Old Worthy Scottish Pale Ale

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Old Worthy, a Scottish Pale Ale from Old Worthy Brewing Co. (Isle of Syke, Scotland). I was given the opportunity to sample this beer before release thanks to Nick from the aforementioned brewery, and what makes this beer different is that it's been brewed with peated barley to add a smoky element to the usually-restrained Pale Ale style. Although this practice isn't unusual with Scotch Ales it's usually reserved for the darker and higher ABV beers, so to use it in a Pale Ale is generally unheard of and so it'll be interesting to see how it works with the other components. Review after the pic....

Old Worthy (5.0% ABV) pours a light golden colour with a relatively thick white head that retains itself well on the surface of the beer. The aroma is certainly different, with light peat smoke behind a malty backbone, accompanied by some bittering hops. When the aromas coalesce they create something that I can only describe as a rauchbier/lager hybrid, with the peated malt and earthier hops presenting an interesting and well-balanced dichotomy. Sometimes there are some sulfurous notes that are reminiscent of adjunct lager, but fortunately this isn't too consistent and doesn't spoil the overall aroma of the beer. The taste delivers much of the same, with bittering hops, light peat smoke, biscuit malt and a subtle sweetness in the background. Putting it in context, it's a lot like a Helles lager with some added spice and a slight tartness in the finish, making it an interesting and very drinkable beer. Aside from the tartness in the finish there's no bitterness, and virtually all of the flavours disappear during drinking to leave a dry aftertaste with some residual maltiness. The mouthfeel is slightly thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, which compliments the lighter flavours on show. Overall, this is an impressive beer that balances the contributions from the peated malt nicely to create a drinking experience that's somehow familiar yet totally unique. Definitely recommended, this would make a good weekday beer when considering the ABV percentage and the overall composition. Thanks again to Nick for the opportunity to try this great beer.

In the accompanying literature for the brewery and the beer, the idea of the "Half n' Half" was mentioned- pairing Scotch whisky with a small chaser of beer. I've dabbled with this concept before, so I decided to give it a try with this offering to see how the two compliment each other. Most of you will know that I'm a big fan of Islay whisky, so I busted out the big guns from my bar globe in the form of a dram of Laphroaig 10 Year Old Cask Strength. Reading comments from other bloggers regarding this beer, it seems that it can cut through peaty whisky surprisingly well, so I was interested to see what happens when a veritable titan of the Islay world is paired up with the subtleties of Old Worthy. Taking a sip of Old Worthy after the Laphroaig seems to amplify the sweetness of both drinks to the point where some honey flavours come through, along with some partial diluting of the whisky's alcoholic burn. The sheer peat power of the whisky overshadows any contributions from the beer's malt, but overall they compliment each other well. In fact, this might be the better way to consume the beer, although a more subdued whisky might be a better choice! I'm already looking forward to experimenting with the best couplings in the future.

Until next time....

Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Old Heathen Imperial Stout

Good evening all. Since finishing my exams on Wednesday evening I've been on a craft beer binge of sorts,  achieved through depleting the collection of bottles in my Guildford cellar and taking multiple trips up to London to visit Craft Beer Co., The Draft House Tower Bridge, BrewDog Camden and The Black Heart. Suffice to say, I could probably use a dry day or two to recover from this madness, but in the meantime I felt like doing another beer review. The subject of this post is Old Heathen Imperial Stout, an Imperial Stout from Weyerbacher Brewing Co. (Pennsylvania, USA). I reviewed their Double Simcoe IPA a few days ago, and after seeing this offering in the fridges at Craft Beer Co. last night I thought it would be wise to grab a bottle and build up a better picture of this brewery. Review after the pic.... 

Old Heathen Imperial Stout (8.0% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick bubbly off-white head that settles to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. Definitely looks the part, and the initially-significant head suggests a plentiful mouthfeel which is always good for an imperial stout. The aroma is composed of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, sticky dark fruits and plenty of caramelised/burnt sugar. Every so often the aromas coalesce to give the perception of banana, and there's also some yeast extract that becomes evident as the beer warms up. It certainly sounds like a standard checklist of characteristic imperial stout aromas, but this beer delivers all of them at surprisingly subtle levels compared to what I was expecting. The fruit and the sweetness are instantly noticeable on the first inhale, with the chocolate coming through as cocoa powder soon afterwards and the yeast extract supporting everything. The alcohol content barely makes itself known on the nose, generally opting to remain quite subdued. The roasted malt and caramelised sweetness do create an aroma that's reminiscent of a hoppy barley wine, but I can't quite decide whether this is because of those individual components or because the beer also contains citrusy aroma hops. The taste brings out more of the biscuit flavours from the malt, and the alcohol does make itself known more on the palette in comparison to the nose. Plenty of chocolate, puckering dark fruits (raspberries, blackcurrant, raisins), coffee and a caramelised sweetness in the finish. Hop-derived grape flavours linger in the aftertaste, leaving the mouth feeling slightly dry and open to repeated sips. If I'd blind-tasted this beer, I probably wouldn't have immediately flagged it as an imperial stout- the flavours are slightly too subdued and the beer definitely isn't full-bodied enough to warrant the title. It's got more in common with a Milk Stout or a Dry Stout, particularly with the slight lactose sugar flavour that becomes apparent every so often during drinking. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer is moderately carbonated, which does compliment the flavours on show. Overall, Old Heathen Imperial Stout delivers a lot of aroma but unfortunately doesn't capitalise on this initial sensory enticement to create a flavour palette worthy of its intended beer style. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get it again, but it is worth trying once and would certainly suit situations where a mild stout is the best option. Better examples of the style include Great Divide Brewing Co.'s "Yeti Imperial Stout", Flying Dog Brewing Co.'s "Gonzo Imperial Porter" and Mikkeller's "Black Hole". 

Until next time....