Best Scotch ale?

Absolutely this. As a scotch ale that is so easy to get in season, it blows Dirty Bastard out of the water. It is so damn complex.

I am also going to mention Alesmith Wee Heavy like everyone else. Also if you have never had Traquair Jacobite, you are completely missing out. That beer blew my mind.

 

i'm not too deep in this category, i felt Hoppin' Frog's BA Outta' Kilter was a fine pour.

 

The signs of a great thread: Founders and a wonderfully & quotable funny movie

 

Scotch Ales are hands down my favorite brews. The top of my list is Traquair House Ale. An absolutely outstanding Scotch Ale, and the one I judge all the others against, but it is very pricey, so its not an everyday one for me. AleSmith Wee Heavy is another favorite. Skull Splitter and Belhaven Wee Heavy are the two I drink most often. I'm also a fan of Innis and Gunn, especially their Rum Cask.

 

First and foremost, I generally hate Scotch Ales/Wee Heavys, which I find really odd considering I love beer and I love whisk(e)y. There's just something my palate can't appreciate about the style. However, I have had a good deal of them along the way just to see if anything ever changes or to see if I can find one that I really like. That being said, Backwoods Bastard has to be my favorite. I had it on tap at Founder's in November and it really blew me away despite trying it bottled in previous experiences and not really enjoying it. As far as aged Scotch Ales go, I'd have to say that the cellared BA Scotch de Silly that my father and I opened awhile ago was simply awesome and one of my favorite barrel-aged products hailing from Belgium that I've ever had.

 

Here I am.A sadly misunderstood style but as a guy who actually lives in Scotland you don't need to be told this! Peated malt in a Scotch Ale? Heresy.That's confusion between Scotch Whisky and Scotch Ale for you

 

Old Jock Ale - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46/151

Sat sipping it and looking over the beautiful Cairngorm Mountains in the Highlands of Scotland. Pure magic.

The best beer I ever had.

 

Caramel and chrystalized malts are a staple in Scotch Ales. In order to achieve this annotation, the fresh barley is slowly warmed in an extremely wet atmosphere, stored prior in a damp setting. Although it's not exactly taken to the peating level, it produces many of the same flavors as a peated malt as the interior of the kernel or hull tends to bud and crack slightly. Learn something new every day. Heresy? I wouldn't go that far. Misconception? Eh. Meet in the middle of sort of and kind of not.

 

Dirty Bastard was my first, so it's hard to beat for me.

 

I forgot about Old Jock; I should have mentioned it too in my earlier post. I really liked that one so well that I've brewed a clone recipe of it a few times, and infused some of that homebrew with bourbon, which made it even better.

 

No love here for FFF Robert the Bruce?

 

Founders Dirty Bastard has to take the cake for me!

 

Alesmith 2012 BA Wee Heavy.. Amazing, Dieu du Ciel's Equinoxe du Printemps Also amazing and I hope someday I see it again, Traquair and although I havent seen it in some time and it didnt rate that well I always liked McEwan's Scotch Ale.

 

Sheep Shagger is a tasty beer. I'm not an expert on style classifications, but with a name like that it has to have something to do with Scottland.

 

Fresh or fresh-ish I enjoy FFF Robert the Bruce (one of the few FFF beers I really enjoy) and Belhaven Scottish Ale (not a Scotch Ale, I know). Schlafly's offering was quite good, but is now draft-only, and a bit tougher to get around here. Aged, Dirty Bastard, Backwoods Bastard (depending on the vintage, I find some melt into creamy, rich decadent malt bliss, while others stay hot and 2-dimensional), and Skullsplitter (especially with more than a year on it).

Oh, and back in the day, McEwans. Sorry we don't see that around anymore.

 

One that is no more. MacAndrew's Scotch Ale. Close to being the best brew my palate has ever met.

 

I agree with all others previously mentioned. I would say I really enjoyed Hoppin Frog's Outta Kilter too.

 

great divide claymore is my go to. if im aging, Traquair House Ale

 

these are my two favorite. to me it just doesn't get any better then a skullsplitter or a scotty karate that's been aged at least 6 months.

 

To be fair, I have to break this down a little further.
#1 overall: CCB Bourbon Barrel Big Sound
#1 that is readily available: Dirty Bastard
#1 to age: Backwoods Bastard