Scotland's beers are on the march
Added: Tuesday, October 15th 2024
It’s good to find a Scottish brewer boosting the traditional beer styles of the country rather than producing yet more versions of IPA and “sour beers”. Broughton Brewery in Tweeddale in the Borders was launched in 1979 and was the first small independent beer maker in the country.
John Buchan, author of such thrillers as The 39 Steps and Greenmantle, was born in Broughton and one of the brewery’s first beers was named Greenmantle – not too surprising when you learn that one of the brewery’s founders was David Collins from the leading Scottish publisher William Collins.
In 1984 Broughton added Old Jock that became a best-seller at home and abroad. It’s known as a Wee Heavy, the name given to strong ale in Scotland. At 6.7 per cent there’s nothing “wee” about it. General Manager David McGowan says the beer, available mainly in bottle but also in cask in selected outlets, will celebrate 40 years of brewing with a special edition aged in whisky casks and an Old Jock Champion Double will be launched in 2025.
The beer is exported to the United States, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Italy and France and a deal with China is in the offing.
The beer has been named Champion Beer of Scotland by SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers, and Champion Scottish Strong Ale by CAMRA.
Head brewer Ian Smith and his team still have the Porteus malt mill and open fermenters used when the beer was launched and their ingredients are mainly British: pale malt and roasted barley with First Gold and Fuggles hops. Perle hops from Germany are the sole overseas ingredient.
Old Jock is named in honour of Scottish military regiments famous for their bravery and their strength. The beer is ruby red in colour, with a luscious aroma of chocolate, sultana fruit, roasted grain, pine needles and spicy hops. Chocolate and roasted malt dominate the palate with gentle spicy hops, pine and burnt fruit. The finish is bittersweet with chocolate, dark fruit, roasted malt and spicy hops.
The brewery has now launched a series of spin-offs from Old Jock. David McGowan says there was a demand from drinkers for a more sessionable beer and the result is Wee Jock, a 4.4 per cent beer that’s a member of the style known as 80 Shilling from a Victorian system of taxing beer according to strength. Beers ranged from 60 to 90 Shilling.
Wee Jock is brewed with pale and crystal malts, with roasted barley. The hops are First Gold, Fuggles and Magnum. It’s chestnut coloured with rich malt, berry fruits and spicy hops on the nose. There’s a good hop attack on the palate, balanced by juicy malt and tart fruit. The finish has a fine balance of malt, fruit and hops. It’s a highly drinkable and refreshing beer.
Stout Jock, 4.8 per cent, is a complex beer due to its use of pale, crystal, black and chocolate malts plus roasted barley. The hops are First Gold, Fuggles and Perle.
It’s jet black with a fluffy collar of foam and has a big aroma of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, roasted grain and spicy hops. Chocolate, roast and herbal hops dominate the palate followed by a long finish with strong notes of chocolate, caramel and roasted grain balanced by tart and bitter hops.
Highland Jock at 5.9 per cent is the Regimental Sergeant Major of the batch, a rich and powerful beer. It’s brewed with First Gold, Fuggles and Perle hops. It’s dark with amber hints and has a rich roasted grain aroma with dark burnt fruit, tart hops and a hint of coffee. A sweet malt palate is balanced by dark fruits and tangy hops, followed by a bittersweet finish with luscious fruit, roasted malt and spicy hops.
These are all brilliant beers and Richard Hannay would clamber down The 39 Steps to savour them.
