Brewery: Cairngorm
Location: Aviemore, Scotland
ABV: 4.5%
Version: Bottled
Source: Marks & Spencer

M&S Scottish Ale is brewed by Cairngorm of Aviemore and is one of the regional British beers that make up the majority of the store’s current own-label bottled beer range. And I’m guessing – based on the description on the Cairngorm website – that this is either a straight re-labelling or a very close relative of the brewery’s Blessed Thistle ale.

M&S Scottish Ale pours a rich, deep, red-brown with a thin head and carries a faint whiff of the sweetness and spices to follow in the taste. It’s a rich, slightly sweet malty ale and the addition of dried thistle and dried ginger, along with whole-flower hops, in the brew makes for a pleasantly spicy counter-point to the maltiness. There’s a slight hop-dryness but not much in the way of bitterness so you’re left with the after-taste of those spices on your palate.

Interesting flavours, well-balanced, easily drinkable and I’d happily do so again. I picked this one up in a branch of M&S in Southwark when Jo and I were down that way a couple of months ago, but I’ll be keeping an ye out for it in stores nearer to home in future.

Incidentally, you can pick up a twenty-pack selection of five of the ales in the M&S range: Cornish IPA, Yorkshire Bitter, Norfolk Bitter, Scottish Ale and Sussex Golden Ale, via www.marksandspencer.com, at a price of £39.42 (plus delivery).

Brewery: Hardy & Hanson’s (Greene King)
Origin: Bury St Edmonds, England
ABV: 4.3%
Version: 500ml bottle
Source: Sainsburys

Named after Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem pub, the oldest inn in England, which looks like a place I’ll have to visit if I’m ever in Nottingham.

A fairly well balanced bitter with malt flavours at the start and citrus hops following on. While not an exceptional ale it’s very refreshing and it’s easy drinking nature makes for a quaffable session beer. From what I’ve read the cask version is a different, and much better, beast so that gives me another reason to visit that pub.