Traquair House Ale - Traquair House Brewery Lld

pkalix

California

4.78/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

poured from a 16.9 oz bottle into my Duvel tulip glass. beautiful dark ruby, garnet with little lacing, but toffee smell. one of my all time favorites and after the chimay blue and duvel, it brings an awesome balance to my tatsebuds. the website says it's a 'winter ale' but it tastes great in the summer warm. a good scotch on the side almost sounds very complimentary... i'm a happy man tonight!!!

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 00:55:28 | More by pkalix

StJamesGate

New York

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Deep garnet with clingy creamy vellum head that fades fast.
Whiskey barrel, dates, smoked meat, and soil - deep nose.
Cocoa, rum cake, fig jam with touches of toffee and treacle and a hint of smoke and a touch of sherry (vanilla) with no real hops other than balancing bitterness.
Apple compote ending and rugelach (dark fruit, spice, pastry) ending.
Medium, silky smooth, some clingy sugars but surprisingly light overall.

This has been in the cellar 3 years - one the of first from when I started collecting beers, in fact - and patience means this is like sipping satin, approaching Trappist Quad levels of smoothness. Nothing sharp about it, no burn, everything perfectly melded. No exaggeration to say it drinks like a port, in depth, feel and flavor profile. So very worth the wait.

Deeper, smoother, more complex and drier than Jacobite.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 14:06:09 | More by StJamesGate

Cheesebubble

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The aroma of this beer is intriguing, as it suggests a blend of many flavours at work. An interesting, somewhat complex taste. Noticed the hint of raisin that others mentioned in the flavour. A pleasant surprise that goes down quite nicely. A good, smooth scotch ale (and no overt alcohol taste which is appreciated).

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 03:43:37 | More by Cheesebubble

heygeebee

Australia

3.15/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep mahogany. One finger head dies to film, with no real lace,

Moderate Aromas - roast malts, dark chocolate with hops in mix

Taste is less assertive, somewhat watery, roast malts. Smoke elements roast/burnt toffee.

Mouthfeel light, almost too light

Overall ok - however must also admit - not my given preferred style. Have tried to review objectively but find difficult.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 08:53:20 | More by heygeebee

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, L1171 bottle code. Pours fairly crystal clear reddish brown color with a nice 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a nice thin cap that lingers. Some nice lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big raisin, caramel, molasses, toasted malt, biscuit, toffee, earth, light chocolate, and herbal. Very nice and well balanced aromas with good strength and complexity. Taste of big raisin, caramel, toast, biscuit, chocolate, molasses, toffee, earth, and herbal spiciness. Light herbal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, caramel, molasses, toast, biscuit, and earth on the finish for a good bit. Great balance of flavors with nice complexity; and no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent scotch ale. Nice flavor balance and complexity; and very smooth and enjoyable to sip on.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 01:32:20 | More by superspak

beergoot

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown/mahogany red color with a thin bone-white head.

Great roasted malt aroma; hints of currants and fermented raisins; molasses, caramel, and toffee; gentle roasted grains...

Rich, sweet taste. Very robust; emphasis on the caramel sweetness. Excellent bitterness sneaks up for the finish, providing a wonderful, lingering counterpoint to the malt sugars.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel; sweet and clean.

A very clean, robust tasting dark ale. Well-balanced with excellent depth, complexity, and richness to satisfy a wide-range of dark ale aficionados. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 01:13:07 | More by beergoot

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a deep amber to brown-ish in color with a tan like head. In the aroma, roasty, notes of chocolate and a small earth and alcohol. In the taste, a small roast, earthy, and a small alcohol bite. A small bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry earth and alcohol in the aftertaste. This was the beer that changed my life and I cannot believe it took me this long to review it!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 19:33:36 | More by OWSLEY069

flagmantho

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 330mL bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: dark brown hue which shines ruby when held up to the light. The body appears to be haze-free. Head pours a finger of frothy tan foam. Looks good to me.

Smell: light aroma of caramelized malt. Nice, but not a lot of volume or complexity here.

Taste: rich malt flavor with a big caramel character as well as some roasted malt character, which is mild but definitely in the mix. Bitterness is strongish at the end and seems a bit high for the style, but is not bad. I like it.

Mouthfeel: big body with a light carbonation and a light creaminess. Maybe not as creamy as I like, but pretty accurate for the style.

Overall: a tasty enough Scotch ale. It doesn't blow my socks off, especially with its mild aroma, but it is a perfectly serviceable Wee Heavy.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 02:57:16 | More by flagmantho

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a pub glass. The brew pours brown in color with 2 fingers worth of tan head. When held to the light, the beer shows excellent clarity with an amber to mahogany look about it. The cap recedes slowly maintaining a finger of froth atop with some patches of lacing sticking to the glass.

The aroma is rich and inviting with caramel malt sweetness that gives way to some notes of chocolate and mild fruity hints of raisins, plums, prunes and dates. As the brew warms up, there is a brighter citrus inclusion almost like coriander mixed with mild herbal hops. The hop quality mixed with the alcohol makes for more of a fruit and floral kick that was completely absent from this brew's nose while it was colder.

The taste follows through with what you would expect based on the aroma. Initial flavors of caramel and toffee malt hint lightly towards chocolate. More sips focus more and more on fruity alcohol notes with mild flavoring of prunes mixed with a bit of musty chocolate to coffee. Some citrus is present which is the first indication of hops that draws out some stale fruit flavors of raisins and a bit of earth. This is an enjoyable tasting brew but it has some unexpected twists and turns going on it without the antcipated smoked character one might expect in the style.

This is a medium to full bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. It is smooth and easy drinking for over 7%. I am glad I finally got around to trying this and I would probably reach for it again if given the chance. Overall, not a bad brew it is worth giving a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 02:39:03 | More by stakem

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle poured into a 16oz tulip.

A - Pours a dark chestnut color with ruby highlights in it. Small soapy head that dissipates quickly. This brew doesn't leave much for lacing, but it gives some nice legs with each sip, coating the glass in suds.

S - Really malty, with caramel malt being the first thing detectable. I pick up fennel, figs, dates, molasses, and cola syrup. Alcohol presence is there, but doesn't feel out of place, and sort of compliments the dark malty profile. Not pushing any boundaries in terms of complexity, but an inviting aroma that as far as I can tell fits the style well. As it warms I start to get some nutty tones, along with toffee and subtle woodsy notes.

T - This beer is packed with robust malty flavor. A dark caramel malt base lays out the framework for a variety of flavorful notes to come through. Dark fruits, namely figs, dates, and just a touch of black cherries can be made out. Anise and fennel add a dimension of spice, while cola syrup and molasses, along with alcohol warmth, give it some hearty weight. Hazelnut and hints of toffee and maple add to the sweeter side, and oak and peat provide some delicious earthy tones. Finishes with just the right amount of alcohol heat, along mild bitterness and cocoa. Truly a well crafted flavor profile, and a damn drinkable beer.

M - Smooth and creamy. Low carbonation, with a medium-to-heavy weight to the body. Compliments the flavors very well. Slight warmth in the finish with mild bitterness lingering.

D - A dark, complex, and flavorful beer. I'm not familiar with scotch ales a great deal, but as far as I'm concerned this is an exceptional beer no matter how you slice it. Definitely one to try again if I can find it, as this was delicious.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 05:42:15 | More by Converge

EmperorBevis

United Kingdom (England)

4.2/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown body with subdued ruby hues and minimal but fitting tanned head.

Amazing aromas of molasses and treacle, burn't sugar and hints, delicate hints of brewers mash also liquorice and cola cubes.

deep flavours evoking peat, charcoal and malts.
Stays away from over sweetness.

perfect solid mf.

Great, great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 22:50:43 | More by EmperorBevis

spacecommander

4.9/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I no longer drink but far and away the best I ever had was the Traquair house ale. I've tried just about every thing available until 3 years ago. This was FAR and away the best ale I ever had. Second place was McEwan's Scotch Ale. Most beers are like a entree - this is a dessert. An expensive and well worth is dessert.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 04:40:27 | More by spacecommander

hopley

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A dark sweet beer, not sure I'd call it an ale. Not a huge head but nicely laced. Great mouthfeel. Not very bitter, not hoppy. At over $5 for a bottle, I 'd say you're paying a premium for uneconomical home brewing (oldest house in Scotland...) and travel across the pond. I think this is a good beer, but a little too sweet for my taste and way overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 00:10:31 | More by hopley

neorunner

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to DougoftheFuture for sending me this in
Round 6 of the Blind Beer BIF.

Slightly smaller than 12oz bottle split two ways. Hazelnut brown in color with a thin coating of carbonation. Aroma is strong caramel / molasses and some smoke and vanilla. Flavor is consistent with a northern English brown, but slightly stronger in the alcohol department. There is a lingering hop flavor at the end similar to east kent goldings. This beer brings me back to the Caledonia sleeper train going to Scottland, only because I had one to many of it in the bar train car. I'm enjoying this one and Pitasoup is not. My guess is Traquair.

The reveal: Traquair House Ale. Nice, good stuff. Also this is a 1001 book beer, thanks!

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 23:53:53 | More by neorunner

vkv822

Oregon

3.08/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

11.2oz bottle into tulip snifter.

Pours a deep red when held to the light. A thin off white head.

The aroma is of dark malt. Molasses as well as dark fruit comes through as well.

The taste follows the nose, though seems a bit subdued.

A thin to medium body, with low, prickly carbonation.

A decent beer, though the taste was a bit subdued and the mouthfeel was a bit thin for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 09:27:08 | More by vkv822

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

POured from a 330ml bottle into a chimay goblet glass.

Pours an extremely dark amber colour, black to the naked eye. Light head and no lacing.

Smells quite potent and of alcohol.

Tasty though, alcohol is there but not overpowering amongst the dark but not too dark malts and slight hop tinge to the finish.

Very pleasant to drink, everything is well balanced and not too much.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 01:38:44 | More by CwrwAmByth

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter: Deep, murky amethyst with some medium ruby highlights. About a half-finger of eggshell head that drops to a bubbly collar & thin dusting.

Smells of a moderate caramel, a fruitiness like grape jelly, slight bubble gum, & a mildly spicy alcohol note.

Taste pretty much follows with the smell, plus a slightly ashy, dry character that comes about halfway through & really hangs in there. Flavors are surprisingly muted & a little watery.

On the thin side, pretty smooth with a lightly gummy caramel-like feel.

I'd had this on my list for years, as I'd always heard & read that it was a really good example of a style I really liked. Don't know if there was something wrong with this particular bottle, but I thought it really fell pretty flat. Nothing bad about it, but not much very memorable, either. I'd be up for trying it again, but I can't really say I'm impressed by this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 20:23:13 | More by OneDropSoup

nmbr0ne

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into snifter. Thanks to Alieniloquium for the bottle.

Appearance: Dark, dark brown with a dark red hue. Finger-thick, white head that dissipates slowly to a decent amount of lacing on top of the beer. Not much lacing sticks to the side of the glass.

Smell: Toffee. Some caramel. The end of the sniff reminds me of Werther's candies. Not bad.

Taste: Slightest bit of sweetness at the beginning of the sip. Ends with a bitter finish. Caramel flavors throughout. It's a great balanced beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium to thick-bodied. Decent amount of carbonation.

Overall: A good Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy. Perhaps it could be a bit sweeter, but I would only enjoy that if there was still a bitterness that balanced it out towards the finish. Regardless, this beer is still good.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 01:30:59 | More by nmbr0ne

HattedClassic

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance:
Pours very little head but doesn't diminish entirely. The beer is a clear and transparent brown with very little lacing.

Smell:
A bit of vanilla and smoked malts. Caramel malts dominate the smell with a hint of alcohol and cocoa.

Taste:
Caramel malts with a slight hint of toffee dominate the palate. In addition, there is the taste of smoked malt and a hint of money that is barely noticeable.

Mouthfeel:
Nice and smooth but a little watery.

Overall:
A very good scotch ale. The ale is not as malty as other scotch ales and easily drinkable . Personally, I'd like the feeling to be a little more thick and texture.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 15:44:09 | More by HattedClassic

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle poured into a tulip

Thanks to Keanlacrosse for the gift

Pours a rather opaque garnet with a firm off-white head. Little to no lacing, but some solid retention.

The nose is of figs, candied plums, peat, biting alcohol, and some butterscotch. Pleasing aroma.

The flavor profile matches the nose. Peat up front then butterscotch and sweet, ripe fruit through the middle. The finish is earthy, dry oak, and sugary sweet. I have to be honest, the flavors and nose are really well-balanced. Nothing takes command, which in this case is very nice.

Full body, with a big, chewy malt foundation. The carbonation is low, which makes this nice and smooth. A little bit of sugary fruit lingers, but not much.

I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. Everything has its place. Nothing overpowering and a smooth overall feel. Rich and complex without overwhelming the palate.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 04:22:21 | More by ColForbinBC

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Traquair House Ale

Appearance: A lighter brown, murky look. Looks like a 60-90 shilling ale by the shade and old standard.

Smell: Aroma of pumpernickel bread. Small roast, and stewed noble hops.

Taste: Real nice peaty scotch style malting. Robust and full malt body. Tea like hops with a slight tang. Mild but lasting presence and bitterness. Mostly malty and slightly roasted, in the finish some smoke.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied, even feel, well carbonated.

Overall: A well done brew, which has come from the ancient brewhouse in the oldest inhabited house in Scotland to my glass. Proof that history can be tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 07:56:17 | More by Stinkypuss

Thads324

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A : pours a deep dark copper with a light tan head. Thick head dissipates slowly. Barely see through with hints of ruby. Lots of lacing.
S: a fruity start. After a few whiffs there is a hint of toffee and cara malt, but that's it. Much like an English esb.
T : starts light, with a bready biscuit flavor. Hints of freshly dried fruits. The end is hints of caramel and toffee with a bit of bitter hops at the end. The hops are grassy and flavorful, with just very subtle bitterness. A hint of smoke lingers at the tail end. As it warms the fruit flavor disappears and the beers subtle flavors come through. More cara, more toffee, more biscuit and some smokey, dry malt.
M : medium bodied, low carbonated. Easy going. Semi smooth, Dry finish.

The fruity flavor leaves quickly and yields a full flavored beer that has multiple layers of flavor. The hops break up the malty sweetness nicely. At first sip I wasn't a fan. At last sip I'd like another, which I find to be a great quality in beer. It shows it's depth. Great stuff despite the high price tag

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 00:40:53 | More by Thads324

Alieniloquium

Florida

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 mL bottle poured into an over-sized thistle. No bottle date.

Appearance - Deep brown with some reddish flecks. Looks a bit murky, but clearer on closer inspection. A bit of a head and some decent lacing down the sides.

Smell - Butterscotch and toffee. Really, that's pretty much it. It's exactly how a scotch ale should smell, I suppose.

Taste - A more complex flavor profile, but not inherently better. Definitely a butterscotch flavor throughout. Toffee and caramel malts as well, but it has a strong hop bitterness in the finish that rounds out the flavor into a pleasant brew.

Mouthfeel - Slick on the mouth, but not thick. Very oily tasting but still with a decent carbonation to it.

Overall - A solid scotch ale. No frills. Traditionally made and traditional tasting. Well made on all counts.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 03:11:31 | More by Alieniloquium

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle bubbles over when opened. It did not produce a large head, though. Some spots of lace on the glass. The liquid is dark, ruby-amber color. Light shines through and appears clear.

The smell is of toasted English toffee and undercooked sweet caramel. Light milk chocolate in the background.

Full flavored with sweet milked cocoa malt flavor. There's a dollop of bittering hop in the swallow, but this is a tale of delicious, near cake-like chocolate malt taste. Rich bodied with a low carbonation level.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 22:07:49 | More by smcolw

HopNelius

New York

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Dark black.small head, lightly carbonated.
S-faint traces of dark roasted malts.
T-notes of roasted malt, burnt coffee, oak, molasses and honey.
M-good
O-very smooth compared to most Scotch Ales, wishing it had more aroma though. The alcohol did not overpower the beer.if I was searching for a good Scotch Ale I would seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 16:47:37 | More by HopNelius