Return trip to Deja Brew

I missed the brewing session on April 1st but was able to make it back for the bottling session today. I missed the fun of all six kettles in operation but while bottling today, I managed to quality check 5 of the 6 and the guys did very well with the choices and the execution. We have a fine selection to choose from:

• Thoroughbred Red: In a class by itself, this beer will go the distance! Great body & flavor
• Chocolate Cream Stout: A nice beer to relax with after a hard days work
• Honey Summer Ale: a slightly sweet, honey kissed summer ale
• Top Drop Dopplebock: This extra strong beer is heavy on flavor and alcohol
• Gnarly Barley Wine: Perfect for a night cap. Drink with caution!
• Klawtobier: Lobster Claw’s big brother, a highly aromatic barley wine and very potent.

For additional types of beer, wine, soda available to be created, check out the listing on the Deja Brew web site. As I have mentioned before, if you are in or near Shrewsbury, MA and want to brew some beer, Deja Brew is one place to definitely check out.



My previous posts on Deja Brew can be found here:

• Production results
• Deja Brew 2
• Deja Brew Results
• Deja Brew

DejaBrew: July Brewsletter

As a frequent visitor to DejaBrew, if you'd like to know more about them, here is a copy of their recent newsletter.

Deja Brew Brewsletter July 2012  Greetings! Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to my monthly brewsletter. It's greatly appreciated! I like hearing back from you all so please keep it up! You can only drink thirty to forty beers a day, no matter how rich you are. - Adolphus A. Busch.  If you'd like to forward the Brewsletter to a friend, just click on the "Forward to a Friend" button below.    My apologies for missing a couple of Brewsletters.. Time has gotten away from me.  In this issue :: Free Beer or Wine? :: What's New @ Deja Brew? :: Port Wines - Only once a year. :: Winefest :: Half Batch Variety Night Free Beer or Wine?  You Bet! As many of you know, I'm working as a mortgage consultant for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Westborough MA. If you're looking to purchase a home or refinance, give me a call @ 508-616-1019, or drop me an email @ Ray Schavone . I'll let you know what I can do to help you move forward. If we chose to work together, you'll get a free batch of beer or wine as a closing gift.    Thanks to the folks who reached out to me regarding a refinance or purchase. It looks like we'll be giving away some closing gifts soon. WooHoo! What's New at Deja Brew??? - Dave's got a new full time gig, work at Genzyme. This was a great move for him, and I'm happy for him. If you want to congratulate him, you'll have to stop by Monday's at Half Batch. - Once again, it looks like the Deja Brew family is growing. Nick and M.B. have a beautiful baby girl. Soon another brewer unleashed!      They're Back, They're Back! The Port Wines are back! Place your Pre-order The old Stand By; Chocolate Raspberry Port Wine: Bursting with rich, intense flavors and aromas, this wine has a traditional Port character of warm, rounded cherry and plum, supported by a racy zing of bright raspberry, perfumed and gently tart, giving way to luscious liquid chocolate - beguiling with dark, bittersweet aromas of coffee and vanilla. Its like an entire chocolaterie in a glass! Toasty hints of oak guide the way to a long, rich finish. I couldn't have said that better myself. I'm sorry but I had to share that description. ;^) And a new addition this year; Chocolate Orange Port; Rich with an intricate melange of lively flavors and rich aromas of dark chocolate with refreshing citrus and vanilla notes. A full bodied palate experience and a finely balanced combination of chocolate and hints of orange peel. Melange. Don't you just love that word? It's fun just to say it. Donna will be buying inventory for the store. And they'll be available first come, first served. If you'd like to ensure you have the opportunity to make these great wines that are available only once-a-year, you can pre-order. To pre-order, call the store, and with a $50 deposit, we'll hold the wine until you are available to come and make it. Deja Brew 508-616-1019   Winefest! Wednesday July 25th 2012 @ 6:00 P.M.    It's a Fruit Fest!!     Nice, flavorful, fruity, light... Mmmmmm chill' em up and drink 'em down. Quite refreshing on these hot days. Luscious & lively. Ladies, these will make your men look good. Kiwi Pear Sauvignon Blanc, White Cranberry Pinot Gris, Peach Apricot Chardonnay, Strawberry White Merlot, Raspberry White Zin, Exotic Fruit White Zin. How's that for a great line up?!?!?! $50 gets you 1 bottle each of 6 different types of wine, with your own label. This event fills up fast! Just give us a call to reserve your spot, 508.842.8991.    Half Batch Variety Night - Monday July 30th, 2012 @ 6:PM Summer Time! I was discussing this with the almighty beer consultant, Dave. You know Dave, right? ACBBD? And honestly, Dave came up with a good idea! Let's do some original recipes.  At the moment I was rather startled, realizing it was a good idea. And it was Dave's. And so, after some dart throwing and coin tossing, we came up with this selection; Honey Porter, Jenny Cream Ale, Beaver Back Pale Ale, Award winning Kick Ass Pale Ale, Chestnut Brown, Red Head Ale. I can't wait for bottling night.     $70 gets you 6 bottles of each type of beer. Bottle price not included.  Give us a call at 508-842-8991 to get in on the action. It ought to be a fun night! Thanks for reading this far. I hope you'll enjoy the future Brewsletters.  Please feel free to forward this Brewsletter to your friends, just click on this link, and type in their email;  Forward to a Friend Thanks again, and we hope to be brewing with you soon. Be well, Ray Schavone and the Deja Brew Crew; Donna, Nick, Keith, Joe, Greg and Dave

Forward email This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com by ray@deja-brew.com |   Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Deja Brew | 508-842-8991 | 510-B Boston Turnpike Rd. | Shrewsbury | MA | 01545

Deja Brew: April Brewsletter

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510-B Boston Turnpike Rd. Shrewsbury MA 01545 508.842.8991

Deja Brew Brewsletter April 2013  Greetings! Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to my monthly brewsletter. It's greatly appreciated! I like hearing back from you all so please keep it up! Beer is an idea as much as it is a beverage. - Jack Curtain  If you'd like to forward the Brewsletter to a friend, just click on the "Forward to a Friend" button below.    My apologies for missing a couple of Brewsletters.. Time has gotten away from me.  In this issue :: Free Beer or Wine? :: What's New @ Deja Brew? :: Summer Hours - Coming Soon! :: Winefest :: Half Batch Variety Night :: Cooking with Beer! Free Beer or Wine?  You Bet! As many of you know, I'm working as a mortgage consultant for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Westborough MA. If you're looking to purchase a home or refinance, give me a call @ 508-616-1019, or drop me an email @ Ray Schavone . I'll let you know what I can do to help you move forward. If we chose to work together, you'll get a free batch of beer or wine as a closing gift.    Thanks to the folks who reached out to me regarding a refinance or purchase. It looks like we'll be giving away some closing gifts soon. WooHoo! What's New at Deja Brew??? - Keith's got a few new IPAs in process. Stop by & check them out. - IPA's have their own recipe book now! You think we do IPA's?     Summer Hours Soon! Closed Sundays Effective the end of April, we will be closed Sundays until September 15th. So if Sundays are your day, make the best of it this month. Brew early and brew often! Winefest! Wednesday April 24th 2013 @ 6:00 P.M.    White Wines!     Oh yes, in time for the warmer months. There'e nothing like a cool, crisp white wine! Moscato (NEW!), Symphony, Washington Riesling, Greenapple Riesling, Cranberry Pinot Gris, Kiwi Pear Sauvignon Blanc. How's that for a great line up?!?!?! $50 gets you 1 bottle each of 6 different types of wine, with your own label. This event fills up fast! Just give us a call to reserve your spot, 508.842.8991.    Half Batch Variety Night - Monday April 29, 2013 @ 6:PM AKA IPA, Bohemian Pilsner, DAB Dark, Light Irish Stout, Salzburg Dunkelweiss, Bubba Jugs!  A great line up of good beers as we head into Spring!     $80 gets you 6 bottles of each type of beer. Bottle price not included.  Give us a call at 508-842-8991 to get in on the action. It ought to be a fun night! Cooking with Beer Beer Braised Short Ribs - in the Crockpot Ingredients: 3                  Medium Onions - cut into wedges 3 - 3.5 lbs     bone in beef short ribs 1                  bay leaf 12 oz.           Beer - I like darker beers for cooking 2 Tbsp          Brown Sugar 2 Tbsp          Dijon Mustard 2 Tbsp          Tomato paste 2 tsp             Dried Thyme 2 tsp            Beef bullion granules 1 tsp            Salt 1/4 tsp         Pepper 3 Tbsp         All purpose flour 1/2 cup        Cold Water Place onions in a 5 qt slow cooker, add ribs & bay leaf.  In a bowl, combine the beer, brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste, thyme, bullion, salt & pepper. Stir well, pour over meat.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, high 4-5 hours until meat is tender. Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter, keep warm. Discard bay leaf. Skim fat from cooking juices. transfer juices to a small sauce pan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine flour & water in a bowl until smooth. Gradually stir into pan ( NO lumps!) Bring to a boil, stir until thickened. Serve with your favorite carbs and vegetables. Thanks for reading this far. I hope you'll enjoy the future Brewsletters.  Please feel free to forward this Brewsletter to your friends, just click on this link, and type in their email;  Forward to a Friend Thanks again, and we hope to be brewing with you soon. Be well, Ray Schavone and the Deja Brew Crew; Donna, Nick, Keith, Joe, Greg and Dave

Forward email Deja Brew | 508-842-8991 | 510-B Boston Turnpike Rd. | Shrewsbury | MA | 01545

Deja Brew

Joined a good college buddy of mine last Friday night to make my first visit to Deja Brew. Yes, first visit. We need to return in three weeks to bottle. After that, well, there will likely be other visits.

 

What is Deja Brew?

The first dedicated Brew-on-Premise in Massachusetts.

 

Yes, brew as in beer! They also do wine and soda.

 

There are six kettles along the front wall. Our group had three of them during or time slot on Friday. Putting together three different beers. Measuring the grains, making the wort, adding the hops, and following the recipe under the able guidance of two brew masters. It was light work with plenty of time for conversation.

 

There was also time to sample some of whatever they had on tap. I won't remember the names (no, I did not have that much; I'm just not great with names of things like this the first time around; I do better taking notes). They had a nice red beer but that tapped out early. They also had a nice stout. They brought out a vanilla bourbon beer. Yes, an odd sounding combination but it works. The flavor was delightful. It was not heavy, more of an ale than a lager.

 

After getting the beer brewed, the brew masters flipped the switches and levers on the tubing to draw the beer from our kettle into a plastic bag in a sturdy plastic drum adding the yeast as they did. They will monitor the fermentation process in two temperature controlled rooms. When it is ready, they will filter it and add the carbonation before we return to bottle it. They provide the bottles, labels and caps. The bottles are re-usable (hence the return trip sometime).

 

As our group had three kettles going, we should end up with three cases (one each). Each case 24 x 22 oz bottles. That should be enough to get us through the holidays and then some.

 

One of the pluses of this process is the absence of chemical preservatives in the process. Pretty cool! I can hardly wait to return to bottle "my" beer. Clearly, the other benefit to doing the brewing this way, we walked away. We don't have to worry about the kettles, the storage, the clean up... not that we left a mess but... that is part of the service we pay for.

 

So if you are in or near Shrewsbury, MA and interested in brewing your own, there are a few slots left between now and Christmas. They are filling up fast.

 

Check out Deja Brew

 

 

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Deja Brew Results

Deja Brew Results
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

One of the cases: 12 x 22 oz. bottles, with three kinds of beer per case that was the result of my Deja Brew experience.

The "L" caps are Lobster Claw: A highly aromatic barley wine. Very Potent.

The "CC" caps are Crazed & Confused: Hazed & Infused style Ale. Nice tasting, hoppy finish.

The "S" caps are Stunner: A creamy British Pub style pale ale “stunning colour”.

All descriptions are from the Deja Brew site.

I rejoined the group from our brew night to do the bottling last night. We started about 6:00 PM again. The first step was to purify the bottles and load the bottle racks so they could drain before being filled. As the rack was complete (about 80 bottles) we positioned it near our bottling station. Partnered up, I did the bottling and Joe did the capping. We kept moving right along until about the 84th bottle, it only filled about 1/3 of the way and then foamed. We had hit the end of the barrel.

We three stations going and developed a routine where four bottles of "L" were put into one case and moved to the next station. Four bottles of "CC" were put in and moved along to the last stop where the case was completed with four bottles of "S". The cases were then piled up until we finished and we divided up the goods. The three kettles yielded about 18 cases. We did drink some sample bottles along the way. Quality check you know! So not all the bottles made it to the cases. We also left one of each for the "house". These will be used by other brewers when they come in to sample, like we did our first night.

Good beer, "home" made with no preservatives. Just in time for the holidays.

If you are in or near Shrewsbury, MA, give Deja Brew a whirl. It is a good time for a group with relatively easy work and good liquid results!

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Deja Brew, deja brewing

Friday was another beer brewing night at Deja Brew. Five kettles were in operation for our group to make the following:

Off Kilter Scotch:

Full-bodied & malty, a Scottish style strong ale.

Downtown Brown:

Similar to Smithwick’s Ale. Light in body, heavy in flavor

Llevar Porter:

If you like Ravell , you’ll love this one. Vanilla accents

Red Rider Ale:

Similar to Killian’s Red. A mild hop content, and smooth taste

Light Irish Stout:

This recipe is lighter than the dry, intense stouts of Ireland.

We'll go back in three weeks to bottle and bring home the goods. If you are looking for something different to do with a group, consider brewing some beer. Fairly easy work, nice facilities, excellent guidance from Ray, Donna, Mike, Greg, et al. A good excuse to cook while sampling some of the varieties made by others.

How easy?
As Greg put so well: "beer is meant to be brewed with one hand. The other holds a mug."

Where is Deja Brew?

Deja Brew is located at
510B Boston Turnpike Road,
Shrewsbury, MA 01545

We're on Route 9 - across from Scrub-a-dub
Phone: 508-842-8991

Our hours of operation:
Wednesday - Thursday Noon to 8pm
Friday 3pm to 8pm
Saturday 9am to 5pm
*Sunday Noon to 5pm

*Closed Sundays Memorial Day to Labor Day

For prior postings on Deja Brew, follow this link

Deja Brew - bottling soon

While away recently, I missed the latest brewing night at Deja Brew. I will be able to make the bottling night to finish the work started on the following beers:

Stunner	A creamy British Pub style pale ale “stunning colour”.
Double Scotch Ale	This Scotch is heavily hopped and high in alcohol.
Sam’s Damn Yummy	ACBBD – A sweeter version of Stunner
Dave's Red	Possibly ACBBD. A version of Owen O'Leary's Irish Sunsetter
Light Irish Stout	This recipe is lighter than the dry, intense stouts of Ireland.
Beaver Back Pale	A BOP favorite, with sweet undertone, and a nice flavor & finish

ACBBD - stands for "Another Cool Beer By Dave". Dave is one of the brew masters at Deja Brew.

Pictures and prior posts on Deja Brew can be found by clicking here.

Drew Brew night

6 kettles were lined up for us to brew last night at Deja Brew in Shrewsbury, MA. Dave and Keith were the master brewers keeping an eye on us. It is not real hard work. Actually, it is more like cooking than anything else. You have a recipe, measure out the grain, put it through the grinder, add it to the kettle (already filled with water), wait until it heats to about 180 degrees, add the first hops, time it, add the second hops, time it, add the finishing hops, time it. Let it set for about ten minutes. Then it gets drawn off via the 'cold filter' into the plastic bag lined tub where it will ferment for 2-3 weeks. We return after Deja Brew has moved it from the tub into a container that we draw from to add CO2 as we bottle it up to take home and enjoy!

You can do home brew but Deja Brew makes it so easy and they do the cleanup!

Additional photos and the list of beers brewed last night will follow shortly. Enjoy!

By the way, despite the advertising for a major beer saying that it is 'cold filtered', all beer is. If it wasn't cold filtered, the yeast would get killed as soon as it was added and it would not ferment. Cold filtering drops the temperature from the boiling point 212 degrees F to just about 100 degrees F. This is a good temp for the yeast to do its thing.

Deja Brew - variety pack

Image by shersteve via FlickrFriday night was brewing night at Deja Brew. We had six kettles lined up for our group and made the following beers:

Goibniu:

A Great rendition of a true Scottish Ale

Killer Honey Ale:

A smooth red ale, light hop palate and good malty character

Oktoberfest Beir:

A slight fruity accent with a deep gold color

McTartan’s Scotch Ale:

McEwan’s Clone – Amber & slightly sweet, some smoke

Llevar Porter:

If you like Ravell , you’ll love this one. Vanilla accents

Hearty Christmas Ale:

A hearty Ale, spicy, flavorful and inviting!

Four of these we have done before and were so good, we wanted to do them again. Two are new: McTartan's Scotch Ale and the Hearty Christmas Ale.

We return to bottle on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Deja Brew is a good deal of fun and a great way to truly understand and appreciate beer. I learn something everytime I go.

Additional posts on the Deja Brew experience can be found here.

Deja brew 6 kettles

The 'Band Of Brewers' returned recently to bottle our six kettles. I am late posting the cap codes for the six we made.

Oktoberfest Bier = O
Sammies Octoberfest = SO
Harvest Spice (and pumpkin liquor) = P
Bassalope = B
Harry's Brown IPA = IPA
Olde English Strong Ale = SE 

6 kettles at Deja Brew

http://www.deja-brew.com/

Deja Brew - reason to stir

The reason why you need to stir the kettle deeply after putting the malt in, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The reason why you need to stir the kettle deeply after putting the malt in. The steam rising distorts the picture a little but without grain in the kettle, this view shows the malt settled at the bottom. The darkness inside the ring is the malt at the bottom.

If you don't stir deeply and thoroughly, the malt can just sit at the bottom. The beer you'd end up with is not what you wanted.

Stir deeply!

Thanks to Dave @Deja Brew for pointing this out.

For other postings on the good experience at Deja Brew, check this link.

More information about Deja Brew can be found on their website here

Deja Brew 2

I made my second trip to Deja Brew last night. Three more kettles were lined up for the group to brew three more beers. This time around we made

"Old Man Winter Ale" - A very nice winter warmer. Malty and high in alcohol!

"Piper Scottish Ale" - Our version of Bellhaven 80 Scottish Ale

"Lawnmower Lager" - A great summer beer, easy to quaff whilst using power tools

We go back in two weeks to bottle and taste our results.

If you are in or near Shrewsbury, MA, give Deja Brew a whirl. It is a good time for a group with relatively easy work and good liquid results!


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Band of Brewers - 6 Kettles

With the 6 kettles that the 'Band of Brewers' did on Thursday evening at Deja Brew, we now have a total of 280 kettles, 135 unique beers.

The listing in declining order (and across by year) of our top beers can be seen in the table below.

Scroll across and down to view it all.

the kettle line up at Deja Brew

We return in three weeks to bottle and take home the brew to enjoy it responsibly.

Deja Brewed - bottled in time

The 'Band of Brewers' got to Deja Brew on Monday evening to bottle our holiday beers. A good batch of good tasty hearty brews for the winter weather.

H is the Hearty Christmas

L is the Llevar Porter enhanced

W is the Winter

F is the Fuggles Ambrosia

G is the Gobnui

Evil Santa will be the blank cap

2 cases of the recent batch

Deja Brew is located in Shrewsbury, MA   http://www.deja-brew.com/

Deja Brew: Band of Brewers at it again

Another 6 kettles were lined up for the 'Band of Brewers' on Monday evening. The winter and holiday beer selection was as follows:

Evil Santa's Ale	High in alcohol and hoppiness! A new type of hop for us
Fuggle Ambrosia	Nothing but Fuggle hops! Light, sweet, potent.
Goibniu	A Great rendition of a true Scottish Ale
Hearty Christmas Ale	A hearty Ale, spicy, flavorful and inviting!
Llevar Porter	If you like Ravell , you’ll love this one. Vanilla accents
Winter Jubilee Barley Wine	A nice, smooth easy to drink year round Barley Wine

This batch puts us at 236 kettles overall with 121 unique beers brewed.

12 pounds of grain draining for the Goibniu

For more about Deja Brew you can visit their webpage  http://www.deja-brew.com/

or check the archives here for the exploits of the 'Band of Brewers'
http://steves2cents.blogspot.com/search?q=deja+brew&max-results=20&by-date=true

Deja Brew - 6 kettles

The crew gathered at Deja Brew for a night of brewing some fine beer. Six kettles this time with the following:

Deja Fest: Our newest O fest, nice and malty

McTartan’s Scotch Ale: McEwan’s Clone – Amber & slightly sweet, some smoke

Dean Park Pilsner: ACBBD – A smooth, refreshing light Pilsner

Llevar Porter: If you like Ravell , you’ll love this one. Vanilla accents

Hearty Christmas Ale: A hearty Ale, spicy, flavorful and inviting!

Queen Bee Lager: One honey of a lager. Smooth and easy, very light.
     

Here is the kettle with the Hearty Christmas Ale in progress.



More pictures later!

Deja Brew - bottling night - last week

The brew crew bottled our batch at Deja Brew last week (yes, I am behind and catching up).

Olde English Strong Ale - A very strong, dark & malty English Ale - O
A Great BOD - Our Version of Boddingtons’s Bitter. A nice Ale - B
Dublin’s Half - A light hopped Harp’s Style. The pale half of a black and tan. - D
Mile High Lager - A Coors style beer - M
Red Tail Ale - A medium bodied red ale, good hop bouquet but balanced in taste - R
Maple Stout - One of the best stouts you’ll ever taste. You provide the Maple Syrup - MS

The letter at the end of the beers indicates the designation on the bottle cap for the contents. The bottlers usually work in teams of two. One drawing into the bottle from the keg. The second capping the bottle. As the bottle is capped, it is put into a case. Two bottles into a case, and then the case is moved along to the next station. Six stations later the case is full of twelve bottles, two each kind of brew for the six kettles we made.

The brew crew was short handed due to schedule complications so we were mostly bottling and capping at the same time and putting six in a case. A share of the output is three cases so you still ended up with an equal mix of all the kettles but it was a little less work given the short-handed crew.

Other than the sampling (quality control measures for sure) on bottling night, I have been busy and unable to taste more than one of the output. No worries, I expect they will all be good. I am looking forward to enjoying them.

Deja Brew - six kettles bottled

The "Band of Brewers' were bottling the product of our efforts on Monday night at Deja Brew. The cap codes for the beers we left with are as follows:

Tim's Dim Wit  - T
Worcester Bitter - W
Malcolm's Mild - M
Howling Honey - H
Old World Lager - O
Dean Park Pilsner  - P



Prior posts and pictures of our efforts at Deja Brew can be found here

Holiday beer

The 'Band of Brewers' were at Deja Brew Tuesday night to bottle our most recent 6 kettles just in time for the holidays.

The cap codes for the beer this time around:

• E for Evil Santa
• G for the Gingerbread Stout
• W for the Winter Warmer
• O for the Old Time Winter
• 'blank' cap codes will be for the Hearty Christmas Ales

In the back room at Deja Brew, there are lots of containers with beer fermenting

For other posts on my trips to Deja Brew, check here

Deja Brew - Crossing 150

An historic evening of sorts at Deja Brew on Thursday. our group, "the Band of Brewers" was there to bottle our 150 kettle. The "Slugs" were there brewing their 500th kettle. We have a long way to go to catch up with those guys. Combined that is a lot of beer!

When I checked in via Foursquare, I also managed to become the Mayor. It didn't last long as someone else checked in right after me and took it. No matter.

Here is what we bottled and took home. The ending letter is the code on the cap to tell us what's inside. It is all good of course!

Stunner = A creamy British Pub style pale ale “stunning colour” = S
Blueberry Ale = A delicious ale. It smells good, tastes good and finishes clean = B
Uncle John’s Stout = Contributed by Jody & John. Not just for Saturday night! = U
Fuggle Imperial IPA = Like the Fugglkes Ambrosia, only bigger. More hops, more alcohol = F
Doggie Style Stock Ale = Our version of Sea Dog’s English Stock Ale. Mmmmm = D
Scotch Ale = Lightly bodied Scottish amber. Easy drinking from start to finish. = (blank)