Stewart's 80/-
Stewart Brewing Ltd

Poured from cask. Good malty body with light nose. Easy drinking wee heavy that was good, but would benefit from more heft in ABV and body.

I had this beer on cask in a pub glass at The Bow Bar in Edinburgh.

Appearance: dark brown hue with a mostly haze free body and a thin layer of tan foam atop.

Smell: caramelly, bready, and even a bit molasses-ey. Quite nice!

Taste: not too off from the aroma, with plenty of smooth caramel and dark bread. Bitterness is moderate and well complements the sweet. I dig it.

Mouthfeel: rich body with a light carbonation and a nice smooth texture.

Overall: a “heavy” that clocks in at 4.4% ABV! What’s not to love?

 

 

my first from these guys, a stunner on cask, crazy how light this is in a style called heavy right? highly refined and drinkable, welcome to scotland! pretty mahogany color, clear and backlit looking in a dim pub, short but creamy half inch of lasting cask frothed head just off white, quite active in appearance. overtly malty in aroma but not sweet or dense to me, its toasted deeply, and hits on chestnut and raisin, earthy and autumnal, acorns and oak leaves, a little long boiled richness and concentrated malt character, tobacco and black tea, quite fresh, old world ale yeast also apparent. the flavor brings all of this together, this does dried fruits like red apple and dates along with fresh baked bread and some heartiness, bran, molasses, maple, but not sugary overall. there is a nice minerality to this, sturdy body for its lower alcohol, and a soft floral element at the end that could be hop derived, but no real bitterness there at all. its smooth and long and effortless, infinitely repeatable, and bold enough to stand up to something like smoked fish, but not so powerful that it cant handle more delicate food, and this seems almost nutritious, like it could pass as breakfast or something, versatile and awesome, with next level cask conditioning, which seems to be a strong suit for these guys. loved this, among my favorite cask pours of our whole scotland trip. textbook example of a style often attempted but so rarely executed at this level in the states. context maybe played a role here, but this is great.

 

Appearance: Arrives from the cask with a clear tea color and a one finger head; decent retention and a few speckles

Smell: Bread and toffee with just a hint of herbal tones

Taste: Bread and toffee forward with some caramel emerging; a touch of herbal bitterness balances out the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with gentle carbonation

Overall: I couldn't find a BJCP Wee Heavy in all my travels around Scotland but this is about as close as I could get; decent but nothing special

Just had an 80/- and now having another pint of the style from cask at Bennets Bar in Edinburgh. Rich, earthy, sweet, a touch of smokiness. Really delicious ale. One of those underrated styles. Smooth and easy like every good cask pull.

 

 

 

 

On cask.

 

 

On tap in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Opaque black-brown body with a very good head.
Fine malty/nutty aroma and flavor.
Smooth medium+ body

Overall: recommended.

 

 

Darkish brown with ruby highlights this projected a balance of fruit and earth within the malt profile. Head retention is poor though and the nose suggests a heady experience

A bit slick on the tongue at first before taking on a firmer quality. A pretty decent take on the 80 but a bit more Bordeaux than the classic Burgundian like qualities of a classic pint of Belhaven 80. Could do with some more harmonious integration of its various parts. Decent enough though.

Served in a pint glass. Reviewed December 2010.

A: Darkish. A mild head tops a pretty, red, (barely) clear beer. Some lacing.

S: Sweet, a bit sour, and with noticeable fruit. Nice-ish.

T: I like it! Malty-sweet, a bit watery, but still good. The creamy head is extra-delicious and disappears too soon. A fruity character dominates the maintaste. The aftertaste is smooth, with lingering fruit.

M: Increasingly watery, much to my disappointment. The creaminess was nice, but by the end, it's just washy. Maybe a bit of bitter dryness, but only on the feel (not the taste).

D: Definitely a half-pinter -- the first half of my glass was far more pleasant than the last half. Still, a sold pick and one of the better cask ales I've had.