Brewery: Atlas
Location: Kinlochleven, Scotland
ABV: 5.0%
Version: 500ml bottle
Source: Gap Wines, NI

Along with the Orkney Brewery, Atlas are part of the Sinclair Breweries Group of Cawdor, Nairnshire. According to their website they make 7 beers in all, several of which, Nimbus included, are available in 500ml bottles and 5 litre mini-casks, as well as the normal pub sized cask. Astute readers may notice that the accompanying pic is of the barrel label rather than the bottle, but I couldn’t find one of the bottle and mine are well on their way to being turned into something else.

Nimbus is Atlas Brewery’s take on the Kölsch beers of Cologne. Being a blonde ale it’s gold in colour, with a very light, almost imperceptible aroma. There’s quite a bit of fizz on pouring, giving a decent head which lingers for a short time, but the fizz very soon dissipates. Initial impressions on tasting were of not much, some faint malt and a light hop flavour. But pour and leave for a few minutes and there’s a great improvement as the hop flavours develop. Some caramel pushes through but the malt very much stays in the background, letting the citrus dominate. Orange, lemon and grapefruit notes are all present, but this is not an overly bitter beer, quite smooth and subtle and very drinkable. Worth checking out, I usually pick up a few bottles when I see them. (If you’re in my part of world Gap Wines might still have some left, and if in Scotland check Morrisons.)