Fyne Ales, based at the northern shores of Loch Fyne south-east of Oban, have a well-deserved place on supermarket shelves and beer taps all across Scotland.
I’ve always enjoyed their stuff, particularly because it’s so widely available, but it wasn’t until a few weeks ago when Fierce Beer boss Dave Grant named the Fyne Ales classic Jarl as one of his third favourite Scottish beer ever that I decided they needed a proper look.
Here’s my review of three classics from their core range you can get from good bottleshops and bigger supermarkets all across the country — including Jarl, so we can see if that Fierce guy really knows his beer or not.
Fyne Ales beer 1: Avalanche pale ale
- 4.5%
- £31.20 for 12 500ml bottles on the official website. I got one for £2.20 at my local Sainsbury’s.
- Fyne Ales, Argyll
- Style: Pale Ale
Avalanche is the oft-overlooked brother of Jarl, but it’s well worth your time.
It’s the most straight-forward of the bunch I’m reviewing here, but that’s no weakness as it does exactly what it says on the tin: “thirst-quenching”.
Crisp and extremely light-bodied, it’s a great shout for beer lovers who don’t really steer far from lagers and want some liquid refreshment after a massive hike.
Rating: 3.5/5
Fyne Ales beer 2: Highlander Scottish amber
- 4.8%
- £31.20 for 12 500ml bottles on the official website, I got one for £2.99 at Fountainhall Wines
- Fyne Ales, Argyll
- Style: Traditional Scottish Amber
Established in 2001, Fyne Ales have been a popular brewery with traditionalists for years, and while they do make a lot of great more modern-style brews, their core range still sticks firmly to their roots.
And Highlander is the perfect example of this, a really classic old-school Scottish Amber.
Richly full-bodied and toffee-sweet, it’s like a warming pint of Jamaica Ginger cake, without being too cloying. Ideal for a cold evening.
Rating: 4/5
Fyne Ales beer 3: Jarl session blonde
- 3.8%
- £2.60 per 500ml bottle on the website, or £31.20 for 12, however you can get this in many supermarkets too, such as Asda for £2.20 each.
- Fyne Ales, Argyll
- Style: Session blonde
The beer, the myth, the legend, Jarl from Fyne Ales is definitely the best of its kind in Scotland in my opinion.
Super full-bodied but jam-packed with lemony, floral flavours, it’s one of the best bang-for-your-buck beers you can buy today at just north of two quid.
What I love about Jarl most is how flavourful it is, despite the low booze level of 3.8% — meaning it’s perfect for long, summer days.
It’s great in bottle, but if you can find it on cask in a pub (which plenty of good bars routinely do), seek it out.
Rating: 4.5/5
Kieran is a former craft beer barman and publishes his beer column every Tuesday online. You can also read his column in the P&J’s Food and Drink magazine, which you can find inside your Press and Journal newspaper every Saturday.
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