Nessie
Saltfire Brewing

a nice strong scotch ale here, one i have not seen before from these guys, who make better beer than i think most folks realize, so little fanfare but ive always liked their liquid. this is lighter in the glass than most even though its at the north end of the abv range, pale reddish color, not pushing anywhere near brown, less than clear but sporting a nice tall white head on it that lasts a little while, looks a tad more approachable than it really is. it smells a little understated, almost english and biscuity to me, definitely rather sweet, a maple note, old leather, pool table felt, bread yeast, fresh and somewhat simple really, a rum note, almond, it warms well. the flavor is all of this, but its cohesive and sort of hits all at once, subtle red apple and cider, toffee and caramel and butterscotch, and no real sign of its alcohol when its cold. definite leather, long cooked malts, and dried fruitiness, but i think this lacks some of the grain depth i look for in the style, its not quite into that molasses, bran, dark bread range, even though it does seem european. light on the hops, big on the residual sugar, fine carbonation. a little different, but enjoyable for sure. always good to have a few from saltfire!