Angry Scotch Ale
Russell Brewing Company

Oct 4 2023

Handsome dark chestnut colour, moderate head settles to a cap and gives lace pretty much all the way down. Evenhanded malty sweet nose, caramel and molasses. No excess sugar to throw things off. Delicious to drink. Honest flavours without off notes. Competently made. Enjoyable.

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Nov 30 2020 and served barely chilled.

Pours a deep, clear amber-bronze colour with ruby red highlights; it's capped off with an inch of soapy, foamy, khaki-coloured head that seeps away within three or four minutes. It leaves behind a full, quarter-inch curtain of sticky lacing, in addition to a tight collar and filmy cap - looks lovely in the glass. Smells mainly of malt sweetness on the nose - biscuity bread, toasted nuts, caramel and molasses, as well as some dark, dried fruit notes that remind me of date squares and black cherry; maybe a touch of vanilla and red licorice candy in there, too.

A solid scotch ale - I'm tasting toffee, toasted bread and nuts, with a light, peaty smokiness developing by mid-sip. Hints of prune and date are present, but subtler than on the nose; finishes with toasted malts, a hint of cocoa and some earthy, herbal notes, as peatiness and dried fruit persist into a slightly boozy-sweet aftertaste. Light-medium in body, with moderately low carbonation that softly nudges the surface of the palate; feels smooth, yet a little thin. I had no trouble downing one serving, and would've been up for seconds.

Final Grade: 4.03, an A-. My Scottish blood makes me naturally cantankerous, but I found no reason to be upset with Russell's Wee Angry Scotch Ale. OK, so the mouthfeel was a little on the thin side - a minor quibble at best. Aside from that, I found this to deliver basically everything I expect from a scotch ale: rich, flavourful toasted malt sweetness, balanced by some low-key bitterness and a touch of peatiness - what's not to like? This one sold out months ago in these parts, but I genuinely hope to see more Russell products brought to Ontario in the future.

473 ml can served cold into a pint glass. Review from notes. LCBO purchase for around $3.50 CDN.

Appearance - Pours a nice reddish brown color with good clarity and a small tan head.

Smell - Lots of malt a touch of wood and smoke, caramel notes abound.

Taste - Middling bitterness, balanced between caramel sweetness and hints of smoke and peat. Inviting and approachable. SOme dark fruit thrown in for good measure.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, lighter than average carbonation (although appropriate for the style) finishes pretty dry.

Overall - A very well made and tasty scotch ale that I look forward to repeating.

 

Clear dark red-brown color. Poured a short head of small sized bubbles that dropped down to a patchy skiff after 30 seconds. Too dark to see properly, but it looked like a light flow of small bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. No lacing.

Sugary sweet smell with a sharp, dark malt scent underlay. Light hint of some yeast action. Swirling the glass kicked up some mild barnyard for a couple of seconds and then a sweet molasses scent replaced it. There is a hint of some fruit, but it isn't strong enough to tell what it might be.

Sweet flavor, but not as much as suggested by the smell. Dark roasted malt. The aftertaste is a quick burst of bitters followed by the dark malt and a much lighter bitter as it fades down. Not complicated.

Light tongue tingling as it foams up with medium sized bubbles. Medium-heavy body.

A few years ago my notes described this as "A light flavor version of McEwan's. Has all the same flavors but doesn't overwhelm the taste buds." The recipe seems to have changed as it no longer reminds me of the classic McEwan's Scotch Ale. It is sweeter, milder, and less complex. Still worth keeping a few on hand.

 

This is undeniably one of the best tasting ales available. In a sea of weak and colourless beers Angry Scotch Ale is a winner. 5 Stars Highly recommend this ale. You’ll be happy that you tried it

 

 

650 ml bottle into pint glass. Pours a clear cola color with a thin off white head. Initial impression is smoky oak, caramel, a bit of hops, some booze...very complex and very tasty. Mouthfeel is quite thick and chewy. Carbonation is light, which is prefect fit the style. The only criticism is a noticeable chemical aftertaste as it warms.

 

A- This one pours very dark brown....almost like cola and doesn't have much of a head....a solid ring around the glass that is caramel colored and very creamy in terms of looks....it doesn't do much over the lifespan of the drink....as for lacing, it is mellow and sticky....lots of very small patches sticking to the side of my glass.

S- Robust malts like sticky toffee pudding, french roast coffee, cocoa powder, fireplace smoke, slight peat, bread yeast, candied fig and perhaps some vanilla smoothness.....almost like roasted marshmallow. The finish is heavy and sweet! Very nice!

T- The flavors are very different than the aromas let on.....I get heavy black coffee, followed by melted dark chocolate, rolled oats with just a hint of toastiness, slight char, biscuit dryness, perhaps some almond nuttiness, and the finish is Earthy dry and black unmalted grain....even some very dark dried fruit like fig and prune.

M/O- Smooth texture, soft carbonation and sweet alcoholic values....this is a nice social beer that will do well as a tasty sipper! I would like to try this one again with a beef pot pie I think, or with a toffee pudding and/or chocolate cake, as the character would meld well with either of those. Would try again!

 

341ml bottle poured into tulip.

Pours a deep red-brown with half a finger of tan head that leaves arches and columns of lace as it recedes.

Smells of toffee and caramel, dried cherry, fireplace smoke and earthy cocoa.

Tastes of toffee pudding and caramel squares, dried cherry and prune, smoke and semi-sweet cocoa powder.

Feels soft and fluffy. Hefty medium bodied with gently frothy carbonation. Finishes off-sweet.

Verdict: Vigorously recommended. Fantastic evening sipper.

 

07/06/2016