Beer of the Week: Skeleton Blues American wheat beer by Stewart Brewing

They've a bottle shop and growler station where you can fill up really big bottles - growlers - from brewery taps connected directly to their giant beer tanks through the window. They'll have at least a dozen beers on offer. Or you can spend a day brewing your own in their Craft Beer Kitchen and play breweries for a day on their shiny professional kit, aided and abetted by one of their expert brewers.

As if that’s not enough, founders Jo and Steve Stewart have in the past few years been ardent supporters of the next wave of young brewers. They've pioneered the Natural Selection brewing programme, a partnership with Heriot-Watt’s brewing and distilling course in which four talented student brewers get to produce a beer in their brewery and unleash it on the world. This year's was Bitter Descent, a brilliant American-hopped bitter that was reviewed here a few weeks ago.

And as if that’s not enough, Stewarts also make some terrific beer, from easy-drinking session ales such as Edinburgh Gold to hop-heavy delights like Radical Road. They’re also putting a slightly different angle on the traditional beer festival this Saturday. Neighbouring breweries Top Out and Black Metal will be there, along with guests including Edinburgh Gin, chef Tom Kitchin, cheesemaker IJ Mellis and Patrick Harvie MSP who have all been working with Stewarts on a range of exclusive one-off beers. Cranachan Berliner Weisse anyone?

One of the beers that’s bound to cause a stir is Skeleton Blues, a (5.2%) American wheat beer Stewart launched last week.

The aroma on Skeleton Blues is fantastically juicy. Tropical fruits, herbs, oranges and new leather; the Simcoe and Amarillo hops really creating some magical aromas.

But take a drink and you’ll be surprised by the shift. There's an oaty base, and the tropical fruits are there too, though softer, and more rounded at the edges. What strikes you though is the dry, salty character that dominates the beer, before shifting towards a robust bitter finish, with a pleasant lingering touch of stone fruits on the aftertaste. Skeleton Blues is complex and interesting, and probably not to everyone's tastes.

Five other great beers from Stewarts

Radical Road pale ale (6.4%)

This year’s Champion Bottled Beer of Scotland, Radical Road is one of Scotland’s best beers. It’s heavy on American hops (Magnum, Cascade and Centennial bring out pungent aromas and a solid bitterness), with plenty of malt sweetness for balance, and flavours of toffee, pine and grapefruit throughout. Just brilliant.

Edinburgh Gold (4.8%)

Stewart’s most popular beer is so soughtafter in the east of Scotland it rarely makes it out of Lothian. A light, well-balanced golden ale with a flavours of toasted malt, citrus and wet woodland. Finishes dry with a dash of vanilla. A refreshing easy-drinking session ale.

Hefe wheat beer (5.4%)

A recent revamp of an earlier recipe, Hefe is a complex, graceful beer. It kicks off with an aroma of cloves and tart citrus – like the sniff of grapefruit at your dentist’s. An initial sour taste moves into bitterness to leave a long crisp finish. Light malt sweetness maintains balance with flavours of clementine and apricot creeping in too.

Hopricot pale ale (5.4%)

A fruity and accessible pale ale that reeks of apricot and tangerines. The big orangey citrus front fades to a dry and enjoyable medium bitterness, a very enjoyable amber-coloured beer ideal for warm summer evenings. If only ...

Black IPA

A brooding black beer with many of the flavours of an American-style IPA plus some rich sweet malts.The aroma is fresh pine and grapefruit, with some dark chocolate in their too. Taste-wise it’s certainly well-weighted: the Black IPA’s bittering complements the sweet malts, leaving a satisfying medium-bodied beer.

Colin Campbell