Orkney Dark Island (Bottle)

Brewed by Orkney (Sinclair Breweries)
Style: Old Ale
Stromness, Orkney, Highlands & Islands, Scotland

Poured a nice dark red to black color. Really had to work to get a head on it that quickly faded. Aromas are quite strong and hard to decipher, same with the flavor of the beer. Definite peak smokiness with typical roast coffee and chocolate. Also taste of burnt raisins and fig as well as a sweet brown sugar flavor. Actually quite complex, only wish would be that more alcohol was here to give the beer a warming alcohol taste.

50cl bottle @ VinensVerden, Odense. Pours dark brown with a settling creamy foam. Nose is amazing - dark fruits, figs , prunes & lots of chocolate, very complex & inviting. Mouthfeel is medium & slightly creamy. Oily & vinous. Taste has vague hints of smoke together with figs, prunes, wood, vanilla, chocolate, caramel & roast. This is lovely!

Black pour that forms a tall creamy tan head. Aroma is smoky, slightly bitter, and a bit chocolaty. Flavor is very subtle and well balanced. Kind of a roasted flavor, sweet and toffee like, with a crisp pleasant finish. This is quite enjoyable.

Pours a very dark brown that shows some dark ruby tints when held to light. Minimal tan-nish head falls fairly quickly. Nose is that woody syrupy sweet thickness. Pretty traditional stuff. Seems like there are some coffee grind tones on the end too. Flavor tastes like bitter old coffee at first but calms down to only a fairly bitter tone. As it warms it becomes more pleasant and some firm peat tones really start to appear. Leaves a smoked, peaty like aftertaste in the mouth. Feel has a thick liquid body and a good level of carbonation. Overall a decent brew. If you drink it too soon without letting it warm up, don’t expect as much as you should be getting.

Dark amber color with ruby highlight. Moderate, onefinger-wide beige head. Sweet, dates with ruby port and some toasted malty accent on the nose. The main impression about the flavor is balanced dark malty sweetness, dried fruity esters like sherry soaked prunes. Some coffe dryness at the medium. Roasted, chocolate-malty finish with low hop level. Smooth body with mild, but warming character. My very first Old Ale, but i think this is a good example of the style. My cup of tea!

50 cl bottle at home, bought at Vaaland, Bryne. Ver dark, almost black color, fine but disappering tan head. Aroma is chocolate, dark fruit, coffee and hints of smoke. Flavor is much the same, but with much more smoke. Some acidicity. One of the best low alcohol beers I have tasted.

Cask, Moon Under Water, Watford. Poured a nice black colour with a white head. A burnt smell, with a little tar. Bitter chocolate taste, smokey flavour, but with some sweetness. Rather nice.

Taste 7/8 Bottle (Best by 1/9). Looks: Black purple with mild lace. Smell: Sweet, grape, sticky, grain, Choc and espresso. Taste: Thin to medium bodied. Espresso, roast, grape, floral. Mild hops spice. A little earthy. Good.