Mons Meg
Gigantic Brewing Company

 

 

Beautiful coppery russet brew with swirls of foam in the Ciney snifter. Fragrant with fruitcake notes. Medium body and more refreshingly light in the mouth than some of these Scotch giants.

Savory, meaty taste is inviting. Just a touch of bitterness, a little bit woody, to add to the balance with the caramel. Richly roasted and less sweet than typical for the style, but quite drinkable. A bit winey with the alcohol, a hint of raisins, and a dab of butter. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Central Market - Shoreline.

22oz bottle. The name sounds like something out of the Star Wars canon, but in fact it's actually a real medieval cannon located at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. Yeah.

This beer pours a clear, dark bronzed amber colour, with three fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and bubbly beige head, which leaves some rearing sea creature from the deep lace around the glass as things slowly work their way south.

It smells of gritty and grainy caramel malt, a touch of biscuity toffee squares, some muddled dark orchard fruitiness, subtle damp ashen notes, a faint earthy nuttiness, and very plain weedy, leafy, and herbal green hop bitters. The taste is bready and doughy caramel malt, a further underdeveloped toffee sweetness, still hard to parse but there all the same black stone fruit (so, plums and cherries, I guess), a hint of milk chocolate, more weak peat-like smokiness, and some tame earthy, weedy, and dead floral verdant hoppiness.

The carbonation is adequate in its basically supportive frothiness, the body a solid medium weight, and generally smooth, with a nice wee airy creaminess succeeding in alighting, once things warm up just a smidge. It finishes well off-dry, the big-ass malt, attendant char, and lingering nondescript fruitiness ruling the waning day.

Overall, this is indeed a very worthy and commendable version of the style, even if it is made a long way from the Highlands of note. Full-flavoured, and easy to drink, especially given the barely-perceptible 16-proof wowee sauce component.

 

Poured into a MacAndrew's thistle glass. Pours a dark red brown with a slight head that dissipated to a small patch with no lacing. Aroma of dark caramel malt, raisins, dark dried fruit, light vanilla. Flavor is toasted caramel malt with light biscuit, raisins, dates, figs, fresh plums; earthy with a hint of peat. Starts semi-sweet and finishes drier with lightly smoky malt and residual dark fruit. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A well made domestic take on a Scotch ale or heavy Scottish ale (I think this one would be closer to a Scotch ale or wee heavy). The dark dried fruit notes are pretty much spot on for the style. Peat or smokiness is minimal, but present. A good example of the style with nothing that really stands out.

Hazy, deep copper color. Foamy, tan head with streak lacing. Aroma is mostly the sweetness of the malt, along with some earthy tones and herbal notes. Flavor follows suit, the caramel malt is rich and sweet. Light citrus and spice are present in the hops aftertaste. A very good beer overall.