One of my favorite breweries, Traquair House in Scotland, announced today through their importer — Merchant Du Vin — that they’re switching to 500 ml bottles for all of their beers.
That might not seem like big news, and perhaps it’s not, but Traquair House is one of favorite places so I never miss a chance to talk about it. If you’ve never been to the brewery, it should definitely be on your beer bucket list. It’s not easy to get to, but it is worth it. Oh, and the beer is terrific, too. If you haven’t had their beer, you should correct that … immediately.
Traquair House Ale shows a deep reddish-amber color and full, velvet-like body. The aroma offers a hint of rich oak; the flavor is opulently malty, complex, and deep but subtle. OG 1.070; IBU 26; ABV 7.2%.
Traquair Jacobite Ale, first brewed in 1995, is spiced with hops as well as another traditional seasoning: coriander. Deep brown; spice and leather aroma; full body; exotic, engaging character and finish. OG 1.075; IBU 23; ABV: 8.0%.
From the press release:
In 1566, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, visited Traquair House on the banks of Scotland’s Tweed River with her infant son James, who would later become King James I of England. During that visit, she drank good ale brewed at Traquair.
Descendants of the same family have lived at Traquair since 1491. Beer was brewed there from the earliest times until some time after 1800; in 1965 the 20th Laird of Traquair, Peter Maxwell Stuart — following his heart and his family heritage — brought the tiny brewery back to life, brewing traditional ales in a 1738 copper brewkettle and fermenting them in wooden vessels.
Traquair House Brewery is known today for excellent ales — traditional, historical, masterpieces of rich, full, engaging flavor: a taste of Scotland.
It’s a cool place, with a cool history, making cool beers. What more do you need to know?
I took this photo of the brewery when I visited Traquair House around 1994.
I’ve never tried their beer, but you’ve inspired me to give them a go!
Did I miss the point? Why do we care about the change to 500 ml bottles?
@suurballe:
The point?
Seriously?
The answer is pretty simple to me…It’s around 5 ounces more of a very, very good beer.
Traquair House Ale is world-class, probably the best of it’s type. And as much as I’ve always gravitated towards very highly hopped beers, Traquair is the _exact opposite_ of that and when savored, actually serves to expose how one dimensional so many of today’s overhopped beers can be. This beer had a big role in “re-calibrating my palate” when I first tasted it more than 27 years ago. Great stuff.