Strathaven Old Mortality
Strathaven Ales

Cask. Dark chestnut with a thick creamy head.
Rich malty aroma which comes through strongly upon tasting. Bitter finish reminiscent of a robust coffee.
Soft cask conditioned feel.
Rather tasty.

 

Cask at The Sanderling, Glasgow Airport, Scotland

A: The beer is clear brownish amber in color and has no visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high creamy beige head that has very good retention properties and consistently left a short head covering the surface.
S: Moderate aromas of caramel and toffee malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of coffee beans and toffee along with some notes of smoke.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This ale is packed with lots of flavors in the taste but goes down rather easily and doesn't feel too heavy on the palate.

Serving type: cask

Had on cask, it was a nice reddish ruby chestnut colour in the glass with really nice lacing. The smell had some coffee bean and malt in it, slight roasty sweetness, but overall faint. Taste was malty and sweet with some of the residual sugars coming through, dry cherry fruits. Light and easily sessionable mouthfeel, quite drinkable, with a slight dry body to it.

A quality darker session ale, enjoyable, pretty good flavour and I would have it again but wouldn't say it blew me away. Cask is the way to go.

Copper brown. Lacy, thin white head. Lightly roasted malts in the nose, light smokiness and some light fruity hops. Light, but definite smokiness in the taste; biscuity malts and bitter hops. Low, natural carbonation. A good session beer, but perhaps a bit light for an 80/-.

Served in a half-pint glass at Greyfriars in St Andrews. From notes. Reviewed 26 May 2011. Pump clip reads "Strathaven Ales Old Mortality 80/- Craigmill Brewery. Naturally dried out during fermentation, this hand brewed ale has a full balanced flavour and a sweet malt finish."

A: Darkly clear. Reddish and pleasant. Great lacing!

S: Roasted and pleasant. Funky old-ale style smell. A bit chocolatey.

T: Slightly tart, robust and bitter. Coffee beans, dark chocolate, dark fruits. The aftertaste is light, butter, and utterly delicious.

M: Substantial, drying, and tasty.

O: A really nice 80/-. I love it! Would love to have again. Very drinkable. Recommended.

Dark red color, with rubyedges. English foam, one finger, white and creamy.
The smell is quite malty, with some caramel, perhaps biscuit, and vanilla. Few hop.
At the taste the hop is a bit more present, but the beer remains relatively sweet, abit too sweet.
Not too much body, but the sweetness is a bit boring.

Absolutely love this brewery's commitment to Covenanting themes. Not surprising given Strathaven's (the place not the brewery) link with the much maligned and misunderstood Covenantors.

And this beer like the Covenanters themselves being quite an uncompromising, unique and intense experience. Deep dark brown in colour it is also very long and deeply husky with heaps of dark chocolate and earth.You'll either love it or hate is but in the end I don't think this beer could care about your opinion.

Oh yes, and finally, this beer is actually a 'Scottish Ale' and in no way is it anything like an 'English Pale Ale'.

On cask at Blackfriars in Glasgow, June 2009

Poured a slightly cloudy brass gold with a clumpy head that leaves spider-web lacing all over the pint glass

The aroma is quite bready and biscuity. Buttered toasted bagels, English muffins, toasted bread. Some light fruits come through in the nose also, pears and apples.

The taste is fruity at first. Apples and pears with some citrus character. The hops are bitter and refreshing. The bready malt is carried through to the finish which is quite dry and bitter.

Served at cellar temperature the texture was a medium to full body with a soft carbonation