Blackberry Scottish-Style
O'Fallon Brewery

Blackberry Scottish-StyleBlackberry Scottish-Style
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
O'Fallon Brewery
 
Missouri, United States
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
76
Avg:
3.2 | pDev: 12.5%
Reviews:
55
Ratings:
57
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 18, 2015
Added:
Mar 12, 2005
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by littleshamrocks:
Photo of littleshamrocks
Reviewed by littleshamrocks from Kentucky

2.95/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
12oz brown bottle with no freshness dating. Served in a Samuel Adams specialty pint glass.

Pours a dark caramel/deep copper with a rocky off-white head and lively carbonation. Head settles in time leaving a creamy looking crown. This is an attractive brew, with a rich color and golden highlights. Head left little to no lace. The smell is a mixture of sweet, cookie-like malts, and blackberries, along with other dark fruits (black grapes and blueberries). The hops are spruce-like and hidden in the background. Flavor is reminiscent of a sweet red wine at times. There are slightly roasted malts and a canned blackberry taste that finishes kind of sour. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a somewhat dry texture and some fizzy carbonation.

I love blackberries, so when I saw this, I knew that I had to give it a try. It started off so promising with an attractive appearance and a nice intriguing smell. That's where it started going down hill for me. To me the flavors seemed somehow at odds with each other, and the mouthfeel is similar to a flavored soda. I am glad that I gave it a try, but probably wouldn't want another.
Dec 24, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of papat444
Rated by papat444 from Canada (QC)

2.63/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Flashback #123
Aug 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by jaydoc from Kansas

Dec 23, 2013
Photo of BeerAdvocate
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

3.26/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine April 2007.

An intriguing mix: a Scottish-style Ale meets blackberries. There's a first for everything, we guess.

The fizzy lace lacks any real retention; the active carbonation is the only thing keeping it alive. Hazed, brownish burgundy color is borderline opaque. Toasted biscuit and sweet-tart blackberry aroma. Thick, viscous smoothness shows that the beer has a full body, yet enough crispness makes its way through. Toasted and mild caramel maltiness comes in layers as the blackberry flavor blankets the palate. Clean malt all around with a ghost-like nutty yeast in the middle. Kiss of hop bitterness is not sharp enough to rise above the berry flavor. Finishes slightly sweet, with a grainy and faded berry flavor.

This one is an oddball; nothing's really bad about it, it's just an odd mix of flavors. Regardless, it's worth a try. Thanks to Uncle Jimbo for the sample.
Apr 07, 2010
Photo of Dogbrick
Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

3/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle from Party Source. This beer pours a mostly clear ruby/brown color with a medium thin off-white head that has decent retention. Stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma similar to the packets of mixed berry jelly you find at finer restaurants. Touches of earthy malt in the nose as well. Medium-bodied with tart blueberry and peat flavors, along with some grainy malt. The finish is fruity and soft, with a mildly bitter aftertaste that lingers awhile. Overall this beer did not really do much for me.
Dec 30, 2008
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Appears a dark crimson toned amber with a frothy, beige head that slowly fades into a mild cap of suds. Scattered streaks of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of caramel, toffee, berries, citrus, and mild grass.
Taste is toffee mixed with berries, along with a mild hop punch of cut grass and citrus notes coming through.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sweet, lacking balalnce, with a spritzy finish.
Nov 24, 2008
Photo of Greggy
Reviewed by Greggy from Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A- Poursa a ruby/brown with a nice amount of fine sediment. The head is 2 fingers in head, ultra light tan in color, and has decent retention. Minimal lacing is present.

S- A bit of coriander, black berry, blue berry, and a touch of butterscotch. A balanced fruitiness.

T- Starts with slightly earthy notes with slight blackberry, a touch of drier chocolate, then moves to the slightly dry finish with hints of blue/black berries.

M- lower carbonation. Nice balance overall

D- This is a decent take on the odder scotch ales out there. Traquair Jacobite comes to mind with this one, but it lacked the complexity that one had. I wouldn't buy it again, but it's worth a shot if you can pick up a single.
Oct 18, 2008
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a very hazy medium dark amber color (which I'll presume is impacted by the blackberry juice); the head is sturdy and retains well but it leaves only a few dots of lace

Smell: Very unusual, with alternative whiffs of blackberry juice and caramel malt; once I think I've pinned one side down, the other appears

Taste: Opens with a bit of biscuit and caramel with clear hints of blackberry; after the swallow, a powdery chocolate flavors appear to join the other flavors but the effect is not particularly long-lived; slightly phenolic on the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to low carbonation

Drinkability: Oh, but what could have been here with this now retired beer (which, I understand, gets better with a bit of age) - imagine a Wee Heavy with subtle blackberry elements; as it is, the flavor is intriguing but somewhat less than satisfying; perhaps it will re-emerge at a later date in a bolder fashion

Thanks to esjaygee (from the other site), for the opportunity
Sep 21, 2008
Photo of KarlHungus
Reviewed by KarlHungus from Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
This beer pours a clear ruby color. The head is half an inch in height, and recedes quickly into sparse lacing. The aroma is of blackberry and caramel. The taste is a lot more malty than the aroma. The blackberry is almost none existent. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with lively carbonation. Overall, this is a decent beer. It would be more interesting if there were more going on in the aroma.
Aug 02, 2008
Photo of Atron67
Reviewed by Atron67 from Wisconsin

2.99/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
part 2 of a 4 beer mix pack from Ofallon.

A- pours a reddish copper with a tan head on top that is pretty nice. and had decent retention and light wet lacing, but fell from there without much sticky lacing.

S- not the greatest smelling, notes of blackberry, but it may just be the way the malt and the fruit come together but it comes across almost as being astringent.

T- so first off i would say the first is a little wierd, and not that good, but the middle and end is much better and pretty tasty.
There is a mix of the traditional strong malts and flavors from a scotch ale, including teh spices, and the fruit is subtle as well. I think the smell also throws it off a little bit. after that the spices of the scotch ale simmer down, and the sweetness and more complex maltiness comes in, which actually works quite well. the overall taste is tempered by the poor smell. the finish leaves a slightly sweet fruit and malty mix on the tongue which is quite pleasent. the lingering flavors also ask for me to drink it again, however the beginning of any such endevor suffers again and the cycle continues

M- full body, medium carbonation, crisp with a lingering flow on the tongue

D- that smell and beginning of the taste hurt it, but the finish helps it overall alot.
Jul 13, 2008
Photo of Redrover
Reviewed by Redrover from Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz brown longneck with no freshness dating.

Poured in my SA pint glass, the beer is a hazy brown with gold highlights. There is a huge beige head & decent lacing.

The aroma is of smoky malts, some berries and brown sugar.

First taste is berries followed rapidly by the peaty malts. The berries flavor is neither overwhelming or artificial. More berries in the aftertaste and the beer sweetens. I'd like a little more robust scotch ale as the base for this one.

The mouth is solid. Drinkablity is tougher. Would I drink all night, no. Would I drink occasionally, yes. Interesting combo is worth searching out.
Apr 11, 2008
Photo of BoitSansSoif
Reviewed by BoitSansSoif from France

3.53/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A-Pours deep amber-brown with nice off-white head. Retention is okay. Very faint lacing, and spotty cap remains.
S-Sweet toasted malt and blackberry. I was expecting the blackberry to be stronger, which made me put off drinking this for so long. I'm pleased to see it's rather subtle and mild.
T-Slightly sweet toasted malt, nuts, blackberries. Taste starts to lose it's harmony before the finish.
M-Carbonation is rather liberal. Overall body is light to medium, seemingly fitting for the style. Nice dryness near the end, but the toasty malt, blackberry, and dryness clash in a way that brings out an overripe, slightly dirty sensation.
D-Quite good up until the last second, and things come back together after the finish. I won't get it again since I was just curious, but it was decent, and better than I expected.
Apr 05, 2008
Photo of csmiley
Reviewed by csmiley from Ohio

3.22/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A - Pours medium brown in color with hints of red. Head was averge, showing poor retention. Lacing was average.

S - A solid malt aroma rises from the beer first. It is comprised of caramel and bread. There is a berry smell but it doesn't play a major role. Alcohol is present throughout but is mild and takes a back seat to other aromas.

T - Malt flavors come through first - caramel and nuts. Tastes like some yeast in there as well. The berry flavor is not strong but evident pretty quick. Grainy flavors round things out. Pretty good balance of flavors but a little bland overall.

M - Light bodied with average carbonation.

D - Drinkability is average. It goes down easy. The balance of flavors is good. There is just not enough flavor there to make it the beer I was expecting. I will not be having another one of these anytime soon.
Apr 03, 2008
Photo of brewgetter
Reviewed by brewgetter from Kansas

3.67/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A - a dark almost rubyish red brown color...hard to pinpoint. spotty lacing.

S - of sweet malty blackberries

T - initial taste is very good, very sweet, earthy, and the berry taste is not overpowering. Not super complex, but decent. Good malt backbone of course. I was expecting a lot more berry flavor, but was pleasantly surprised at its subtleness. In the late aftertaste there's a little funky malt taste.

M - a tad too carbonated, seems to be a common problem with O'Fallon.

D - A fairly tasty brew that I would buy again if I didn't have such a drive to drink different beer all the time. Better than I was expecting.
Mar 23, 2008
Photo of Goliath
Reviewed by Goliath from Illinois

3.12/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours an amber color with ruby hues. Has one finger of light tan head sitting on top with no lacing and poor retention.

Aroma is notably fruity. Strong sweet berry and caramel.

Taste is interesting. Big fruitiness, blackberry very apparent. Strong maltiness displays caramel and toffee notes. Seems kind of choclatey too.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with lively carbonation. Drinkability is good.
Feb 28, 2008
Photo of bluejacket74
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 ounce bottle. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter, the beer pours dark copper/mahogany color with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both OK. The aroma is blackberries, smoked malt, caramel, and some peat. Taste is the same as the aroma. The name of the beer fits, it does taste and smell like a Scottish Ale with some blackberries. Mouthfeel/body is medium, with average carbonation. Drinkability is good, it's easy enough to drink and goes down easy. Overall I think this is a decent beer, I could drink it now and again. It's not bad and worth a try.
Feb 24, 2008
Photo of ZAP
Reviewed by ZAP from Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A-Crimson colored....looks good...nice mild tan head on top

S-Smells like some blackberry soft serve ice cream I used to enjoy as a kid up in the Boulder Junction area of Wisconsin...not a fresh blackberry smell but more of an artificial flavor....I still enjoy the aroma though...also some light toasted malts...

T-Blackberry is more subtle than I expected but it still leads the way along with a light toasted maltiness...

M-Thinner than expected...too thin for my tastes for this style....has more of a wheat beer body to it than a scotch ale....really more of a drinker than a sipper.

D-I'm split on this beer....I wanted it to be deeper and more of a sipping style beer....I like the use of blackberry and this drinks easy enough but a bigger, richer beer would be even better,
Jul 17, 2007
Photo of Bighuge
Reviewed by Bighuge from Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Dark amber/mahogany tone. Slightly hazed. Thin off white head. Lace is sporadic. Nose is dirty, grundgey malts and squashed blackberries. Interesting taste. Kind of an earthy and murky feel to it all. The blackberry flavor is duely noted in the background, complementing the earthy character of this beer. Almost get some porter like charcteristics like chocolate and roasted malts. Subdued traits. Decent enough beer.
Jun 23, 2007
Photo of brewdlyhooked13
Reviewed by brewdlyhooked13 from Ohio

3.86/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance - medium to dark amber pour. I see lots of bubbles churning around on the pour but the head forms up small, leaves quickly, and doesn't lace at all.

Aroma - a thin blackberry presence with a thin smokiness just behind it. Thanks for not going overboard with that. As it warms, the blackberry comes through much bettter. Very nice.

Taste - the smoked malts are easy to pick up even though they are soft and low-key. The blackberry is there just not as distinct of a flavor. Going conservative on these particular flavoring choices is not necessarily a bad thing. Too much to either side would create an overly sweet beer or a hopelessly unbalanced brew. Everyone gets along here, the only thing I don't taste is much of a hop element. A tasty beer anyway.

Mouthfeel - crisp, carbonated a little above average, slightly thinnish but it works.

Drinkability - not sure when I'd session this, but it's durable. If nothing else, it could be thrown in any night just for a change of pace.
Jun 20, 2007
Photo of Talisker
Reviewed by Talisker from California

2.82/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Purchased May 2007 at Lukas Liquors in Ellisville, MO - part of an O'Fallon mixed 8-pack.

Pours a hazy but translucent orangish brown. Very, very fizzy - almost like a 7Up. Aroma is led with fruit, but not overpowering - although the bitterness is MIA. Taste is integrated, but I can't say it's wonderful - mostly sweet berry juice, some dryness on the finish. Certainly no conflicting hop taste anywhere, but the malt is thin, the texture watery.

Nothing Scottish about this - no earth, no peat, not a hint of smoke. But not entirely a misfire - would be a nice summer drink, taken very cold. Sort of a berry tea.

I want to love O'Fallon Brewery, but I don't think they've quite hit their stride.
May 29, 2007
Blackberry Scottish-Style from O'Fallon Brewery
Beer rating: 76 out of 100 with 57 ratings