Orkney Brewery's Northern Light - Care Package Beer Two

Finally, I'm finding the time to say something about the second beer in my recent 'care package'. This one is Orkney Brewery's Northern Light. First off, I must say that I've enjoyed all the cask versions of Orkney's beers that I've tried over the years. Prior to this, I think I've only had Red MacGregor in bottle form. One of the things that struck me right away about Orkney beers when I first tried them some years ago is the packaging. Orkney has always had awesome pump clips and bottle labels. But, enough of that, on to the beer itself.

I've had a few other Orkney beers but this is the first time I've tried Northern Light. Visually, it is very light golden, almost straw colored. The bottled version that I had exhibited little to no aroma when poured into a glass. Flavor-wise it has a nice upfront sweetness from the pale malt and a citrusy fruitiness from the hops and the yeast. According to Orkney's website, Northern Light is brewed with 'the very best pale ale malt' along with Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Saaz, and Liberty hop varieties. The beer is classified by the brewery as a Pale Ale but I found the body to be a little thin for a Pale Ale, in my opinion. The finish seemed a bit too dry and bitter with the flavor of the beer itself quickly disappearing.

Overall, I think this would be a great beer for hot weather (something Scotland has very little of) or with spicy food such as a nice Chicken Tikka Masala. It must be said, however, that this is not a beer I would order successively in the pub; Red MacGregor or Dark Island, yes.

The Orkney Brewery was founded in 1998 by Roger White and his wife, Irene, as a retirement project. Their initial brewer was the very talented Rob Hill, now running his own brewery, Highland Brewing Company, also in Orkney. In 2006 the brewery was purchased (along with Atlas Brewery, who I think I read recently is no longer on the go, I could be wrong) by Norman Sinclair, a successful restaurateur, under Sinclair Breweries Ltd. I have to be honest, I think they struggled a little bit after Rob left as the consistency of their beers was not what it had been. I think they've regained this however and now continue to produce highly acclaimed beers.

Yours Aye!
Neil