Auld Alliance: Collaboration & Agreement

Across the Bay from Dunedin Brewery is Cigar City Brewing, started by Joey Redner with brewer Wayne Wambles. In just the past 3 years, Cigar City Brewing has done great work by gaining national attention for beer made in Florida. A couple months ago, we started talking with Wayne & Joey about a collaboration between the two breweries that would both reflect our history & honor our future. The result was Auld Alliance, a Biere de Scotch Ale symbolizing our commitment to the Florida beer community as a whole.

Text from the Bottle Label:

“Dunedin Brewery is Florida’s oldest Craft Brewery. Cigar City Brewing is one of the youngest. In fact CCB’s founder got his start in the craft beer business as a sales rep for Dunedin brewery.
 

Started in 1996, in the Scottish Heritage town of Dunedin, FL, Founder Michael Bryant & his staff at Dunedin Brewery displayed a tenacity that resulted in a staying power many breweries opened in the 90’s were unable to match. It also resulted in a lot of really good local beer! 15 years of it in fact. Over the years, Dunedin has had a major impact on the Florida beer scene and served as an inspiration for those that followed it. In its role as Elder Statesman, Dunedin has both inspired and provided a model & it is in that spirit of cooperation & guidance that we present Auld Alliance. 
 

Auld Alliance (Vielle Alliance) was the alliance of kingdoms between Scotland and France from 1295 and 1560 which profoundly shaped the legal, military, cultural & even culinary makeup of both countries. It also provides a good historical analogy for the spirit of cooperation possessed by so many who work to create hand-crafted beer.

Auld Alliance is a Scotch Ale reflecting the Scottish contribution to the Alliance fermented with a Saison yeast strain that's origin is traced back to France.”

Auld Alliance was brewed at Cigar City Brewing on August 11th, 2011.

Initial tasting notes:

"Pours a dark brown from the bottle, but held to the light you find ruby red. Aroma is earthy, French yeast dominating. The first sips raise a Scotch flag of dried dark fruit, including currants, blueberries, & red figs. Dry & sweet, the ale pulls back-and-forth between bitter & cloying. The finish is short, sweet, & carries a small dried citrus finish. As the beer warms, the dried dark fruits become more mature & pleasant."

 

Cracking open the first bottle of Auld Alliance at Dunedin Brewery