Archaeological evidence shows that the Picts of modern day Scotland were making fermented beverages on the Isle of Rhum as early as 6500 BC. By the time the Romans invaded in AD 43, they were brewing ales with barley grains and heather. In the early 1600s it became illegal to import beers from England and the domestic beer scene flourished. Of course, there aren't many hop gardens in Scotland so the styles that developed featured lots of malt with minimal (if any) hopping. This week's beer is a Strong Scotch Ale, or 'Wee Heavy', a style is somewhat similar to an English Barleywine. And Up Yer Kilt is an excellent example of everything it should be. It is a rich, sweet and warming malt-forward beer with a solid whack of alcohol. It contains 6 different types of malts and John utilised a "kettle caramelisation" technique which results in a complex brew with lots of sweet toffee with fig and fruitcake flavours.

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