Beer Appreciation: Loch Leven Warrior Queen IPA

I’m in Scotland right now, Dunfermline to be precise. Yesterday, I took my mum for a late lunch in town and we headed to one of he favourite haunts: Fire Station Creative. 

Last time we went there, I noticed an ad for local beers, but only as I walked out the door. Too late to order! The main menu listed things like Peroni and Budweiser, so obviously, beer wasn’t on my mind when choosing my (quite delicious) chilli.

This time, I asked about the beer before choosing food and had a selection from Loch Leven to choose from. Only one resonated with me: Warrior Queen, described as a hoppy  India Pale Ale. I love me an IPA, so I went for it, to accompany my burrito.

And what a back story!

“Warrior Queen (IPA) is named after Mary Queen of Scots who was imprisoned for almost a year in Lochleven Castle before making her dramatic escape.”

While the burrito was delicious, the beer was a complete washout. It tasted more like a lager than an IPA and had minimal hops. I would describe it as watery and more like one of the aforementioned Budweiser-style ‘beers’. Very disappointing, all in all.

I didn’t actually finish it, as the taste become more metallic as I drank it. I switched to sparkling water (shock horror!) as I didn’t want to chance something else from the same brewery.

So while I can definitely recommend the Fire Station if you ever find yourself in Dunfermline, I’d steer clear of the Warrior Queen when selecting something to drink.

Loch Leven Warrior Queen IPA: ★★☆☆☆ (and only because I like the name)

(Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash)