Steel & Oak Brewing has brought a tartan beer into the world under the name Blackthorn. This beer is sole din 650ml bottles and measures in at 6.8% alcohol and 35 IBU. The beer is dark amber in colour and has a finger and a half of dense, lacing head. The aroma is rich with dried fruit including raisin, cherry and prune character along with a deep sweetness and almost Dubbel like character. The flavour is unique with a toasted character up front that leads into the prune and raisin character with a bitter-sweetness on the tongue. This beer is not easily categorized but takes notes from a Belgian Dubbel, Pale Ale and perhaps an altbier with a certain undefinable character. Overall it has sweetness but isn’t sweet, is toasty but not toasted and somehow comes through as a cohesive and tasty brew. Give it a try for yourself!