Beer - #587 - Renaissance - Stonecutter Scotch Ale - Tap

This was at the FYO station, so hear we have the  Renaissance - Stonecutter Scotch Ale A beer I had a year ago in the bottle format.

In this post then; Revisiting tastes, revisiting bands, revisit the numbers and the after party visit.

And for those of you who want to know about where the name Stonecutter came from, you will need to know the secret handshake

This is around 210 calories a serve,  it is a 7% ABV  beer and the 1 litre is 5.52 standard drinks,

Stonecutter is brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style of a  Scotch Ale and they live in Blenheim, New Zealand

This is the big, hearty ’red wine’ of our range. Nine malts are blended to produce layers of caramel, coffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours and

[caption id="attachment_10912" align="alignleft" width="300"] Wee Heavy[/caption]

these are balanced by a tart, raisiny fruitiness that gradually gives way to a lingering dry finish. Rich, full bodied. warming and moreish. Stonecutter pairs well with venison, roast beef or lamb, or the heartiest casseroles and stews. For dessert try with a creme brulee or, of course, Scottish shortbread.

We use nine malts blended together to produce layers of caramel, toffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours. These layers are balanced by a tart, raisiny fruitiness that gradually gives way to give this dark beer a lingering dry finish.

Rich, full bodied, warming and moreish.

Multi award winning Stonecutter Scotch Ale is the big, hearty, ‘red wine’ of our range. The Scotch Ale style is believed to have originated in Edinburgh in the 18th century and is colloquially known as "wee heavy" due to its higher strength than its paler siblings. We use nine malts blended together to produce layers of caramel, toffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours. These layers are balanced by a tart, raisiny fruitiness that gradually gives way to give this dark beer a lingering dry finish.!

What could possibly go wrong?

Has a real coffee / toffee aroma on opening.

Dark brown mahogany pour with a small and decently thick head. Aroma is still that burn toffee / coffee thing very malty.

Smoky to the taste, subtle smoky, complimentary smokey, deliciously smokey. Highly bitter at a really nice level too.

Has a surprisingly subtle and persistent linger too.

Whilst the smokiness is the most noticeable thing about the taste there is a decent amount of warmth and softness in the body of this, and the whole is a very decently balanced dark beer of some distinction.

I think last I drank this I had the sense of 'raisins' which I don't get now, but I get a big bunch of smoke that I didn't before. Odd things beers.

Don't find the pre-nose aroma that tempting as a thing, but it's not off-putting, though it's a strangely welcoming thing, the sort of aroma you'd romanticise about a pub having perhaps.

A very very drinkable and thoroughly enjoyable wee heavy to get my mood straightened up and flying right. A beer of many things, I've sipped and enjoyed it, I quaffed and guzzled, it fits the moment you're in. If the moment you're in is of course for a dark smokey beer of slightly higher ABV than usual.

[inserts some poetry here]. ..[kidding]

Pdubyah-o-meter rating this is 9, making it quite remarkable, well 'great' on the random scale of things. Still 'great' is just worse than 'awesome' that's how random the scale is. I can't believe that the bottle and the tap version could differ so much.  But then it's me and how the thing is at that moment.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? This is rather a good beer.


2. Would I have another? I would and would again a few times.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I so would, you, me, the porch, (it's cold so couple blankets), might light a fire-pit or something, this, the stars and a whole lot of blether.

I like this album, Status Quo, Stripped Bare the Acoustic versions. Listen Here

Status Quo are an English rock band whose music is characterized by their distinctive brand of boogie rock. This is "Caroline"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdNkoPGiHbc

I had boogie around the lounge.

SCOTCH ALE

Scotch Ale was the name given to a strong pale ale from Edinburgh in the 19th century. This was typical of the strong pale ales brewed in Britain at that time - mainly pale barley malt and moderate hopping, and were not that stylistically different to English Strong Ales or Barley Wines. The name however became regionalised so that a strong pale ale from Scotland became known as a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. Beers using the designation Scotch Ale are popular in the USA where most examples are brewed locally. Examples of beers brewed in the USA under the name Wee Heavy tend to be 7% abv and higher, while Scottish brewed examples, such as Belhavens Wee Heavy, are typically between 5.5% and 6.5% abv.

Related articles

• Beer Review #37: Squire Scotch Ale


• Case File #41 - Scotch Ale


• Beer - #310 - Renaissance - Stonecutter Scotch Ale

Beer- #579 - Harrington's - Big John Special Reserve

Next then, Harringtons Big John Special Reserve.

Brewed especially for connoisseurs. Conditioned in oak bourbon barrels for one year.

Saved for last, the last dance, the last count, and the last dance.

This is a 500ml bottle, 6.5% ABV, 195 calories a serve size and 2.56 standard drink units. 

Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) in the style that is of  Scotch Ale and they are in Christchurch, New Zealand , the label has is as a "Strong Dark"

It has its own unique flavour and has won enough medals to sink a ship! Big John Special Reserve is a must try for dark beer lovers.

[caption id="attachment_10823" align="alignleft" width="300"] Big Phil about to give the Big John a nudge[/caption]

Big John Special Reserve has Kentucky Bourbon infused into this strong dark with the flavours of roasted malts along with the oak and bourbon to give it’s unique roasted flavour a difference.

Totally Enjoyable!

Pours golden brown and orange with a lacing white head. Mild spiced and breadish aroma. Roasted malt and mild breadish flavour. Light butterish note too. Mild spice note to a dry malt base into a light bodied finish.

What could possibly go wrong? Despite not being able to find it on the brewers website?

I saved this for last, hoping it would be the best, the Classy Red was great, I was hoping this would be as good. It carries the bosses name it should be.

Wow that's a roasted malt aroma that portends well. Deep chocolate too, Rich. I might have done good leaving this to last.

Pour is deep brown like mahogany but I didn't pay attention and then I didn't get a head,  I blame me for that.  Aroma in the glass is still that lovely chocolate roasted burnt thing, and also fruity.

Colour me surprised this is a really genuinely good beer, with lots of all the good things.  Pleasant aroma, lovely top of tongue bitterness, fantastic melange of flavours over the tongue and then a soft and gentle finish.

Like the classy red then this is a bit good. I know already that I want another and would be happy to sit in the pub and get to a happy place on this.

Discernible amount of hops, and then a crashing amount of toasted malts, I don't drink the Bourbon so I have no idea, but I can tell you the fruity over-layer fits really well, and is a welcome taste. The bitterness is really comfortable to, enough to remind and not so much that it is the thing. Clever stuff.

What this really has going for it though is that yo get all that good stuff without the big big ABV that could knock you out of your chair, and you might be challenged to find an equal. Well not really, but this is an exceptional find after a few disappointments. Also plus if you were going to make a dash at Porters or Darker beers this would be a great leap off.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 a of its things from the thing. I'm quite enthusiastic about this.  A beer with a big aroma of fruits that presages the wash of the enjoyably bitter beer and the three or four things going on and then leaves gently and without fuss. Come again. It's just good.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? This is cracking, banging, beast or whatever the newest word is to describe 'good' 


2. Would I have another? I might send MrsDubyah out in the night to get me one. Won't happen, but it might.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would bring two because this is something unusual a full flavoured, fully interactive beer that isn't going to make you do the strange leg walking thing at the end of the night, you know the wavy straight line, both shoulders hitting the hallway walls in a straight line walk, you know the one....

Note: I was provided this beer by the brewer to try and review, without catches,  this is 1 of 12 should you wonder about the sudden love of a brewer out of the blue. 

You are not going believe this : I'm listening to an artist who calls themselves "Guitar" and the album is called " The Abandoned House of Micha Lueckner & Susi Tunn in 14 Songs"

Wonder why I can't find a link or clip?  you could try here if you wanted to play the clips.

You know you're going to.

SCOTCH ALE

Scotch Ale was the name given to a strong pale ale from Edinburgh in the 19th century. This was typical of the strong pale ales brewed in Britain at that time - mainly pale barley malt and moderate hopping, and were not that stylistically different to English Strong Ales or Barley Wines. The name however became regionalised so that a strong pale ale from Scotland became known as a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. Beers using the designation Scotch Ale are popular in the USA where most examples are brewed locally. Examples of beers brewed in the USA under the name Wee Heavy tend to be 7% abv and higher, while Scottish brewed examples, such as Belhavens Wee Heavy, are typically between 5.5% and 6.5% abv.

Related articles

• Three Imperial IPAs


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Beer - #497 - Renaissance / 8 Wired - Wirecutter

Collaborative beer, Collaborative music, Collaborative Maths and a Collaboration Celebration.

This is A hoppy Scotch Ale brewed in collaboration bewteen 8 Wired Brewing & Renaissance Brewing.

500ml in the bottle that is of an 8.2% ABV beer, being  3.27 standard drink units in NZ and 249 calories a serve (330ml)

Renaissance / 8 Wired Wirecutter is brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style that is of a  Scotch Ale and they are in Blenheim, New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_9889" align="alignleft" width="300"] Saturday Cracker[/caption]

To celebrate our years together we have done one final collaboration which is a meld of our two famous flagship beers, Stonecutter and Hopwired.
Wirecutter is therefore a Scotch Ale with big malt, huge amounts of New Zealand hops and a nice hint of smokiness.
A fitting way to cut the cord!

I've had both the Hopwired (9) and the Stonecutter (7) so a mash up might result in an 8 on average?

You'd think that would be possible, it could end up being higher the sum of the parts and all that.

What could possibly go wrong?

Certainly a hop burst of aroma on opening, it's pleasant on it's own, but I doubt it'd make a good cologne.

500ml doesn't quite fill a pint glass and the small head doesn't fill the gap. It pours a lovely golden orange brown, the head darker and although tiny is persistent, I did try to get fuller but alas not. It would just have been bling.

Wow that is an explosion of tastes, lots of hops and resin and malt and sugars, a length of carry that stops just short of full and finishes somewhat sour sticky.  There is so much going on.

The hops and the associated grassiness are the dominant force though in this mismatch. I'm kind of struggling to grasp what is going on.

Lots of hops makes you go all IPA. Lots of Malt makes you go in a different direction like a Pale, I get the thinking that got them here, the best of what you did the best of what we did, I'm sure on paper great, in the glass though, not so much.

Not undrinkable though, far from it, both the hops and sweetness carry this to be quite the beer with an interesting mouthfeel, but it is a bit loud and shouty, a bit of a hooligan. I would doubt that this is on the 'keeper' list at the brewery, not only because of circumstance, if you put that aside this just does not work well as  a beer.

Summing up then you can tell I'm not a fan.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as a middle of the road and average  7 a of its things from the thing.  They tell you what it is, and they tell you why it is, I'm not convinced they stood around and gave the high-fives when it emerged.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Not so much.


2. Would I have another? Either of the parts perhaps, not the mash-up.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I'd find this difficult to keep a straight face about, it is either a malted up IPA or a Hopped up Scotch, and it doesn't make a lot of sense.

Musicness I was listening to more Shoegaze , this is  "Guilty of Everything" by Nothing. Guilty of Everything is the debut studio album released by the American band Nothing. You'd find them on Bandcamp, Spotify and possibly iTunes if you had to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nVkqyDxros

I wasn't that engaged with this either, I prefer the softer end of shoe gaze rather the the soaring heavy bursts, but there are glimpses and pearls in this.

SCOTCH ALE

Scotch Ale was the name given to a strong pale ale from Edinburgh in the 19th century. This was typical of the strong pale ales brewed in Britain at that time - mainly pale barley malt and moderate hopping, and were not that stylistically different to English Strong Ales or Barley Wines. The name however became regionalised so that a strong pale ale from Scotland became known as a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. Beers using the designation Scotch Ale are popular in the USA where most examples are brewed locally. Examples of beers brewed in the USA under the name Wee Heavy tend to be 7% abv and higher, while Scottish brewed examples, such as Belhavens Wee Heavy, are typically between 5.5% and 6.5% abv.

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Beer - #310 - Renaissance - Stonecutter Scotch Ale

A beer that was a gift - Renaissance - Stonecutter Scotch Ale

Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style of a  Scotch Ale and they live in Blenheim, New Zealand

This is the big, hearty ’red wine’ of our range. Nine malts are blended to produce layers of caramel, coffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours and these are balanced by a tart, raisiny fruitiness that gradually gives way to a lingering dry finish. Rich, full bodied. warming and moreish. Stonecutter pairs well with venison, roast beef or lamb, or the heartiest casseroles and stews. For dessert try with a creme brulee or, of course, Scottish shortbread.

We use nine malts blended together to produce layers of caramel, toffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours. These layers are balanced by a tart, raisiny fruitiness that gradually gives way to give this dark beer a lingering dry finish.

Rich, full bodied, warming and moreish.

Multi award winning Stonecutter Scotch Ale is the big, hearty, ‘red wine’ of our range. The Scotch Ale style is believed to have originated in Edinburgh in the 18th century and is colloquially known as "wee heavy" due to its higher strength than its paler siblings. We use nine malts blended together to produce layers of caramel, toffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours. These layers are balanced by a tart, raisiny fruitiness that gradually gives way to give this dark beer a lingering dry finish.

210 calories a serve, 7% ABV and 2.8 standard drinks, in a 500 ml bottle. Get in!

Heavy yeasty bready aroma on opening. Pours a lovely chestnut brown with a smallish off white head that seems firm and persistent.

More fruits and raisin in the aroma than indicated from the opening.

This is a full beer, by which it has a nice set of tastes from the tip the finish. There's a nice bitterness and a nice amount of caramels throughout this.

The raisin fruits play their supporting part too, adding to the whole enjoyment of this.

But, and isn't there always a but? I'm not actually sure that this is as full as I think it is, you can mistake a better beer this time than the last beer you had as being a step change.

This is really easy drinking, there are no hard edges to trip you up, and there is no unusual flavour or notes to distract you.

Pdubyah-o-meter rating this is 7, making it better than good. I could have started the afternoon with this and been happy to keep spending the afternoon with it. But let me not get carried away.  I'm not in love.

Yes I'd session on this (drink this a bit), but it could end up cloying and full of the caramels and sugars which would make it heavy weather after a couple.

Musically, because this is important. I can't help but like the Smiths and Morrissey - this one is  Everyday Is Like Sunday.  MrsPdubyah and me went to see him in concert recently, frankly he's a bit of a dick. Aside though I do like the musics

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27yyCVC1UvI&w=560&h=315]

SCOTCH ALE

Scotch Ale was the name given to a strong pale ale from Edinburgh in the 19th century. This was typical of the strong pale ales brewed in Britain at that time - mainly pale barley malt and moderate hopping, and were not that stylistically different to English Strong Ales or Barley Wines. The name however became regionalised so that a strong pale ale from Scotland became known as a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. Beers using the designation Scotch Ale are popular in the USA where most examples are brewed locally. Examples of beers brewed in the USA under the name Wee Heavy tend to be 7% abv and higher, while Scottish brewed examples, such as Belhavens Wee Heavy, are typically between 5.5% and 6.5% abv.

Related articles

• Beer Review #37: Squire Scotch Ale


• Beer- #309 - Townshend - Kings Landing


• Case File #41 - Scotch Ale

Beer- #309 - Townshend - Kings Landing

Kings Landing, a dark Scotch ale  with a touch of peated malt. See what I did there Ned's head and then a Kings Landing. Like a Game of Thrones tribute.  or not.

Brewed by Townshend Brewery this is styled as a  Scotch Ale in Upper Moutere, New Zealand

A familiar 500ml bottle of a 5.6% ABV beer making that about 2.2 standard drinks, and only around 150 calories a serve!

So a confusion of descriptions. But I'm intrigued.

Forewarned though that this has a sediment, and from the last bottle might be a gusher.

Light peat aroma on opening, and that was all, no overly excited beer, also a sweetness about this. I frowned.

Almost the opposite an under carbonated beer. Very chestnut brown on the pour, and the little head settles to just a film. Aroma really is go light peat, or perhaps you could imagine a wee dram in your beer as a filler.

There is a lightness about the peat addition in this, more at the aroma and insinuation level than as an integral part of the brewing. It's not an afterthought though clearly this is part of the brewing process.

Peat infused beer then. Hot or miss. There are certainly a few of these styles around, Old Dubh was the last one I had, and that was fantastic, then there was a Yeastie Boys version that was almost, for me, undrinkable.

This is somewhere in the middle. Most defiantly not undrinkable by any stretch of the imagination.

Enjoyable? For me though this is 'thin', like the Ned's head. There isn't a substance to the body that carries this. The peatiness leaves the stage and leaves a cold beer that is somewhat middle of the road.

I don't think this hits the brief somehow. Pdubyah-o-meter thinks 5, absolutely making this average, and average as.

You get the peat (read whisky) note as the background to this but that leaves you a bit unfulfilled and empty. If you were on a dink unit limit you might be miffed you wasted a couple on this though. If, however, you like a whisky and you like beer, this might be something you could try and be sightly impressed with.

I wasn't and I won't be revisiting this to try again.

Not so confused about the music in the background  - a little something from Vampire Weekend

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_qKmTLbEPc&w=560&h=315]

SCOTCH ALE

Scotch Ale was the name given to a strong pale ale from Edinburgh in the 19th century. This was typical of the strong pale ales brewed in Britain at that time - mainly pale barley malt and moderate hopping, and were not that stylistically different to English Strong Ales or Barley Wines. The name however became regionalised so that a strong pale ale from Scotland became known as a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. Beers using the designation Scotch Ale are popular in the USA where most examples are brewed locally. Examples of beers brewed in the USA under the name Wee Heavy tend to be 7% abv and higher, while Scottish brewed examples, such as Belhavens Wee Heavy, are typically between 5.5% and 6.5% abv.

Related articles

• Beer - #230 - Deep Creek - Dweller on the Threshold


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Beer - #230 - Deep Creek - Dweller on the Threshold

Strange names for beer abound, and this one is no exception. From Deep Creek  I have a "Dweller on the Threshold"  Brewed by Deep Creek Brewing Co in the style of a  Scotch Ale they do this in Auckland, New Zealand, the Brewpub being in Browns Bay, a whole 5km from home if I wanted to walk, at least to there that is, no telling about the way home. However the brewery for this is in Silverdale, a bit of a drive away.

This is one hell of a beer! We start by brewing a rich, smooth Scotch Ale, then age it in used whiskey barrels for a devilish twist. The intoxicating whiskey flavours and aromas infuse seamlessly with our creation, like a malevolent entity attaching itself to a human being..

The aged oak barrels also impart hints of vanilla, a promise of something sweeter amidst the darkness. A devilish creation.

ABV of 7.3 in a big 750ml bottle, which makes it about 4.32 NZ standard drink units.

Bonus is that this is bottle 104 of only 1250 made.

 It's well presented and could be a mission to open with a waxed overseal on the bottle. Having picked throughout that you find a normal cap to open, which is a bit of a let down.

Muted hiss on opening, and nose of whiskey is apparent. Pours a deep black, with a fair frothy head of mocha brown. Whiskey aroma becomes much more muted. Bottle can now seen to be green. Like a wine bottle. Really.

Head dies quite quickly. Taste is like a barley wine, lots of heavy fruits, and not a lot of the promised whiskeyness. Soft and easy to drink this does not challenge you in the same way that other whiskey infused beers might, and it quite an acceptable beer on it's own, and not a special occasion thing that you'd get out to impress.

However being as how there are only 1250 bottle made I can't see this ever being mainstream or being lauded over by many people.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this a 10 on the scale of things, as Awesome, but mostly because it's a rarity. If it was a general issue beer this would still rate highly as at least a 9 or 9.25 on the random scale of things.

The Deep Creek beers are somewhat like the Hallertau beers, a bit hit or miss. This is most definitely a bullseye shot to greatness.

I'm going to smugly sit here and enjoy the rest of this, it really is that good.

SCOTCH ALE

Scotch Ale was the name given to a strong pale ale from Edinburgh in the 19th century. This was typical of the strong pale ales brewed in Britain at that time - mainly pale barley malt and moderate hopping, and were not that stylistically different to English Strong Ales or Barley Wines. The name however became regionalised so that a strong pale ale from Scotland became known as a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. Beers using the designation Scotch Ale are popular in the USA where most examples are brewed locally. Examples of beers brewed in the USA under the name Wee Heavy tend to be 7% abv and higher, while Scottish brewed examples, such as Belhavens Wee Heavy, are typically between 5.5% and 6.5% abv.

Beer - #174 - Renaissance - Enlightenment Series - Scotch on Rye 70/- Ale

For a Friday then, the Renaissance Enlightenment Series Scotch on Rye 70/- Ale.

..it means ’70 shilling’ (sigh, OK, I will tell the whole story). We were asked to make a big malty beer that is lower in alcohol than a Scotch Ale so we went to the source and brewed another Scottish style, the 70/- Ale. Malty and satisfying without too much kick. Oh and we brewed this one with Rye... because Rye not! We also used oats and wheat in the mash for flavour and mouth-feel and then left the brew to age on Oak until it was smooth and mellow.

Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style of a  Scotch Ale in the most unlikely of places - Blenheim, New Zealand. A  500ml, 4.8%ABV bottle of beer. (2 standard drinks worth).  and an IBU of 17 - which is in the range for Scottish Beers. Best drunk at between 8-10 degrees C. Well it's pretty cold out so lets try it.

Light bready yeast on opening, surprisingly dark brown colour, plenty of carbonation fizz, and a meagre head.  the aroma settles to a sweet fruit.

There is a lovely maltiness and balanced bitterness, with a pretty long note. You know you've had a mouthful of beer. Surprisingly multi layered and very entertaining!

I like it but there is a 'tang' in there somewhere, perhaps the Rye? it's sort of in the middle, might be mistaken for "rubber".  I'm not saying it'll put you off, but it's something you might need to be aware of that is a character of the beer.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this 7.5 of things - making it a better then good beer.  It's a quirky beer, and it might be a one shot deal. It is different, it isn't "strong" in terms of alcohol content, and therefore relies on a taste profile. Not sure that it hits any of the marks well, but close enough is good enough.