Scottish Ale
High Cotton Brewing Co.

Scottish AleScottish Ale
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From:
High Cotton Brewing Co.
 
Tennessee, United States
Style:
Scottish Ale
Ranked #27
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
86
Ranked #18,903
Avg:
3.81 | pDev: 9.45%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
39
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 06, 2023
Added:
Oct 26, 2013
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  9
Our love of the latter led us to brew a Scottish Ale of our own. And brew we did. Our clean, malty and faintly peaty version brings a down-home approach to this highland ale and results in a beer so good that it might bring Nessie out of hiding.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by chris826:
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Rated by chris826 from Mississippi

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Jan 24, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.88 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

Oct 06, 2023
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Reviewed by Somnifex from Tennessee

3.54/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25
The first beer I ever sat down to. It was, perhaps, an ambitious beginning, though not unpleasant. My palette is uneducated, so my insight feels a bit shallow. I look forward to returning to this beer in the future.

That said:

I ordered this beer, in draught, at The Celtic Crossing, in Memphis, TN.

Beautiful, almost inky, in the glass. Black gave way to a deep reddish-brown, though only around the edges, when help up to the light. Came to the table with no discernible head, but with a notable halo of bubbles, and others rising along the inside of the glass.

Initial aroma just struck me as boozy, but further contemplation yielded a dominant peaty scent, and hints of bread.

It felt thinner than expected, given its robust appearance. Once I adjusted to the alcohol sting, flavor was smokey peat and darkly cooked caramel, tapering to grain.

First beer, from glass to memory.
Mar 13, 2023
 
Rated: 3.87 by animal69 from Louisiana

Mar 07, 2022
 
Rated: 3.76 by MJSFS from Florida

Dec 06, 2020
 
Rated: 4.35 by mg97 from Mississippi

Aug 24, 2020
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Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at The Flying Saucer, Memphis, TN

A: The beer is clear dark red in color and brownish red when viewed from afar. It poured with a quarter finger high beige head that left a patch of bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Faint aromas of caramel and peat are present in the nose.
T: The taste has light flavors of toffee and caramel with notes of smoked peat.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink but isn't nearly as malty and fuller in body compared to other beers in the style.

Serving type: on-tap
Nov 01, 2018
Photo of dbrauneis
Reviewed by dbrauneis from North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: Pours a clear almost opaque deep mahogany in color with light to moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and moderate amounts of chestnut brown + dark crimson red colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall dense creamy foamy tan head that slowly reduces to a large patch of slightly mottled thin film covering a little more than 75% of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of toasted + bready + caramel + chocolate malts with light amounts of roasted malts and just an hint of peat smoked malts. There is a light amount of caramel sweetness and light aromas of earthy + herbal hops.

T: Upfront there are slightly heavier than moderate flavors of toasted + bready + caramel + chocolate malts and light flavors of roasted + peat smoked malts with a light amount of caramel sweetness. There are light flavors of earthy + herbal hops which contribute a light amount of bitterness which does not linger for too long.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol. Enjoyable with a really pleasant balance of malty sweetness and hop bitterness and a decent amount of complexity to the malt flavors. Really well done.
Oct 23, 2018
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Rated by sokol_1993 from California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Got one on tap at Central BBQ, Memphis
Jun 20, 2018
 
Rated: 3.83 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Mar 18, 2018
 
Rated: 3.79 by SpaceBeagle from Utah

Sep 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.04 by bradster from Tennessee

Jul 20, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by LennyBound from Illinois

Jul 06, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by 6thstreetbrewpub from District of Columbia

Jun 29, 2017
Photo of Pav42
Reviewed by Pav42 from Tennessee

4.27/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
My favorite of all the permanent craft beers offered from Memphis. Looks pretty, smells great, tastes awesome, and feels fine. A great beer to always have on hand.
Jun 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by Whiskeydeez from Kansas

Dec 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by MJ64 from Mississippi

Oct 05, 2016
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Reviewed by ilikebeer03 from Texas

3.71/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pretty good beer.
Nose is a fair amount of peat, with chocolate, and toasty bready malt.
Refreshing. Very slight peat. A bit of chocolate. Toasted malt. Caramel.
Sep 16, 2016
Photo of searsclone
Reviewed by searsclone from Arizona

3.79/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A nice dark Amber, almost brown color. Smell is roasted malt, bread, and smoke. Taste is caramel, roasted malt, toffee, and a smokey finish. Mouthfeel is medium carbonation with a wet finish. Overall it's very true to style, and done well.
Sep 04, 2016
Photo of Noncorporeal
Reviewed by Noncorporeal from Mississippi

4.43/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Nice caramel brown color
Pleasant Caramel maltly smell
Light mouthfeel
With a thinnish head that balances well with the overall toasted caramel flavors that even remind me of a good single malt scotch.
One of my recent favorites
Jul 13, 2016
Scottish Ale from High Cotton Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 39 ratings