Dark Horse Brewing – Scotty Karate Scotch Ale

THOUGH DARK HORSE Brewing is rather well-regarded for several ales, they become their name in at least one style race: Scotch ale. Hailing from Marshall, Michigan, the brewery lies not 100 miles from Founders Brewing, whose Dirty Bastard is the Wee Heavy benchmark for not just Michigan, but the entire nation. Thus, just as Founders’ own Centennial IPA was the underdog against Bell’s Two Hearted (albeit the eventual victor), so do they in turn overshadow Dark Horse and their Scotty Karate.

The beer is a Wee Heavy, full-bodied, slightly brown garnet in the glass with a half-finger of head and an ABV of 9.75%. That strength is surprisingly well-masked, as it drinking more like 7% for its smoothness and lack of alcohol in the flavor or bouquet. The feat is worthy of respect but also arguably a misstep—more of a warming sensation in the finish would likely have made Scotty at least a point or two more satisfying.

And that’s because there really isn’t quite enough else going on in this beer, at least relative to the style’s touchstones. Its aroma is soft and supple—moderately kilned grains, some light smoke (from phenols more than malt, one suspects), a bit of yeast and caramel—its body generous but not excessively girthy, and the flavors round if not quite regal. Understated carbonation ushers sweet, faintly chocolaty malts and a smooth mouthfeel from entry to finish, barely interspersing a bit of hop earthiness (but no bitterness). A slight minerality rises towards the finish along with a touch more phenol smoke in the aftertaste. Overall malts are naturally quite powerful in the flavor, though not quite with the density of sweetness or great complexity that would make them unwieldy. Indeed, prominent fruit esters would be inappropriate for the style, and Dark Horse largely avoids them aside from perhaps a few nods at raisin or black cherry. Yet neither do they cultivate much of the smoky, leathery, chewiness, or even a bit woody qualities that can make Scotch ale so evocative of rustic dens atop soggy crags. Thus while Scotty Karate runs a smooth and steady race, it stays always in the dust of that Dirty Bastard.

Served: On tap (Beer Bistro, Chicago)

Rating: 88

BrewDog – Dogma

WITH A NAME like Dogma, this 7.4% ABV Scotch ale should be BrewDog’s flagship beer. Beyond the obvious tie-in to the brewery’s name, BrewDog is based in Scotland and made its name through the same packed grain bills and massive flavor profiles that make Scotch ale one of beer’s heartiest styles.

And Dogma certainly is robust, boasting fully 10 different malts and heather-infused honey as an adjunct “twist.” Colored a light leathery brown with a modest head, the beer virtually erupts with aromas of dark chocolate, molasses, cola, some baking spice, kilned malt grain, raw honey, and an earthy sweetness almost akin to beetroots.  Its body is moderately full (estimated 1.025 FG) and water profile unexpectedly neutral. Hops are mild in aroma and marginal in flavor, contributing only a bit of Saaz’s herbal spice in either case, though the finish certainly isn’t left wanting—the lingering sweetness and brush of smoke dawdle about the palate for quite a while before subsiding.

By and large this description seems well-suited to a standout Scotch ale, but for some reason Dogma just doesn’t come together properly. Its carbonation is a touch too low, leaving the body more cloying than chewy; its malt profile blurs together and becomes almost clumpy for its density; the finish, though lengthy, lacks for contrast or sufficient sparkle (from carbonation, carbonates, or even a bit more hoppiness). After opening its sermon well with a confident hook, Dogma can’t keep to its own tenets and ends up somewhat astray. The overall impression is a little muddled, and chances are BrewDog could have said more with less.

Served: 33 cl bottle

Rating: 83

Founders Brewing – Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale

HALF-BROWN AND ruby with an oily froth for a head, Founders Dirty Bastard tips in at 8.5% and 50 IBU. Fie ‘pon thee, Robert the Bruce. The nose is heavy with molasses, cherry cola, and an imported malt mélange seven deep that’s too dense to decipher definitively. Better to just let the flavor wheel of Scotch ale spin and take in each new sensation as it comes: leather, toffee, light peat, pecans, red licorice, and a touch of toast. The texture is chewy but not overwhelming with a pronounced mineral tang in the finish that balances to great effect all its earlier sweetness. This water profile may be the beer’s secret weapon, in fact, so deftly does it lock all the pieces together in a refreshing but memorable way. Dirty Bastard is far from cloying and rather lighter in body than expected. The 50 IBUs are almost alarmingly high for the style but make relatively little fuss, being inextricable from the earthy malts and quite subdued in the aroma. Thus the beer leaves the palate nearly as cleanly as a doppelbock (as far as strong dark and malty go), though with fewer kilned and grainy notes. Despite their elevation, bitterness and alcohol strength are more noticeable once the glass is empty through a lingering leafy smack on the roof of the mouth and a warming dose of alcohol. The carbonation, meanwhile, is sufficiently pronounced throughout to keep the flavors from bogging down the palate and makes the beer equally delightful beneath a southern summer sun or paired with rich fare. Indeed, caramelized onions, prime rib, blue cheese, and parsnips turn the Bastard into right royalty.

Served: 12 oz bottled 10/16/13

Rating: 93

Revolution Brewing – Gravedigger Billy

WHILE GRAVEDIGGER BILLY may lack the explosive visual presence of Working Mom, this approximately 10% ABV Wee Heavy more than makes up for it in decadent aroma and flavor. For extra depth Revolution Brewing turned once again to Woodford Reserve, whose barrels they aged the beer in for five months. That treatment struck through the heart of Working Mom and completely enveloped the Co-Conspirator Doppelbock, but a generous dose of Belgian malt keeps Billy’s core character up front. Red licorice is very strong in the aroma, along with a little bubble gum, vanilla, coffee roast, and then finally caramel (an unusual order). Barrel char and alcohol heat play well with well-balanced carbonation, a touch high for the style, and diffuse nicely in the finish without undermining the medium-plus body.

Ruby brown with a tightly-packed half-finger of creamy head, Billy is warming and sweet, but still no sugar-bomb and considerably more palatable than many fruit-forward dessert beers. Awarded silver at FoBAB (Working Mom took gold), it increasingly seems that dark beers are Revolution’s strongest suit.

Served: On tap (Skyline Loft, FoBAB 2013, Chicago)

Rating: 93

Big Sky Brewing – Heavy Horse Scotch Ale

YET ANOTHER animal-themed beer in a fauna-focused lineup, Big Sky’s Heavy Horse Scotch Ale is a garnet-and-brown, 6.7% ABV brew that goes down much swifter than the average Wee Heavy sipper. The pour yields a smallish head that’s creamy in color and fairly large in bubbles, nicely framing edges that turn towards caramel gold in the light. Modest lacing. First aroma impressions are intensely of red fruit–cherry and raspberry–which lingers for a time before giving way to the expected base of toffee, hearty grain, and some general nuttiness. Hops are not present.

Despite that last obvious nod to Scotch Ale standards, Heavy Horse overall seems more like a brown ale at first: a moderate body; relatively few leather, smoky, or tannic notes; and fairly pronounced carbonation that foams into the finish almost like soap. Alcohol warmth is also a non-factor, though that’s less surprising given the beer’s relatively modest strength in a category that often scrapes 9%. A little metallic note is also present both in the aroma and flavor, not unpleasantly strong, and perhaps even useful in a beer with virtually no discernible bitterness (20 IBU). Big Sky indicates softening their water particularly to achieve a more authentic profile, though it’s a mite odd that they would make that effort while avoiding Scotch Ale’s more signature qualities. But Montana is a place for individualism if nothing else, and Big Sky tends to be strong on the fundamentals with a few precise tweaks here and there. Heavy Horse continues that steady-on trend rather well: an inviting and easy chum to belly up alongside at the bar more than a stalwart companion for standing back-to-back atop some Highland moor.

Served: 12 oz bottle best by 12/12/13

Rating: 88

Traquair House Brewery – Traquair House Ale

TRUE SCOTCH ALE from the oldest continuously occupied castle on the British Isles. Fluff, yes, but well-earned with this quintessential brew. Unassuming looks, though: a murky cola, like muddy water almost, with a low carbonation level and half a finger of head. Mild aroma and a comparably understated opening for its 7.2% strength, too, but its endgame is everything. At chillier temperatures chalky, almost coppery dark malts, pronounced yeast fust, and a oaky toffee envelope that smooths out all the old flavors that could in isolate strength feel defective. A little oily and virtually none of the East Kent Golding hops come through. Becomes more balanced and luscious as it warms, with dark cocoa and ginger appearing at either end of the spectrum around a poignant central tang of toasted rye and a bit of unrefined maple or molasses. Medium full body with a comparatively clean finish. Minimal alcohol presence, but a slightly medicinal, almost herbal warmth around the top of the palate that tingles with breath. Almost peaty. A long two-hour boil at its birth and and plenty of aging since then have made this a patient and dense experience, but not a cluttered one. Its strong but smoothing nuttiness makes it a match for hearty stew and spices. Rated here a point higher than its brother the Jacobite, but essentially a dead heat.

Served: 33 cl bottle (L8072)

Rating: 94

Three Floyds – Robert the Bruce Scottish-Style Ale

FOR SUCH A SIZEABLE appellation, Three Floyds has delivered a regrettably underpowered Scotch ale, especially considering their robust (and occasionally) apocalyptic standards for flavor. Robert is suitably malt-forward in flavor with some of the expected smokiness and strength (6.5-7%), but a weak head, lack of depth in aroma, and thinner mouthfeel than expected leave it a bit wanting. Tart dark cherries are very prominent in the aroma, followed by a little light citrus and some bitterness that balance well at first, though these ultimately detract from the brew’s central purpose as a smoky goblet of liquid earth. And though the finish does suggest some sweet fullness on the back of the tongue, this never blossoms as it ought. In short, not too far removed from an old brown ale, alas. And somewhere three Kings Edward smiled.

Served: 12 oz bottle

Rating: 80

Oskar Blues – Old Chub Scotch Ale

ONE OF THE BEST CANNED BEERS, period (at least as of 2012), though even slight chills are enough to overmatch its bouquet and flavors. Once fully warmed it finally unravels: powerfully malty, potent but not showy about its 8%, and with enough smoke (beechwood) in some of the malting to give it the Scotch designation. Not too thick on the leather or old ale side of the scale, but neither too forceful with its chocolate subtext. Full-bodied indeed, little hop counterpoint, and just a touch cloying. Pretty standard for the style, frankly, but still charmingly executed. And just about as easy-drinking as 8% can be.

Served: 12 oz can

Rating: 90

Sprecher Brewing – Piper’s Scotch Ale

IT’S UNUSUAL FOR an American brewery to attempt at a strong European-style ale without oversaturating it, but this is a success. Piper’s has the murky ruby look, middling to small head, and musky complexity of a brown porter, but a little more smoky than roasted, more old leather than nut, and  little lighter in the body, particularly given its 8+% ABV. Hops of Goldings and Hallertau play a subdued role, appropriately, allowing its five-malt tapestry a lingering and layered finish. Though it’s clear that this wasn’t exactly borne of the craggy moors of Aberdeen, Piper’s remains one of Sprecher’s better seasonals.

Served: On Tap (Sprecher Brewery, Lake Geneva)

Rating: 84