Arran Dark
Isle of Arran Brewery Company Ltd.

Arran DarkArran Dark
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From:
Isle of Arran Brewery Company Ltd.
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
Scottish Ale
ABV:
4.3%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.65 | pDev: 13.97%
Reviews:
37
Ratings:
45
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 02, 2018
Added:
Oct 03, 2003
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Dithyramb:
Photo of Dithyramb
Reviewed by Dithyramb from Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
On cask at the Guildford Arms in Edinburgh
Poured a dark, slightly hazy brown with an off tan head
Caramel toasted malts on the nose
Smooth creamy malts were superbly balanced with a decidedly herbal hop mix. Originally thought there was some residual rosemary in my teeth from dinner.
Went well with desert and was very easy drinking. Had a nice medium mouthfeel
Mar 18, 2005
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.07 by brp94 from Spain

May 02, 2018
Photo of OompaMentor
Rated by OompaMentor from Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Solid English Stout; Shelton Brothers 8/18/17
Aug 20, 2017
Photo of Atchison
Reviewed by Atchison from Colorado

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Scottish Ales are my favorite beers. It is hard to say anything negative about a good scottish ale. Arran Dark was a treat. It was lighter than I expected and not as sweet, malty or carbonated. I was also surprised at the relatively low alcohol content. As a result, I can drink a bit more of this beer and it goes down a bit easier than some stronger Scottish Ales that I enjoy. Don't drink it too cold, the Dark became more flavorful toward the bottom of my glass as it warmed up a bit. I spent a semster at Queen Margaret College outside of Edinburgh and this beer reminded me of the many remarkable Scottish Ales that I enjoyed back then. I would love to try this on tap.
Sep 14, 2016
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A: The beer is clear dark reddish copper in color (brown when viewed from afar) and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high beige colored head that died down, leaving a collar around the edge and some lacing on the remainder of the surface.
S: Light aromas of peat are present in the nose.
T: The taste is rather malty and has some hints of smoked peat flavors towards the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is nice and malty, but doesn't feel as heavy or full on the palate as one might expect, so it's surprisingly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle
Jun 30, 2016
Photo of mike22ne
Reviewed by mike22ne from Massachusetts

3.77/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From bottle. This is a dark mild ale, not dark like a stout or strong like a typical scotch ale. Nice light brown color and caramel malt smell and taste, with some toffee but mild bitter finish. Somewhat thin. Nice to drink, but not a beer with much strength.
Jun 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.45 by 2337nTX from Texas

May 24, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by jakea from Wisconsin

May 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by Jerseyislandbeer from Jersey

Sep 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by wrightst from Maryland

Aug 12, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by mrfrancis from Kentucky

Jun 25, 2013
Photo of Doppelbockulus
Reviewed by Doppelbockulus from Florida

3.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Happy I tried this.

It is a wonderfully clear pink bronze beer with a faint dusting of foam on the surface.

Upon opening the bottle I immediately smelled a fruitiness nearly identical to J.W. Lees Harvest. After pouring it the smell developed into oatmeal cookies and coffee grounds, with dark fruit like raisins or dried figs in the background. It is light, but pleasant.

The taste is also light and pleasant. It's a combination of tea biscuits with faint raisins in the aftertaste.

The feel is similar to a cup of cold tea, mildly tannic. It is also very fluid, light body. A faint tingle is present.

Overall this is a pleasing, but not amazing beer, and very sessionable.
Jan 09, 2013
Photo of charlatan
Reviewed by charlatan from Scotland

2.87/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
No best before date on neck of bottle as promised. It could be this one has hung around long enough for it to disappear...

This has a big fluffy off white head which seems keen to stick around. The beer is a dark amber colour and a tad cloudy (is this due to its age?). It smells dusty, chalky, unappealing...

The taste reflects this chalky nose to begin with but then that gives way to an altogether more pleasant roasted malt finish.
Aug 21, 2012
Photo of flyingpig
Reviewed by flyingpig from Scotland

3.38/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Mild chestnut brown colour with a thin looking, foamy head that is light brown in colour and fades from a centimetre tall to a soapy lacing after about thirty seconds.

Dark roasted malts and an earthy hop aroma with some burnt toast in there as well. There is a strong and rich bitterness to the aroma and overall the beer is well balanced on the nose without really exciting.

Earthy malts make up most of the taste here along with a little bit of spice, some bitterness and a touch of caramel and vanilla. It seems a bit more complex that the aroma but again without truly standing out.

Medium and smooth with mild to moderate carbonation and a crisp finish that has a touch of bitterness as well as some sweetness to it.

Not a bad pint that as I mentioned probably won't stand out from the crowd but still goes down pretty well and taste good. I enjoyed it but I'd probably not pick it up again.

1001 Beer Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com
Apr 14, 2012
Photo of crusian
Reviewed by crusian from Oregon

1.32/5  rDev -63.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1
bottle from Tesco in Port Greenock.
Pours a nice color, but going to skip everything and get right to it. I was actually afraid to drink this. it had a strong odor of bleach, and so was the taste. I drain poured this very quickly. I have never been afraid to drink a beer before...
Nov 28, 2011
Photo of Zimbo
Reviewed by Zimbo from Scotland

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Well, it looks good. Deep reddy brown this came with a dense firm head and some promise. Full, roasty and fairly earthy, there is also a nuttiness which all combine to make somewhat more acidity than I expected. A bit too firm really and the bitterness is somewhat on the astringent side without any of that potential appetising quality. Sort of sucks so much potential juice leaving just a hard edge. Fairly good but it could do with more balance.

Nice to try but it lacks the engagement required for me to routinely seek it out.
Apr 11, 2011
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a modest head that still manages to leaves dots and dashes of lace all around

Smell: Toffee malt, with an earthy, peaty aspect that is rather unique

Taste: Toffee, up front, with a developing stone fruit character; in the back, an earthy/peaty gentle hop presence is detected that lingers after the swallow, though the toffee re-emerges in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with gentle carbonation

Drinkability: Though well past the 2/09 date listed on the label, this is a very nice sessionable drinker; low in alcohol but full of unique character
Feb 08, 2011
Photo of Offa
Reviewed by Offa from California

4.15/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5
This beer is a restrained, not overly complex but characterful and very good beer, far better than their Blond. It is an excellent example of a good, light, malty easy-drinking traditional Scottish ale.

Copper amber, it has a smallish off-white head soon thinning to a foamy ring and with a little weak lace.

Aroma is toasty grain, dusty wood, hints of caramelised grain, dry leaves - very strong, hint of orange marmalade.

Taste is good, light but characterful and firm. It has lightly toasty grain and bread crust, light butterscotch, light leafiness, hints of peppery spice and mineral. It is dryish with finish that is sweeter with light leafy-toasty-peppery bitterness. Feel is a bit thin but pretty good, flavour is well-rounded with some light complexity and somewhat reminds me of MacTarnahan's Amber Ale. It is overall very good and highly drinkable.
Sep 21, 2010
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

3.6/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I sure like the whisky made on this remote Scottish isle - let's see how they take to making beer.

This beer pours a hazy medium burnt orange colour, with one thin finger of creamy ecru head, which settles quickly, leaving a consistent ring of big bubbled lace around the glass. It smells of strong toffee caramel, some buttery alcohol, and floral, seaweedy hops. The taste is butterscotch malt, a bit sour, in a boozy way, but minus the heat. A bit of dry breadiness, and musty, earthy hops round things out. The carbonation is moderate, the body medium weight, smooth, with a bit of sugary clinginess, and it finishes off-dry, a leafy, root-like dryness offsetting the toffee malt sweetness.

The inexplicable sensory associations to Island whisky make me wonder if there is something in the air on Arran. Whatever it is, this is quite drinkable, if not quite thoroughly balanced, an example of the Scottish bias toward the malt (BrewDog notwithstanding).

And the mp3 shuffle gods deemed a song by Idlewild a suitable accompaniment to this beer review...
Sep 06, 2010
Arran Dark from Isle of Arran Brewery Company Ltd.
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 45 ratings