Royal Stewart
Rustic Leaf Brewing Company

16 ounce crowler into tulip glass, filled on 3/17/2019. Pours hazy deep ruby reddish orange/copper color with a 1 finger dense and creamy light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, raisin, plum, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, and red apple; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, vanilla, milk chocolate, cocoa, smoke, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, raisin, plum, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, and red apple; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, vanilla, milk chocolate, cocoa, smoke, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery, roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, dark fruit, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, molasses, licorice, vanilla, milk chocolate, cocoa, smoke, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/roast bitterness. Light-medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.7%. Overall this is as fantastic Scottish ale. All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV, with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Great soft feel. Fantastic rich English malt complexity, with balancing fruity yeast, and solid earthy hops against sweetness. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example as expected.