank again. But yes as the label says it’s deceptively light and dangerously drinkable.