Swannay Brewery
Highland Brewing Co. Ltd
Address : Swannay Brewery, By Elvie, Orkney, KW17 2NP
Telephone No : 01856 721700
Web Site : www.highlandbrewingcompany.co.uk
Visitors Centre : No - Tours may be available with prior notice
The Highland Brewing Company is brewery in Orkney, Scotland. It was founded in 2005 by Rob Hill, and is situated in the old Cheese factory at Swannay Farms, by Elvie, Orkney Mainland. They are currently brewing with a micro, 5 barrel plant but are in the process of installing a 20 barrel plant.
The new plant is now operational !!!
Here are a few of the Excellent beers produced at the Swannay Brewery :
Also check out the video below which was filmed at a recent trip to the Swannay Brewery.
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SCAPA SPECIAL 4.2% ABV
Appearance: golden & sparkling in the glass.
Nose: hints of fruit esters and malt, with light hop notes. Also, if fresh, will have a nutty bread dough yeasty note, that disappears when well vented.
Palate: soft nutty maltiness with accessible hoppiness. The middle is balanced, leading to a long malt hop finish, which the hops eventually win. Their fresh green notes coming through with hints of fruit esters. It becomes drier and “cleaner” drinking with longer venting.
CHAMPION BEER OF SCOTLAND 2008
ST MAGNUS ALE 4.5% ABV
Appearance: brown to red in the glass.
Nose: generously malty with subtle hop notes and hints of fruity fermentation esters.
Palate: nutty crystal malt to the fore, with a hint of chocolate malt roastiness, leading into a satisfyingly balanced malt hop middle. The end is nutty, with a lingering hop note.
ORKNEY BEST 3.6% ABV
Appearance: pale and golden, straw yellow in colour.
Nose: delicate fruity hop with a hint of maris otter maltiness.
Palate: soft malt with a fruity hoppy middle, drier hop in the finish which lingers pleasantly.
DARK MUNRO 4.0%ABV
Appearance: Dark chocolate brown in the glass with a good white head, if held to a light very dark ruby red shines through.
Nose: Soft chocolate malt ‘coffee’ notes are evident with a mere hint of hop.
Taste: All depends on venting, when fresh the chocolate malt is crisp and may have a hint of phenols, when well vented or halfway through a cask, the chocolate is soft & velvety with a perfectly balanced hop and a hint of fruity fermentation esters. Becomes dryer and ever so slightly hoppier as becomes older.
CHAMPION BEER OF SCOTLAND 2007
OLD NORWAY 9% ABV
Sits nicely beside our Orkney Porter, also 9%, and is the first time we've brewed a barley wine. A lovely deep amber in colour, we loaded it full of American hops - and then we put some more in! All in the interest of balance, it also contains a small mountain of Maris Otter pale malt.
Orkney Porter 9% ABV
Appearance: Dark mahogany in colour with ruby highlights.
Nose: A beautiful roasted grain aroma and some dark berry fruit.
Palate: After a little tartness (this is always a good sign in a porter), coffee and chocolate dominate the palate, with a hint of smoke lending complexity. Nutty bitter chocolate aftertaste.
Christmas Light 3.8% ABV
A wonderfully hopped ale at a sensible strength.
ORKNEY BLAST 6.0% ABV
Appearance: pale and golden in colour.
Nose: rich fruity malt hints of yeast, with earthy, woody, hop with honey and alcohol notes.
Palate: generously malty with balanced spicy hop in the middle leading, to a lingering hop finish, with honeyed fruity malt and a hint of warming alcohol.
ORKNEY IPA 4.8% ABV
Appearance: Pale and golden - but not too pale as to look like lager.
Nose: Lemony citrus hops with a hint of grapefruit and spicy, peppery goldings.
Palate: Full on hops – styrian goldings to the fore, goldings giving a balanced middle and finally the rich malty fullness of maris otter as a backbone. The finish is refreshing with hops that become dryer if the cask lasts long enough!
A big thank you to the breweries own web site, www,Highlandbrewingcompany.co.uk for most of the information and images on this page. for more information and a chance to buy some of their great beers click on the link above.