Isle of Skye - Red Cuillin

Bitter

Colour - C

Sweetness - 3/5

Hoppiness - 1/5

Bitterness - 2/5

Strength - 4.2%

Brewed by - Isle of Skye Brewing Company, Scotland

Where - Isle of Skye (bought by a friend for me to review)

A friend brought a good selection of beers back from her travels to Scotland for me to review and this is my first. My exposure to Scottish ale has been limited pretty much to Caledonian's Deuchars IPA during a trip to Edinburgh and McEwans Champion from the supermarket, and whilst both are fine ales I am looking forward to trying some from the furthest points of the country like this promising bitter brewed on the Isle of Skye.

Pouring this beer into a glass produces a nice, fizzy head, and I am hit by a rich, wholesome smell which is always a sign of good things to come.

Initial taste is of a simple beer based on light malt with the addition of a few toasted malts to give it a richer flavour. It is nice and sweet, and at the same time not an overtly hoppy beer, however an underlying dark fruitiness manifests itself after drinking it for a while which gives it another dimension. There is no unpleasant aftertaste and it is enjoyable to drink.

The point I have to make about this beer is it doesn't have any complex tastes or much to note, however this is sometimes a good thing. Not every beer has to be adventurous or radical to be a good beer. I would love to try this in draught form, so I think I need to start planning a trip to Scotland!

My rating... 6/10. A pleasurable pint!