Cauld Reekie I Stewart Brewing Ltd.
Loanhead, Scotland
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Stout
Colour: Insert some Scottish pun that I can't think of here
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Stout
Colour: Insert some Scottish pun that I can't think of here
Cauld Reekie sounds like some sort of profanity that an 80 year old Scottish booze-hound would cantankerously mutter in a scotch-induced fever. For those of you who don't speak the language, or for those of you who don't know how to use Google, Cauld Reekie means "cold smokey," which is a play on words involving one of Edinburgh's nicknames: "Old Smokey." Indeed, smokey is an apt word to describe this stout, as the predominant flavour characteristic is a roasted, toasted smokiness that lingers throughout each sip. And while this is certainly an endearing characteristic of a stout, Cauld Reekie won't be on my list of favourites any time soon.
Cauld Reekie isn't a bad stout at all, and the flavour is enjoyable enough which is the most important thing. However, it suffers in a few categories. For one thing, the aroma, which is terrible combination of tin can, bubble gum, and bathroom tile cleaner, is quite strong and distracting every time you dive in for a sip. There's a synthetic nature to it that in the words of Ron Burgundy, is likely to sting the nostrils. The other downside of Cauld Reekie is the texture and mouth-feel, which is entirely too watery, thin, and effervescent for me to echo the sentiments of the label and call it "a superior stout." You can see this coming during the pour, as a dark beige head builds up but then fizzes away like a Coca-Cola. This is not an endearing quality for a stout.
So that's the bad news. The good news is that this beer tastes pretty good. It's another decent example of a subtle, dry, UK-style stout that focuses on roasted malts rather than flavour gimmicks. All the usual stout flavours are here, with chocolate, coffee and marshmallow leading the way bolstered by a campfire smoke background. There's a nice amount of bitterness as well, not very subtle but balancing everything out nicely. You could definitely do a lot worse in the stout category, but it doesn't hold a candle to many of our more local offerings, like St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout for example.
Cauld Reekie isn't a bad stout at all, and the flavour is enjoyable enough which is the most important thing. However, it suffers in a few categories. For one thing, the aroma, which is terrible combination of tin can, bubble gum, and bathroom tile cleaner, is quite strong and distracting every time you dive in for a sip. There's a synthetic nature to it that in the words of Ron Burgundy, is likely to sting the nostrils. The other downside of Cauld Reekie is the texture and mouth-feel, which is entirely too watery, thin, and effervescent for me to echo the sentiments of the label and call it "a superior stout." You can see this coming during the pour, as a dark beige head builds up but then fizzes away like a Coca-Cola. This is not an endearing quality for a stout.
So that's the bad news. The good news is that this beer tastes pretty good. It's another decent example of a subtle, dry, UK-style stout that focuses on roasted malts rather than flavour gimmicks. All the usual stout flavours are here, with chocolate, coffee and marshmallow leading the way bolstered by a campfire smoke background. There's a nice amount of bitterness as well, not very subtle but balancing everything out nicely. You could definitely do a lot worse in the stout category, but it doesn't hold a candle to many of our more local offerings, like St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout for example.
