Highway 78 Scotch Ale
Stone Brewing

Highway 78 Scotch AleHighway 78 Scotch Ale
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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
ABV:
8.8%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.84 | pDev: 11.72%
Reviews:
329
Ratings:
583
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 21, 2020
Added:
Feb 07, 2011
Wants:
  19
Gots:
  63
Collaboration with Green Flash Brewing and Pizza Port Brewing
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Billolick:
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

3.97/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle, surely no bargain here, $3.99 per at DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY.

No freshness info offered, but the message on the rear from brewer Bagby is dated Dec 2010 and the etching on the bottle talks of aging this one.

Pours a bold darker shade of honey amber, clear and resting under a medium tan head. Head shows moderate retention powers and leaves a thicker film and ample lace.

Nose of whole wheat bread, caramel and just a hint of smoke.

The style is all about the malt and this one is to style. Waves of maple wash over the palate, more light smoke, sneaky very late hop nibble provides a weak attempt at balance. Sweet but nowhere near cloying.

Malt lovers rejoice at this unexpected, yet quite welcome Stone collaboration. Looking forward to seeing more...
Mar 04, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of maddogruss
Reviewed by maddogruss from New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had this from a bottle.
A: pours mahogany body with small, off white head that dissipates and leaves minimal lacing
S: sweet, roasted toffee smell with some caramel and vanilla hints
T: sweet toffee and caramel notes with a subtle, roasted toffee aftertaste
M: full bodied and very smooth; silky
D: nice mouthfeel and taste combo; alcohol was warming on the back of the throat; pretty good example of a scotch ale
Nov 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by RochefortChris from North Carolina

Jan 22, 2018
 
Rated: 3.79 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Apr 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by madelf66 from Pennsylvania

Nov 19, 2016
 
Rated: 4.06 by connecticutpoet from Connecticut

Aug 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.17 by jaydoc from Kansas

Jul 15, 2015
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

3.92/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
September 11th, 2013 - A beer of this calibre, and at this price ($17.99, California) is typically out of my range. But it's my birthday month, and a luxurious beer is better than a cake at my age. The Highway 78 Scotch Ale is a promising way to celebrate. The style is one of my favorite, and the bottle demonstrates all the pedigrees of an expensive collaboration. Once poured it looks a great deal like a pint of Coca-Cola. Large bubbles stick to the side of the glass, sitting just below the thinnest of mottled heads, and the body is that familiar semi-clear liquid that we've all seen splashed, swirled and slurped in a million Coke commercials. The aroma is dominated by hickory, hickory smoke, and wood, almost so as to snell like Virginian pipe tobacco. The hickory notes return on the tongue where they present as slightly sour. A mild to medium weight palate is closer to a flat carbonation than I would have expected, but the silence of the mouthfeel reveals other subtle flavors like juniper, blueberries, black pepper, and beef jerky. The traditional caramel sugars of the scotch ale don't appear here, nor does the whiskey burn of the barrel, but these are replaced with new and interesting flavors - a wonderful birthday gift.
Jun 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by HaveUSeenMyCellar from California

Mar 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by nathanmiller from New York

Dec 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by double2chin from California

Dec 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Nov 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Nov 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by rderedin from Maine

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.64 by pkkosmatka from Minnesota

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Aug 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by WoostaBia from Massachusetts

Aug 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Acrid from California

Aug 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by zestar from California

Jul 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jul 11, 2014
Highway 78 Scotch Ale from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 583 ratings