Green Flash / Pizza Port Carlsbad / Stone Highway 78 Scotch Ale (Whiskey) - Stone Brewing Co.

chingonjefe

California

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bottle at the Stone Store in Pasadena. Cut up my finger twisting off the cork from a crack on the lip, but I won't let it influence my rating. Poured into a Stone pub glass. Zero head or carbonation. Dark amber in color. It definitely has the taste and smell of Scotch whisky. I found myself sticking my nose in the glass for repeated smells like I would with a fine wine. Thankfully, the Islay Scotch barrels didn't overwhelm it because I don't care for peat. Exceptionally smooth drinking for a 12.5% ABV beer. I recently had Sucaba, Bigfoot BA and Older Viscosity. It's not as good as those three, but still an exceptional beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 08:59:28 | More by chingonjefe

claspada

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a virtually still dark amber color with little to no khaki colored head that recedes to leave some spotty lacing.

Aromas are all peat, scotch and booze initially. As it warms I get some darker fruits and toffee from the base beer and some estery lighter fruitiness. But make no mistake the peat and scotch barrel aging are the big contributors here.

The flavors follow the nose with a ton of peated maltiness and boozy scotch oaky flavors. The dark fruits and toffee and even a pear fruitiness are in the background but only pop out occationally over the charred oak and smokey peat flavors.

Mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied due to the lackluster carbonation, which isn't a big factor and makes sense for this style. Finish is quite oaky and drying.

Overall this is a huge difference than the base beer and really only for fans of heavily barrel-forward beers or fans of peated scotch whiskey. The beer flavors are almost non-existent in this treatment.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 14:03:54 | More by claspada

womencantsail

California

3.8/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours amber in color with minimal head formation. Nose is sweet and fruity with a strong apple character, which I typically get from Glenlivet. A fair amount of malt note with a hint of wood and peat. The flavor is nice. The same apple note is there along with toffee and bread, maybe a touch of brown sugar. Minimal wood contribution and not much in the way of peat.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 17:54:46 | More by womencantsail