Colin Campbell

With the Commonwealth Games over, we can finally get back to focusing on the things that really matter: great beer. Here's a carefully chosen case of delicious new bottled beers from some of Scotland's best breweries.

1 Fyne Ales

Sanda IPA - 5.5%

After an overhaul of the recipe, Fyne's core IPA has been given a punchy makeover. Aroma is fresh, citrus and resin, benefiting from some additional dry-hopping. It pours a light golden colour and with a head that looks more like freshly fallen snow than froth. It's a super, delicious and refreshing beer, with toffee and apricot and a long glorious bitter aftertaste.

2 Natural Selection Brewing

Mutiny on the Beagle IPA - 5.8%

A beer like few others, this Indian Pale Ale is in fact a student project by a select group of trainee brewers on the MSc in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. It's a well balanced, quaffable beer with an aroma of spiced tangerines, rounded bitterness and a delicate, malty sweetness. Cracking artwork too.

3 Fallen Brewery

Dragonfly Amber Ale - 4.6%

One of the first beers to come from Fallen Brewery since it moved into new premises in Kippen, Dragonfly is an established beer that's been given a loving makeover. The upgrade has far more depth, and a possesses a wonderful balance of malt and hops, with an aroma of grapefruit and mango giving way to a rich finish of hoppy bitterness and sweet caramel.

4 Eden Brewery

Definitely Not the Official Beer Of … - 4.7%

A tasty thirst quencher perfect for these hot summer days. It has a light malt aroma, reminiscent of refreshing pilsners, though this one comes with an angry, anti-corporate message. With a flavour of soft stone fruits - thinking peach and apricot - friendly bitterness and refreshing crispness, it's a great intro for those wanting to venture into craft lager and turn their back on the stale old beers that dominate sporting events the world over. Also keep an eye out for Eden's updated Shipwreck IPA.

5 Loch Lomond Brewery

Southern Summit - 4%

A relative newcomer to bottles, this highly hopped golden ale has been a popular pour in pubs for a while now. It has a fragrant, fruity hop aroma - tangy, tropical, mango and citrus - and unlike some beers of a similar style, it avoids being too sickly or chemically. It's a sweet, quenchable beer, with plenty of pleasant bittering for long sunny evenings.

6 Harviestoun Brewery

Ola Dubh Special Reserve 21 - 8%

A new and prized addition to Harviestoun's Ola Dubh range, the Special Reserve 21 is a luxurious black ale that's been aged in Highland Park whisky casks to produce a beer perfect for supping with your after-dinner dram. A light fragrance of heathered hillside, oak and whisky to the fore, and a sweet, chocolate and plum finish. A rare treat.

7 Alechemy Brewing

Carynx Black Saison - 6.0%

Brewed to mark Alechemy's 200th beer, you'd expect something special and the Livingston brewery hasn't disappointed. This is a dark, rich and complex beer, heavily hopped, potent bittering and roasted malts. On the palate, echoes of coffee, blackjacks and peardrops.

8 Innis and Gunn - 5.8%

Rare Oak Pale Ale

Darker than a typical pale ale, I&G's Rare Oak is a complex beer packed with flavours that have the hallmarks of a typical Innis and Gunn beer. Its sweet side boasts dark toffee, tangerine and glace cherries which linger on the finish long after the beer's light citrus bitterness has faded.

9 Lerwick Brewery

Tushkar - 5.5%

As dark as a winter's night on Unst, Tushkar's a stout for supping when the nights start drawing in. A solid coffee aroma which carries through with a smattering of plums. It's smooth and mildly bitter, and has a gentle oaty note towards the end. This brand new release is very different to Lerwick's two previous offerings, but it's a worthy addition as the Shetlandic brewery makes its mark on the mainland. 

10 Six Degrees North

Hopocrisy - 4.6%

Fans of Belgian beers will like the tipples from this northern brewery, including Hopocrisy, a Belgian pale ale. It packs a powerful aroma typical of Belgian beers: alongside yeast esters you'll find some peach, lemon zest and a mellow, grainy sweetness. Pours very lively indeed! Tastewise, it's crisp, tart, hoppy and wheaty.  

11 Cromarty Brewing Company

Mr Brown Belgian Brown Ale - 5.2%

Another Belgium-inspired beer. Mr Brown has a similarly punchy yeast hit that gives way to biscuit, malt, fruit and a bitter finish. Its has velvety texture and its challenging, yeast finish brings with it treacle, toffee apple and a touch of banana.

12 BrewDog

Mashtag 2014 - 9%

Brewed for and by craft beer connoisseurs, this amber/red ale is a challenging drink that's not for everyone. Aroma is hoppy with fresh orange and grapefruit. Follows through tastewise with big fresh hop twangs, light treacle and toffee malts and a long bitter finish.