How to Get Bladdered!
Andrea Waterhouse
Every now and again a beer comes along that intrigues me. Kelpie Organic Seaweed Ale is definitely one of these beers. The name is certainly interesting, but so is the concept and the beer itself! Don’t be put off by the unusual name and don’t be frightened of the fact that seaweed is a part of the brew ~ Kelpie Organic Seaweed Ale may sound odd, but it really is rather good indeed! Rest assured that Kelpie may contain seaweed, but it definitely doesn’t TASTE of it. Kelpie is the name given to the creatures that, according to legend, live in the Lochs of Scotland ~ Nessie is the most famous of these. The picture on the pump clip (and bottle label) of Kelpie Organic Seaweed Ale is actually the Pictish symbol for one of these mythical beasts. The beer itself REALLY is brewed using seaweed (bladder wrack to be precise) that is harvested, usually in the spring, from off the Argyll Coast. Heather Ales and Craigmill Brewery Ltd can be found in an old 18th Century Watermill. The owners (Bruce and Scott Williams) used to own a homebrew shop in Glasgow and eventually opened a brewery of their own ~ they had found some ancient Scottish brewing recipes and wanted to try them out. The company now brews at two sites; one is at Strathaven (where the bottled beers are produced) and the other is the Craigmill Brewery (where the Cask beers are brewed). They are renowned for producing unusual and interesting beers using local Scottish ingredients. Their beers are also based on traditional recipes. These include Fraoch Heather Ale (4.1% ABV as a Cask Ale) which is brewed using Heather (Fraoch is Gaelic for Heather), Ebulum (6.5% ABV) which contains blackberries, and Grozet (4.5% ABV) which is brewed with gooseberries (Groseid is the Gaelic for Gooseberry). Kelpie weighs in at 4.4% ABV and, as well as the seaweed, is brewed using organic barley and malt, to recreate an old style dark Scottish beer. Up to the 1850’s many Scottish ale houses along the coast brewed their beers using barley fertilised with seaweed. This gave the beer a distinct flavour that Kelpie aims to recreate. Looks wise, Kelpie is a very dark, almost black beer that takes on a slightly chocolate brown hue when held up to the light. The cream coloured head is slightly foamy, but quite lacy and not very long lasting. The closest comparison I can give you is a cross between a stout and a brown ale ~ the taste and texture is a little stout-like too. The aroma is pretty strong, but not unpleasant. There BOYTHORPE ROAD, CHESTERFIELD (Tel 235280) is a slightly salty scent (reminiscent of sea air perhaps), RICHARD & SCILLA but not fishy like I was expecting something associated (ex Miners Arms at Brimington Common) with the sea to be. There is a whiff of coffee, a hint of WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME chocolate and a pleasant roasted maltiness too. The CUSTOMERS OLD AND NEW final smell I got was quite earthy ~ it smells like it tastes; robust and unusual! CASK CONDITIONED HAND PULLED BEER Taste wise, Kelpie is rather interesting too. It is the rich CASK MARQUE AWARD chocolate flavour that dominates the brew, balanced out SEASONAL BEER FROM by roasted malt and a light hoppiness. The flavour THE CELLARMANS COLLECTION develops a slight sweetness, giving way to a finish that is slightly salty. The after taste combines all these unusual TOP QUALITY PRODUCTS & SERVICE GUARANTEED elements, leaving you with a fresh and crisp flavour. It is certainly an unusual beer and quite an acquired taste, FOOD AVAILABLE WEEKDAY LUNCHTIMES but once you have acquired it Kelpie is very moreish QUIZ NIGHT SUNDAY indeed. Kelpie is available as a cask ale and in bottles TWO BIG SCREENS (not bottle conditioned unfortunately). You can always ENTERTAINMENT EVERY SATURDAY get some from the Heather Ales web-site NEW KITCHEN OPENING SEPTEMBER www.fraoch.com. I certainly recommend that you give Kelpie a try if you SPONSORS OF CHESTERFIELD LADIES FOOTBALL CLUB see it on your travels. It wasn’t what I was expecting but it was definitely a welcome surprise! THE TRUE TASTE OF TRADITION
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