Scotch Style Ale (Big Beer Series)
Smuttynose Brewing Company

Scotch Style Ale (Big Beer Series)Scotch Style Ale (Big Beer Series)
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From:
Smuttynose Brewing Company
 
New Hampshire, United States
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Ranked #43
ABV:
8.2%
Score:
89
Ranked #10,593
Avg:
4 | pDev: 9.5%
Reviews:
297
Ratings:
558
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 25, 2024
Added:
Dec 26, 2001
Wants:
  76
Gots:
  59
Our Scotch Ale is a bold amber beer that balances smooth rich sweetness with a hint of peat smoked malt. The infusion of this subtle smokiness invites images of heather fields, platters of haggis, & the poetry of William McGonagall. Enjoy one with your mates!

2007 - 8.2%
2008 - 7.1%
2013 - 8.0%
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of LeRose
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I believe this is a 2014 bottle. Know it was bought for $3 at the brewery quite some time ago.

It pours quote clear, deep red brown. Scant head that fizzles down to a thin ring. Mad cling to the glass.

Smell is sweet toasty malts as one would expect. Caramel, brown sugar and molasses. A little bit of vague dark fruit. A hint of smokiness.

The sweet, toasty malts lead in the taste. I find the smoke note more prevalent in the taste than the smell but still not strong. The big sugary/molasses is heavy but not overwhelmingly sweet. As it warms, I'll say dried dark sweet cherry is the fruity bit. There's a spice component well after the swallow that is licorice-like.

The feel is not as heavy as others in this style. It's medium at best, so not as decadent as it could be. Pleasantly warming. Dry yet sweet finish.

It's held up well, I'm thinking. I'd pay three bucks for this every day. Other than the light mouthfeel, it's pretty on point for the style.
Feb 25, 2024
 
Rated: 4.04 by DarrellK from Florida

Oct 12, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by KMcGrath from Massachusetts

Nov 28, 2018
 
Rated: 3.26 by Bogdawg from Massachusetts

Aug 27, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.91/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The appearance is a dark copper/amber colored body with a one finger white foamy head that dies within about twenty seconds and leaving some nice spider web lacing that slides practically immediately right on into the body. The smell has a large amount of caramel and toffee that invades my nose through a nice array of smoky yet somewhat roasty amount of sweet peatiness. The taste is sweet and smoky that gets slightly roasty in the flavoring. Sweet peaty aftertaste that leads into a dry finish. The palate sits about a medium on the body and gives off a sticky sort of sweet feel in the carbonation as that shows that its good for the style and for me (quite smooth for the most part). For the most part, this one comes across more of a sipper though the alcohol seems to be well hidden (or at least to me). Overall, this is a pretty nice Scotch ale by Smuttynose that I would have again if offered.
Aug 01, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by 8BitHero from New Hampshire

Jul 12, 2017
 
Rated: 4.34 by AirBob from Massachusetts

Jun 12, 2017
Photo of Ryan011235
Reviewed by Ryan011235 from Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
2013 bottle; poured into a snifter

Dark, matte brown color; dull plum hue around the edges. Foam was reluctant but did grow about a half an inch. The head didn't hold long and withered to a patch of various sized bubbles. Minimal lace.

Peat malt, faint smokiness, pecan praline, oxidation, prune, plum, green apple, floral overtones, brown sugar, and toffee comprise the aroma. These manifestations come and go in various combination but overall the aromatics are pleasantly appealing, especially considering the age of the beer, The taste is less so; oxidation and peat smoke overshadow a subtle malty sweetness. There is a mild charcoal/ashy bitterness on the finish. The first few sips have annoyingly sharp carbonation but that tames soon enough. As the beer warms and opens up, the malt flavor become more robust and the feel and body match up well at that point.

The bottle was lost to the depths of the basement; it wasn't an intentional aged critter (though it may have been spent a fair amount of time on the shelf as I don't think I bought it more than a couple years ago. Thought about saving it for a cigar but it's nuanced enough that I'm glad I drank alone.
Jun 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.45 by moshea from Michigan

Mar 15, 2017
Photo of Bierliebhaber3
Reviewed by Bierliebhaber3 from Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
This scotch ale pours a murky reddish brown with some noticeable sediment. The head is somewhat slight, foamy, and white. The smell is very malt heavy and somewhat sweet with notes of caramel, honey, dark bread, and a hint of alcohol. The smell is quite bold and pleasant. I don’t really get any smokiness from their Beachwood smoked malts though. The taste is not as sweet as the smell would have you believe with the caramel and honey taking a definitive backseat to big, heavy dark bread character. The hint of alcohol is still present and it is joined by a mild Beachwood smokiness, though this is fairly subtle, definitely not in rauschbier territory. The body is between medium and heavy, making it heavier than your average Scotch ale, though this category seems to be pretty diverse with regard to body in my experience. The finish is very slightly dry. This is certainly a bold, malt forward Scotch ale. I find myself liking the smell a little more than the flavor though. I wish that the sweet notes came forward a little more and that the dark bread notes weren’t quite so heavy handed. Overall I give it props though for being a somewhat interesting example of what is for me usually a fairly boring style.
Mar 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.82 by Stud122433 from Rhode Island

Mar 04, 2017
Photo of dbl_delta
Reviewed by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Undated bottle into pint glass. Pours a cloudy brownish-amber witha thin, off-white head. Initial impression is a muted combination of smoky sweetness, roasted malt, caramel, maybe a little chocolate, maybe a little molasses, some hints of dark fruit, and a slight spiciness on the back of the tongue. Mouthfeel is medium; carbonation is light. Finish is more of the same, with a lingering spiciness and smokiness that invites another sip. Alcohol is well hidden.
This is a very complex Scotch Ale - very nice representation of the style.
Nov 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.13 by Barleycorn from Pennsylvania

Nov 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.99 by costanzo_mike from Massachusetts

Sep 06, 2016
 
Rated: 4.68 by N8dogg44 from Pennsylvania

Aug 21, 2016
Photo of CarolinaCardinals
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Picked up a bomber from Kings Convenience in early April for $5.99. Bottle Conditioned August 2015.

Beer poured reddish brown with a decent white head.

Nose is sweet caramelized malts.

Taste is caramelized malts and dark fruit. Hopping is sufficient to keep sweetness at bay.

Feel is medium bodied and pretty smooth.

Overall this is a pretty nice representation of the Scotch Ale style.
Jun 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by Lance_Hathorn from Alabama

Jun 11, 2016
Photo of DucksFan16
Rated by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
06/09/2016
Jun 10, 2016
Photo of mothmanscott
Reviewed by mothmanscott from Georgia

4.31/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours medium brown, producing 2 fingers of somewhat lasting, frothy, light tan head that leaves moderate swirls & patches of thin lace. Aroma is deeply roasted malt, caramel, woody smoke, butter with a hint of chocolate in an ale yeast background. Taste is big roasted malt, toffee, raisin, butterscotch & hearty peat/wood smoke, alcohol & pepper spice. Finish is lively pepper that becomes a lightly bitter, malty, smoky, spice in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, a little slick & slightly oily, lively with carbonation & pepper. A robust version of the style. Very nice.
Jun 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4.43 by WickedBeer from Alabama

May 25, 2016
Scotch Style Ale (Big Beer Series) from Smuttynose Brewing Company
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 558 ratings