Scotland travel help

Discussion in 'United Kingdom & Ireland' started by bubseymour, Nov 17, 2023.

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  1. bubseymour

    bubseymour Grand Pooh-Bah (4,800) Oct 30, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Back from my Scotland trip. So had 10 different beers from 9 different breweries. I think 3-4 on cask. So my one frustration, was that no beers sold either in pubs or bottles in stores are over 6% ABV. Most were 3-5%. I was really looking forward to some Wee Heavy Scotch ales, but none to be found anywhere. Did get to try Timothy Taylor Landlord on cask and and bottle.
     
    #21 bubseymour, Jul 19, 2024
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  2. bubseymour

    bubseymour Grand Pooh-Bah (4,800) Oct 30, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    One update…brought home 1 bottle of Old Jock I bought at a gas station in my checked bag. Was a 6.7% Wee Heavy and ironically it was the best beer I had from Scotland (but drank at home at my house with my friends).
     
    #22 bubseymour, Jul 20, 2024
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  3. WhatANicePub

    WhatANicePub Zealot (712) Jul 1, 2009 Scotland

    Sorry to hear you were frustrated. Scotch ales are pretty rare in Scotland these days. If you do find one it's likely to be aged in a whisky cask, which is not traditional. Belhaven brew a very good wee heavy, but for reasons best known to themselves, refuse to sell it in their own pubs.
     
    #23 WhatANicePub, Jul 20, 2024
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  4. Sigmund

    Sigmund Grand Pooh-Bah (5,433) Mar 26, 2002 Norway
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Obviously you haven't listened to much of the advice you got here - or it must have been a VERY short visit. Sampling only 10 beers (and only 3-4 cask ales) in Scotland is kind of (negatively) impressive. Well, I guess there are other things in life than just beer.
     
    #24 Sigmund, Jul 21, 2024
  5. bubseymour

    bubseymour Grand Pooh-Bah (4,800) Oct 30, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I listened to all the advice on this thread and it was very helpful. Only spent 1.5 days in Edinburgh but went to guilford Arms, Cafe Royal, Deacon Brodies and the Wee Bar. All were wonderful, although Guilford Arms had no seats our first attempt but got to go there on our second day. 3 days in Skye and 1.5 days near Glencoe am no cask ales at the restaurants we ate at (but usually got a Whisky and/or a keg beer at dinner). Bought 4-5 beers at stores and had sitting on balcony of our B&Bs before bed as well. I did my best but I’m a 2-3 drink max per day guy anyway so I drank closer to my daily max every day on vacation. The experience was great, I just didn’t encounter any “Wow” beers. Having a discussion with a bartender at the Ferry Pub in South Queensferry, she said that Scotland has new laws that restrict higher ABV beers from being served at the pubs now adays so that is probably why I only saw the low ABV stuff around. Below is my beer ratings. 12 total from Scotland starting July 10. I am very greatful to all the tips and advice you guys gave me, it really made for a pleasurable trip.
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/user/beers/?ba=bubseymour
     
    #25 bubseymour, Jul 22, 2024
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  6. chipawayboy

    chipawayboy Pooh-Bah (2,181) Oct 26, 2007 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Cask ale can be a bit of acquired experience -- but I'm surprised you didn't find a wow beer at the Guildford. When I was there last fall - I thought I hit the mother lode w/these brews on hand pull
    [​IMG]
    Oatmeal stout - traditional Scottish Dark - a few ales ranging from traditional to new school. Omg I gotta get back! What’s amazing about these complex/flavorful and mostly 3-4% beers is you can drink pints all day long — I would typically have 8-10 pints in a day starting at noon and going to last call - and never really even had much of a buzz. “Cask ale drip” I was calling it whilst on tour. Better luck next time - you need to rethink expectations. Cheers.
     
    #26 chipawayboy, Jul 23, 2024
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  7. bubseymour

    bubseymour Grand Pooh-Bah (4,800) Oct 30, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Great taplist I agree. I think I was able to have 3-4 of those beers. Orkney Dark ale was the one that I could not find though and would have loved to try that one.
     
    #27 bubseymour, Jul 24, 2024
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  8. champ103

    champ103 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,296) Sep 3, 2007 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    "Wee Heavy" really isn't a modern day Scottish brewing thing (Traquair and Skullsplitter would be the only ones off the top of my head that does something close, and they are great, but not usually at pubs), its more an American craft beer romanticized thing. Almost all cask beer is in the low ABV range, and that is the beauty of it, they drink way above their weight class, and you can drink more of them in a session. Often being less ABV than the bottled counter part, as breweries need to amp up the ABV a little, just to make it kind of approach the cask version, but the bottled version never really gets to that level IMO.
     
    #28 champ103, Jul 24, 2024
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  9. bubseymour

    bubseymour Grand Pooh-Bah (4,800) Oct 30, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I guess I wasn't aware of Wee Heavy style being "out of style" in Scotland these days. I love Skullspliter, Traquair, and American versions like Thirsty Dog's Wulver, Backwoods & Dirty Bastard just to name a few. Was hoping to try this style on cask. but I also love the low ABV styles like English milds, pale ales etc so I was more than happy.
     
    #29 bubseymour, Jul 24, 2024
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  10. WhatANicePub

    WhatANicePub Zealot (712) Jul 1, 2009 Scotland

    Even when wee heavy was more common than it is today, it was always a bottled beer.

    You will almost never see strong ale, imperial stout etc on cask except at beer festivals, or in a few of the most traditional pubs at Christmas time.
     
    #30 WhatANicePub, Jul 25, 2024
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