Miasmatic Review

Traquair Jacobite

Tonight is a first for the beer reviews. Tonight we hit a special landmark. Tonight I will review the tenth beer donated by Petey of Petey’s Powderhorn. Thus he is the first reader and enabler to break into double digits! I also have three more beers of his to review in the fridge. Petey hand selected this beer in honor of my re-enacting persona, Seamus MacPhail. Tonight, we cross the pond and drink to the king over the water! For tonight we drink Traquair Jacobite by the Traquair House Brewery in Innerleithen, Peebleshire, Scotland!

Petey, this review is dedicated to you.

It came in an 11.2 FL. OZ. brown bottle. The label is black with white lettering on it. The picture is done in the 18th century style of two thistles and what I am assuming is supposed to be Bonnie Prince Charlie between them. The name of the beer is above the label and states, “Traquair Jacobite flavored ale, Ale flavored with coriander.” On the back under a picture of a crown it states, “The famous Bear Gates guarding the approach to Traquair House near Peebles have been closed since 1745~ when the last person to pass through them was Bonnie Prince Charlie.”

The color is a dark chocolate brown, what light that passes through it has a ruby hue to it. It’s thick enough that you can’t tell if it’s cloudy or not. A thin tan head formed, and faded quickly to nothing. There is no lacing on the side of the glass.

The scent is an exciting combination of Toffee, molasses and coriander. They combine to give the beer a scent reminiscent of a ginger bread cookie. As the beer warms up closer to room temperature the scent opens up and releases touch of a chocolate malt scent. The taste is much like the scent. The coriander, molasses and toffee flavors combine to make the main flavors of the beer. There is a subtle dark fruit flavor, such as prunes that accent the flavor and really boosts the taste. As the beer warms, the chocolate malts are more noticeable. This is definitely a beer you do not want to drink too cold, as the beer has a better flavor at just cooler than room temperature. At 8% Alcohol by volume, you can’t taste the alcohol at all.

It is a medium bodied beer with a smooth and creaminess to it that coats the mouth. It is very easy to drink. There is a pleasant level of carbonation to the beer that is just strong enough to bite on the tongue.

This is an excellent beer. It’s a nice beer to sit around with friends and enjoy slowly with conversation. In fact the beer itself may be the topic of conversation. Especially if you are with people that don’t know what a Jacobite is. I found myself really enjoying this beer as I reviewed it. If you can get your hands on a bottle of this beer, I would recommend it. I give it 9 out of 10.