Schiehallion - Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.

cypressbob

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap from the cask at a local wetherspoons

Pours with a dark yellow body, slightly creamy head but like most cask beers only slight retention.

Smell, fragrant floral hops coming off, aromas of honey and a slight sweetness

Taste, crisp and full of floral hops, dry with a nice malty body

Its odd to find a cask lager, but this beer really did suprise me, very good

Serving type: cask

08-09-2004 15:34:31 | More by cypressbob

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on cask at the Luton Beer Festival. This was a rare cask conditioned lager.

This lager poured a clear, golden color with white foam that persisted fairly long before settling. The smell was a "wort like" aroma, reminiscent of German ungespundete lagers. There was a touch of hops in the smell. The taste was floral and bitter hops with some slightly sweet malt to balance. The sweetness was then followed by some hop bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel was smooth with medium body and low carbonation. Slightly tangy. This was a very decent and interesting lager.

Serving type: cask

12-12-2003 07:06:43 | More by UncleJimbo

ToneControl

United Kingdom (England)

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is "bottled with a third less carbon dioxide than most beers".

It is an unusual beer, and can't be easily categorised - it it reminiscent of bitters and lager, but it's not fizzy like Smithwicks.

The flavour is difficult for me to describe, although the hops are there, it's not a heavily-hopped dry beer.

I've been buying 1-3 bottles of this on each shopping trip for 6 months or so now. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2003 09:47:50 | More by ToneControl

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.83/5  rDev +27.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had this beer when I went to England for 2 weeks vacation at Easter this year. I have to add it - because it is a classic.
OK here goes;
Firstly : It's pronounced "skee-ha-lion", Yes I am English and the dreaded enemy of all Scots but that is what I am told !
Secondly : It is a "Scottish Cask-Conditioned Lager". What ?!? Yep, rarer than a bottle of Bud at a BA Xmas Party.
Thirdly : Which Style Category ? - well I popped for Experimental Speciality Beer (Ale or Lager). That's as close as I can get (I dare not class it as English, American or German - you know how touchy the Scots get !!).
So what's it like? Unbelievably superb - highly drinkable. Light golden straw color, made with a lager yeast and Hersbrucker Hops, which are prevalent in the flowery nose. Malt starts dominant and then makes way for a malty-bitter finish. Cask version has a solid mouthfeel, but is not heavy. A seriously, gorgeous quaffable lager. Well done Harviestoun for actually daring to do this - probably the most unique beer for some time. They only had a Firkin of this in Fernandes Bar (see Beerflys) and I personally had a Gallon of it !!!!!
Note: Somewhere above, I have no doubt probably offended the entire Scottish nation more than Mel Gibson in Braveheart, for which I unreservedly apologize. Don't think that all Scottish Beer is McEwans Scotch Ale. What I will say is that if you ever get to the UK and see this beer on Handpump - HAVE IT, and add to your Beer Styles tally !!!

Serving type: cask

10-04-2002 21:03:39 | More by TheLongBeachBum