When Harviestoun brewers, makers of craft beers such as Bitter & Twisted and Old Engine Oil, last year released an unusual new brew – an ale matured in 12 year-old whisky casks called Ola Dubh – it launched it in a New York restaurant, Gramercy Tavern.

Before being released globally, the ale was sold exclusively in the US for a year to tap into the country’s liking for craft beer, says Chris Miller, managing director at Harviestoun. “[Americans] like the complexity of the flavour.”