Cleland's Scotch Ale - Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

YonderWanderer

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Pours a dark, deep brown with a thin layer of foam on top. Light lacing on the glass.

S: Malty sweetness, a bit of smoke as well. Not much else. Decent, but not great.

T: This is where this beer disappointed me. It wasn't bad, but the taste was weak. There was a bit of malty sweetness, and a bit of smoke present, but not much. The alcohol was noticeable as well - not unpleasantly so, but it just didn't blend well. Overall it was not a well-balanced scotch ale. Decent, but nothing I'd go for again.

M: This was solid. It was smooth and rich, with a nice finish.

D: It's not too bad, but just not great. It's worth a try, but overall I'd say pass on it.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, 115 Stuart Street, Boston

01-16-2008 13:56:19 | More by YonderWanderer

Damian

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Drank on-tap at the Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, Boston, MA

Poured a deep, dark mahogany with a one-finger, light tan head.

Smell was sweet, rich and punchy. Booze soaked raisins and brown sugar dominated, followed by hints of vanilla and a distinct malty backbone. Somewhat bourbon-like.

The taste was deep and complex with an overwhelming alcohol kick. As I took the first sip, the huge alcohol bite slapped me in the face right away. Some malty sweetness up front (smoked and caramel malts) before the alcohol crescendoed into the finish. Initially, this was pretty much all I could taste. As the beer warmed, a number of other flavors became noticeable. Notes of brown sugar and dark, sweet, dried fruits came out, along with smoky, peaty and earthy characteristics. Unfortunately, these were no match against the intense alcohol flavor. Finished fairly clean with some residual sweetness left behind by the malts.

The rich, thick and super creamy mouthfeel was unquestionably the best aspect of this beer.

Drinkability was sub-par. Although this beer had a nice bouquet of flavors and aromas, the alcohol seemed to overshadow these aspects.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, 115 Stuart Street, Boston

01-09-2007 04:05:14 | More by Damian

Truh

New Hampshire

3.83/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Donned the family tartan with this one on 1/16/2004. 16-oz. (?) pour in a goblet at the Boston location.

Listed on the board at 8.9% abv and described as a "Rich malty scotch ale" – good enough. Initial tightness of head extrudes to a caul that barely covers the surface, and finally just leaves a jettrail of tailing action with relatively no stick. Almost, just barely black hue, though verging on a helter-skelter brown. Smoky, chocolate malt on nose with a touch of sweet plum thrown in. Jacked up smoke and tar on mouth, with a mossy earthiness to feel, oak. Darker than I am accustomed to for this type, but quite drinkable; still, an echoing cacophonous quality to the affair.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, 115 Stuart Street, Boston

01-16-2005 20:57:23 | More by Truh