15th Anniversary - Lowland Scotch Whisky Barrel Aged - Stone Brewing Co.

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.19/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

500mL from Shane. Thanks!

A: Viscous black with a 1/2" mocha head. Pretty good legs on this.

N: Scotch from a mile away. Some soy sauce and chocolate. Caramel, vanilla, and rye. Hints of coffee. Peat moss and smoke. Has an appreciable oakiness and the hops lend earth and pine. I get a touch of raspberry, cherry, and raisin as I drink through this.

T: Wonderful spiciness on top of a deep base of whisky and malt sweetness. Bitterness lingers around the edges. There is a slight saltiness and ample smoke in this one.

M: Oily with a heavier mouthfeel. It's a strange duck - it feels like it should have more heft, but I know the base beer isn't actually a stout. There does feel like there's something missing here, though.

O: This is a superb blend of flavors. The base beer meshes with the whisky and I wish I could drink this time and time again. More please.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 16:10:41 | More by writerLJBerg

HopHead84

California

3.63/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle into a snifter. Cork comes out with a pop.

A: The beer pours ebony with a monstrous frothy light brown crown that bubbles down to lingering foam.

S: This shows a big scotch whiskey influence, with prominent peat and oak characteristics which are notably stronger than in the Highland version. There's a good deal of cocoa blending with a light roasted malt presence, earth, and a little oxidation. I detect subtle notes of caramel and vanilla hiding behind the oak and peat. The oak and peat are a bit overwhelming, to be honest, and the resulting aroma can't help but impart suggestions of dog food. Overall the aroma is not very good, though there are some qualities to it that are redeeming.

T: The flavor is nice, with sweet cocoa and caramel notes. The scotch whiskey imparts softer notes of peat in the flavor than in the nose, and oak is present but not overwhelming. Alcohol is well hidden. I get a bit of earth and wood smoke, blending with an upper low bitterness and roasted grains.

M: Full body with upper medium carbonation.

Overall: I liked the Highland version quite a bit more, but this is still pretty good. I couldn't get dog food out of my mind when smelling this, probably the combination of peat and oak, but the flavor was nice.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 11-18-2012 08:07:46

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 08:22:51 | More by HopHead84