How to get Great Head
Written: May 08 '03 (Updated Aug 04 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Darkly delicious
Cons: Hard to find on draught
The Bottom Line: Dragonhead....mmmmm, sounds hot!
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| proxam's Full Review: Bell's Kalamazoo Stout |
The Orkney Islands lie around 2 hours by ferry from the town of Thurso in Caithness - at the very northeastern tip of mainland Scotland. They are arguably one of the most intriguing and mystical places anywhere in the country, if not Europe.
These rich, green and fertile islands (compared to Norway at least!) were a perfect base from which the Vikings launched their raiding parties down the both the east and west coasts of Scotland and England, and across to Ireland.
The Vikings were known to be keen brewers - not to mention drinkers, of beer and the native Orcadians were not slow to adopt, and adapt these recipes for there own purposes.
Most farms and households brewed their own beers and it was not until late in the nineteenth century that the first commercial brewery was established, although it was forced to close around 1910.
• The Orkney Brewery •
The Orkney Brewery was founded in April 1988 by Roger and Irene White and is located in the hamlet of Quoyloo in the west of the main island.
In 1995 the Brewery was extended and new equipment introduced in order to meet the demand for the Brewery's line of beers, such as:
Skullsplitter
Northern Light
Dark Island
Red MacGregor
Raven Ale
They also brew a lovely beer called Dragonhead Stout which was awarded a Bronze Medal at the 2002 Brewing Industry International Awards Competition.
Abridged from:
http://www.orkneybrewery.co.uk/
• The Style •
Stout is a style which even the most casual of beer drinkers are familiar with. The classic Irish-style stout, such as Guinness, is a low-alcohol (4.2-4.7%) black ale with the distinctive flavour of roast barley. It's usually full bodied, has a robust bitterness and gives the impression of being a bigger beer than it actually is - stouts are session beers.
Dark malts and roast barley provide the characteristic flavour, but hop bitterness is usually present too.
There are also many sub-styles of stout, such as: Oatmeal, Imperial, Sweet and even Chocolate.
---------------------------INTERLUDE------------------------
This guy walks into a quiet bar carrying three ducks and places them on the bar while he has a few drinks.
The bartender has been in many jokes and has learned not to ask people about the animals that they bring into the bar, so he doesn't mention the ducks.
They chat for about 30 minutes before the guy with the ducks has to go to the rest room.
The bartender is alone with the ducks. There is an awkward silence so he decides to try to make some conversation.
"What's your name?" He says to the first duck.
- "Huey" said the duck.
"How's your day been?"
- "Great. Lovely day. Had a ball. Been in and out of puddles all day."
"Oh. That's nice," says the Bartender.
Then he says to the second duck, "Hi. And what's your name?"
- "Dewey" came the answer.
"So how's your day been?"
- "Great. Lovely day. Had a ball. Been in and out of puddles all day. If I had the chance another day I would do the same again."
So the Bartender turns to the third duck and says, "So, you must be Louie"
"No", growls the 3rd duck, "My name is Puddles. And don't ask about my fecking day!"
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Back to the beer.....
THEY SAY:
"A truly classic black stout which is absolutely brimming over with roast malt flavours, balanced with a complex hop blend which ensures an enjoyable experience.
DRAGONHEAD tastes delicious with any type of food - drink it at home with your cheese and biscuits, a light supper, or pour one out to drink before retiring."
• The Pour •
Dragonhead pours to an opaque, dark brown - almost black, colour with some hints of garnet topped by a generous and foamy, beige-coloured head which dissipates slowly and leaves a copious amount of sticky lace on the glass.
On the nose there is a pleasant aroma of dark chocolate, roast coffee, and toasted bread with faint aroma of raisins, treacle and molasses. As it warms, it turns sweeter with traces of toffee, sweet apple, and a buttery aroma.
• The Taste •
It's relatively light-bodied with a creamily smooth mouthfeel from the moderate carbonation. Fairly dry, toasted bread is the first sensation, followed by roast coffee, rich dark chocolate and a smoky, charcoal effect with subtle hints of toffee. There are some gentle fruit flavours - perhaps apple - maybe some faint citrus tang, and a tea-like, leafy hop balance which helps to keep the malt aspect under control.
It finishes quite dry with a light touch of sharp fruitiness and a slightly burnt, lingering roastiness. Very nice.
• The Verdict •
At 4% ABV, this beer has a perfect body, a lovely mouthfeel, and a refreshing flavour. It's one of those beers which, after drinking one, you want to drink another -even though it's very satisfying. It's a well-crafted stout, literally bursting with dark and burnished flavour, yet beautifully balanced. It's a really good example of its genre and, I think, better than Guinness.
It's fine to drink on its own, but it would probably go really well with seafood - although I don't think it would clash with many dishes.
It's not all that common on draught, although I've seen it quite often in JD Witherspoons pubs, but it's widely available in most supermarkets at around £1.60 for a 500ml bottle.
For more information about Scottish beers, please read Scotch Myth.
Thanks for reading,
Sláinte
©proxam2003
Recommended:
Yes
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Alcohol & calculus don't mix. Don't drink & derive
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