The Red MacGregor - Orkney Brewery

goldenpeanut

Alabama

4.88/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

500ml bottle in good condition externally. Served in a Half Pint glass with the Queen's Crown on the rim.

Temperature of storage cabinet 54F, Temperature at pour 54.5F

Aroma is dominated by hops with a caramel malt background. Hop character is English varietal in nature. Aroma is clean with no undue ferment characteristics present...malt and hops.

Pours a light tan head that is only fleeting in nature and drops back quickly to a single layer of bubbles. Some lacing does occur.

Carbonation explodes in the mouth releasing the flavor potential nicely. Body seems light for this style of beer (Wee heavy) and the hops more pronounced than usual. Upon some quick research, I found that this beer really classifies as a Scottish Export 80/- (shilling). In fact the research was unnecessary as Orkney makes one of my favorite beers of all time, the Wee Heavy Skull Splitter. Flavor consists of, flavor hop, chocolate and caramel malt and displays some notes of brewing sugar, probably beet sucrose in sane, appropriate amounts.

The hop flavor dominates the malt in this beer, or is at least on an equal par. This is surprising for any Scotch Ale which should exhibit low hop flavor and low to moderate bitter. This is a hoppy Scotch Ale...what a concept.

DO NOT BUY THIS AS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF A SCOTCH ALE.

DO BUY THIS AS A VERY GOOD INTERPRETATION OF SCOTCH ALE STYLE WITH HOPS.

Hops and malt balance in finish with a lingering chocolate malt or dark grain bitter/astringent note. The bitter hops are not overdone but are on high side of style.

There is very little fermentation or yeast character present, the beer is exceptionally clean for an ale, This is as it should be for a scotch style, the hallmark of the style, actually, in my eyes. This is one of the places where homebrewers get it wrong many times and is difficult to achieve.

This is a very drinkable and pleasant beer. We could get on this for a night of socializing as a session beer, except for the price.

Beer changes very little on warming from 54F to 61F. This is as warm as we got it before the bottom of the glass appeared.

Bottom line...

This is an interpretation of this style from a Scottish brewery. It deviates in the flavor hops from its siblings, but, in a very nice way.

Good session beer, if you can afford it.

We highly recommend a cross tasting with Belhaven to see where it deviates from the norm of the style.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2008 21:35:33 | More by goldenpeanut

kmacphail

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.8/5  rDev +27%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer is not an English Pale Ale as listed instead it is a ruby Scottish ale.

The beer pours a dark ruby colour with an off white head which settled to a 3mm film (decent for a botled beer).

The nose is dominated by one thing: malts,malts and more malts with a hint of roasted malts. Very nice, malty beers are becoming less frequent with the demise of 80/~.

The beer tastes of roasted malts with a slightly fruity hint of blackberries. The a very stereotypical scottish ale. The mouthfeel is medium to thick, just perfect for this type of ale.

The beer is very drinkable, it is easy to buy a dozen and finish these off in one sitting. Overall an excellent scottish ale, very old fashioned and very pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2007 17:32:16 | More by kmacphail

ccrida

Oregon

4.63/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

500ml bottle poured into my Samuel Smith imperial pint, The Red MacGregor is a bronzed chestnut with a tight, creamy eggshell head that leaves nice lace.

Smell is fantastic, and more eloquently summarized on the label better then I could muster, lavender, cherries, caramel. I also get some grassy, herbal hops and a hint of diacetyl.

Taste is also great, this is a really tasty ale, especially for only weighing in at 4%, much maltier then the nose, there's a spicy dryness, touch of roast, bittersweet, but with a lighter finish. There's also a nice earthy, slightly smoking ester to distinguish it from it's brethren elsewhere on the isle. A fantastic Scottish ale, especially for the often overlooked lighter end of the spectrum.

Mouthfeel is pretty smooth save for the spiciness mid-palate and lingering prickly tongue. Light-bodied.

Drinkability is fantastically high. I really love this beer, and am super impressed with how much flavor they got out of such a small, simple beer. The only chink in the armor is the cost, which is about $6.50-7 each! If it were a $40-60 case it would be great to stock up on.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 01:18:51 | More by ccrida

lou50rp

Maine

4.63/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Deep red color with an off-white head which lasted for awhile.
S - A strong malty smell with a touch of sweetness, maybe caramel?
T - Taste was very malty, much like the smell.
M - A strong feel. No watery wimpiness here.
D - An exceptional drinkability.

The folks in the Orkneys have a winner.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 11:17:10 | More by lou50rp

TonyVic

New York

4.6/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I really enjoyed this beer. The beer had a nice thick head to it when poured,great body,and a very floral aroma.

I ate it with fish & chips which went really well. The malty flavor reminded me a little bit of the flavor that you get when you have malt vinegar on the meal. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2009 21:57:59 | More by TonyVic

claytri

Maryland

4.55/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer poured a dark amber with a tan head. The aroma was simply extra malty. The taste was so malty you might feel like you were eating it, and it has a nicely bitter finish. The feel is medium and dry. This is quite a fine example of what I'm looking for and generally find with Scottish ales. It has plenty of malt and that's fine with me. This is one I will buy when available.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2006 01:14:19 | More by claytri

alexskovan

New York

4.55/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a clear deep amber bronze, lovely to look at. Sturdy off-white head. Rich aroma of piney hops, balanced with toasted malt. Taste is a somber brooding whaloop in the mouth, like a nice single malt Scotch whiskey. This ale is like drinking a fine old cabinet ( I mean that in a good way).

Malt, hops, yeast, all working together and doing exactly what they should. What more is there to say?

When the British (or the Scots) get ale right the result is much like when the French get red wine right. It is the standard, the stuff, IT.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2007 01:19:30 | More by alexskovan

PCaravan

Texas

4.53/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Has a deep copper color and pours a thin but dense cream colored head.

Aroma is of deep malty notes of caramel and nuts with nice earthy English hops in the background. A bit of apply esters there as well.

Taste is more of the same deep malty notes of carmel, nuts, and earthy hops with maybe a touch of roastiness that adds to a smooth bitterness that only slightly lingers. Very complex and nicely balanced. Nice graininess too... everytime a take a sip I notice something else.

It has a nice level of carbonation and nice chewy mouthfeel I like in beers with good malt presence.

I have to rate the drinkability pretty high here. It's a substantially rich beer that's not so heavy to keep you from drinking more.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2006 22:19:28 | More by PCaravan

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured an aorage-copper color with massive slightly off-white puffy head. Very attractive lacing. Smell is firm and malty with strong tones of dark fruit. Taste is truly enjoyable with a strong sweet fruitiness balanced by a nice hop bitterness. The balance is almost perfect. Nice and creamy texture. Ending shows more of the dry bitternss, and is the perfect way to finish off this beer. So easy to drink that I was finished before I could get done writing this review. Excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2006 00:26:28 | More by tgbljb

Brad007

Vermont

4.45/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a darkish-red color with a decent head of foam that leaves a bit of lacing on the glass.

Hop aroma and smokiness of the malt greet the nose. A bit of sweetness to the malt as well.

Taste is mainly sweet and the smokiness of the malt shows through in the middle. Subtle, not overpowering. Distinctive. Hop bitterness towards the back of the throat keeps this from being too sweet.

Mouthfeel is a mixture of smokiness and bitterness. Smooth and even a bit chewy.

Very drinkable. At 5%, it could make a great session ale. I'm pretty satisfied with the quality of the offerings from the Orkney Brewery.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2008 06:33:56 | More by Brad007

gfreed

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Generates a root-beer-float-colored head with moderate effort; the head lasts forever and leaves behind plenty of stuff on the glass. As it fades slowly, it gathers into a stiff peak. Nice. Light, spicy citrus in the nose; oranges and lemons with a touch of cocoa. Luminous ruby coloring; light carbonation; moderately dense body and... wowie taste. This is one of the best bitters I've ever had. The malt is lightly toasty, there are apples and rains up front and there's a nice hint of chocolate that lasts even after the not-overly spicy hops hit at the end. What a treat. My only regret is that I bought the last one on the shelf. Definitely one to keep in stock at home.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 02:43:17 | More by gfreed

1000Bottles

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Crystal clear copper ruby hue with a medium tan to ivory head. Aromas of caramel, toffee and floral & spicy hops. Flavor is lightly sweet, some earthy/grainy notes, light caramel, slightly fruity. Finish is light, creamy, delicious and leaves you longing for another taste! A really well made beer, especially at 4.0% ABV (that's what it says on the bottle)...

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 04:08:06 | More by 1000Bottles

champ103

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

A: Pours a cloudy reddish/brown color. A perfect two finger beige head forms. Nice lace clings to the glass.
S: What a wonderful aroma. At first peaty malt and toffee. Dark fruits (plums and cherries). Some floral hops that are subtle and in the background balance out the nose. I can't ask for much more.
T: The peaty malt flavor is a little more subtle, but comes out as it warms. Some toffee flavors and fruit that follow the nose. An interesting spiciness, and some hop bitterness.
M/D: A light to medium body, and over carbonated for me. Though this is exceptionally smooth and easy to drink.

A great beer. This is a good example of on of my favorite style. An easy drinking Scottish Ale, and one of the most flavorful beers I have had at only 4%. One I wish I had more of.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2009 00:55:55 | More by champ103

McClungbrew2

West Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Medium amber color. Creamy near white head. Light oak highlights, lacing to the bottom of the glass.

Smell - Sweet malt and slight floral hop nose. Faint toffee/caramel accents.

Taste - Sweet malt, slight woodiness balanced by hop bitterness. No pronounced hop flavor. Very faint pear/apple notes. Faint peat smoke in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Smooth and creamy with a slight tingle on the tip of the tongue. Good body with no lingering aftertaste.

Overall - Very good. Well balanced yet complex beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2009 18:11:41 | More by McClungbrew2

mithrascruor

California

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500 mL bottle poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear red color with rocky off-white head. Excellent retention and good lacing.

Smell: Has a somewhat earthy malt aroma with a hint of sweetness.

Taste: Tasty with a nice balance of malts and hops. Slightly sweet malts with a bit of butter, paired against some mild hops.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, yet with a bit of butteryness following it. Medium-bodied with mild carbonation.

Drinkability: Quite drinkable with a strong (yet not overwhelming) flavor and low ABV.

Not exactly what I'd consider a Scottish Ale, but definitely an enjoyable one. I first had the pleasure of enjoying this on Orkney, and was glad to get a bottle here in the states!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 22:44:54 | More by mithrascruor

DaveFL1976

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice, cherrywood/mahogany colour with a foamy off-white head that settles down to a thin skim, and sticks to the side of the glass.
Aroma is sweet, caramel, and crystal malt.
Taste is much the same. You can really taste the crystal in this. Has a nice mouthfeel and it's hard to fault this beer. It doesn't stand out in any regard, either, and is good -but not great- in every regard.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2006 08:01:50 | More by DaveFL1976

BeerSox

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle into 20oz pint glass.

I had just about the perfect pour on this beer. In fact, I think it was perfect. The head lined up perfectly with the top of the glass, nothing spilling over, and no room left. The beer is a deep deep mahogany with a light tan one finger dense head. It slowly settles to a thin cap, leaving a good amount of lacing in its place. As the beer goes down the glass, some relatively solid lacing remains.

The aroma is loaded with a burnt caramel aroma and a little bit of coffee. Some fruity esters are mixed in as well. The smell of this beer is absolutely lovely.

Roasty malt, almost like dark coffee, is the main characteristic of the beer. A slightly smokey hint can be detected here and there. The hop bitterness is low, which is expected. Full bodied with slightly lower carbonation, creating a slick feel. The finish is mostly the smokey malt flavors lingering.

The flavor seems a little tame on this one, which is a shame, because it tastes pretty good. Otherwise, the presentation is great, and the aroma is superb. At 5%ABV, this beer is definitely sessionable. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2007 20:18:46 | More by BeerSox

poetaster

California

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep ruby red--very nice color. Solid quarter-inch head lasted a few minutes. Wonderful floral fragrance, but the taste, at first, seemed a little thin. I think it was too cold--my bad. The bottle says "the cask conditioned version of this beer was the first Scottish beer to win the BHA world Cask Beer Gold Medal." As it warmed, I could see it would be an excellent cask ale, with refreshing spicy-bitter hoppiness that complements the dry malt flavors very well. A great session beer with real body and definite Scottish character.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2008 01:56:50 | More by poetaster

melitameister

New York

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Rich ruby with a thick full head that retreats quickly to leave fine lace.

S- Modest aroma of leechee, bread and maybe olives; not very much there

T- Some dry malt breadniness, gentle tartness, ash and solid spicy hop balancing it out nicely.

M- Light texture and smooth.

D- This is not watery, but rather a mild brew resulting in a highly drinkable brew with plenty going on. The Scots are getting nicely into the micro revolution.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 00:06:58 | More by melitameister

oberon

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice rich amber color with a creamy looking head that settles nicely leaving some nice lace behind,aromas of caramel and dried fruit (cherries) and a nice subtle nuttiness.Taste is right on in my opinion nutty and deeply fruity with some caramel tones even a little vanilla flavor in the finish.A tad watery but that adds to the drinkability,a very well done Scottish ale wich it should be coming from Scotland,nice job.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2004 00:01:08 | More by oberon

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

As far as English Pale Ales are concerned, I really liked this beer. It has the maltiness of an amber (caramel, toffee), with the hopping rate of a Bitter, and the cleanliness of an ESB. With that, I'm surprised this beer doesn't rate higher. The look is a rusty, sly-of-clear, densly headed appearence with nice low-key carbonation. Aromas of solid malts (barley malt, caramel, and sweet breads). Fruitiness is less than the malty sweetness, but shows in the forms of red apples, figs, and dates. The flavors closely reinforce what is experienced in the nose; with emphasis on the malts and earthy hop flavor. A mild nutty flavor increases as the beer progresses. The feel is a rich and full malt feel with creaminess (carbonation) and an unwavering firmness. Finishes quite clean without any abrupt vaporation, graininess, or bite. Overall, this was a very good beer. No flavors that knocked my socks off, but a solid Scottish brew that offers the best characters of that region. I will certainly have more of these in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2007 05:14:48 | More by BEERchitect

jjboesen

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

"The Authentic Orcadian Ale," reads the label. Never having ventured to the Orkney Islands - but having ventured to quaff their deliscious Dark Island and splendid Skullspliter - I thought, "Why not? If it's not Scottish, it's crap!" It pours a consistent froth and settles quickly atop a foreboding ruby red body. There is an abundance of gummy lacing circumventing the glass.

There are floral notes that hide minute wafts of cherry; the palate ascertains the crystal malt blanket and detects a subtle hoppiness that exits to leave a grassy finish.

This is a pleasant sessional, one that encompasses drinkability and mouthfeel criteria all the while offering enough chewiness to set it apart from the pack.

And since it provides a minimal alcohol - it being 4% abv - the Red MacGregor portends numerous quaffs to anyone who finds themselves among the craggy coast of Orkney.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 00:59:45 | More by jjboesen

aleyeast

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Red amber in color with a thin light tan head that holds

Malty Fruity and slight hop edge on the nose, but everything is slight, very clean though and if I had to pick one, it would be light malt

Malt, caramel flavors, very slight smoke perception, may just be roast, hops just to balance, but this is definitely smooth. Would probably be very good on tap.

Very balanced.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2007 18:32:21 | More by aleyeast

kmo1030

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

deep ruby brown amber with a thick frothy light tan head. nice lacing.
the smell is made up of toffee, biscuity carmel, some rather perfumy floral qualities, and cherry fruit aromas. these are noted on the bottle and nail it pretty dead on.
the taste brings some lightly peat smoked malts, biscuity caramel/toffee malts, a little bit of almost noble tasting hops. dark fruits pervade.
smoth fuller medium body with delicate but active carbonation.
great drinkability, i'm really surprised this doesn't sport a higher score, it's a very well crafted scottish ale. i wish i had picked up a few more.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2007 00:11:30 | More by kmo1030

marc77

California

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Crystal clear ruby hue, covered by a light beige head that recedes into a tight, thin layer that leaves wisps of foam. Toffeeish caramel and sweet, ripe berry like fruity esters in aroma, along with a mellow undertone of diacetyl butterscotch. Rounded, dark caramel sweetness with a slightly roasty edge upfront in flavor is ensued by mild, nearly balancing hop bitterness. Diacetyl emerges mid palate and is well integrated, complementing the toffeeish malt presence. Lightly bodied overall, but the ample residual dextrins and low carbonation lend a smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel. Faint earthy hop flavor. Subtle, cranberry like tartness emerges late, but is understated enough not to detract from the overall flavor profile. Finishes lightly sweet, bready and mildly buttery. Although Scottish in origin, MacGregor is an almost ideal example of the obscure Irish Red Ale. Simple, but flavorful and superbly quaffable. Malt driven, yet balanced. Very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2003 11:38:18 | More by marc77