In an effort to bring a bit more organization to things around here, I am adding another series called Brewery Focus - until I think of a better name. The first three posts in the series are going to be about three brews from the Isle of Skye Brewing Company from the bit of the Old Country my folks hail from and have hailed from since around 1250. What with their brewing since 1996, a micro-brewery of over a decade might have as venerable a history within its own field. The ever interesting Roland and Russell, their Ontario distributors, forwarded me a trio of their ales for review.

The first, Red Cuillin, is labeled as their Scottish Export Ale and weighs in at a sessionable 4.2%. The beer pours a deepy orange chestnut with a fine cream tan clingy head. Definitely a Scots ale with nutty raisin malt cut with black malt for a smoky effect. Light in the mouth with semi-soft water. A light tea astringency in the end with a hint of red current fruit in the malt. While it may be a bit lighter than many of the tartan-ed ales you find in North America, it is right there in the middle of the BJCP style "9C. Scottish Export 80/-", that last symbol being for "shilling" the traditional measure for the grades of Scots ales. Remarkably quaffable and worthy. Just 5 BAers rate it but they all approve.