Winter Ale (2006 and Later)

355ml Flasche. Ins Glas ergießt sich ein dunkel orangebraunes Bier mit geringer Schaumkrone. Geruch röstmalzig, nussig, leicht fruchtig. Geschmack fruchtig röstmalzig, nussig, Karamell, würzig.

355ml bottle. Dark brown amber colour, foamy beige head and aroma of malt, toffee, bready, roasted & nutty. Taste is malty, caramel, earthy, nutty, with light bitterness. Smooth mouthfeel, medium bodied, soft carbonation, malty finish. Quite drinkable.

6% bottle from Yamaichi. A nutty brown colored pour with thin fizzy beige head. Sweet malty aroma with caramel, plums & toffee. Reminds me of a Marzen or Wee heavy in the nose. Taste is nutty, caramel, toffee but a bit rough, kind of some oxidized metallic notes-it may have lost something during transport.

Nose is malt, hazelnut, earth. Taste is malt, nuts, some cereal a little spice in a very short finish. Mouthfeel is thin, but with a pleasing warmth. Pretty bland stuff, I’d not bother again, it is not a scottish ale, it’s a bitter.

355ml bottle from appellation wines. Pours a chestnut brown with a thick white head, good lacing. Classic Scottish 80/ aromas, raisins, toffee, light chocolate notes. Taste is medium sweet and very light bitter. Palate has a creamy texture, light carbonation, long sweet finish. Very nice.

355ml bottle. Clear mahagony colour with small, frothy to creamy, half-way lasting, moderately lacing, off-white head. Minimally spicy malty aroma has a touch of roast, toffee, burnt caramel. Taste is minimally sweet and spicy malty, cautious hints of toffee, rock sugar, Ovomaltine, soy sauce. Aromatic, fairly intense, but not really tasty.

Reddish Brown, Good Head, Some Lacing. Toasted, Sweet Malt, Caramel, Toffee. Medium Body. Decent.

Bottle from Tomlinsons, Inverness [310313]
Caramel reddish brown, clear, fairly thick off white head that dissipates
Aroma of caramel malts, some hedgerow hops, some spicy hop, bit of flinty mineral in there
Taste as aroma - more caramel malts, bit of toffee, soft spicy hops, some light bitter bit earthy hop, touch of minerals, tastes much more like an English bitter from the Midlands, not Scottish at all, alcohol is pretty well hidden though - it does have a pretty good taste
Palate - Medium carb, thin to medium body, bit overcarbonated (for the style) Quite sweet, with some spicy bit bitter hop. Finish of caramel, bit of toffee, and that bit earthy spicy hop
Overall - Scottish Ale? No - its a bit mineraly and that more the Midlands - very much an English ESB, Needs to be more malty, no minerals and less hoppy to be a true Scottish ale. But style is unimportant - it’s a nice beer overall

Bottle - Caramel and roasted malts with a bit of alcohol burn. Dark clear copper with a brown head. Malty with a bit of burnt orange and spice. OK, but nothing special. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone