THE DARK SIDE
Written: Mar 28 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A session ale that's complex, and easy to find - around here, at least!
Cons: May be too dark and malty for some
The Bottom Line: WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.
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| proxam's Full Review: Orkney Dark Island |
The Orkney Islands lie around 2 hours by ferry from the town of Thurso in Caithness - the most Northerly region of mainland Scotland. They are arguably one of the most intriguing and mystical places anywhere in Scotland, if not Europe.
The islands are home to 'The Heart of Neolithic Orkney' - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This consists of a group of Neolithic monuments including one of Europe's largest chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar), and a settlement (Skara Brae, with the best preserved stone-age houses in western Europe).
These monuments are over 5000 years old and are some of the best preserved Neolithic relics anywhere.
More importantly though, and less historically geographic, Orkney has also had, since 1988, its very own brewery. The Orkney Brewery is located in the hamlet of Quoyloo in the west of the main island.
In a former schoolhouse, they brew a range of quality ales such as: the dangerous Skullsplitter (8.5%); the refreshing Northern light (4%); a tasty session ale by the name of Red Macgregor (5%); and a stout called Dragonhead (4%), among others.
Today's ale though, is:
Orkney Dark Island, which is brewed primarily with Golden Promise Malt and supplemented by the additional use of crystal and chocolate malts. The main hop variety used is Challenger which contributes a fruitiness to the beer.
----------------------INTERLUDE----------------------
A drunk was staggering down the street carrying a box with holes on the side. He bumped into a friend who asked, "What do you have in there, pal?"
"A mongoose."
"What for?"
"Well, you know how drunk I can get. When I get drunk I see snakes, and I'm scared to death of snakes. That's why I got this mongoose, for protection."
"But," the friend said, "you idiot! Those are imaginary snakes."
"That's ok," said the drunk, showing his friend the interior of the box, "it's an imaginary mongoose."
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Back to the beer.....
THEY SAY:
"The nose on this beer is ripe and fruity with slightly vinous esters, married to interesting hop notes - the colour of a glorious red ruby wine.
Description 'A rich wine coloured ale with a beautiful hop and malt balance'.
DARK ISLAND is delightful with cheese dishes, steaks and hamburgers or as a satisfying drink during the evening."
• The Pour •
Dark Island pours to an opaque, dark brown with highlights of a rich, ruby-red colour topped by a large, light tan head that dissipates fairly quickly but leaves a nice collar of foam and a wispy trace of lacing on the glass.
The initial aroma is of fresh, raw dough together with a little sourness and some peat smoke. There's some sweet caramel malt, along with liquorice, molasses, a faint fruitiness and a sense of roasted coffee.
• The Taste •
Quite light-bodied with not a great deal of carbonation, the mouthfeel is somewhat thick and oily. The flavour is again, slightly sour with some cherry-like fruitiness and mild, yet earthy, peat-like smokiness up front. There's a rich malt character to this beer, with touches of dark chocolate, burnt caramel and some raisin flavour. I can also detect some hints of coffee and once more a suggestion of licorice and molasses.
The finish is sweet, almost too sweet but some leafy hop bitterness just about manages to balance the overall sweetness.
• The Verdict •
At 4.6% ABV, the complexity of this brew makes for a very interesting drink. Dark Island has a deep and rich character for a beer of such relatively low strength, making it an ideal session ale. This is a richly dark, fullsome and flavoursome drink that is warming yet is also highly drinkable and not overpowering at all. As for a food pairing, it would probably be best suited to basic pub fare, steaks, meat pies etc., but it's fine for just plain sipping.
Dark Island is available on draught all over the UK as a guest ale but is obviously more frequently found in Scotland. It is also available outside the UK in bottled form.
Scotch Myth - what you should know about Scottish ale.
Thanks for reading,
Sláinte
©proxam2003
Recommended:
Yes
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Alcohol & calculus don't mix. Don't drink & derive
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