Eighty Bob Scottish Export Ale
Upstreet Craft Brewing

473 mL can received in a recent trade - my gratitude goes out to ewpass for supplying several PEI brews that I'd never be able to try otherwise. Thanks! Dated 07/12/23 and served barely chilled.

Pours clear copper brown, capped with over an inch of soapy, frothy, khaki-coloured head that lasts for two to three minutes. A half-inch curtain of even lace is draped onto the glass afterwards, with a creamy collar and filmy cap lasting on - looks like a right proper Scottish ale so far. Understated yet malt-forward aroma, featuring hints of digestive biscuit, caramelized sugars & raisin bread, as well as some earthy, leafy British hops.

It tastes malt-forward right off the bat, though there is a fair bit of nuance/depth to be appreciated, particularly as the glass warms. Digestive biscuit, treacle, bready malts and some nuttiness, with subtle dark fruitiness and leafy, herbal hop bitterness developing later on; bittersweet finish that trends off-dry. Medium-light in body, with fairly expressive carbonation that adds some prickliness to the mouthfeel, which is smooth and a bit creamy. Excellent drinkability for the style.

Final Grade: 3.92, a B+. Upstreet's Eighty Bob is a quality Scottish export ale that I'd be pleased to quaff again sometime. It's currently marketed as a red ale, and I suspect fans of malty American ambers would appreciate it quite a bit, but its Scottish roots are undeniable. That bittersweet back end is what did it for me - flavourful and well-balanced, plus it's truly sessionable at only 5%. If I had to compare this to a local Ontario beer, it vaguely reminds me of Highlander's Scottish Ale, an old favourite that I haven't seen much lately. Another good pick - thanks again, ewpass!

 

 

Dark brown with a good head. Malt nose. Crisp, medium malt body. Easy-drinking with some substance.

A-Brown in colour with an off white head that lingers there is a red hue
S-I get a heavy malt nose with notes of vanilla and caramel
M-Medium mouthfeel with medium carbonation
T-Watery at first with minimal malt flavour followed by a subtle bitterness
O-An okay red/brown ale.

The beer is a nice dark color with a light colored head. I can smell something, but I can't identify it. The taste is excellent. One of the better tasting Scotch Ales I've had. A little creamy, cloying mouthfeel so I don't think I would drink a lot of these in one sitting.

500ml bottle, @ 5% ABV - the final round in the joyful array of Upstreet brews bequeathed to me by my soon to be departing for his homeland colleague Mark - godspeed, good sir!

This beer pours a clear, bright medium bronzed amber colour, with three fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and bubbly tan head, which leaves some droopy cloud form lace around the glass as things easily sink away.

It smells of bready and doughy caramel malt, a touch of biscuity toffee, some muddled dark orchard fruitiness, bruised bananas, and very gentle leafy, weedy, and floral noble hop bitters. The taste is gritty and grainy caramel malt, a fading toffee sweetness, some plum, raisin, and weak cherry fruity notes, musty banana phenols, and more understated weedy, leafy, and herbal hoppiness.

The bubbles are adequate in their structurally sound frothiness, the body a so-so middleweight, and mostly smooth, just a wee grainy astringency taking a minor tithe out of it all here. It finishes off-dry, and not as sweet as one might have been anticipating - robust malt and its attendant fruitiness presiding.

Overall, this is an agreeable enough version of the style, nice and malty, fruity, and not particularly hoppy - ach! Anyways, a nice little warmer (even without any appreciable uptick in the standard ABV), for a way too early re-entry into snowy weather. Gah.