Red MacGregor
Orkney Brewery

Red MacGregorRed MacGregor
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From:
Orkney Brewery
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
Scottish Ale
Ranked #31
ABV:
4%
Score:
85
Ranked #20,637
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 12.17%
Reviews:
145
Ratings:
248
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 13, 2023
Added:
Apr 09, 2002
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  22
Red MacGregor is a mighty beer indeed, it has a wonderfully complex aroma of fruity hop zest and spiciness with rich malts. Initial toasted and caramel malt, then mouth-watering citrus hop fruits, giving way to a clean dry refreshing robust hop bitterness.

One of the first beers in the UK that expressively used the citrusy American hop Cascade and as a result became a forerunner to Britain’s new wave of craft beers and was also the first Scottish beer to win the BIIA World Cask Beer Gold Medal.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Zorro:
Photo of Zorro
Reviewed by Zorro from California

3.99/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clear medium brown brew.

Smell is malt and dark roasted grains and smoke.

Taste is very smoky. Mildly sweet and medicinal in flavor, this tastes like a dry Scottish ale. Or a Rauchbier.

Mouthfeel is good.

Drinkable brew, tastes like a very mild Rauchbier.
May 25, 2004
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.89 by Shiredave from New York

Nov 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Stengelfoot from California

Jun 22, 2022
 
Rated: 4.29 by Andy-Stuart from Scotland

Jun 14, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by paulish from New York

Oct 06, 2021
 
Rated: 3.84 by msscott1973 from North Carolina

Mar 28, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.97/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.0%. Copper to mahogany coloured beer, big off-white head. Pleasant aroma of lightly toasted malts, caramel and floral and fruity hops. The flavour is first very malt-accented with caramel and biscuits, then spicy and moderately fruity hops come through, leaving a nice bitterness in the aftertaste. Definitely a good Scottish ale this one.

Cask (return system) at The Abbotsford, Edinburgh. Copper to chestnut coloured beer, moderate head. Lovely malty aroma with loads of butterscotch. The flavour is malty with plenty of caramel and some butterscotch, low bitterness.
Dec 27, 2020
 
Rated: 3.52 by RMW66 from Australia

Jan 02, 2020
 
Rated: 4.07 by PhillyStyle from Georgia

Nov 10, 2019
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a becher pint glass, the appearance was a fairly dark ruby red color in the glass while yielding a lighter semi-brown leafy transparent color in the pour itself. A semi-rocky finger's worth of eggshell white foamy head capped the top and seemed to hang around for a little bit before gently die-ing off. Light messy lace somewhat strings out here and there.
The aroma started off with some heather tips/floral hops flowing into some grassy spicy hops. Dark fruits/raisins bump fists with some dark toast and toffee malts. Robust biscuits descend on through all of the prior mentioned aromas to blend very nicely.
The flavor started off semi-sweet through toasted malts, a moderate roast, some peet, grass and moss. Biscuits, super dried raisin character and some spicy hops help the taste to mature while giving off a mild dry toasty and peety/earthy to toffee aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was almost medium bodied but sat just a touch under with a superb sessionability. Spicy hop harshness seems to stay behind enough to not distract and allow me to gulp this one. Finish was lingering with spicy hoppy dried grassiness.
Overall, to me, I'd say an odd Scottish ale mainly for its look and some aromas. However, it's still well brewed for me to warrant more pours. Seems like a "pass the fish n'chips" sorta beer to me.
Nov 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by MeIquiades from Illinois

Apr 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4.29 by Macamah from England

Jan 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.42 by baklo from North Carolina

Nov 25, 2018
 
Rated: 3.24 by TwiggyCZ from Czech Republic

Mar 31, 2018
Photo of puboflyons
Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire

3.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
From the 500 ml. bottle stamped L5187-10:55. I never know what these codes mean but I like to note them. Sampled on November 15, 2017.

It is a very handsome looking ruby red-amber tone with a modest off-white head that fades in short order. Decent clarity.

The aroma is caramel, toffee, and floral with a peat moss or maybe a pipe tobacco character.

The body is a little thinner but not watery.

The taste is sweet at first but kind of musty toward the end. It has a very mild bitterness.
Nov 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.71 by Dave1999 from North Carolina

Sep 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.92 by _nickg_ from New Jersey

Aug 09, 2017
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The brewers of Skullsplitter. I'd never seen it until recently. I guess there's not much of a US market for a low-ABV Scotch ale.

Pours clear and tawny with a large white head. Smells rich and toasty, with caramel and toffee along with some poppy frutiness; much closer to my conception of a British pale than a Scotch, but that's just my ignorance shining through.

The malt is bitter up front and the body is very firm and fizzy, and these two factors force me to drink it in a slow, contemplative manner. It gets brighter and fruitier as the sip progresses, finishing sharp and yeasty without much alcohol, and an aftertaste of toffee, hops, and cherries. A stupendous amount of complexity for a beer of its size.
Mar 11, 2017
Photo of FBarber
Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a clear ruddy red color. Beer is peppered with yeast floaters and sediment. Frothy tan head dissipates leaving a thin layer of foam along the top of the beer.

Smell is a light floral aroma with notes of red wine, cranberries, cherries, toffee, and caramel.

Taste follows the nose with some dry oak, red wine, dried cherries, giving way to a very bitter finish. Strong biscuit malt backbone take a complimentary role.

Feel is light and very dry. Medium carbonation.

Overall a solid take on the scotch ale style.
Feb 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by bitterandtwisted from England

Sep 20, 2016
Red MacGregor from Orkney Brewery
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 248 ratings