Scottish Ale
White Street Brewing Co.

Pours to a dark caramel with a mild head. A light malty aroma without any distinct notes. Has a bit of a light biscuit flavor with a hint of fruit. Nice finish.

A good clean beer.

 

Sweet red ale, one note. Not quite sure of it's resemblance to a Scottish ale.

Malt, biscuit, tending toward sweet with a bit more carbonation than is probably typical. Flavor becomes more complex as it warms --- a terrific fall/winter brew and a fine, reliable, Scottish Ale overall...

 

A clear, iridescent dark copper brown beer. A wispy off-white head never reaches more than a thin layer in a Gordon thistle glass.

Toasted malt counters peanut hulls and faintly burnt caramel. Also noticeable was wheat bread.

The flavors are well balanced, with a slight edge towards the sweet. Generally it follows the nose with wheat bread and nuts being more prominent. The finish is long with caramel notes and a light bitterness.

Alcohol is more prominent than expected. The body is full with a soft, woolly texture.

This is a good, hearty beer, better suited to cold weather.

Pours a dark brown that turns into a lovely garnet hued beer when exposed to bright light. Normal head volume, lacing and retention.

The nose is rather timid with very little intensity. Light caramel, a hint of molasses and an extremely faint fruit ester. As it warms, the nose improves and allows light notes of peat to emerge along with a hint of char. The fruit ester seems to be pear, but apple is a possibility.

Heavy light body that has a smooth texture with a touch of slick oiliness. Outstanding carbonation / body balance. The middle has just enough effervescence to tickle the tongue while the finish, while not robust, is finely bubbled and delivers a prickly rush. Overall, it is slightly thin for the style.

The flavor profile is quite outstanding. This 2016 GABF gold medal winner needs to be allowed to warm near room temperature for the nuances of its complexity to be appreciated. This a subtle Scottish ale, not an in your face Wee Heavy. Balance is world class. Hop influence is minimalized, in accordance to style, and produces just a hint of bitterness towards the end. While being malt based, in accordance to style, just enough sweetness is present to detect but not detract. Initially, the first impression is a blend of cracker biscuit and nuts. From the middle on separation occurs and the complexities unfold. Light peat and light char lead coupled with a hint of cocoa. Next comes caramel coupled with molasses. As the finish approaches, molasses gains in intensity and provides the light sweet contrast for pear to emerge. Pear, molasses, a subtle hop earthy/herbal flavor and very subtle bitterness linger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into pint glass. It pours a cloudy, reddish-copper color with a very thin, milk-white head and minimal lacing. It resembles a glass of sweet tea. It smells of roasted malt, cherry, caramel, and nuts. It's very malt-forward with taste of peat, nuts, and a slight fruitiness at the finish. It quite thin, and with a moderate ABV of 5.5%, it is easy to drink, albeit not memorable. It pales in comparison to the leaders of the style.