The Mighty Oak
Silver City Brewery & Taproom

 

Pours a clear dark amber-tinged brown with plenty of foam in the Brigand chalice. Lush and sudsy on the tongue. Moderately sweet but so well balanced. Interesting mix of flavors, from vanilla to butterscotch with a hint of licorice. Also some light smoke and a touch of raisins in rum. Burnt sugar is moderated by the bitter hops, but the bitterness doesn't linger longer than invited. Certainly one of the better big Scotch Ales I've had. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station. Canned on 01/30/2023. Brewed in Bremerton as all Silver City beers are now.

One pint canned on 01/30/2023. Served in pint glass. Beer is color brown, with good clarity, and a load of dark tan foam. Familiar aroma for a scotch ale with an earthy funk and light smoke. Great mouthfeel and flavor, creamy and slightly sweet, caramel, vanilla, and treacle, but balanced out with American hops and some Munich malt. This is really exceptionally well layered and balanced, perhaps one of the most enjoyable Scotch ales I've had in years. It's big and boozy and weighty on the palate, but the alcohol is dangerously well masked.

The can says "limited edition" and I must pick up more. Way better than Magnificent Bastard / Fat Scotch Ale to my palate.

Got in a bif from snaotheus. 16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 2/24/2022. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap. Nice spotty soapy lacing and moderate streaming carbonation on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread/crust, vanilla, toasted oak, nuts, chocolate, cocoa, coffee; light molasses, raisin, fig, date, peat smoke, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast earthiness. Light pine, herbal, woody, grassy, roasted bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; very creamy/bready malts, light sticky hops and chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Slight oak tannins. Lingering bitter dryness, with no cloying/astringent flavors. Dangerously smooth, mild increasing warmth of 9.2%. Spot on style. Amazingly rich Munich malt complexity. A bit more roasty than a typical Scotch ale, but great oak presence with light balancing hops and restrained fruity English yeast. Loved it.

 

Poured into a MacAndrew's thistle glass. Pours a dark reddish orange with a one finger khaki head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of dry caramel and biscuit malt, plums, raisins and a touch of peat. Flavor follows, with caramel and biscuit malt, raisins, dried plums, mild oaky vanilla and a little peat in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. An authentic Scotch style ale with great malt and dark fruit notes. Oak is present, but not dominating as is the peat. ABV remarkably well covered. It's been a while, but this tastes very similar to Silver City's Fat Woody and Magnificent Bastard. My hunch is they rename it each time a different barrel regime is used, but all are very true to style and flavorful. Well done.