The BeerCast

The unseasonal weather has continued for Scotland recently, with temperatures soaring into the high teens from the wall to wall sunshine. As a result, a trip to the beautiful interior of the country was called for, and a visit to Perthshire. Stunning scenery, old castles, red squirrels (apparently, although they may as well not exist) – and of course, old pubs. When it comes to these, they don’t get much older than the Moulin Inn just north of Pitlochry, which was established in 1695.

Moulin is very picturesque, a tiny village one mile up the road from the tourist centre of Pitlochry. The Moulin Inn sits on the village square, and is a popular haunt for visitors to the area – when we arrived it was packed. The draws include the traditional interior, old fittings such as a working bar billiards table – and the on-site microbrewery, opened in 1995. Beer from the Moulin Inn sometimes travels to festivals, but is really only found in Perthshire – apart from the one beer they bottle.

We sampled that beer – Ale of Atholl (4.5%) as part of BeerCast #49 – unfortunately it produced a very low score – so I was keen to sample it again, alongside the other three beers the microbrewery produces. First up was the lightest offering – the 3.7% Moulin Light Ale. It was the last of the four to be created – to replace Boddingtons that had until then been served at the Inn. It’s the exact colour of Boddies – very pale and watery – and has a touch of biscuity malt about it. Unfortunately it’s so thin the flavours disappear very quickly, it really is session beer at its weakest.

Next up, Braveheart (4.0%), which was Moulin’s second beer and trialled at the time when Mel Gibson was doing his bit for Scottish freedom on the big screen. Light brown, the nose has a touch of malt and a bitter astringency. Slightly bitter on the palate, this one too has a touch of the wateryness about it, but is still just about drinkable. Ale of Atholl was next, and thankfully on cask it was slightly better than the bottle we sampled last year – but unfortunately only just.

All of Moulin’s beers have an odd quality to them – a musty bitterness which verges on the unpleasant. I’m not sure if we were just unlucky – on RateBeer a lot of the scores are extremely positive, so maybe we just caught them on a bad day. Ale of Atholl had a soapy aftertaste which spoiled the decent malt character. RateBeer user macdeffe summed up his thoughts in a way I agree with – “the taste reminds me of the dirt you remove from mushrooms when preparing them.”

Finally on to the last beer, the 5.2% Old Remedial, named by a touring rowing club that happened to be staying in the hotel while the brew was finalised. This saw the Ale of Atholl recipe (which was Moulin’s first beer) amended with one pound per gallon of local honey. I’m always wary of a totally flat pint, and mine arrived looking like a glass of coloured water. The aroma was interesting, malt and chocolate with a sweetness, presumably from the honey. Unfortunately, the whole thing was again spoiled by an off-putting coppery aftertaste.

This is such a shame – and again hopefully this was just an off-day for the Inn, but all of their beers were really poor. The village of Moulin is lovely, and the Inn itself is really nice. Replacing the original features after many years of unwise modernisation was a great idea. Moulin were one of the original Scottish microbreweries, and have done a great job in turning around the place. The quality of the beers, however, really lets them down.

Moulin Inn website

As we rapidly approach our 50th podcast, we’ve decided to throw number 49 over to that homebrewing raconteur MrB – he was briefed to find four or five (he found five) beers that would get us talking. He’s certainly come back with an interesting selection, and we begin the MrBCast with a small-scale Scottish producer and end with an American giant. Our first beer is Ale of Atholl (4.5%) from the Moulin Inn Brewery in Pitlochry, one of the first microbreweries in Scotland. We then sample another from our home country, Larbert’s Tryst Brewery Raj IPA (5.5%), located a couple of miles from MrB’s birthplace. Our third beer is the start of the American ales – Odell’s Cutthroat Porter (4.8%), named after the state fish of Colorado. Next it’s the first canned beer to be sampled on the BeerCast – Caldera IPA (6.1%) from Ashland, Oregon. We end the podcast with a bang; Dogfish Head’s wood-aged brown ale Palo Santo Marron (12.0%). Joining MrB are Richard, Shovels and Grooben, and as Grooben says – expect “the most hoptastic, hoppiest hopcast that ever hopped”.

1. Ale of Atholl (4.5%abv)
Moulin Inn Brewery, Pitlochry, Perth and Kinross. 500ml glass bottle

The Moulin Inn dates from 1695 and was originally a coach house for services between Pitlochry and Kirkmichael. The brewery was established in 1995 and were therefore one of the first microbreweries in Scotland. Their first beers were called simply A and B, and were priced at 50p a pint in the pub. Holding a competition for more inspiring names, a local won a bottle of whisky for suggesting Ale of Atholl, a Geographic pun on the Inn’s location.

** Unfortunately the Moulin Inn’s offering may have been off – there were strange aromas and tastes coming from the bottle that didn’t really seem intentional. We carried on reviewing and scoring it, but may have to get another bottle of Ale of Atholl to get a true reflection on it’s taste. **

What They Say –
“The name of this full-bodied, mellow, red-coloured ale is a pun on the Vale of Atholl, which lies close to Moulin Village.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben – It doesn’t taste quite right to me 4
Richard – May be a good beer under there, too much tartness 3
MrB – This isn’t their best beer by a long shot 3
Shovels – There’s a hint of raspberries and vinegar about it 2

2. Raj IPA (5.5%abv)
Tryst Brewery, Larbert, Stirlingshire. 500ml glass bottle

Falkirk’s Tryst Brewery grew from the ashes of another producer, as the closure of Manchester’s Berkley Brewery saw their gear bought by enthusiastic homebrewer John McGarva and relocated to Scotland. He’d taken a chance when the twin co-incidences of prospective downsizing at work and part-time work in a brewpub gave him serious thoughts of a career change. Tryst began life on an industrial estate in Larbert in 2004, initially concentrating on cask ales, they now put out a range of bottle-conditioned beers.

What They Say –
“This India Pale Ale marks a slight change in direction of Tryst Ales, away from low alcohol session ales to rather more substantial and serious Real Ale. This IPA is hopped with three popular British hops to produce a deep lingering taste, complementing the underlying malts for a memorable pint.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Got a fantastic tropical fruit/mango aroma 8½
Grooben – Fruity but it packs a real bitterness though 8
MrB – It’s fruity rather than floral for an IPA 8
Shovels – Smells golden, tastes really very good indeed 8

3. Cutthroat Porter (4.8%abv)
Odell Brewing Co, Fort Collins, Colorado. 355ml glass bottle

In 1989 Doug Odell decided to take his passion for home brewing into something more commercial (like John McGarva a few years later). Together with his wife Wynne they left Seattle (where Doug had been brewing in his kitchen) and moved to Colorado to be nearer to his sister Corkie and start a brewery together. This they did in that same year, producing beer for the thirsty college town. In 1996 they acquired the facility to bottle their output, and shipped across the United States. They have a large range of English-style classics and seasonals, with a special oak-aged series running from 2007 thanks to the arrival of some Kentucky oak barrels.

What They Say –
“Not quite a stout but definitely no lightweight, Cutthroat Porter is smooth and robust. Inspired by the classic London porters, we use dark roasted malts to create a deep, rich color and flavor [sic] that hint at chocolate and coffee.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – A little bit roasty, not much coffee, it’s good to see an American brewery showing some restraint 7½
MrB – A great session porter with no Lactose sweetness 7½
Shovels – In a porter podcast this would be right up there 7
Grooben – I’m not sold on it, it doesn’t punish the mouth, it doesn’t excite me enough 6

4. Caldera IPA (6.1%abv)
Caldera Brewing, Ashland, Oregon. 355ml aluminium can

Caldera produced their first brew on the 4th of July 1997, after having been incorporated as a company in March the previous year. For their first eight years they concentrated on draught beers until June 2005 when the question of distribution arose. Unlike Odell, Tryst and Moulin they decided to go for cans – reasons why include portability, cost, refrigeration, and the elimination of oxidation. Caldera like to use plenty of hops in their products (which is presumably what attracted MrB), taking advantage of the ideal growing conditions in the Pacific Northwest.

What They Say – “An American-style India Pale Ale brewed with plenty of body and an assertive hop profile. Malts: Premium Two Row, Munich, Crystal. Hops: Crystal, Galena, Centennial.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB – One of the primary reasons this is so good for me is it’s 6% and almost sessiony, you could really drink a few of these 10
Shovels – On taste I prefer Ruination IPA, on drinkability I prefer this 9
Grooben – Really good, it’s got expertly balanced IPA flavours 9
Richard – Flowery and smooth with a pine aftertaste, any way you cut it this is a great beer 9

5. Pablo Santo Marron (12.0%abv)
Dogfish Head, Milton, Delaware. 355ml glass bottle

One of the pillars of the American craft brewing scene, Dogfish Head were founded by Sam Calagione in 1995 in the Delaware town of Milton. They revel in the unpredictable, producing beers with unusual ingredients – one of which was a green beer called Verdi Verdi Good – naturally coloured by blue-green algae Spirulina. Their signature line are their IPA’s – 60, 90 and 120 minute IPA, referring to the length of time hops are added to the wort. They also have a rare 75 minute IPA, which is a mix of 60 and 90 with maple syrup. We reviewed their astonishing 90min IPA here – today we’re sampling their wood-aged monster brown ale Pablo Santo Marron.

What They Say – “Big Brown Ale aged on palo santo wood from Paraguay. This beer is a 12% abv, highly roasty, and malty brown ale aged on the wood of the Palo Santo tree from Paraguay. Palo Santo means “holy tree” and it’s wood has been used in South American wine-making communities. We were lucky enough to get our hands on 20 blocks of the super-dense wood and the wood was added to the ageing tank after fermentation.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB – It’s like a fortified beer for sipping and appreciating 7
Richard – Sweetness is more confectionary than caramel 6½
Grooben – Got a sherry thing going on, I got a slam of alcohol at the end, but it’s just too sweet for my personal tastes 5
Shovels – I have a sweet tooth and that’s too sweet for me 4

Panellists – (clockwise from top left) Grooben, MrB, Shovels, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Caldera IPA (37/40)
Tryst Raj IPA (32½/40)
Odell Cutthroat Porter (28/40)
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron (22½/40)
Moulin Ale of Atholl (12/40)

Next up is a true milestone as we reach BeerCast #50. Not many of us expected to still be recording beer podcasts three years after we started, but we have reached our half century. We’ll be doing something special, with some one-off celebration beers. Stay tuned, and thanks to everyone who has downloaded or followed us over the years…