Highland takeover Cloisters

Last month we were pondering about the rise of tap takeovers in the Edinburgh beer calendar, as we rumbled over to Leith for the Black Isle event at Nobles. This week there are two more in the city, with the first of those taking place last night. Rob Hill’s Highland Brewing Company arrived at Cloisters Bar with nine beers in tow (two of them brand new releases), so we had to head down to see what was going on. Nothing pricks up the ears of the BeerCast like a beer launch, after all.

There’s something almost comforting about bagging a table at Cloisters and watching the people flow in for an event, and as the pub filled up I started off on Highland’s Staff Pint. With a pump clip featuring Cloisterians past and present, this example of the rare house beer had been dry hopped with Citra. Having been one of the few to catch the bespoke Highland Citra at the Bow Bar recently – an ultimate, single cask, blink and you miss it beer – I was looking forward to this one immensely.

Let’s get something on the table straight away – Highland’s beers have, to me, a very distinctive flavour profile. Later investigation by BeerCast wingman Ash from Appellation Wines may have hit on the reason – the house yeast. Rob crafts his beers with style (I hope he wouldn’t mind me referring to it as a careful, old-timey style). There are few other Scottish breweries who I know immediately what kind of beer I’m going to be drinking – even if, as in this case, it’s had Citra piled in.

Their beers are brilliantly drinkable, and all (the golden ones anyway – and I’ll be coming back to that later) have a green bitterness, a pithy edge to them. Described by Ash quite brilliantly as being ‘nettley’ their beers then often finish with a pear-like fruitiness to them. Whether this suits dry hopping, I’m not sure. The additional hop load seems to not sit well with the base flavour of the beer – such as the Island Hopping with Nelson Sauvin (which in itself is highly vinous, of course).

To me, Highland have always excelled in two areas. Firstly – their drinkable session beers. Orkney Best is an abv-battling cracker – smooth, faintly grassy, and with that green pithiness balanced beautifully by a Weetabix-esque sweetness. Secondly – their dark beers. Dark Munro is the best mild in Scotland, and Sneaky Wee Orkney Stout is simply brilliant. Far and away the best beer of the night (and I include Old Norway in that). Go dark more often, Rob!

The two new beers came out at about 8ish, with an eager queue forming soon afterwards following a short speech. A 4.7% Pale Ale was joined on debut by the 5.2% The Duke IPA – nicely badged with a battleship toting pumpclip. The Pale again delivered that signature mix of bitter orange flavour mingled with sweet, almost honey-edged biscuit. The Duke – introduced by Rob as having “too much hop in for me, as a brewer” (said with a beaming grin, of course) was up next.

Similar to the Pale Ale at first – the soft, dull hop rose as it went on, becoming pithy and vinous. I believe (and please correct me, if wrong) that Rob’s son Lewis had more than a hand in this beer – which would explain Hill Snr’s cheeky comment. It reminded me a bit of Orkney Blast – very smooth, hides the alcohol well, and again that sweet pear finish. There’s a decent amount of sharp citrus in there – whilst the balance might not be exactly nailed on, it’s a drinker’s beer and a great effort.