Malt Mac Winter Ale
Mac's Brewery

 

Brownish-red with a nice tan head, decent carbonation, and no lace. Light spicy smoky aroma. Smoky peat flavor dominates with spicy malt and toasty, nutty character -- complex. Medium-full (leans medium) bodied with a smooth but dry malty finish.

Interesting and complex but not a "more than one" kinda brew. Most like a Scottish Ale.

Per Bottle Label: "#3 in the Mac's series of limited releases" & "Cascade hops"

Per McC website: Malt Mac, the fourth in the Mac's series of Limited Releases, is a dark copper-hued, full-bodied, full-strength winter ale. Our brewer has used a Peated barley malt, usually found in Scotch Whisky, and has skillfully blended this together with a selection of specialty malts to create a rich palate of toasted malt flavours with a unique whisky-smoke character.

Best Before: 11/14/03
Tasted: 10/02/03

(11.35 oz. / 335 ml)

Clear brown, bordering on copper in color with very little head. Smells of malt and drift wood you're trying to catch on fire. Pretty strong malt profile in the flavor and a decent body to it. A little diacetyl flavor but not overwhelming or "bad." The middle of this brew is filled with a sensation of smoke and charred grains. Nothing really crisp or dry about the beer or the finish -- but that's what you expect going in. Definitely defined by its malty sweetness and lightly smoked flavor and thus pretty appropriately named, eh?

When poured into my glass, this beer poured a small brown head with fine sized bubbles. The body was clear with carbonation observed and the hue was brown. There was very little lacing with this beer. The nose was that of spice and there was a slight aftertaste to this brew.

Medium coppery color with a thin cardboard colored and porous head that held. Strong malty and baker's chocolate on the nose. Burned caramel overpowered anything else as soon as it passed your lips, not harsh but not full of character. From front to the back of my tongue it tasted like burned caramel. The immediate aftertaste was the same but it shallowed into a more buttery sweet taste. Moderate drinkability.

This brew pours a small head of fine light brown bubbles and a carbonated transparent brown body. It has notes of spices, malt and hops. It starts off with an initial fizzy bitter flavor of hop and spice then finishes with malt notes. This is a good average drinkable brew.

Pours a nice dark amber color a bit light on the head and head retention. Great malt nose with hints of Plum esters. Taking a sip of the nectar produces a very evident malt character with medium hop bitterness on the finish. Malt character is simular but not as strong as McEwans Scotch Ale. 6% alc/vol. slightly evident as it warms the tongue..would prefer around 7% All in all a good beer and very unique bottle for the collection. http://www.worldsbeer.com

As it sets in the glass a lustrous mahogany color, the head unpresumptuous in size, the structure frothy, and the color a light chocolate, as it melts away, a thin sheet of lace is formed to obscure the glass. Mostly malt in the nose, somewhat sweet, with the start richly malt, top is middling in its feel to the palate. Finish is a tad sour, acidity moderate in its bite, the hops present but understated in their spiciness, quite dry and long lasting aftertaste, drinkable but nothing to shout about, maybe it will grow on me but I doubt it!