Skull Splitter | Orkney Brewery
Brewed by:
Orkney Brewery
Scotland, United Kingdom
orkneybrewery.co.uk
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.50%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 10-08-1998
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 2,252 | Reviews: 1,019
4.24/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4/5 rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Taste like a Belgium beer, actually. However, less depth than a Belgian one.
76 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Taste like a Belgium beer, actually. However, less depth than a Belgian one.
76 characters
4.1/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
11.2-oz. bottle needed a moderate pour for a finger sized short lived light tan head with minimal lacing.
A little cloudy from chill haze at first, quickly clears up to a deep ruby/amber color, yellow/amber in front of light. Abundant sweet malt controls the smell with wood, apple and alcohol in the background.
Taste features roasted malt, a bit bitter at first as caramel malt, raisin and apple sweetens the middle.
The long finish is semi-dry with a slight smoky bite, rich malts are blended (semi-bitter/sweet), faint hops. Medium-light body with lower that average carbonation, smooth and a little chewy. Alcohol is well hidden. Smooth and well balanced, almost session-able. Big malt flavors on top of a lighter feel.
724 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
11.2-oz. bottle needed a moderate pour for a finger sized short lived light tan head with minimal lacing.
A little cloudy from chill haze at first, quickly clears up to a deep ruby/amber color, yellow/amber in front of light. Abundant sweet malt controls the smell with wood, apple and alcohol in the background.
Taste features roasted malt, a bit bitter at first as caramel malt, raisin and apple sweetens the middle.
The long finish is semi-dry with a slight smoky bite, rich malts are blended (semi-bitter/sweet), faint hops. Medium-light body with lower that average carbonation, smooth and a little chewy. Alcohol is well hidden. Smooth and well balanced, almost session-able. Big malt flavors on top of a lighter feel.
724 characters
4.15/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From notes 1/8/12: Pour a deep bronze with particulates producing a 1 inch tan head and leaving only a little lace. Aroma is rich caramel, dark fruit, toasted dark bread, alcohol and delicate hops. Sweet and boozy taste is similar with an earthy hop character coming in at mid-sip and knocking the edges off the sweetness until it fades to a dry finish. Mouthfeel is medium-full and mellow with moderate carbonation, relatively smooth. Much more complex than this short review reveals.
485 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From notes 1/8/12: Pour a deep bronze with particulates producing a 1 inch tan head and leaving only a little lace. Aroma is rich caramel, dark fruit, toasted dark bread, alcohol and delicate hops. Sweet and boozy taste is similar with an earthy hop character coming in at mid-sip and knocking the edges off the sweetness until it fades to a dry finish. Mouthfeel is medium-full and mellow with moderate carbonation, relatively smooth. Much more complex than this short review reveals.
485 characters
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.15/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
330mL bottle BBE June 2020 poured into a teku glass at fridge temp 8.5% ABV. The beer pours slightly hazy medium brown in color with khaki head. The head recedes to a fat ring around the glass. There is slight lacing left behind. The aroma is toasted malt, caramel and fruit. The taste is semisweet caramel with a yeast driven fruitiness and mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied with less than medium carbonation and a semi dry finish. Overall, very good. I was expecting smoke and peat and instead found high level of fruity esters and a really enjoyable beer. Drinks more like a Belgian beer.
622 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
330mL bottle BBE June 2020 poured into a teku glass at fridge temp 8.5% ABV. The beer pours slightly hazy medium brown in color with khaki head. The head recedes to a fat ring around the glass. There is slight lacing left behind. The aroma is toasted malt, caramel and fruit. The taste is semisweet caramel with a yeast driven fruitiness and mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied with less than medium carbonation and a semi dry finish. Overall, very good. I was expecting smoke and peat and instead found high level of fruity esters and a really enjoyable beer. Drinks more like a Belgian beer.
622 characters
4.24/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
11.2 oz bottle. Light caramel color foamy head disappears quickly. Chunks of lacing holding tight.
Malt, alcohol scent.
Nice warm alcohol rush on my first rather large taste. Dry almost slight tart bitterness with a delightful warm alcohol finish. Warmth remains as does a very slight fruity aftertaste. A very light feel with a sparkling carbonation.
I enjoy wee heavies and scotch ales very much. This is a strange one for me. I’ have had richer more full bodied, more earthy tase beer. This is nothing like that. But very good. A unique delicious beer more than worthy of a try.
583 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
11.2 oz bottle. Light caramel color foamy head disappears quickly. Chunks of lacing holding tight.
Malt, alcohol scent.
Nice warm alcohol rush on my first rather large taste. Dry almost slight tart bitterness with a delightful warm alcohol finish. Warmth remains as does a very slight fruity aftertaste. A very light feel with a sparkling carbonation.
I enjoy wee heavies and scotch ales very much. This is a strange one for me. I’ have had richer more full bodied, more earthy tase beer. This is nothing like that. But very good. A unique delicious beer more than worthy of a try.
583 characters
4.34/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.13/5 rDev -23.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3.25
The smell of this beer is just of straight liquor and its great. The negatives for me are that I feel like the taste has so much going on that it loses its potential. I also wish it had a bit more carbonation because the after taste is similar to watered down wine. Don't get me wrong, it tastes good, I just wish it was a little more simple. I would try it again for sure.
373 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3.25
The smell of this beer is just of straight liquor and its great. The negatives for me are that I feel like the taste has so much going on that it loses its potential. I also wish it had a bit more carbonation because the after taste is similar to watered down wine. Don't get me wrong, it tastes good, I just wish it was a little more simple. I would try it again for sure.
373 characters
3.87/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.18/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
From an 11.2oz bottle, best before Jun 20 of some unspecified year. Or maybe 20 is the year. Served in a cervoise.
Pours a mostly clear leather or maybe burnt caramel colour with three fingers of tight, pouffy, beige head. Retention is excellent, leaving fat wads of gobby lacing.
Smell is malty sweet with notes of warm wood and apple peels.
Taste largely follows the nose, sweet, warm and woody with caramel apple, tobacco, dates, brown sugar and gingerbread. Or maybe sticky date pudding. Ends quick and clean.
Feel is smooth, sweet-but-not-sticky and surprisingly light bodied with better-than-adequate carbonation. There's an enormous, comfortable, vanilla booziness that smoulders in the gullet long after the last sip.
Nice. Sweeter than what I might ordinarily drink, comparable to Coca Cola, and I'm suddenly worried about tooth decay. Actually, now that I think about it, here at the end of the glass, the overall impression and aftertaste is, in fact, roughly similar to having just had a rum and coke.
1,018 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
From an 11.2oz bottle, best before Jun 20 of some unspecified year. Or maybe 20 is the year. Served in a cervoise.
Pours a mostly clear leather or maybe burnt caramel colour with three fingers of tight, pouffy, beige head. Retention is excellent, leaving fat wads of gobby lacing.
Smell is malty sweet with notes of warm wood and apple peels.
Taste largely follows the nose, sweet, warm and woody with caramel apple, tobacco, dates, brown sugar and gingerbread. Or maybe sticky date pudding. Ends quick and clean.
Feel is smooth, sweet-but-not-sticky and surprisingly light bodied with better-than-adequate carbonation. There's an enormous, comfortable, vanilla booziness that smoulders in the gullet long after the last sip.
Nice. Sweeter than what I might ordinarily drink, comparable to Coca Cola, and I'm suddenly worried about tooth decay. Actually, now that I think about it, here at the end of the glass, the overall impression and aftertaste is, in fact, roughly similar to having just had a rum and coke.
1,018 characters
4.09/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.67/5 rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.54/5 rDev -13.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
4.93/5 rDev +20.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
One of my favorite beers regardless of style. Pours a thick amber with tons of sediment. Really does have a twizzlers smell and aftertaste and malty fig taste. Just amazing.
173 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
One of my favorite beers regardless of style. Pours a thick amber with tons of sediment. Really does have a twizzlers smell and aftertaste and malty fig taste. Just amazing.
173 characters
4.3/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A refreshing cold beer. For an 8.5, it has a fairly mild taste. I’m enjoying a draft at the Minneapolis airport sitting next to a 90 yr old lady who also enjoys the beer.
174 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A refreshing cold beer. For an 8.5, it has a fairly mild taste. I’m enjoying a draft at the Minneapolis airport sitting next to a 90 yr old lady who also enjoys the beer.
174 characters
4.04/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.75/5 rDev +16.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.28/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.75/5 rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.98/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Skull Splitter from Orkney Brewery
Beer rating:
4.08 out of
5 with
2,252 ratings
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