Mullertime

Mull is the second largest of the Inner Hebridean islands off the west coast of Scotland, and although whisky is the major concern in those parts, beer is also available if you go looking. I was there a couple of months ago, and managed to locate some bottles from the local Isle of Mull Brewery. Just the bottles though, the brewery is tucked away behind a cafe bar at the southern end of Tobermory, and I couldn’t find it. They started in May 2005, and have a five barrel plant in Ledaig where they release a steady range of ales such as Terror of Tobermory, and their Island Pale Ale.

There’s no beer shop in Tobermory to speak of (which is the main town on the island), but the Tescos branch there sells a few varieties, as does a nearby deli, and the ironmongers further up the quayside – which is a first in my experience. I went there on the final day of my trip, trying to find the Mull IPA, but alas all I could find in the three retailers was a paltry two varieties of the Mull brewery’s range – McCaig’s Folly Dark Ale, and Galleon Gold Blonde. So I snapped those up, and went off to catch the ferry back to Oban on the mainland.

McCaig’s Folly is named after the circular tower that dominates Oban (and is pictured on the label). Built by a local industrialist at the turn of the century, it was planned to rival the colosseum in Rome, with a museum and art gallery in the centre. But when he died in 1902 the project was abandoned with only the outer walls completed. The beer is similarly empty, with not much going on. At 4.2%abv, it pours reddish brown, and tastes slightly gassy – almost like a watered down 80/-. It’s drinkable, but summed up in a single word – insipid.

Thankfully the Galleon Gold is far superior. A 5% straw coloured blonde ale, it’s named after a local legend involving a ship of the Spanish Armada. After they were routed by the Royal Navy, the surviving vessels fled around the entire British coastline – many coming to grief on rocks off Scotland or Ireland. The Florenica was moored in Tobermory harbour in 1588 when it suddenly exploded and sank. Reputedly part of the cargo was £300,000 of gold bullion, and it still lies somewhere off the Mull coastline. The ale might not be as valuable, but it’s got a mellow vanilla flavour to it, and is really rather good.