Some Scott's stuff. Stewart, Broughton, Duechars and the like.

Location: Borderland

Moodmusic: ............ no inspiration at all this time

Today's memories and soundbites
Like a rubber band I boing from one end of the UK to the other with diametrically opposed locations …. looking around Scotland again now in and out of this killfudoch and the next, and finding out more fascinating facts and figures about towns and villages one might describe as driech in current times, but were something other in their own epoch’s.  The church at Shotts (Kirk O’Shotts) was an imposing and beautiful building visible from the M8, but Salsburgh that it served, is home to a pub with no windows, and a feeling of lost and lonely. Penicuik is interesting.  It was developed as a planned village by Sir James Clerk 3rd Baronet of the Penicuik estate, it has a history of paper making from 1704, it's own Shotts town (Shotts from Anglo Saxon sceots meaning steep slopes), and a churchyard full of interesting headstones. There are two places serving real ale.  I went for the Craigbieldy House which is starting to experiment with real ale and is slowly testing out different choices to see what sells.

In the churchyard at Penicuik.  Carpe Diem ... tempus fugit
 From Frieda's blog 

1. Caledonian, Deuchars IPA (3.8%)

Reactions

Emotional: No bad .... not really good.... but not really bad

Critical:  This is a nice draft ale, non-controversial. Plain honest bitter. Hops, fruity hops, a bit of apple?? Easy to quaff through ..... Do we care it is brewed by Heineken?  

2. Stewart, Hollyrood (5%)

Reactions

Emotional: Mmmmmmm .... liking this one

Critical: Worlds Best Beer winner for a pale ale.  This is very fruity and full of citrus, with some hints of grapefruit in the aftertaste.  Sharp bitterness which rounds off the medium to full bodied flavours.

3. Stewart, Edinburgh Gold (4.8%)

Reactions

Emotional: OMG!!!!!

Critical: This is really, really nice.  So full of flavour.  It reminds me of Brewdog ales.  It takes the depth of Hollyrood ale one step further along, and turns it up to absolutely full bodied.

4. Broughton, Black Douglas (5.2%)

Reactions

Emotional: Not bad

Critical:  A dark ruby ale rather than any thing else.  It has a good head and a medium bodied flavour. Quite toasted, a little bit of smokiness. Medium soft carbonation. Malt and toffee.