At the Islay Ales Open Day, we picked up a few bottles of their beer brewed with the wort from the Bruichladdich Octomore mash. The bottle reads thus:
"Bruichalddich Peat Ale is brewed using heavily malted barley wort. Islay Ales has added Golding, Fuggle and Cluster hops to produce a beer with a bitterness which compliments the peaty character of the malt and a citrus, fruity aroma that has all the character of a heavily peated Whisky Malt and the best traditions of British Real Ale all in one bottle."
Can't argue with that, can you!
Islay Ales - Bruichladdich 2008 Peat Ale - 500ml - 7.6% Vol - £3.50
Nose: initial opening was a massive hit of smoke. Not woodsmoke or peat smoke, but cigarette smoke. Old cigarette smoke. Does anyone know the scene in trainspotting where the American tourist walks into the pub in Edinburgh? This smell should go with that scene!
Palate: anyone done a distillery tour? When the take the beer out of the mash tun and you get a taste the beer? A stupid thing to draw a comparison to given the origins of this brew, but that is the initial hit. It then mellows through iron brew, into a touch of passion friut / mango (last time I tasted that in such strength was in a dram of Black Bowmore) on swallowing.
Finish: then the smoke hits. Big time. Like the smell of clothes the day after a bonfire. And then it's gone. Very nice.
Overall: like no beer I have ever tasted before. It needs the strength of Vol to carry the taste over the smoke, otherwise it would be watery and get lost. This is a totally unique. If you can get a bottle, do it! I liked it, my house mate liked it and we both drink a lot of ale!
Palate: anyone done a distillery tour? When the take the beer out of the mash tun and you get a taste the beer? A stupid thing to draw a comparison to given the origins of this brew, but that is the initial hit. It then mellows through iron brew, into a touch of passion friut / mango (last time I tasted that in such strength was in a dram of Black Bowmore) on swallowing.
Finish: then the smoke hits. Big time. Like the smell of clothes the day after a bonfire. And then it's gone. Very nice.
Overall: like no beer I have ever tasted before. It needs the strength of Vol to carry the taste over the smoke, otherwise it would be watery and get lost. This is a totally unique. If you can get a bottle, do it! I liked it, my house mate liked it and we both drink a lot of ale!