Blackfriar - Inveralmond Brewery Ltd., The

danieelol

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Good colour- red/ochre with good head and lacing.

S: Really sweet candies (malt). Almost a peaty/corny note in there. Some sweet green apple and oxidation.

T: caramel, roast, apple, toffee. Tastes really three dimensional, like there's always something going on in the background. Some good hop bitterness, some good alcohol dryness and some good sweetness. Also some piney hops and really a mounting hop bitterness. Very well balanced.

M: Highly carbed and just good all round.

O: Whatever it's meant to be, this beer nails it. Skilfully brewed and recommended, even if it's not my favourite style.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 13:39:47 | More by danieelol

BGsWo22

New York

2.75/5  rDev -29.7%

03-21-2013 00:35:13 | More by BGsWo22

Proclarush

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

02-05-2013 02:01:44 | More by Proclarush

rao2100

Malaysia

4/5  rDev +2.3%

12-27-2012 08:03:44 | More by rao2100

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.73/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From the 500 ml. bottle marked 2310. Sampled on December 16, 2012. The label is very nice so I expect I will add this bottle to my collection.

It pours a very milky amber-copper with a soft mocha head that sticks around for awhile.

The aroma has all of those Scottish Wee Heavy sweet esters including caramel malts, toffee, bubblegum, and brown sugar.

The body falls into the medium range.

The aroma is sweet but the taste is significantly more bitter with caramel hops evolving into a lingering hop finish. Biting to a degree but very nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 19:19:31 | More by puboflyons

pin

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

10-26-2012 02:41:02 | More by pin

SonOfKyuss

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

09-09-2012 23:04:13 | More by SonOfKyuss

heygeebee

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

BB Jan 13

Pours a dark brown mahogany body with a two finger fluffy white head. Head stays for a while lovely clingy lace.

Aromas of butterscotch caramel roast malt toffee. All to style.

Taste is a malt driven version of all of the above. Starts well but begins to fade in mouth and become slightly watery and too light of flavour for the ABV.

Mouthfeel light carbonated and somewhat watery

Not sure if this wants to be a Big Beer or a sessionable beer. The ABV should say big, but the end result is a sessionable tasting ale, at a non-sessionable ABV

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 12:01:26 | More by heygeebee

petluo

Finland

2.75/5  rDev -29.7%

08-11-2012 19:22:38 | More by petluo

codyhotel

Manitoba (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours with a large, thick head that holds well which I very much enjoyed. Clear, orange-ish to amber colour.

S - More hops than I expected, fruitiness. Good amount of toasty malts, bit of yeast.

T - Lots of sweet caramel malts and honey, some earthy fruits, and a hint of chocolate on the finish. Hops give it a nice dryness and tartness for balance, but the flavour isn't really there.

M - Medium body, medium carbonation, very smooth feel. Dry finish, leaves the palate fairly clean.

Overall, a pretty good beer. Very drinkable, great to sip on.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 01:38:08 | More by codyhotel

cambabeer

Florida

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a good ale. The deep brown color has a head that sticks around. The smell is malty for sure, with some hops in the background. Definitely smells sweet. Big taste, malty and sweet, with the hops and alcohol taking off the edge of the huge malty character. The alcohol is prevalent in the middle and the aftertaste is bitter yet fruity. Buy this, it's good. Not world class, but good.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 07:07:10 | More by cambabeer

dansmcd

Australia

4.23/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy, dark reddish amber with a creamy finger of head and nice streaky lacing.

S - Sweet and spicy, orange peel hops, caramel malt.

T - Lovely toasted malt with english hops, cumquat, orange, honey, toffee, with some smoke and a wee nip of scotch whisky. Lovely.

M - Full bodied but not too heavy, moderately carbonated.

O - Very drinkable and I will certainly buy again soon.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 02:29:31 | More by dansmcd

SargeC

Japan

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

05-13-2012 08:05:28 | More by SargeC

YobroitsJoe

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

04-24-2012 06:06:37 | More by YobroitsJoe

aceparadis

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

04-13-2012 12:45:17 | More by aceparadis

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

04-01-2012 18:31:15 | More by TMoney2591

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Christmas Eve day outing with my nephew, and digging for beers in the lackluster list at Old Chicago in Sioux Falls. Picked Black Friar before pulling it up on my database and realizing I've had it before. However, the last bottle was highly rated from 2004, so not a bad idea to try it again to see how my tastes have changed.

From the Inveralmond website: Blackfriar is one of three ancient orders of monks central to the history of Perth in Scotland. The monastery of the Blackfriar was built in 1231. In 1437 James I of Scotland was assassinated by traitors there.

Hazy light copper ale with shimmering amber with light from the window. Head thin and disappears quickly. Dishwater brown with irregular bubbles while it lasts. Caramel, toffee on top of light biscuit and earthiness. Mineral in background that's characteristic of Scotch ales. Light spice or sharp note that I'm note sure of the source. Strong caramel and malt taste. Same spice from yeast, maybe, that leads to an assertive aftertaste that's pleasant. Warmed up, the beer opens up and is more balanced. Mineral background disappears and just leaves a clean spice.

In looking over some of the other reviews, I'll definitely will be on the high end of this beer--2004 and now. In part, I'm going to guess that some drank the beer too cold and too fast, as it changes character significantly as it warms. Or, this beer just matches my palate.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 23:42:16 | More by FightingEntropy

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

12-06-2011 20:41:18 | More by schopenhauerale

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +2.3%

12-02-2011 18:26:10 | More by Rochefort10nh

RWACKO

New York

4/5  rDev +2.3%

11-21-2011 00:32:00 | More by RWACKO

eric5bellies

Australia

3.65/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drank from my Duvel tulip

A - Pours a nice red mahogany coulour with a tight two fingered, off white head that retains very well.

S - A little bit of hop and malt but not massive.

T - Nioce toffee flavours and complimented by some small hop and roasted malt.

M - Medium body and carbonation

O - A solid Ale without being spectacular

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 16:18:02 | More by eric5bellies

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Amberish brown and almost sparkling this had a fluffy thin head with some faint tablet toffee on the nose.
Some finesse for this style of beer with a bit of a twist at the end of the longish malty almost rich taste.
Not at all cloying. Insanely drinkable and rather on the light end of this particular style of beer.

Serving type: cask

04-29-2011 10:50:56 | More by Zimbo

kojevergas

California

2.45/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Reviewed from notes taken during a January 2011 trip to Glasgow, Scotland. Served from a cask into a pint glass. It was served off a just-freshly tapped cask; this beer couldn't be fresher unless I were at the brewery.

A: Pours a clear dark amber. Thin head of fair retention.

Sm: Fresh albeit musty scent of barley. Difficult to detect individual notes with me broken nose.

T: Nice body - multiple notes unexpected from the nose. Near malty finish, it's lacking in unique flavour.

Mf: Very smack-your-lips crisp like, but a bit too smooth. Nice cream on the finish. Too wet.

Dr: Hides its ABV extremely well, but it's pricey. Overall, I'm unimpressed.

Serving type: cask

03-08-2011 01:10:34 | More by kojevergas

irishevans

Alaska

4.3/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

[From Notes]
A- Pours a two finger light yellowish-white head, like the color of a liver injury patient (trust me I know). the body is a light, almost golden yellow around the bottom, it's more of a bright hazy orange as it goes up eventually to almost an amber color at the very top.

N- bready, yeasty, malty. some caramel and other sweet hints. smells like it's a total Malt Bomb.

T- Malt-a-Rific. Caramel light bread yeast, slight fruitiness. a hint of molasses. All this is countered (albeit very slightly) with just the right amount of herbal hop flavor. it also has a bittersweet finish that goes on much like the energizer bunny.

M- the right amount of dryness, perfect graininess level, and a nice tingle in the jowls.

D- Lovely sipping beer, and a much easier drinker than I had expected @ 7%. I really do quite like it, but it's no Full Curl (bring back the Dall Sheep M-Sun!!!)

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 01:17:38 | More by irishevans

Phelps

Arizona

3.55/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Beeradvocate has this one labeled as a Scottish ale, while the brewery lists it on their site as a Scotch Ale. Poured from a bottle with a best before date of Nov. 2007. Rather old, but in this state I'm not bound to find it any fresher.

Pours a deep maroon caramel color, slightly hazy and topped with half-finger head of sandy tan that lingers for a while. Some fat stripes of lace are left behind as I drink.

Smells a little oxidized. Buttery toffee mixed with caramel, dried apricot and raisins. Sweet and rich.

Butter again in the flavor, but tempered with a nice bready toastiness. Lightly bitter dark malt hits the sides of the tongue, along with raisins, apricot, caramel and a slight tinge of ethanol. Sweet before a dryish finish

Medium light body, very slightly fizzy, with light massaging, tongue-numbing carbonation. A little weak and runny.

From reading other reviews, it seems the buttery toffee notes are a common occurrence with this beer. In that case, it's stood up well to the test of time. A sweeter interpretation of the style, but decent.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2011 20:18:39 | More by Phelps