Bottle, 22oz. A clear, dark amber beer with a dense, light beige head that lasts. There’s something almost dms-like in the aroma, with caramel, a faint roasted hint and some dried fruit, prunes mostly. There’s a little alcohol warmth in the mouth, it’s smooth on the palate and full bodied, with flavors of prunes, caramel and a faint bitterness. Rather sweet, with some puke like hints. Not sure about this one, but it certainly didn’t impress. 130813

Tap. Pours clear reddish amber, medium creamy off white head, nice lacing. Aroma is caramel, grass. Flavor is caramel, toffee, grass. Light body.

From notes. Draft at olympic. Caramel and citrus. Smells very bready. Definitely has that distinct scotch ale taste. Above average, but not super special.

22 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours very hazy deep ruby red color with a small fairly dense cream colored head with decent retention, that reduces to a thin lace that lingers. Slight spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big raisin, prune, molasses, toast, toffee, caramel, brown bread, brown sugar, tobacco, leather, peat, light smoke, light chocolate, and earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and big complexity of malt and light fruity notes. Taste of raisin, prune, molasses, toast, toffee, caramel, brown bread, leather, tobacco, peat, light smoke, light chocolate, and earthiness. Lingering notes of dark fruit, molasses, toast, caramel, toffee, brown bread, leather, light tobacco, peat, light chocolate, and earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance and complexity of malt and light fruity notes; but the overall flavor robustness feels weak for the style. No cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly slick and creamy mouthfeel that is ok. Mouthfeel feels much thinner than I expected. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a nice scotch ale style. Other than it being a bit thin in robustness of flavor and mouthfeel; there is a lot of nice flavor complexity and balance; and it is very smooth to sip on. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Shared 22oz bomber; pour to tulip glass. Murky brown with small, thick head. Slighty fruity malty taste, kind of like a barleywine, but not complex in anyway. A bit of boozy aftertaste. This beer didn’t meet my expectations of a scotch ale. . . no peat or smokiness.

Bomber courtesy of Pete (non-RB) and to some extent GT2. Pours brownish yellowish pale golden with a small frothy and bubbly offwhite head that leaves some trace on the glass while dissipating. Smell is sweet and malty with sweet bread, moist wood, green peas, dried apricots, fudge, compost, moist grass, moist soil and hints of caramel. Taste is slightly sweet, tiny bitter and slightly malty with sweet bread, moist soil, vegetable soup, orange zest, toffee, wood, silage, brown sugar, charred wood and overripe grapes and plums. Mouthfeel is slightly watery, slightly round and medium bodied. Finish is tiny sweet and tiny bitter with bread, orange peal, moist soil, prune juice, lemon zest and silage.

21st August 2010
Clear brown beer, good light tan head. Light malty nose. Light dry palate. Dry malt with an edge to it, like bitter tea. A little orange hop underneath. A few minerals before an over dry finish. A bit to close to being hard work.