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Great selection and prices

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Best bottle shop in Edinburgh, great selection of beers and super helpful staff. My go to for sour beer.

A phenomenal selection of products that is perhaps only surpassed by how phenomenal their staff is - I went in lookin...

Great selection with friendly staff.

Absolutely superb selection and even better service. I was given great recommendations that suited my needs, and the ...

Dear owner my friend and his wife were there on holiday and found me a bottle of Blantons Gold I have been wanting a ...

Finest and greatest depth of beers for sale in Edinburgh. The owner is super knowledgeable and helpful. There was a c...

Can't believe I've failed to give a good review of this place before. I've been frequenting this place fo...

Una selección muy buena de cerveza. Nos atendió un chico muy amable detallandonos muy bien el producto a pesar de ser...

Popped in a few nights ago for some gifts. Great customer experience, they listened to what I was looking for and cam...

Spotted on my drive to my last customer, so glad I spotted it. By far one of the best bottle shops I've had the p...

The Beerhive is simply the best,very friendly knowledgeable staff,always have an extensive range of beers.🍻

Excellent selection, very kind and knowledgeable co-owner! Thank you, I walked out with 8 exceptional bottles of wine!

Great guys, amazing selection and super knowledgeable! The best.

Our local bottle shop!Absolutely top service everytime we go in! Team are always so friendly and knowledgeable.Always...

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Been buying beer from Peter and Richard for nearly 8 years now. Definitely the best beer shop in town.

Excellent selection across a broad range of price points and styles and thats just the wine. The Beerhive has been ah...

excellent wee shop with great staff and wonderful selection - lots of stuff that isn't beer too, picked up a few ...

Awesome bottle shop. Totally out of my way but I will return many times

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Great selection and service with a smile! I was really pleased with their delivery options and frequency. I am cancel...

An obviously great passion project bottle shop which I'm embarrassed it took me so long to visit. Great selection...

Great place for exciting craft beers with an excellent wine selection as well. The staff are knowledgeable and friend...

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Orkney Brewery Dark Island Reserve 330ml

Name: Orkney Brewery Dark Island Reserve 330ml
Brand: Orkney Brewery
SKU: 5025139000535
Price: 11.0 GBP
Availability: InStock

£11.00

Sale Sold out

Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

Pete: Classic.

Producer Orkney Brewery

Country Scotland

Region Orkney Islands

ABV 10%

Tasting Notes

Dark Chocolate, Dried Fruit, Roasted Malt and Spice

Explore Further

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This Pairs With:

Steak Chocolate Desserts Autumnal Drinking Pork Haggis

Product variants

Quantity

Don’t forget your bottle opener!

Edinburgh and UK Shipping

✓ Carefully packed by our team in Edinburgh

✓ Free local delivery in Edinburgh and
Falkirk for orders over £35

✓ Free UK delivery over £90

✓ Click & Collect available

✓ Shipping to Northern Ireland and Scottish Isles available on request: orders@thebeerhive.co.uk

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More About Orkney Brewery Dark Island Reserve 330ml

Orkney Brewery Dark Island Reserve is a richer, oak matured interpretation of the brewery’s much-loved Dark Island ale, created to showcase deeper layers of malt complexity, dried fruit character and warming spice. Brewed in Orkney, this Scottish dark ale balances roasted malt richness with subtle sweetness and gentle oak influence, producing a beer with remarkable depth while remaining highly drinkable.

Pouring deep mahogany with ruby highlights, Dark Island Reserve opens with aromas of toasted bread, caramelised sugar, dried fruit and soft spice. The palate develops notes of raisin, treacle, roasted nuts and dark chocolate before finishing with warming oak, gentle bitterness and lingering malt sweetness. The additional maturation gives the beer a rounded, almost whisky-like richness while retaining the smooth drinkability associated with traditional Scottish ales.

Dark Island Reserve suits drinkers who enjoy fuller-bodied dark beer styles but want complexity without heavy bitterness. It works particularly well alongside mature cheddar, game dishes, rich stews or sticky toffee pudding.

This limited reserve version of Dark Island highlights the strength of Scottish brewing traditions and offers an excellent bridge between classic ale drinkers and those interested in barrel influence and richer malt-led beers.

Meet the Producer, Orkney Brewery

Orkney Brewery

Style: Brewery

Orkney Brewery produce exactly the sort of beer you imagine being brewed on remote Scottish islands surrounded by wind, sea and weather serious enough to alter walking patterns.

Founded in Quoyloo in the late 1980s, the brewery became widely known through beers like Skull Splitter and Dark Island, both of which feel deeply rooted in traditional Scottish brewing without becoming old-fashioned caricatures. Malt-forward, warming and built for actual climate rather than purely trend cycles.

Dark Island remains one of the classic Scottish dark ales. Roasted malt, caramel, dried fruit and gentle bitterness all sitting together with remarkable smoothness. Skull Splitter moves stronger and richer, carrying dark sugar, spice and warming alcohol without tipping fully into heaviness.

What works particularly well with Orkney Brewery is atmosphere. These beers genuinely feel tied to place. Island weather, old Norse history and pub culture all seem wrapped into the branding and flavour naturally rather than artificially manufactured afterwards.

Scottish brewing often gets overshadowed by whisky internationally, though breweries like Orkney quietly remind people the country has always understood malt, balance and dark beer exceptionally well too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What style of beer is Dark Island Reserve?

Dark Island Reserve is a Scottish dark ale with additional oak maturation, creating richer malt character and deeper complexity than standard Dark Island.

What does Orkney Brewery Dark Island Reserve taste like?

Expect flavours of caramel, dried fruit, roasted malt, dark chocolate, treacle and warming spice with subtle oak influence.

Is Dark Island Reserve barrel aged?

The reserve expression receives oak maturation which contributes additional richness and rounded character, although it is not heavily spirit-barrel dominated in style.

Is Dark Island Reserve sweet?

The beer carries gentle malt sweetness and dried fruit notes, balanced by roasted character and a smooth finish.

What food pairs with Dark Island Reserve?

It pairs especially well with mature cheese, roasted meats, venison, rich casseroles and chocolate desserts.

Where is Orkney Brewery located?

Orkney Brewery is based in Orkney, Scotland, and is known for traditional ales inspired by the islands’ brewing heritage.