Saint Archer Scottish Ale (7.0%)

Ian Robinson

Ian Robinson

Location
San Diego
On nitro served in a 16oz glass at the Saint Archer brewery tap. I've rarely touched nitro beers with a barge pole following the time I sent back a nitro Old Speckled Hen that tasted like warm dish water. Very occasionally I'll try an Irish Dry Stout as long as it's not Guinness, but I generally try and avoid this method of dispensing.

That said, this was Saint Archer, one of my favourite San Diego breweries who to this point have always delivered. Their Scottish Ale gave an enticing nose of malt and walnuts. Creamy malty flavours then came into play with a hint of cinnamon.

There were nutty nuances throughout the flavour profile with dry toasted almonds and a revival of the malty notes. Light caramel came into the finish with an extra dose of walnuts and butterscotch seeing things out. This beer was understated, smooth to the core and actually quite delicious.
www.saintarcherbrewery.com
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Sounds a cracking beer. Nitro dispense got a lot of bad press in the Caffrey's days but it is pretty popular with home brewers in the UK serving kegged beers because of the smoothness. Looks closer to a 'wee heavy' in alcohol strength though and I wonder if it would be even better served in smaller measures in a tulip-type glass (as I found with Traquair Ale)?
 
Kinley - As things tend to do in the US, the Nitro beer scene is taking off at a rapid rate of knots. Sam Adams already has what they're calling "The Nitro Project", so far featuring three beers: a Coffee Cream Stout, an IPA and a White Ale. Their slogan is "Pop, Pour and Enjoy" which, to mind, is attempting to appeal to US beer fans who haven't got the foggiest what the term "nitro" means.

Elsewhere, breweries all over the shop are producing nitro beers in their portfolio - Lagunitas has a nitro Russian Imperial Stout w/hazelnuts & vanilla; Deschutes has a nitro cream ale; and Left Hand Brewing Co has a nitro Milk Stout which is their biggest selling beer.

Even my beloved Founders, out of Michigan, now has a string of nitro beers out on the market. It does make me wonder what the next "biggest" thing will be out here.
 
This is a type of beer I try to avoid. Having said that, many years ago I used to drink a lot of draught Guinness which, I assume, was always nitro-keg. It used to be pretty good then, but isn't good any
more.

I can't understand why anyone in the UK would want to drink nitro-keg when they can drink cask beer.
 
Alan - If you drank Guinness prior to 1961, then it would have been cask- conditioned from two different barrels (hence the original two-stage pour). After 1961, you'd be drinking nitro-keg Guinness.
 
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