12oz bottle pours out brown topped with a small head. Nose is pit fruit sweet caramel toffee malts and some spice. Taste is more of the nice sweet malts pit fruit and a little wood note.

12 ounce bottle into snifter; 2013 vintage, best before 1/15/2014. Pours crystal clear very dark reddish brown color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with solid retention, that reduces to a spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big raisin, prune, cherry, caramel, toast, toffee, chocolate, brown bread, light nuttiness, light smoke, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and fruity yeast ester notes; with good strength. Taste of big raisin, prune, cherry, caramel, toast, toffee, chocolate, brown bread, light nuttiness, light smoke, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Slight earthy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, prune, cherry, caramel, toast, toffee, brown bread, chocolate, light nuttiness, light smoke, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity and balance of dark/bready malt and fruity yeast ester flavors; with a nice malt/yeast flavor balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very creamy, smooth, and moderately slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice scotch ale style. All around good balance, robustness, and complexity of dark/bready malt and fruity yeast ester flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A very enjoyable offering.

Bottle - pours a dark ruby with a fair tan lace - nose of toffee, moderate melanoidin richness, vanilla bean, bourbon, light smoke - however, there is also a mild acidity that seems off and unintentional - body is fairly creamy - moderate acidity early, tart, almost sour - uncharacteristic of the style, tasting characteristic of an infection - underneath there are rich malts, moderate smoke, plum, raisin - but it’s hard to overlook that initial sourness - disappointing.

Bottle sampled at a tasting. From notes. Sweet malt with caramel and spices. A decent hint of the standard scotch ale flavor. Pretty good.

Bottle. Pours a an amber color with a small off-white head. Has a sweetish malty spicy caramel aroma. Sweetish malty spicy caramel flavor. Has a sweetish malty spicy caramel finish with weak smoky hints.

12 fl oz bottle. Pours clear and golden amber with a small off white head. Aroma is toasted malty and caramelish. Sweet malty and caramelish. Bitter, light herbal and toasted malty into a dry finish. Light peated.

Bottle 35,5 cl. Pours a clear deep amber with a smallish off-white head. Very malty and caramellish nose with a whiff of smoke. Medium body, thick and rich caramel - again this subtle touch of peat. Warming alcohol finish. 120713

Tonight’s second beer is the Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale from Leinenkugel’s Brewery. 9.5% pricier than Old Chub also from Sugaya. A darker, more opaque beer with a thinner, faster dissipating head of beige foam. The aroma is sweeter, with plum/fig notes, much maltier. Much sweeter flavor, fruity, some acidic sour bite, more of a boozy warming quality to it. Possibly a very very slight hint of smoke in the aftertaste. Old Chub is like the mellow guy chilling by the fireplace & big Eddy is his younger brother hopping around looking to party. Very different takes on the same style. If you want something subtle but very nice go Old Chub, if you want something sweeter & more in your face go Big Eddy.

Bottle. Dark ruby red pour with fast dissipating white head. Aroma, caramel, malt and apple. Flavour is very malty. Bittersweet finish with an unfortunate alcohol medicine tinge.