Brewery: Traquair House
Country: Scotland
Size: 33cl
ABV: 7.2%
Price: 27kr
Systembolaget: 11252
Traquair House is the oldest inhabited house in Scotland, with a brewery dating back to the 1700s. After falling into disrepair in the 1800s, it was once again galvanised into action in 1965, and the brewing has continued since. The brewery is positioned underneath the chapel in the house, and today the beer is exported to a number of countries, including Sweden of course. I snapped up a box of this and I looked forward to having it in the tasting.
This was deep chestnut in colour with a hint of red, with hardly any head forming or holding. The body was medium, but with an oily residue that clung to the sides of the glass when swirled. Massive dried fruit fragrances exploded from the glass, with dates, figs and raisins all jammed packed into the aroma. The sweet fruits were coupled to a hint of booze and treacle alongside the darker malts that produced a quite wonderous smell. Upon sipping, it was like chewing on a dried fig, with a nice balance of natural sweetness and hops. The warmth of the 7.2% slowly built in the chest as the beer was consumed, yet I wouldn’t call the beer boozy by any stretch. The aftertaste was rather short, but a pleasant sweetness was left on the lips.
This was lovely, especially when I paired this with goats cheese. The big fig and raisin notes worked perfect with the salty cheese, creating a gorgeous blend of flavours in the mouth. On its own, the beer was very nice, with the rich body and taste really stimulating the senses. I could see myself drinking this again sometime soon, especially when goats cheese is around to compliment it!