7 January 2015

Scarlet Macaw Beer (Waitrose) [By @SpectreUK]


"Well shiver me timbers, me Hearties!" I've recently been watching Black Sails, a pirate adventure series set before Treasure Island with Captain Flint and John Silver. I really enjoyed the first series and the next is out on TV this month. Bizarrely not a pirate phrase or sea shanty the whole first series! Not even a "Arrr!" from anyone. Perhaps pirates didn't really talk like that? One thing they did like (as far as I know) was parrots. Another thing was grog. This beer would be reminiscent of grog for its tartness (without the added rum), as it's been brewed with two types of American hops from the Yakima Valley in Washington State. As the bottle states both Amarillo (don't worry this drink has nothing to do with the song!) and Summit hops bashed together provide the spicy fruity tart gooseberry type flavour with a touch of peach. It also states that the bitter end is as sharp as a 'macaw's screech' I love my beer full of body and bitter as a pirate who's lost his treasure, and by gum I wasn't to be disappointed. From the frothy pouring to the fruity almost peachy smell to the initial taste this beer had it all. Full bodied couldn't describe it, the complex lightly spiced fruity smell almost lulled me in with a false sense of security and a promise of sweet peach. It was like a desert island cocktail bar without the girls in Hula outfits. I took a swig and the sweet peachy then tart gooseberry tones slipped off my tongue to be replaced by a spiciness and then a sheer bitter twist like a pirate's hook running down a blackboard. "Who's a pretty beer then? Arrrr!"

Information on the bottle
500ml bottle at 4.8% volume. Brewed by Oakham Ales in Peterborough. Contains barley and wheat.
By Spectre

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