Canaster Winterscotch Ale
KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
by mynie from Maryland

750 ml bottle from Belgium.

The pour is aggressively fizzy and glugs out with plenty of sediment right away. Once it settles, it's a very thick-looking Scotch ale, dark red with a voluminous head.

Aroma is surprisingly tame and fruity. Bock zippiness, fruity malts, zero presence of hops or alcohol. It's pleasant. It's very nice, actually. But absolutely not what I was expecting.

The flavor, sadly, keeps up the tameness of the aroma. It's still nice throughout, but weirdly like a bright homebrew. Which isn't to say there's any off nodes. There's just nothing here that signals refinedness or distinction. Bright grain up front, lightly bocky malt in the middle, and then on the very back what Michael Jackson would have referred to as "tangy" hops, with some mild nodes of peat on the finish.

This is like what you might have gotten out of a high ABV American Brown ale circa 1998. Nothing about it is bad. And, as a weird product of a past age, it's somewhat interesting. Not really worth importing, but certainly not bad.

May 07, 2021

3.86/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
by Sigmund from Norway

Shared 750 ml bottle, ABV 8.7%. From Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. Hazy deep reddish brown colour, large off-white to beige head. Very nice aroma of rich malts, brown kandij sugar, molasses and Belgian ale yeast. Malty flavour, moderate notes of kandij sugar, but not too sweet. Very moderate hops (Aalst Hallertauer).

Apr 30, 2021

3.84/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
by REVZEB from Illinois

Had on tap. Very dark brown body with a finger of tan for the head. Smell is more scotch ale forward: peat smoke, earth, toffee, dry booze, but has hints of candi sugar and spices, gives a tootsie roll impression in some ways. Taste is more winter warmer like with the malts and spicing, scotch flavors all still there but take the backseat, malts are almost dubbel like with some dried dark fruit and cherry. This all being said, the flavors tend to mute one another a little. Feel is smoky, very malty, slightly boozy, and generally warming. Appropriate for winter evenings, but an odd, not bad, wee heavy overall

Dec 12, 2019

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by mmilyko from Nevada

Was intrigued and looking forward to a Belgian produced Scotch Ale, a combination of two of my favorite things. However, although a serviceable SA, not displaying the complexity I was anticipating and/or hoping for.....Still enjoyed this very much.

Sep 02, 2018

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by StonedTrippin from Colorado

one of my favorite little breweries that nobody ever talks about, always a treat to find something i havent had from them. this one currently on tap at back country in boulder. it pours much darker than expected, almost dark brown but with some auburn and chestnut edges, not much head at all but a lot of shine and viscosity, interesting looking brew. the aroma is a little sharp, not quite partially sour or anything, but with a definite tannic tang to it. neat against a really dark roasty and nutty malt background. some neat spice from the yeast there too, anise and licorice and tobacco and rubbing alcohol, strange but appealing to me. the flavor is well integrated, autumnal, and oddly fruity with dark earthy notes of overripe red apple, even starting to turn, luxardo cherries, strong brandy and wet pipe tobacco too, really complex, boozy as they go for what it is, and with a unique sort of sweet belgian grain element to the finish, delicious and very much one of a kind. port wine and belgian yeast at the end, peppercorns and charcoal, unsweetened chocolate and cognac essence, all very well integrated and plenty warming. tasty brew, a one and done for me at this strength and flavor intensity, but a treat for sure. i love de glazen toren, and hope to see more of their beers come around on draft like this!

Apr 29, 2018

3.96/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
by Bluecrow from New York

-red amber bottle pour is hazy to cloudy with a 2 cm tan foam fluff-top. The foam dissipates quickly. The aroma is candi sugar with a whiff of cherry, but light. The flavors include dark fruit, raisin, fig and honey. There is a Belgian yeast character. The flavors improve as the brew warms. The mouthfeel is fizzy, but the finish is smooth.

Feb 15, 2018

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
by keithmurray from Connecticut

Appearance - dark ruby red color with tan head

Smell - cherry, raisin, toffee

Taste - toffee, raisin, cherry, hint of belgian spice

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, high carbonation, slight sweetness upfront, dry finish

Overall - decent beverage here that Im glad I tried

Price Point - $5.99/750ML bottlr

Jan 13, 2018

4.49/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
by Brianhone from Iowa

Awesome

May 25, 2017

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by josanguapo from Spain

From Cervezasespeciales. In Teku glass. Reading JHTP11 JavaFX GUI Case Study. A bit dank and even sourish in nose but not in taste. Raisins,caramel and comfortable alcohol. I Miss a bit more body. Very foamy

Jan 15, 2017

4.04/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by lmaduells from Spain

I liked it for its nuances, the sweetness, the point of gas. A good way d'acabar a Christmas day with good company.

Dec 26, 2016

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by puboflyons from New Hampshire

From the paper wrapped 750 ml. bottle. Sampled on August 12, 2015.

The pour is reddish-brown with a big, foamy tan head.

The aroma is malty, dank, and musty like it came out of a cellar. It did in my case.

The body is medium to full.

The taste is sweet and malty with a peppery or maybe slightly boozy finish. Definitely a sipper.

Aug 13, 2015

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by pat61 from Minnesota

L: Pours brilliant dark chestnut under a 3” cream colored foam cap that dissipates to a thick, clingy film.
S: Has a yeasty aroma with rich malts, fresh bread, bread crust and kettle sugars.
T: Initial malty sweetness finishes lightly tart. Complex layers of malt include bread, bread crust, kettle sugars, light caramel and spicy grains. Traces of fruit – plum and a little raisin and a slight wine note.
F: Very creamy, smooth and soft in the mouth. Has above average natural carbonation with slightly above medium body. Slight alcohol warming.
O: A little more fruit than typical and a slight wine character but this is probably due to the abv. More caramel flavor may be due to the grain bill.

May 24, 2015

3.29/5  rDev -15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
by Bitterbill from Wyoming

750ml opened with no problems...no gushing.

Hazy to cloudy deep brown, beautiful looking brew complete with a 1 finger of off white foam and pretty lacing.

Smells of candi sugar, pitted fruits, toasted malt that is almost smokie, booze.

Toasted malt and fruits are up front, gets a bit sweet from the candi sugar, an inherent booziness in the taste(heck, it's called Winterscotch), finishes slightly bitter with more booze.

The foam has subsided but it's still nice to look at. I see the abv is at 9.5% abv but to me, it drinks stronger and so I need to slow this session and review down a bit.

Initial thoughts are that I'm going to score this on the low side as I have done with most beers of the style, which I am taking as Wee Heavy based on the name/label and how it is listed on the brewery website. Waiting and slowly sipping will perhaps bring out my palate familiarity and maybe something nice will happen to change my mind.

Medium bodied in general, a tad too much carbonation for my palate, the mouthfeel is only okay.

All right, I have given Canaster every chance I can to shine for me and it doesn't. It's not a terrible brew, it just does not inspire me to think aboot buying another bottle. Oh well, it has it's fans and that's cool.

Mar 08, 2015