Traquair Jacobite Ale

Brewed by Traquair
Style: Traditional Ale
Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland

Year-old bottle.

Pours a deep and elegant ruby-brown with a very modest head. Fascinating spicy aroma, of coriander and rum, bubblegum and peaches - marvellous. The flavor comes on strongly, tons of licorice, again coriander, very spicy, some fascinating abbey dubbel flavors, bubblegum, smoky whiskey malt, enough force to catch me by surprise and make my first sip less than enjoyable. But as I proceed and my palate grows used to the beer, I become impressed and start to really enjoy not only the rich smooth mouthfeel but the complex interplay of strong flavors as well.

This is a very different beer, and a very interesting one, worth revisiting upon occasion.

Bottle sampled with Beerded_one. Pours dark brown with a thin off-white head. Aroma of spices, fruit, coriander, and brown sugar. The flavor is spices, fruit, brown sugar, alcohol, very smooth alcohol. Good brew.

Bottle dated best before June 2014. Dark mahogany brown pour with little to no head. Dark fruit and brandy aroma with some sweet brown sugar and spices (maybe some clove and cinnamon. Flavor is fruity and spicy with a good dose of Belgian candi sugar, some roastiness. Medium-thin body, creamy, and a moderate amount of carbonation.

Bottle. Dark brown with an off-white head that quickly disappears. Fruity and spicy with hints of clove and juniper. Smooth silky mouthfeel and perhaps a little thin. Not much bitterness, but the sweetness is still on the right side . A very interesting and enjoyable brew.

Best before June 2011. Pours a very dark brown with deep amber highlights. There’s a quarter inch head that fades rapidly to a thin spotty cap, with a fairly thin ring that leaves behind a tattered bit of lace. Smell; the smell is very fruity with a little orange peel, plums, dates and apples. There’s pleasant smokey spiciness, with chocolate and caramel mixed in. Taste; the orange comes out more strongly in the flavor, with the plums, berries and apples falling in behind. The roasted malts and smokey/peat flavors play off of the spices very nicely, and finishes with a rich chocolatey flavor. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, and with almost no bitterness, this goes down very easy.

Nice dark red color..a little hazy without any head. I was really trying to like this beer but am a little disappointed. Not alot of flavour, quite thin. Its just okay.

(bottle - 11.2 oz) Dark ruby red color without any head to speak of. Aroma is very complex. Lots of sweetness, some cherries possibly mixed with brown sugar, some coriander, honey, and even some chocolate. Flavor is sweet at the beginning with a middle of honey, earth notes, mixed with some orange zest, and some tangy dark fruits. Loaded with different flavors but they don’t mix all that well. Not very fizzy.

Loving this ale - beautiful but subdued in every respect. It has all the goods but makes you work in order for them to truly appear; this makes it all the more pleasing. A deep red-brown with basically no head; the aroma emanating from this brew is out-of-this-world: caramel, floral pollen, brown sugar, bitter orange peel, wildflower honey. In the mouth some of these aromas fade out considerably, leaving a mild taste dominated by sweetness through brown sugar, oranges, flowers. Little to no bitterness but a strange sweet finish that I haven’t ever experienced before. The ale is smooth on the tongue but seemed to me a little bit flat; not exactly syrupy but not as put-together on the tongue as I would’ve hoped. Overall a tremendous ale.