Sittin' Here on Capitol Hill

 Beer #361 Skull Splitter / Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo, Scotland
Beers to go: 5

Oh, hello everyone.  Thanks for stopping by!  I had assumed that instead of being on the internet tonight, you'd be out enjoying the anniversary of the Twenty First Amendment to the Constitution being ratified, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment - you know, the one that banned alcohol.  Yes, at one point in time this country decided it would be a GREAT idea to outlaw the consumption of alcohol.  Thankfully, cooler heads eventually prevailed, and here we are today.  From reading up on breweries over the past year, it's clear that Prohibition did nothing except create a vibrant and sometimes comical black market for booze.  I mean, doctors were writing prescriptions for bourbon, for crying out loud.   Wait... that's actually a brilliant idea, because if I can get a prescription for bourbon, I could pay for it pre-tax with my FSA card.  Yes, let's bring this back, people!

Before your parties celebrating the repeal kick too far into high gear, let's review the beer for the evening, the awesomely named Skull Splitter from the Orkney Brewery in Scotland.  This beer has a dark amber color, with a thin white head.  There are aromas of malt and citrus, and the taste gives you a really nice mix of tea, sweet malts, caramel, and dark fruits (maybe plum?).  With a name like Skull Splitter, I was expecting this beer to completely knock me senseless  - I mean, I've drank some big, potent beers this year, and none of them had the audacity to name themselves after the act of splitting my skull.  And despite a relatively high 8.5% ABV, this beer is not as skull-splitting as the name suggests.  It's actually quite enjoyable.  If you find a bottle near you, go ahead and order one.

Badass Viking?  Check.

This beer takes its name from Torfinn Hausakljuv, who was nicknamed "Skullsplitter". Hausakluif was the 7th Viking Earl of Orkney sometime around 950 AD, and will go down in history as having one of the most badass nicknames in the history of time.  In case you were wondering (and you were), the Orkney Islands are due north of the Scottish mainland.  This brewery was founded in 1988, and later merged with the Atlas Brewery in 2004, and was taken over by Sinclair Breweries in 2006.

Thing to Think About Today:
In honor of the Constitution, let's spend some time in civics class tonight, and learn a great lesson on how how a bill becomes a law.  Yes people, Schoolhouse Rock! is here with I'm Just a Bill.  Get your learn on, and have a very good evening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TI8xqLl_-w

Beer 359: Orkney Skull Splitter

Holiday party season kicks off tonight and I couldn't be more pleased.  I'm always confused when people complain about holiday parties. Why wouldn't you want to catch up with friends and colleagues, eat good food and imbibe in the holiday spirit? Scrooges! All of you complainers are scrooges!


But before the celebrations begin, let me tell you about Orkney Brewery's Skull Splitter, an authentic Orcadian ale. Billed as a rich, sophisticated ale that is satiny smooth with a deceptively light character, it is brewed in Scotland and has an 8.5% ABV. It poured a ruby-hued brown ale with a light tan head. There was light lacing left behind. The smell is molasses and dark marinated fruit. The flavor is bitter and slightly metallic, boozy figs, buttery. I guess with a name like Skull Splitter, it's supposed to be boozy. I agree with the rich, sophisticated description as well as satiny smooth. I definitely think it has character but it is not so light. Overall this is a good beer that I would drink again.

The rest of my evening consists of a nice glass of wine, lobster risotto, gravlax and creme brulee. I'll see you all on the flip side. Cheers!