Beerlandia: Cullin Brewery Seaweed Beer
I was standing amid the colorful shopfronts of Portree on the Isle of Skye with a can in my hand that read "Seaweed IPA". This told me two things: 1) IPAs have become such a pervasive, dominant brewing style that a brewery in a small settlement of 74 people is producing them, and 2) I have to buy this beer. It was the correct choice. The label illustration by local artist Philippa Thomas beautifully tells the story of sugar kelp cultivation in Sligachan with simple, textured shapes and colors that mirror the landscape. The very same seaweed is used in the brewing process of this IPA by Cuillin Brewery, also based in Sligachan.
Beer: Seaweed IPA
Brewery: Cuillin Brewery
Country: Sligachan, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Style: Session IPA
ABV: 4.5%
Beerlandia Advisory: This creative IPA ditches hoppy bitterness for flavors of the seaside.
I must praise the label art for this beer once again. The understated color palette of the yellow-green seaweed that overlapped with the gray, rocky shoreline as well as the limited typography form more of a fine art piece than the abstract street art we see from a lot of craft brewers. We stayed at a pretty small Airbnb in Portree that didn't have many amenities, so I poured this beer from the can into a plastic cup (and saved the label for my journal). The deep amber with a brownish-red tint added light to our dim room as rain battered the windows. This beer could be any other IPA - there is no way you would know you're about to experience Sligachan in a can by looking at it. The tall, creamy head left consistent, light lacing all the way down the cup.
“I didn't anticipate the caramel sweetness, which I now know is from the naturally occurring mannitol in sugar kelp.”
Well, it looks like an IPA. Now for the interesting part. I raised my plastic cup to my nose in anticipation and perhaps a bit of trepidation. It was seaweed, after all - something I'm more accustomed to eating on my tekkamaki roll than drinking in my beer. I was taken aback. The seaweed was definitely there, but I was first greeted by salted caramel, sea salt, and slightly floral hops. The aroma of dried seaweed that dwelt in the background made itself known, but not enough that one could identify it in a blind sniff test. I noticed it because I was looking for it. An average person grabbing this at a pub would remain enticed after seeing and smelling this beer.
A beer brewed with seaweed that doesn't look or smell much different is actually quite clever. A seaweed beer that doesn't taste any different would be boring. That is not the case here. The rattling windows seemed to be telling me to hurry up already, so I dove in. Wow. There was somewhat of a brine, umami flavor that you would expect. I didn't anticipate the caramel sweetness, which I now know is from the naturally occurring mannitol in sugar kelp. Very subtle citrus hop notes blended with the natural salty sweetness from the seaweed to form one of the more interesting IPA flavor profiles I've ever experienced. Cuillin Brewery can pat itself on the back - I would happily enjoy several of these over a lengthy "session".
Cuillin Brewery puts Sligachan on the map with its local flavors.
It's pretty clear that this beer is a labor of love and a product of community collaboration rather than some bizarre gimmick aimed at shocking you into buying it. Most IPAs these days weigh in at well above 5% ABV. I think Cuillin Brewery made the clever choice here to brew a session IPA with a lower ABV of 4.5% so that the alcohol did not overpower the natural flavors of the seaweed that should be noticeable.
They could also be following the trend of "coastal IPAs" that are less bold in alcohol and overpowering hop flavors. Not many people want to tackle an 8% incredibly bitter IPA while sitting by the seaside. Whatever their intentions, they succeeded in making their local flavors accessible as well as intriguing to anyone who wants a different IPA experience that they will also enjoy. ◉
Written by Seth Barham
