Twin Stag Scottish Ale - Yakima Craft Brewing Co.

DCon

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought a 22oz (651ml-not 650ml here?!?!) bottle of this from the Beer Shoppe in Yakima, WA for $4.99. Poured from the Green Labeled bottle w/ Reindeer on the front?? into a 16oz Arcadia IPA Pint Glass. Has no freshness date but not worried since its a local brew.

Aroma- A malty, sweet aroma with some light roasty characters. Not strong enough but all around has what the style should be focusing on.

Appearance- Pours a 1 finger head that has decent head retention. Has a medium brown with copper highlights in the body and leaves a few suds behind.

Flavor- Rich, malty, and has a good espresso roast flavor. Medium bitterness in the finish leading me to ask how much hop they really put in here!?!? Very good! Bit of caramel in the background.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Medium Carbonation, Semi-chewy, and very smooth with well-balanced malt to hop ratio.

Overall Impression- A nicely brewed sweet, scottish ale with a good amount of roast and light coffee attribute. It was very drinkable and never had too much or too little of anything. Aroma could be a bit more character involved and strong but not too bad!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 14:55:21 | More by DCon

weerezboy

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%

03-14-2013 03:47:34 | More by weerezboy

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 2/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a very dark brown with a two finger brown head and lacing. Nice malt aroma. Flavors rather subdued. Caramel and malt dominate. Body nice, medium to heavy. A dark, dark understated Scottish ale, nice looking and feeling ale, but rather tame. A few odd flavors that kind of grow on you as you drink it. Medium bodied. Seems like with a bit more assertive malt or flavor could be quite an excellent ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 19:00:28 | More by LiquidAmber

jaidenjb

Ohio

4/5  rDev +10.8%

02-08-2012 02:14:59 | More by jaidenjb

strongaf

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -3%

01-17-2012 17:10:20 | More by strongaf

beefandbean22

Washington

4/5  rDev +10.8%

11-23-2011 19:38:18 | More by beefandbean22

beerandcycling88

Washington

2.95/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On tap at the micropub.
A pours a cola brown with little head.
S coffee and coco with a hint of fruit.
T more coffee and coco maltiness with dark fruit with a metallic note on the finish.
M full and thick that lingers on the tounge.
Overall a very average porter. Not bad just not good.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 01:40:13 | More by beerandcycling88

Bookseeb

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is a very dark almost black having a thin head and nil lace. Smell of sweet rich malts with dried plums. Taste has the rich malt sweetness, light roast and dark fruits with a low hop to round the scottish ale. Mouthfeel is a heavy medium with low carbonation. A rich scottish ale that rounds out nicley with the low hop and carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 03:23:00 | More by Bookseeb

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From BeerAdvocate Magazine Volume III, Issue II:

Darkness surrounds this ale--nearly full-on black. Thin tan lacing forms after the head slowly crackles and dissipates. Faint whiff of burnt sugar and smoke; a toasted breadiness within. Steady medium body with a nice bite from the carbonation. Mouthful of malt sweetness is quickly balanced with a mild burnt and smoky flavor. The maltiness does stay dominant, but never becomes cloying, even with the modest hopping here. The hops do dial in some bitterness with a slight peppery flavor. Big brown bread flavor throughout with a suggestion of dried fig and raisins. Finishes with an edge of roasted malt, ghost-like smoke and lingering sweetness.

A bit of a malt bomb, and a tasty one at that. A juicy treat that will appease anyone who isn't looking for a mouthful of hops. Easily sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2010 12:58:00 | More by BeerAdvocate

Spikester

Oregon

3.1/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with a modest tan head. Aroma some coffee or dark chocolate. Taste is sweet dark malts with just a touch of bitter hops. Nothing bad to report but IMHO this is just a Stout not a Scottish Ale. I brought this to a friends retirement party and poured a bit for all who were game. The general opinion was "nice stout". The one person who loves Scottish Ales was in full agreement with the Stout not Scottish Ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2010 07:06:28 | More by Spikester

brentk56

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Looks more like a porter than a Scottish Ale, and a Baltic one at that; the murky fudge brown color is topped by a thick tan cap that leaves a few clumps of lace behind

Smell: Charred malt and burnt caramel, with an earthy, peaty undertone

Taste: Opens with a black bread and prune flavor which lightens a bit into the fig territory by mid-palate, along with a mysterious earthy, peaty, smoky character; after the swallow, the flavors leave a lingering smoky/roasty character

Mouthfeel: Full body with low to moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Not like anything else you would taste in the style, it still is an intriguing beer; not my favorite but certainly memorable

Thanks, barleywinefiend, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2010 22:44:10 | More by brentk56

Bfarr

Washington

2.98/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours black with a big brown head. Aromas of malt, molasses, and slightly earthy. Taste is of chocolate and roasted malts with molasses. Mouthfeel is a medium carbonation and fairly smooth.

Scottish ale? I had a real hard time matching anything in this that I would think of as a scottish ale or even a wee heavy. To me this was more like a lighter RIS than a Scottish ale. Really it is a good beer. It's quite tasty but when I go for a scottish ale it won't be this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2010 00:23:43 | More by Bfarr

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a deep brown color with a brownish head.

S: Grains.

T: A mix between a good baltic porter, chocolate, smoke, light peat, roasted malt, coffee

M: Light booze, roasted malt, dried fruit, booze

D: Good, smooth, roasted, booze, cocoa. Different take on a scotch.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2010 03:24:02 | More by barleywinefiend

chumba526

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The beer is black like a stout has a nice brown foam top. The smell is quite mild but has a sweet kind of nutty smell with a slight herbal background. The taste of the beer is slightly sweet there is a nutty taste as well. It also has a smooth slightly roasted flavor. No presence of hops. It is quite creamy and smooth. Doesn't taste like a lot of Scottish ales I have had but the flavor of the beer is quite good. There is low carbonation which makes the beer more creamy and smooth. It is quite easy to drink. I would recommend it if you see it and like smooth malty dark ales.

Serving type: growler

04-30-2010 23:07:23 | More by chumba526

froghop

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours black with a thin khaki head, and not much lacing.

smell is of cocoa, malt, and a touch of coffee.

taste is smooth, cocoa, some coffee, some sour malt, and hops in the back, ends a little on the dry side.

overall a very nice scottish ale, blacker than most.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2010 00:23:28 | More by froghop

jdense

Oregon

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

22 oz bottle from Yoke's Pasco shared with local beer buddy 2.5.10.

Dark brown, almost black brew. Very little carbonation even with a firm pour. Not much hop presence, quite a bit of bready malts which overwhelmed the caramel malts, some roast present. The taste is a bit of chocolate, raisins, molasses, not much hops. The mouthfeel is a bit sticky. Decent mouthfeel with good carbonation with a pretty heavy finish. In terms of drinkability, this was more like a stout than a Scottish Ale, very filling. This beers sits in the Scot netherland. Actually, I think this beer should be classified as a Scotch, not Scottish Ale, in terms of ABV, the body, and malt backbone. I'd like to see this a bit more amped up on those three measure. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 03:40:28 | More by jdense

beertunes

Washington

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

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a very deep, dark brown, just barely translucent. The pour had just under an inch of tan head that had good retention but left no lacing.

The aroma was fairly neutral, although a little sweet. What scent there was, was mostly malt. The expected peat wasn't there, nor any noticeable hop or spice. The flavor also lacked the expected peatiness, but had a very nice blend of malt flavors.

The body was full without being heavy and drinkability was above average. Overall, not the typical example of the style, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Worth trying if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2010 21:57:42 | More by beertunes

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I actually enjoyed the strange swamp perfume of this cola colored ale. There's no peat or smoke here, but the malts lend an organic complexity that's hard to pin down. There's an almost herbal elixir quality to it that grows on you. It's almost a witch's brew with an odd, indecipherable appeal.

Where most Scottish ales vary from brown to red, try to imagine that Twin Stag is like a black variation - a black Scottish. Worth seeking.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2009 04:27:47 | More by RedDiamond