Hebridean Berserker

Brewed by Hebridean
Style: English Strong Ale
Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

Serve in English pint, Trappist glass

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Cask, Blackfriars, Inverness. Had just a couple hours in Inverness between buses (not nearly long enough--what a pretty city), but Blackfriars is all of five minutes walk from the bus station, so I did have time for a couple of pints. Pleasantly surprised to see something strongish on the tap list. A very dark copper, slight haze, small fine off-white layer of head. Rich gingerbread aroma, nice butter touch, a little hay. Flavor has a full Christmas pudding malt richness, ginger and cinnamon, some dried figs. The finish is surprisingly dry and clean, with just a little lingering grape skin. After a fairly long string modest and forgettable pints, this beer makes me very pleased. Extravagant and generous, rather than elegant or delicate. Just what I needed to fortify me for the long ride back South...

Bottle. Blindtasting @ Thewolf. Cloudy orange with a small creamy head. Sweet malty nose. Caramel, toffee, roast, vinous, smooth. Nice.

Bottle@TheWolf. Amber coloured with a small egg white head. Aromas of caramel, sour fruit, spice, butterscotch and orange fruit. Flavour of toffee, warming alcohol, spice and sweet malt.

Bottle: Deep golden to light amber coloured, small, lacing and persistent off-white head, distinctive fruity (dark berries) and dark-malty nose with a tinge of molasses and hops in the wings; medium to full bodied, full sweet-bitter flavour; solid malty-fruity finish with hops and warming alcohol in the aftertaste. A moreish strong brew.....

A rich fruity malt base, with some grassy hops. Yeast also seems to be quite present. Sweet and a houch of alchol, maybe not the easiest thing to drink, but you only really need a half pint anyway.

Bottle, bought @ YNWA, Kolding.
[Bottle #2 in the Kolding Blindtasting, 20th June 2009]
Pours clear orange with a small, creamy, beige head. Aroma is malty, vinious and quite sweet. Some berry notes. Medium carbonation, fine lightly creamy mouthfeel. Flavour is dry, biscuity, vinious, some orangey notes and a little touch of chocolate. Very fine.

Half pint gravity fed at the Battersea Beer Fest, slightly cloudy but golden amber with a frothy white head. A very rich malty aroma with hints of cherry and honey. Doesn’t taste as strong as its 7.5%, biscuity malt first hits your mouth followed by sweet cherries - like having an entree, main and dessert in one course.

[cask at Bon Accord] Big malty aroma, dried fruit, dates, some background citric notes. full body, very sweet upfront, leads to a restrained bitterness. This is in no way an IPA and the alchol shows a bit more than id like, but still a very nice beer.

Tasted this at the Paisley Beer Festival in April 2005. Cask, gravity dispense. Clear copper red in colour with a thin white head. Strong malt in the sweetly intense fruit aroma. rich resiny mouthfeel and poor lacing. Strong pale malt component gives a robust maltloaf note with strong plum notes coming through, laced with sweet gycerine fruit. Robust hop resins give a pine note to the long aromatic aftertaste. Finish is powerful and malty with golden syrup notes really evident in warming alcoholic notes. This is an excellent old IPA style ale and highly recommended.

Cask@GBBF 2009. Amber color, small white head. Aroma of calvados and raisins. Flavor is similar, raisins, some alcohol, woody hops. Quite nice beer to sip. Well-balanced winter warmer.