Skull Splitter - Orkney Brewery

FLima

Brazil

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Amber red color. Decent amount of head with a good retention.
Malty aroma with caramels, wood, dark fruits, spices, and figs.
Flavor also follows good complexity; sweet malty taste with wood and strong dry fruits presence.
Medium body with a medium carbonation and small bubbles. The 8.5% ABV is warming, though it does not feel to be that high.
True to its style and at the same time with personality. I would describe it in plain way as a liquid panettone with liquor.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 20:17:42 | More by FLima

ksimons

New York

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-a dark amber with a fingers worth of white head that sticks to the glass

S-huge malt, raisins, caramel, tart cherries, and light hop bitterness

T-taste is bigger than the smell suggests, rich malt, caramel, dark cherries, spicy, and light hop bitterness to round it out. Flavors come out more as the beer warms.

M-medium body, spicy carbonation, slight bitter aftertaste

Overall maybe not as sweet as others of this style, but still really good.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 00:04:04 | More by ksimons

Groulxsome

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear brown with ruby red highlights, light quick-dissipating off-white head. Smells like rich cherry, some toffee, and red berries (raspberry). Tastes strong dark red cherry, malt sweetness, hoppy spiciness, and a light bitter finish. Very thick and chewy with a medium to low carbonation. It's got a little Dr. Pepper vibe going on with the cherry and overall it's nice, albeit slightly sweet, sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 03:38:01 | More by Groulxsome

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish snifter

A- pours an extremely dark brown with a paper thin offwhite head that quickly fades into nothingness. Well then, that's...interesting

S- dark fruits, molasses, a little brown sugar...not a lot going on

T- very light sweetness, lots of caramel and toffee....pretty middling flavors overall, but not bad

M- thin bodied, much moreso than I expected. Disappointing

O- something must have gone wrong with this bottle, because it was absolutely nothing like what I'd expect from a wee heavy. Underwhelming across the board

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 01:22:54 | More by bigfnjoe

1Nrwyscotch

Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: The beer is a dark orange /amber color with two fingers of head which produced some lacing.

Smell: It smells of fruit(dates) which transitions into a butterscotch/caramel .A little spice as well.

Taste:My first sip it was sweet with some hop bitterness and not much alcohol. After warming just a little bit the tast of roasted malts with fruit a just a subtle bit of bitterness on the finish. As it warmed the alcohol present was more obvious.

Mouthfeel: It has a pretty thin mouthfeel for all the flavor.

Overall I find this Wee Heavy enjoyable and better than plenty that I have tried. It is worth the purchase and got better with each sip.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 00:44:43 | More by 1Nrwyscotch

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Almost clear, amber, with a touch of red. The head is 1-finger of off white, fair retention, minimal lacing.

S: Perfumy and floral. Next some citrus notes. Then spicy with white pepper.

T: Very sweet initially, but that does calm down as tart fruit takes over. The hops are an interesting mix of moderate bitterness and citrus, but they aren't overpowering. There is also a faint spiciness late -- not exactly greenpepper, but that's the closest thing I can relate it to -- and a little of the sweet malt appearing again. The lingering taste in the end is a mix of the above, plus a little fatty acid.

M: Moist at first, with good carbonation, but a touch of astringency in the finish. Less boozy than expected -- except for the effects on my brain, I wouldn't have known it was 8.5% ABV by just drinking it.

O: Above average, but not exceptional at all. It just seemed some pieces didn't quite fit together as they should have. Better brews can be had for less.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 00:12:13 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

acevenom

Louisiana

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass. Pours dark, translucent amber with a thick eggshell colored head. The head recedes slowly and there appears to be moderate carbonation in the beer. Poured into a pint glass. Pours dark, transluscent amber with a thick eggshell colored head. The head recedes slowly and there appears to be moderate carbonation in the beer. The taste has that roasted malt and toffee flavor that I detected in the nose. It's pretty bready with some of those dark fruit flavors. Those grassy hops come through and I get that nice back end hop bitterness that really helps to balance this beer. I get some of the alcohol as well. The body is full with moderate carbonation. The beer coats the mouth well and there are warming qualities from the 8.5% ABV. This is an excellent beer to have as the weather turns cool.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 04:51:50 | More by acevenom

SiriusBock

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: a dark amber, good head, little lacing
S: surprisingly subtle, good British hop aroma when cold, very malty when it warms up
T: very smooth and easy drinking for such a large beer, rich and thick. Caramel, dark fruit, and British malts dominate the flavor profile.
M: rich, smooth, high alcohol but not seemingly so. The flavor stays on the palate to remind you of this delight.
This bad boy will sneak up on you. I could have easily had three of these without realizing that I was face down on the floor. Perfect compliment to an Irish meal!

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 02:02:08 | More by SiriusBock

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330 mL bottle poured into a Kuhnhenn snifter.

Appearance - Deep amber with a tinge or orange more than red. Nice khaki head. Excellent uneven retention.

Smell - Fruity esters with even some phenols. Booze is prevalent as I take big whiffs. Standard butterscotch lingers.

Taste - Much more caramel forward, but the phenols persist. Dark fruit and banana. The buttery diacetyl comes late in the game and even throws me off. Bitter in the finish, not sure if it's hops or a byproduct of the yeast and malt.

Mouthfeel - The diacetyl is to style, although the bitterness does not blend well with it. Still nice to drink. The bottle says it's deceptively light, which is true. Doesn't feel like an 8.5% malty beer, but it is.

Overall - Good stand-by scotch ale. It's a solid standard-bearer for the style. This was one of those beers that got me into craft beer. Still good to this day.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 00:33:04 | More by Alieniloquium

Serge

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours deep amber with a great, creamy, beige head. Great lacing. Aroma is rather mild, some caramel, light vinious and some dried fruits (raisins). Super creamy mouthfeel. Pleasantly sweet, subdued roasted, wonderful toffee, great caramel, vinious. Great!

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 06:05:44 | More by Serge

ckollias

Maryland

4.73/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this 11.2oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a maroon-amber hue with a thin, 2-finger, white head that slowly dissipates down the side of the glass and ends in a wispy lace.

S: Very pleasant sweet malt and wine-like aroma. Hints of dark fruits and caramel.

T: Smooth and sweet wine like flavor with a nice alcoholic punch. Similar to the smell dark fruits and caramel present. Finishes on the spicy side.

M: Very strong and boozy. Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Awesome Scottish Wee Heavy . Enjoyed every sip of this amazing brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 01:59:24 | More by ckollias

Altrurian

New York

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This clear, deep ruby-orange beer is topped by a moderately tall, thick layer of foam with a hint of tan and a hint of red. The head admirably persists, then leaves behind a thin but extensive coating.

The nose brings to mind bing cherries and caramel. There's a decidedly fruity, cherry-like aspect to the taste at first. It culminates in a crisp, refreshing woodiness with a very slight alcohol sting. As the beer warms, a sweetness reminiscent of orange-colored candy "circus peanuts" develops, but without any artificiality. It's very pleasant, but simple. I suppose one might characterize it as an honest, forthright simplicity.

The mouthfeel is smooth, and fairly rich. Overall, a worthy exemplar of the genre.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 22:29:14 | More by Altrurian

AtrumAnimus

Texas

3/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This one pours an amber the richness of a dark tea with a thin short lived head that is light tan in color and leaves barely any lacing down the glass. Most likely due to the high alcohol content.

The nose is very sweet with hints of plum, bread and dark roasted malt.

The taste is very strong as one would expect from a Viking styled beer. I have no idea how these people could have been such great warriors with such strong beer. The beer is very bitter and is not well balanced with the malt. There is a lingering bitter aftertaste that is less than pleasant. I am a little disappointed because the appearance and the nose are far superior to the actual flavor of this beer.

The mouthfeel is actually acceptable and the alcohol is not overwhelming, which surprised me. I think the bitterness is increased in order to hide the alcohol. Which trades one negative for another.

Overall I can drink this beer, but I will be passing on it in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 23:40:26 | More by AtrumAnimus

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a large snifter.

A: In color it sits somewhere between ruby and brown. Khaki-colored head settles a bit, but never disappears. Lots of wispy and patchy lacing.

S: Very rich and inviting on the nose. Aromas of cinnamon and spices, Christmas pudding, caramel, vanilla, fig and baked apples. Brown bread and bread crust. Hint of black pepper. Hops are spicy and herbal. This is absolutely one of the best smelling beers I've come across to date.

T: Caramel and slightly burnt bread crust. Very toasty with hints of caraway and sesame seed. Herbal hops wield an impressive bitterness for the style. Dried fig and apple. Spike of peppery alcohol. Brown sugar. Slight molasses. Long finish of herbs and spices, caramel and bread pudding.

M: Thick and chewy in body with a slight viscosity that is cut by the moderate but prickly carbonation. Full and very well-rounded. Very warming and soothing. Very smooth.

O: This is one hell of a hearty beer. Highly complex and challenging on the palate. It gets a little rough and jarring at times, but in a good way. The 8.5% abv is felt. It drinks rather like a whiskey. A great beer for the dead of winter.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 04:04:49 | More by ryan1788a5

rangerred

Tennessee

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle int a snifter.

Pours a hazy medium brown with a thin off-white head. Actually pretty decent head retention for a beer of this strength.

The nose is a wonderful bouquet of dark fruit and caramelized wort. Not really any hint of alcohol in the aroma.

The flavor begins with a rush of dark fruit that is very English in character. A caramel/burnt sugar character is also present in the background. Bitterness rushes in quickly and accelerates towards the finish almost to the point of becoming overbearing but it stops just short of this. Alcohol is present throughout but becomes more pronounced at the end although it is not unpleasant. Mouthfeel is pretty sticky but is balanced by the high bitterness.

Overall, I was really surprised by this beer and the depth of flavor. There is a really great balance between sweetness and bitterness with alcohol fairly well hidden. I would love to have this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 00:40:06 | More by rangerred

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a signature Newcastle Brown Ale glass. I just love the label on this beer. That dude on the bottle means business. The pour is a beautiful dark brown and slightly murky. It almost looks like cola. There is a beautiful fluffy off-white head that dissipates quickly. The nose is very malty and a little fruity. You detect some dry hop aromas, herbal character and some chocolate.

Taste is pretty complex. It's rich and malty and has an earthy, grassy quality. I get nice flavors of bread, oak, nuts, leather, raisins, and dates. There's a little bit of alcohol warmth on the finish. Nice lingering smoky note on the finish. Lots of body and a very firm, slightly creamy mouthfeel.

Wow. This beer is a spectacular example of this style. It's really malty and complex and engages the drinker by constantly presenting you with new flavors. This beer presses lots of buttons on my palate. I'll definitely be drinking it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 09:09:17 | More by deadonhisfeet

heygeebee

Australia

3.23/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

From iPod notes

Pours a massive three finger off white head, over brown body.

Aromas of treacle, roast malts caramel.

Taste is dry and treacle driven, little hops present but a dry taste prevails. Caramel notes initially on back palate surprisingly but treacle burnt toffee takes over as bottle goes down.

Mouthfeel quite heavy, almost cloying

A well made beer but not the best Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy I have had

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 11:17:49 | More by heygeebee

morebeergood

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Dark brown body with blood red highlights when viewed closely. Wonderful looking head of white foam sits on top. Plenty of carbonation. Smell has aromas of cherry and dark rum. The flavor was delicious. Plenty of notes of fresh plums and fig, with a gentle sweetness coming from the malt. Mouthfeel was on the thin side for a scotch ale. Never would have guessed the abv at 8.5%. A wonderful beer that I wish I had more of in order to cellar for a while longer.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 04:41:32 | More by morebeergood

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Props to joemcgrath27 for the hook up on this gem...

A - Pours a nice dark copper colour with a solid red hue, finger of head with solid retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Nice caramel and toffee notes with wooden notes, peat, and bready malts.

T - The caramel and toffee notes dominate with a smokey wooden flavor that lingers alongside hints of vanilla.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and surprisingly dry.

O - This hits all the aspects of the style, loads of flavor, and easy drinking with a dangerous level of abv. Highly recommended and stoked that I had the opportunity to try it.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 04:58:29 | More by andrenaline

UCLABrewN84

California

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Best before 7/2014.

Pours a murky brown with a 1/2 inch foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, dark fruits, burnt caramel/toffee, and some herbal hop aromas. Taste is of malt, burnt caramel, dark fruit, and some earthy, herbal hop flavors. There is an alcohol kick and a mild bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty but fairly strong.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 04:41:19 | More by UCLABrewN84

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 3/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark red brown with a small tan head and lacing. Aroma of dark and dried fruit, caramel malt, alcohol. Sweet and roasted malts and caramel up front. Light peat middle and light malty finish. A nice Scotch ale. Alcohol well hidden and leaves a nice warm feeling.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 19:24:44 | More by LiquidAmber

MadScientist

New York

4.55/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: This is a fairly clear, medium amber beer with a long lasting tan head of less than a half finger cap on the beer.

S: This beer has a deep malty aroma with malt sweetness, some smokey and almost peaty aromas. There is a moderately-light caramel note in the background. There is the faint aroma of European hops aroma. There is some yeast derived dark fruit notes like plum with molasses and a light touch of alcohol flavor are in there as well.

T: A big malt flavor with a lot of malt sweetness followed by a dry roasted malt flavor. The hops flavor and bitterness are moderately low letting the malt and sweetness dominate the flavor. There is a very light pepper, some alcohol and some bitterness keeping the sweetness in check through the finish.

M: This is a thick, full bodied beer with moderate carbonation and a light alcohol warmth.

O: This malty, sweet and slightly smokey beer would make for a fine after dinner cordial. It's a fairly sweet beer but not cloyingly sweet with the alcohol and light bitterness keeping it in check.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 01:54:24 | More by MadScientist

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from CJ's Potsdam NY for 4$

Appearance - Clear reddish/copper yellow colour with an above average size fizzy/frothy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some great lacing. The head lasted for only a short while.

Smell - Malts, breads/grains, butterscotch/caramel, booze

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts mixed with some caramel/butterscotch. There is also a bit of a dark fruit taste and a slight woodiness. It ends with a malty dark fruit aftertaste.

Overall - Lots of scotch flavours going on with this beer. It's a tad on the boozy side, but still quite drinkable. Not my favorite style of beer, but it was still worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 00:51:02 | More by spinrsx

Homebrew35

Connecticut

2.4/5  rDev -41.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a nice off white creamy one finger head. Deep reddish body fairly clear. Some retention with no lacing.

Smells like pencil erasers, some sweetness, fruityness and some light alcohol.

Sweet and carmely, slight dark and white fruity notes, medium to light peat. Slight alcohol warmth. The eraser/rubbery smell comes through in the taste as well. I'm not sure if this is an old or infected bottle but this is what I get.

Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Fairly coating and sticky sweet on the finish.

Overall this beer was a big letdown. I'll try it again someday to see if this was a limited occurrence. The rubber/eraser smell and taste did me in, down the drain this goes.
$3 a single

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 01:32:36 | More by Homebrew35

Dave1999

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very dark red brown with a nice red hue. There's a tiny tan colour head which quickly disappears.

The smell is dark fruits, plums and rasins as well as some roasted malts and a touch of alcohol.

The taste is very similar to the smell. It's very rich the dark fruits and malts taste great.

The mouth feel is medium bodied and slightly dry with a low to medium carbonation.

Overall an excellent beer and it's also from my home country which is a bonus. The alcohol is present but not over powering and the fruitiness is excellent. This is classified as a Scotch ale bu I wouldn't read too much into that.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 01:08:38 | More by Dave1999