Inveralmond Ossian Ale (Bottled)

Brewed by Inveralmond
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Perth, Perthshire and Kinross, Scotland

Sweet creamy aroma, Slightly cloudy golden brown colour. Very complex flavour - biscuit, cereal, nuts and vanilla. Sharp on palate, lingering aftertaste. A good partner for Lia Fail from the same brewery.

Pour is an opaque dirty gold with a one finger white head. The nose leads with the malted wheat but settles into nuts and banana. First sip is hop dominated bitterness. Not as pleasant as hoped. Biscuit and cereal. Warming brings tart spicy citrus notes include lemon and orange. This one grew on me a bit. The lower ABV is a plus for me.

Bottled, 500ml from Quercus Brewery & Bottleshop, Devon. Amber to copper with white head. Terrific in cask, but fairly average in this form, dullish hop notes on a thin body. Some biscuity, crusty notes and a hint of citrus. I’ll stick to the cask version.

Brown bottle, 500 ml, best before JAN 2011, purchased at the Manitoba Liquor Control Commissions on January 20 2010, savoured on February 1 2010; eye: golden, clear, no effervescence, white head that turns into a tiny ring, nice lacing; nose: grain, malt, nutty; mouth: grain, malt, acridness, hops, nutty, astringent hops, light orange, finale in grain, medium body, average carbonation, harsh texture, light astringency, nice bitterness; overall: ordinary FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 500 ml, meilleure avant JAN 2011, achetée à la Manitoba Liquor Control Commission le 20 janvier 2010, savourée le 1 février 2010; œil : dorée, claire, pas d’effervescence, mousse blanche qui tombe et se transforme en un petit anneau, bonne dentelle; nez : grain, malt, noix; bouche : grain, malt, âcreté, houblon, noix, houblon astringent, léger orange, finale en grain, corps moyen, carbonatation moyenne, texture rugueuse, légère astringence, bonne amertume; en résumé : ordinaire

Bottle round Mum and Dad’s on Xmas evening. Slight dog, catpiss, orange zest, lemon and lime and wholemeal aroma. Dusty orange gold with well retained cream head. Notes of tangerine, blossomy hop, lime, shortbread, rich underpinning malts, tea and dunked Custard Creams. Nice.

50cl dark brown bottle, label as pictured. Pours a clear yellow golden with a medium-sized, frothy white head. Good retention, little lacing. Aroma is mainly bread, with a ring of honey and lemony hops, some yeast. Very moderate carbonation and a surprisingly thick, creamy mouthfeel for what is essentially a pale ale. Good body. Taste is agreeably hoppy, with lots of "lemon and spice", and a malty note in the background. Very smooth, well-balanced beer has a dry, bitter finish and a medium bitter, lasting after taste. Eminently quaffable, well-hopped pale ale (the classification as "golden ale" is misleading. Good beer from a good maker.

Bottle:Golden, a bit unclear, no carbonation visible; moderate fruity and lemony-hoppy nose, juicy malt underneath; pretty light bodied, moderate dry bitter-sweet flavour; lingering dry lemony-bitter finish. Not bad........

A - Banana and citrus A - Golden and clear T - Sweet with a light bitter finish P - Medium body with a long bitter finish. O - I like this beer for its simpleness