Traquair House Ale

Brewed by Traquair House
Style: Scotch Ale
Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland

Serve in Thistle

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Bottle. Nice aroma. Nice on the palate. Solid scotch ale. Served at about 55. Enjoyable alcohol finish. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle from Beer Street BK. Deep brown and ruby edged with diminishing head into a nice ring and surface lacing. The aroma is less subtle and perfum-y than the jacobite. Dark fruit, caramel, bread and vanilla, dusty grassy hops, cedar, spices, nuts. The flavor is more has a bit of spice and a hint of licorice on a caramel malt backbone with nuts and dark fortified vinous flavor wrapping through it. The feel is soft and velvety though thin and the wood rises and lingers alongside respectable spice and bitterness. A great beer that is well balanced though somewhat more direct and less rounded than the Jacobite.

Tasting @ Bestway. Thin brown pour. Little to no head. Light nutty nose. Spicy, peppery, oak-like notes. Weak, watery body. Imbibed for the experience. Not a favorite. The history of the brewery is more interesting than the beer.

Bottle from Selfridges. Colour is lovely rusty brown clear red, thin off white froth head. Nose is fruit estery, with banana, dark fruit, dried dates. There’s bread yeast, peat, fruit bread, touch of barrel wood. Taste is dark fruit, malty ale, dry barrel woody, banana ester, dried dates and prunes, and there’s some bitter tang. Bitter tang, aged wood and dark fruit on the finish. Interesting beer which is full of flavours. Kind of thing that would be nice to drink in front of a log fire.

Bottled and chilled. A fine dark ruby color, with an off white head. Nose is fruity. Flavor is malty and fruity, redolent of vanilla, caramel and raisins. Nice.

330ml bottle poured into a tulip with my buddy in Napa, CA. A - Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights and a small head that dissipates fairly quickly. Not a ton of lacing, but it does gives some nice legs with each sip, coating the glass in suds. S - Caramel malts strong on the nose, with molasses notes, and maybe some figs and/or dates. I can taste the alcohol, but it doesn’t feel out of place, and sort of compliments the dark malty profile.An inviting aroma that fits the style well, it warms to reveal some nutty tones, along with toffee and subtle woodsy notes. T - This is a very robust malty flavored beer. A dark caramel malt base is the backbone for a variety of flavorful notes to come through. Dark fruits, (figs and/or dates) and just a touch of black cherries can be identified. Alcohol warmth and a molasses taste give it some hearty weight. Hazelnut and hints of toffee and maple add to the sweeter side, and oak and peat provide some delicious earthy tones. Finishes with just the right amount of alcohol heat, along mild bitterness and cocoa. Truly a well crafted flavor profile, and a damn drinkable beer. M - Smooth and creamy. Low carbonation, with a medium-to-heavy weight to the body. Slight warmth in the finish with mild lingering bitterness. D - A dark, complex, and flavorful beer. As a major fan of the style, I consider this the standard by which all others are measured. DELICIOUS!!! Serving type: bottle

Murky brown color with a thin white ring. Oak barrel is dominant on the nose. The palate is a great mix of figs, caramel and roasted nuts. For such a brooding beer, this is surprisingly lively on the palate.

Bottle. A clear dark amber/brown beer, with an average sized. frothy, lacing, fully lasting off-white head. The aroma is moderately malty (toasted/roasted nuts, chocolate, caramel), with notes of banana, toffee, sherry. The flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Medium body, watery/velvety texture, soft/lively carbonation, not very long or intense finish with moderate bitterness, lightly alcoholic. Very interesting aroma, even though a bit oxidized, nutty and fruity. Rather watery and thin mouth experience.

Bottle @ home. Pours a deep reddish brown appearance with a light brown head. A bit smoky, rich toffee, caramel malty, light chocolate, a bit fruity aroma. Big burnt sugar, toffee, dark caramel malty, light chocolate, somewhat smoky, herbal flavor. Pretty interesting.

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, L1171 bottle code. Pours fairly crystal clear reddish brown color with a nice 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a nice thin cap that lingers. Some nice lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big raisin, caramel, molasses, toasted malt, biscuit, toffee, earth, light chocolate, and herbal. Very nice and well balanced aromas with good strength and complexity. Taste of big raisin, caramel, toast, biscuit, chocolate, molasses, toffee, earth, and herbal spiciness. Light herbal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, caramel, molasses, toast, biscuit, and earth on the finish for a good bit. Great balance of flavors with nice complexity; and no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent scotch ale. Nice flavor balance and complexity; and very smooth and enjoyable to sip on.