Introduction

What is a scuttlebutt might you ask? The term is used for multiple purposes ranging from the drinking fountain on a sailing vessel to a slang term for gossip. This particular scuttlebutt comes from the nickname given to Cynthia Barrett, the wife of the venerable brewer behind the beer. She was nicknamed Scuttlebuttby her father, before she was even born, because it was the scuttlebutt – or gossip – at the Norfolk Naval Station where he was stationed, that he had another baby on the way. He called her Scuttlebutt until her 13th birthday when, at her request, he discontinued the name by dropping the last syllable. She has been Scuttle ever since with the resurgence of that old nickname coming out to christen the brewery.

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How it looks

Pours medium clear amber with a puffy, rocky beige head.

How it smells

Biscuity caramel malt, warm toffee, muddled tropical fruit, subtle earthy yeast, leafy green hop bitters.

How it tastes

Grainy and biscuit malt, tropical fruits, citrus and pine, herbal and floral notes. This medium-bodied beer finished off-dry as the hops beat out the malt on the finish. Big and round and quite complex, this Imperial IPA balances the malt and hop profiles nicely.

Recommended food pairing

Sharp cheddar or funky stilton. Salty cheese plays well to the salt/bitter dynamic and both of these cheeses leave a creamy, mouth-coating film that the hops and alcohol will clear away.