Sunday, 03 January 2010

• Review: About Scotch Ale

  
  

  
  Following LG's unfavorable review of Pike Kilt Lifter, I wanted to do a write-up about Scotch Ale and review a couple of good examples of it.
  
  And if that name sounds a little like Scotch whiskey to you, it is because they are actually the same thing to start with. Scotch whiskey is what happens when you distill Scotch ale. The Scots were famous for their ale long before before there was a such a thing as whiskey.
  
  Now the Scottish have always made more than one sort of beer, but when you hear of "Scotch Ale", what everyone is talking about is their Strong Ale or Wee Heavy.
  
  Traits of Scotch Ale:
  
  It is all about the malt and malt aroma. The Scottish brewers used hops only in moderation to add to the flavor, but not enough dominate in it. Hops were expensive in Scotland, so they were not going to use enough of them to preserve the beer by itself, or to keep it from being too sweet They kept this strong malty beer from growing too sweet to drink with the use of roasted barley and preserved it by making it a highly alcoholic drink. With just enough hops to finish the job. A good Scotch ale has a very clean aromatic alcohol profile that will seem familiar the drinkers of fine Scotch whiskey. This comes from the colder fermentation that comes naturally to any brewing done in the Scottish climate.
  
  A beer of rich body, on the darker side of things, yet still translucent with maybe the most impressive long lasting head you will ever see in a glass of beer. But the carbonation rate is very low. This is not a bubbly beer, despite the nice head sitting in the glass.
  
  This is one of the hardest beer styles to find a good example of in the USA. The micro brewed versions while often good beer, rarely get the style right. The only way to really know a beer is to drink it. Here are two examples that are true to form and very good. This is assuming they were treated at all right during transportation and storage. I hear you can find one or both of these beers in most of the USA.
  
  MacAndrews Stock Ale:
  
  

  
  

  
  Heavy malt presence without an overpowering syrupy sweetness. Bronze color with a tan head that beautifully laces the glass. The flavor starts out sweet, but that mellows as the other flavors come out. The aroma, hops, roasted, barley and malt nicely fill your nose. A good example of this style. Beware the rich flavor comply hides the strength of this beer.
  
  A 4.0 on a one to five scale.
  
  Traquair House Ale:
  
  

  
  

  
  The picture does not show the red color in this beer that is very noticeable. The head on this thing is typical for the style, tan thick and it laces the glass from beginning to end.The aroma is more sweet with caramel in this one. And that caramel is in the flavor as well. The flavor is simply too complex to describe well, a nuttiness is in there along with the roasted grains and hops Sort of a candy flavor is here as well without being overly sweet. I really liked this one, but the shame of it is it costs far to much
  
  A 4.1 on Paige's beer scale.
  
  Just a great beer in this style, but at the money it cost, it will remain a rare treat.
  
  Reviews and Article by Paige
  

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