Orkney Skull Splitter (Bottle)

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

Nice dark reddish brown color with a good white soapy head. The malts are sweet, with notes of roasted and caramel flavors. Good bittering finish with slight licorice, and fig hints. Very drinkable and smooth. Nice carbonation with small bubbles. Great alcohol balance with the malts.

33cl bottle, design has been updated. Pours a deep, clear mahogany with a small off-white head of medium retention. Some lacing. Aroma of sweet apples, licorice, toffee - and hops. Medium- to heavy-bodied strong/red ale, thick, oily mouth feel. Moderate carbonation. Rather sweet taste of fruit in rum and licorice, with a bitter-ish middle and finish. Higher abv is noticeable throughout. Lingering alcoholic aftertaste, too. If I want a Belgian tripel/quadrupel, I’ll order one. ;=) Too sweet for my tooth - but obviously a well-made beer of its kind. Smooth, wee heavy, "comforting". Sinclair are a good brewery for sure.

Bottled 33cl. Extremely inviting aroma of cookies, dough, papaya, apple, faint peat- a huge amount of character- rather special. The taste is definetely less interesting. Sweet and nutty. Residual sugars in the finish which is reminiscent of dried apricot, raisin and walnuts.

Szép mély rubin vörös színe és közepes de stabil peremet hagyó habja van.Illata mint valamilyen egzotikus gyümölcslikőrbe szippantanánk amiben egy kis gin is van.Íze édeskés,melaszos,karamellás és aszalt gyümölcsös,datolyás.Ehhez csatlakozik aztán a komló gyantás,fenyőhajtásos kesernyés zamata.Testes sör és az alkohol is kellemesen melegít.Utóíze keserédes,komlós és kiszárítja az egész szájat.Marad utána egy hosszan tartó gyümölcsösség is.Remek ital téli estékre,lefekvés előtt hogy szépeket álmodjunk.

Bottle. Pour a deeper amber with an off white head. Malty sweet aroma with some over ripe fruit. The flavor has a fruity sweetness, toffee, and a lighter hint of earth. Pretty good.

Bottle@Cardinal, Stavanger. A thick layer of beige bubbles upon a clear, deep amber colored body. Strong, grainy malt aroma with caramel and roasted nuts. A distinct fruit scent, too. Notes of alcohol. Taste is rich malty and rather sweet. Lots of ripe fruits, and a fair amount of bittering hops to balance. Some smoky and wooden notes. Alcohol is noticable, but not disturbing. Well-bodied and thick in the mouth. Long, fairly dry, malty and mild bitter finish.

Poured to a fluted fest glass at Brixie’s Holiday Beer Tasting in Brookfield, IL. The color was a coppery brown, with a head of some off white, bubbly foam, and periods and commas of clingy lacing. The aroma and flavor were similar notes of toastiness, caramel, with some sweetness as malt and dried fruit. A nice Scotch Ale but mild and entry level as an English Barley Wine, imo. The commercial description also seemed a little over the top.

What a nose! The malt aroma from this brew is outstanding and really gives you a hint at what awaits your taste buds. A burnt auburn color and well-lacing creme head makes for an acceptable appearance. While the flavor is wholly Scottish with a malt heavy flavor and mouthfeel. While barley wine is the right style, a scottish ale could also apply. A very good offering from Orkney indeed.