Beer 305 Arran Brewery Dark (2.5 stars out of 5)

Isle of Arran Brewery, Cladoch Bradick, Isle of Arran, Scotland.  Bought by Andy in Scotland and carried back to Katy, TX so I could enjoy it tonight while cooking the first green squash from the garden for dinner.  We also have yellow squash ready to eat and green tomatoes not yet ready.  Cucumbers are slowly forming as are peppers but the onions are a disapointment.

The brewery web site: http://www.arranbrewery.com/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=6&idproduct=128

The web site says:
ALC 4.3% vol. 2.2 UK Units of Alcohol per 500ml bottle.

Nose: Rich aroma of malt and hops with ripe fruit.

Palette: Velvety texture, full malt with a deep bittersweet finish.

Comments: A traditional smooth drinking Scottish heavy beer.
Please try the following food/beer pairings.
You may be pleasantly surprised at how well these go together:

With foodFoods for this beer need to be smellier, or maybe pungent or assertive would be finer words. Venison and red cabbage; gammon in Cumberland sauce (if Cumberland and its 1746 connotations is a word that can be used north of the border!); grouse; maybe mutton and capers and onion sauce; chorizo.

With cheeseSmoked cheeses; brie and any cheese happy to walk towards the guillotine of take-your-head-away ripeness.

I was a lot disapointed with this beer.  I expected something with more body and flavor, but all I got was a lifeless beer with little body and no character.