Highland Reserve Scotch Ale
If you’re familiar with Boundary Bay Brewery at all, you’ve probably tasted (or at least heard about) our Scotch Ale. It was our original, flagship beer when we opened in 1995, but we’d planned to have it on tap only as a seasonal beer. However, it turned out that our Scotch Ale was so popular that in 15 years we’ve never once taken it off tap even once!
This Scotch Ale has a thick, creamy head and a beautiful red hue with an incredibly smooth finish that lingers. We make it with roasted, unmalted barley which provides a distinctive flavor and hop it just long enough to give the beer good balance with just a touch of sweetness. You can pretty much always find our Scotch Ale on tap here at the brewery, at any number of regional restaurants and bars who have our beer on tap and in 22 oz. bottles here at Boundary Bay Brewery and at regional grocery stores and bottle shops.
But, this time of year, our beloved Scotch Ale gets a little bit of competition! This Thursday (May 17th) we’re releasing our Highland Scotch Ale which is brewed in commemoration of the Bellingham Highland Games. Made with Dark crystal and peated malts, this beer is rich and dark with a faint smokey finish and is definitely stronger than our traditional Scotch Ale. This small batch brew is only available seasonally, so be sure to come try it while it’s on tap! This beer tends to go pretty quickly around these parts and you won’t find this one in bottles, either, so plan your weekends around a road trip up here to Bellingham!
Blessing of the Firkin last year!
You can also enjoy this beer of ours at the Bellingham Highland Games on June 1st – 3rd out at Hovander Park. You’ll find it in the beer garden at the games all weekend, but there are a few opportunities for you to get your hands on it early, too! Here in the Boundary Bay Brewery beer garden, the Highland Games association will be conducting a blessing of the Firkin ceremony on Thursday, May 24th.
They’ll bless the kegs of Highland Scotch Ale heading out to the games and even have some pipers, dancers, game officials and men in kilts…of course! Here’s the catch though…that special Firkin they’re blessing? Well, it’s not gonna get tapped until Friday, June 1st which kicks off the Highland Games festivities. If you head out to Hovander Park that night, you’ll get to enjoy the Kirkin o’ the Firkin AND a Scottish Idol talent show! What’s a Kirkin of the Firkin, you ask? Well, $20 gets you a special mug that allows you to drink as much of the Firkin (filled with our Highland Scotch Ale) as you want till it’s gone…that means even the next day if there’s any beer left!
