10/2/2020 0 Comments Six° NorthBringing Belgium To Scotland [AD - GIFTED]You know...it's not all about those big juicy DIPA's and indulgent imperial stouts - sometimes simple, traditional beers, packed with flavours and brewed locally are just as impressive. I was very generously sent a lovely care package from the guys over at Six° North, so I thought I would take the opportunity to talk about some of the beers, and what they are doing. Six° North was established in 2013 out of founder, Robert Lindsay's love for Belgian beer. Since then, the brewery has grown exponentially, and now employs over 80 staff across five sites in Aberdeen, Stonehaven, Dundee, Edinburgh & Glasgow. Six° North prides itself on making modern, artisanal beers based in Belgian brewing tradition with a modern brewing spin. Their beers are unfiltered, and naturally carbonated through secondary fermentation. As well as brewing classic Belgian style beers, Six° North produces modern, hop forward beers along with collaborations with many different breweries. As I said at the very top of this post, I was sent an awesome care package from Sixº North (thanks Matt) containing a bunch of goodies, and more importantly, some great looking beers. The beers included were:
So, all in all, that's a pretty well rounded selection of beers! Rather than talk about them all, I’m gonna pick a few of my favourites that I recommend you go out and try for yourself. OmniumFirst up we have Omnium, a session IPA coming in at 4.3% ABV, and a beer which I have actually had, and enjoyed previously. Here's what Six have to say about it: "Generous doses of Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic & Simcoe hops makes Omnium an all round crowd pleaser!" Now, despite having had this one before, I was interested to get stuck into it because I'd been told that it was fresh off the bottling line only days earlier, and what's better than fresh beer?! Omnium pours from the bottle a hazy, bright, golden yellow colour, leaving behind a thin foamy white head. Initial aromas are orange, lemon & grapefruit, with the slightest hint of pine. Those fruit flavours are at the forefront when you take your first sip, with more grapefruit, orange & lemon leading the way. At the back end, there's some grassy, floral notes to round everything off nice and smoothly. Overall, I was impressed by Omnium again, it's a really nice and easy drinking beer, with great flavours, and definitely one I could sit and enjoy a few of. DynamoNext up we have Dynamo, a 6% ABV IPA. Now, I'm not sure if this has any kind of relationship with the Dundee bar, but it certainly shares the same name. Here's the official description from Sixº North: "Dynamo is a bold, aromatic IPA. A healthy dose of Amarillo and Centennial hops lay the ground for bright, floral and citrus flavours and typically assertive bitterness." Dynamo pours from the glass a slightly hazy golden colour, leaving a big frothy white head behind. There's a load of citrus in the nose, with grapefruit, lemon and orange standing out, which is combined with a grassy, floral aroma. Flavour wise is much the same as the aroma - with loads of citrus fruits up front, with grapefruit and orange being the most prominent. On the back end, there's some slight floral flavours, alongside a whack of hoppy bitterness. Overall, this is a pretty solid, easy drinking IPA, pack with plenty of flavour and a nice hit of booze. InhaleFinally, we have Inhale, a 6% ABV Berliner Weisse collaboration with Salt Beer Factory from Bingley. I've been loving the sours lately, so I was looking forward to trying this one out, especially with Salt involved too. Here's the official description: "This is a light & refreshing Berliner with heaps of lemon citrus & a zingy sour finish." Inhale pours a slightly translucent golden yellow colour, leaving behind a thin bubbly white head. There's not too much to say about the aroma other than loads of zingy lemon and lime, with the slightest hint of saltiness. Flavour wise, right from the off you get a massive whack of sour lemon and lime, before it dies down and follows through with just the right amount of saltiness and wheat. This beer is very, very nice to drink - not too sour and perfectly sessionable. If you haven't already, then checking out Sixº North Aberdeen is an absolute necessity, and one of the main reasons for that, on top of the awesome beer of course, is Smoke & Soul. For those of you who don't know, Smoke & Soul are an Aberdeen based catering company, who specialise in slow cooked meats and have a kitchen residency at Sixº North Abz. From Smoke & Soul you can expect mouthwatering treats such as the incredible mac & meat wrap, poutine fries topped with beef brisket or pulled pork, loaded nachos and so much more. They also have a range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options available - so there is something for everyone. I honestly can't recommend the food enough, and urge you to try it if you haven't already. Thanks again to the team at Sixº North for sending me out beers and merch, it's been awesome drinking them, and the beanie has been keeping my head warm on my walks to work over the last couple of weeks.
Do you have a favourite Sixº North beer? Have you been in to try out the awesome food by Smoke & Soul? Let me know in the comments below. 🍻
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29/6/2018 0 Comments College AberdeenTime For a ChangeThe College has been an Aberdeen nightlife staple for over 20 years now - it has certainly been somewhere I have frequented over the years. Situated at the top of Union Street on Alford Place, it has been a constant stop for the people of Aberdeen to enjoy drinks, partying & live sports. However eventually all things change and evolve to keep up with the times, and that's exactly what The College has done. Now known simply as "College", the bar has gone under a total refurbishment - promising to bring “an inclusive and metropolitan venue to Aberdeen City with something for all”. I was lucky enough to be invited to the relaunch event on Friday evening before the doors were officially re-opened to the public. Firstly - College looks absolutely stunning. I cannot believe the difference that has went in to the transformation of the bar. I would go as far to say that College is now probably one of the nicest looking bars in the city. The first thing you will notice is just how light it is compared to how College used to be, which I always thought was quite dark. The hanging lights scattered throughout the bar, along with the large windows which allow an abundance of natural light, makes such a difference. The overall attention to detail is incredible, and it's hard not to be instantly drawn to the huge copper beer tanks situated behind and to the side of the bar (more on them later). The bar, as it did previously, takes centre stage - a large U shape, surrounded by stylish green stools and ample seating in the many booths. There are two large screens at either end of the bar, meaning it will be hard for you to miss any of the live sporting action. Each booth has a small screen, along with a "press for service" panel - meaning you don't have to miss any of the match to get a drink! College have also taken inspiration from American sporting arenas by installing a custom built perspex "viewing cube" above the bar. Whilst it wasn't active on Friday, it looks like an awesome centrepiece and will instantly draw attention. There is certainly nothing else like it in Aberdeen. Around the back of the bar, there is plenty more seating along with a stage for live bands and a well sized "dance floor" area. The toilets are upstairs as they were before, and finished to a very high standard. If I was to have any criticism, it would be that the cubicles seemed to be a tight squeeze - but you spend minutes there compared to hours in the bar. Whilst the emphasis seems to still be on College being a sports bar - it’s clearly much more than that. For me, it looks like the perfect spot to come and watch the football, but in a luxury setting that anyone can enjoy. Now lets talk about the big copper tank in the room - Tennent's Tank Lager. Whilst I'm not usually one to wax lyrical about Tennent's Lager, I'm also not one to diss it. I like Tennent's Lager - it’s perfectly fine. So when I heard that College were going to be the first bar in Aberdeen (and only the third in Scotland) to have Tennent's Tank Lager, it seemed like quite a big deal. And understandably so - it tastes great! For those unaware, tank lager is unpasteurised and unfiltered lager that is straight from the brewery to the tanks. The lager never really sees the air until it hits your glass, meaning it is essentially as fresh as it comes. Not to mention the tanks themselves are an absolute standout feature for the bar itself - they look absolutely stunning, and are a welcome addition to the city. You can just tell that it looks like a good pint! And it certainly is; crisp, and full of flavour, much more so than your standard pint of Tennent's. It's also a lot less gassy, meaning you won't get that bloated feeling that usually comes with drinking lager. I definitely recommend giving it a go, and I guarantee it will surprise you. Beer wise, College has an awesome selection of draught beers available, including the aforementioned Tennent's tank lager, their own house City Lager, two dedicated Beavertown (haters gonna hate) taps and a Cloudwater rotational tap - now that in paricular is huge for the Aberdeen beer scene! There is also a wide range of bottled/canned beers such as a variety of Beavertown, Magic Rock and BrewDog. They also have a vast selection of spirits and cocktails available - they have even crated a signature "PB" (PB Devco) range of cocktails that will be available across their venues in the city. I just want to end by saying thanks to College for inviting me along to the launch event - we had an absolute blast and we will definitely be back soon. I encourage you all to go along and check it out for yourselves - I guarantee you will be shocked at the difference.
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