Export Scotch Ale
Black Isle Brewery Co Ltd

Export Scotch AleExport Scotch Ale
Beer Geek Stats
From:
Black Isle Brewery Co Ltd
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
ABV:
7.9%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.33 | pDev: 5.31%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
8
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 23, 2014
Added:
Jul 05, 2011
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by mmapes:
Photo of mmapes
Reviewed by mmapes from Colorado

4.37/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottle 544 of 1481. Opened on March 18, 2013.

Poured into snifters. Fine bubbles of head dissipate fairly quickly, stick to the glass. Deep reddish brown. Very clear. Smells "tan" - like a brown ale, a little on the sweet side. Brown sugar/carmel on the nose, but not cloying.

First taste: rich, tangy, smoky, complex. The sweetness from the nose is there, but muted by the more serious flavors.

Then: hint of sour apple. Peat on the finish. Just a wee bit of smoke - not too much. Really well balanced - the sweetness is really muted by interesting flavors.

Later: Mellows to a rich, smooth beer. Stays well balanced between the sweetness and the earthy/peaty/smoky serious flavors. Very nice. Would buy again if I could.
Mar 18, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.56 by killcore from Russian Federation

Sep 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by pixieskid from Germany

Jul 04, 2013
Photo of mick303
Reviewed by mick303 from Canada (ON)

4.49/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
330 mL bottle into a tulip. a big crowning off white head. Great retention and lacing. Colour is a very dark brown, completely dark.

S - rich malty caramels, stewed fruits and nuttiness, caramel and toffee sweetness but also a decent hoppy presence, mostly earthy bitterness, rich citrus, dry molasses, with some light aromatic esters. One of the better scotch ales to be sure.

T - A mild start with nutty malts, caramel sugars, then more fruity red fruits and hoppiness. Cooked cinnamon apples, mild coffee, hay, brown sugar richness, very big but not overly sweet, hops are dry woody and earthy, cardamon. A big drying herbal, pine, earthy finish, aftertaste is dry and lingering burnt sugar, really solid.

M - creaminess is there but also moderate carbonation that is quite refreshing, very full bodied and a big thick coating malty body. Pleasant and full, the alcohol dries out the finish, otherwise it is not present or overbearing. Drinks very well, with a pleasant richness.

Balance is very nice and this has more hops so there is not too much sweetness or alcohol here. Great complexity throughout, a bit of a herbal dry character that gets a bit assertive toward the end but this is quite an enjoyable scotch ale, wish I could pick up more, this for me is what more should aspire to. Seek this out, quite impressive.
Jun 27, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by IPAchris from Pennsylvania

Jan 06, 2013
Photo of Brabander
Reviewed by Brabander from Netherlands

4.41/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This was a very nice treat from my buddy Craig (Zimbo). He and i send each other some beers now and then and this was the first of the bottles of his shipment i am trying. And what a beer this is! Thanks Craig....This was bottle 80 from a batch of 1481.

Poured in my Struise glass this beer is perfect, deep darkbrown with millions of tiny bubbles.

This really is a beer with a scotch ale taste. This was a beer which was in balance. Good carbonation in the mouth makes a good mouthfeel.
Sep 18, 2011
Photo of Zimbo
Reviewed by Zimbo from Scotland

4.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle number 63 of 1481 according to the label though I believe only about 600 or so were actually produced.

This is Black Isle's breakout beer. No doubt in my mind.

The retro label compliments a deep dark brown beer with some reddy highlights. Super tight, this is also rich, bitter, firm and not at all sappy. Amazingly restrained and ends with some lovely enveloping dark chocolate. The sweetness is very adult and well roped in with a thick lingering aftertaste. Just colossally well made.

Could easily go toe to toe with Skulsplitter in the Octagon.
Aug 20, 2011
Photo of soulgrowl
Reviewed by soulgrowl from England

3.9/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Mahogany in the glass with cherrywood hints, capped with a white sandy beige head. A moderate portion of peated malt ties nicely into gingerbread, burnt sugar, and foresty/wet leaf notes in the aroma, with subtleties of milk chocolate, toffee, raisin, and prunes. The somewhat mild smell belies a big, boozy flavor, rich with Highland whisky, whole wheat toast, dark rum, caramel, and hints of spicy cinnamon and tobacco. Biscuity, chocolatey, and marshmallowy with a lick of smoke - kind of like a liquid s'more, but much drier than that sounds. In fact, it is possibly too dry, too attenuated, which makes it oddly thin on the palate. It needs more body to carry such lovely, rich flavors.
Jul 05, 2011
Export Scotch Ale from Black Isle Brewery Co Ltd
Beer rating: 4.33 out of 5 with 8 ratings