Odell 90 Shilling Ale - Odell Brewing Company

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a damn good session. the flagship beer from what i consider to be colorado's finest brewery, it is an amber, but much much more. doesnt have the residual malt sweetness of a typical amber, instead a quicker, more dry finish with a slightly toasted mellow vibe and a bigger body. this one can drink all afternoon evening and night with zero diminishing marginal utility. not my favorite odell brew, but it fills a very important beer drinking niche, especially here in denver

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 06:00:41 | More by StonedTrippin

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.4/5  rDev -38%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

1/2 pint from cask,served via handpump at local Wetherspoons

A- Ruby red body with excellent clarity. 1 finger tan head with average/good retention and excellent lacing.

S- Light toasted malts mingle amongst some more complex toffeish sweeter malts. Must stress these are as subtle as can be, not much nose at all.

T- There is obvious malt notes there, sweeter toffee in the beginning becoming toastier with a touch of tea like dryness in the finish. Once again extremely subtle and perhaps the finish is not stereotypical of the style.

M- Medium carbonation and body.

D- Doesnt work for me. Lifeless nose and palate and what is there isnt true enough to style for me. Maybe im harsh possibly due to the travel its maybe done or poor cellarmanship, but underneath that it can hardly be branded a 90 shilling - a full bodied malt beast.

Serving type: cask

10-19-2011 19:26:06 | More by seanyfo

stabzmcgee

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma is that of maple and almost a hint of old book pages. A mahogany color, sea foam white head. Taste is nutty, almost hazelnut if not almond. Palate has a nice light carbonation with an almost creamy finish. Overall a great session beer. wish the oak aged came out more.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 21:42:57 | More by stabzmcgee

Ninjabrew

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A Dark amber with an average size head, nothing special.

S Very faint smell, smells faintly like a loaf of bread. Maybe a little green apple.

T I think this taste more like an amber ale than any Scottish ale I've ever had. Not a lot of the piney/spicyness I had hopes for.

D Has a little too much funkyness to drink too many of these, not really worth my soeriety either.

O I've had better amber ales and way better Scottish ales before.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 02:15:50 | More by Ninjabrew

MrDonQuixote

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap:

A- Dark amber brown color with a whitish brown head

S- Malty goodness. Scent is not super strong. Hops are mildly present in the scent

T- malty upfront with a nice hoppy finish. Hops aren't too intense, but biterness level is perfect. Aftertaste is refreshing.

M- Super smooth. Goes down with ease

O- My ideal session beer. The beer that made me fall in love with Odell's

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2011 21:47:23 | More by MrDonQuixote

kylehay2004

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: 1.5 finger foamy head. Clear amber with crimson hues.

S: roasted and caramel malt.

T: mostly malt but ver flavorful. Some earthy notes in the finish.

M: high carbonation and medium bodied.

Overall: one of the more flavorful ambers/scottish ales I have had.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 05:49:31 | More by kylehay2004

blakelive784

Colorado

2.95/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served on tap into a generic pint glass -

A - non-transparent, dark copper/amber color with a creamy, off white, one finger head that dissipates quickly.

S - Not a very strong aroma. Cream, some caramel malt and no hops on the nose. I think its a bit cold, though.

T - better than the nose predicted. Buscuity and caramel malts nicely balanced by floral hops. Decent bitterness.

M - medium to full bodied and wet. Compliments the taste nicel

D - could be a decent session beer and widely available here in Fort Collins. That being said, I don't think its a great example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2011 01:30:12 | More by blakelive784

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.48/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap @ Old Chicago, Towne Square mall Boise ID. Served in a tumbler.

A: Deep copper colored, clear, low carb, with a white head and some lacing.

S: Tough to pick much up (beer might be too cold)...malty for sure; grain husks and toasted bread, light floral hop character as well but it's really minimal.

T: Nothing more jumps out here than on the nose. The malt backbone is much more toasty than carmelly. There are just the faintest flavors of herbal notes, wood, and smoke (it's buried deep, but it's there) but overall the malt bill is really on display.

MF: Rich, silky mouthfeel, low carbonation and moderate/light body.

O: A couple other reviewers (Alstrom brother included) call this beer out as an Amber and even review it that way, however Odell is obviously marketing this as a Scottish Ale. I think it's lacking in depth as a Scotch Ale, although overall the beer itself holds it's own as a low-hop American Amber.

Basically it's not my favorite but it's not that bad at all.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2011 05:14:18 | More by Scotchboy

drabmuh

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into my New Belgium glass. At the time of this review, this is the #10 Scottish Ale on beeradvocate.com. Beer is brown and clear with an off white head of small bubbles, some lacing, mild carbonation.

Aroma is caramel and mildly roasty.

Beer is medium in body and pretty sweet with a surprisingly dry finish, the overall beer is nice on the palate and I enjoy it a lot. Perhaps it is because I have had so little beer recently but the beer I drink I seem to really enjoy, I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 03:03:38 | More by drabmuh

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: This Scottish Ale has a burnt orange copper color with a full beige froth that sticks around until the beer is gone, leaving lace the whole way down the glass.

Smell: Caramel and toasted grain creates the malt aroma, some citric hoppiness, and a bit of peat.

Taste: The smooth malt imparts a caramel sweetness with some peat notes as well. A thin cut of mint is next on the palate, with a citric hoppiness that pushes back just enough to keep this in the realm of balanced.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation looks to be full and creamy but does not have that impact on the palate. Soft and gentle carbonation gives this almost a cask feel to it. Lightly sticky and slightly tingly as the spruce kicks in.

Overall: This grows on me as the glass progresses. I can tell this is a well made beer, but there is not any one feature that really sticks out.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 04:06:57 | More by KickInTheChalice

tronester

Oklahoma

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear tarnished copper with a thin light tan head. Smells of toasted bread. Taste is a big blast of sweet bread up front, followed by some dark caramel notes, finishing with a slight earthy, smoky bitterness. A quite malty beer. Mouthfeel is juicy, low carbonation. Overall a quite good beer. Tastes more like an American Amber Ale to me, but either way I would get this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 02:29:14 | More by tronester

rinhaak

Massachusetts

2.83/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Pours a murky dark red with a small head that faded quickly. A bit cloudy.

The nose is fairly simple with a faint malt aroma, hints of cherry, and a general mustiness.

The taste reminds me of a mild red wine. Fruits, more cherry, grapes, and vague malts.

The trouble is, there really isn't much flavor. It was pretty simple and very drinkable, but with nearly no discernible character; in short, pretty boring.

After reviewing this beer, I've gone back to look at other BA reviews: most reviews seem pretty favorable. I can't help but wonder if my bottle was subjected to poor conditions in its life. I would be willing to give it another shot, but based on this tasting, I cannot justify giving it high marks.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 14:30:52 | More by rinhaak

paperbackfoster

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - A ruddy browned amber with active carbonation jumping from a collection on the bottom. Head - a stark eggshell color, especially compared to the beer itself - comes up just over two fingers. Heavy, clumpy retention.

S - Darker, toasted malts with a note of fig. Bittering hops come through as well, woody with raisin notes.

T - Much deeper and darker than expected from a flagship amber. The malt character here is one of the better I’ve had recently, not being crazy about malts myself. Very full and rounded, dark malt flavor, nearly a brown but with more than enough lightness not to stray into that territory. The taste is a developed version of the smell, carrying raisin, fig, and even some maple notes. The ideas clearly behind this impressed me.

M - Oat-like. Very full-bodied and flavored for how “thin” the beer feels. It feels like a much bigger beer than its relatively low 5% ABV.

O - I’m inclined to like this one. While I don’t know if I’d seek it out, it’d be a welcome find now and then. It’s a rustic taste that I could see paired well with a meal. As for a flagship beer, Odell is wise to hype this one, showing the range of their balance as a brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 08:03:26 | More by paperbackfoster

bugaboo416

New York

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased 90 Shilling in a bottle in St Louis. Aptly named. The label says "Only the highest quality beers were taxed 90 shillings".

A: Clear, medium amber in color with very little head.

S: There is evident aromas of malt and caramel with a light background aroma of floral.

T: Malty with a touch of spice at the end

M: Creamy and smooth

O: Very nice scottish ale. Smooth and drinkable. Very approachable. A good go-to beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 10:56:01 | More by bugaboo416

superspak

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle, best by 08/18/11. Pours slightly hazy red-orange color with a dense 2 finger light khaki head with good retention that reduces to a decent sized lacing cap. A bit of fairly thick lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, molasses, dark fruits, roasted malts, bread, and spices. Decent aromas with decent strength. Taste of huge caramel, molasses, light chocolate, roasted malt, and some spiciness. Decent amount of bitterness is present on the finish and linger with caramel, light chocolate, spices, and roasted flavors. Medium body and medium carbonation; with a nice creamy and smooth mouthfeel, with very nice drinkability. No alcohol in the taste or finish as expected. Very nice balance of all flavors. Overall, an excellent scottish ale that has tons of flavor and balance. My first brew from Odell as well.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 04:02:24 | More by superspak

kojevergas

California

3.08/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served on draught into a hefeweissbier glass in Colorado. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a two finger head of nice cream, fair thickness, and good retention. Colour is an amber-copper.

Sm: A light scent in which all I can detect is cream on account of my broken nose. All apologies, lads.

T: Cream, caramel, amber hops, caramelized malt, and full barley. Simple but nicely built. Balanced decently.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Fairly complementary of the flavours.

Dr: Nice drinkability at a very expensive price (6 USD).
Good quality. I'd have it again, but not at this price.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2011 00:42:02 | More by kojevergas

plfahey

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Awesome reddish-amber color with great clarity. Creamy pale khaki head sits on top with good retention and some nice lacing. Looks tremendously appealing.

Aroma-Nice blend of malt character-grain, bread, light toast, rich caramel, and just a hint of cinnamon toffee. Hops are almost entirely absent in the aroma, but present a light floral/citrus note. There's just the faintest suggestion of fruit as well, but it's pretty damn clean.

Flavor-Bread, biscuit, toast, and caramel take the cake here. The toasted malt flavors are more pronounced then they were in the aroma. There's also just a hint of green, earthy hop flavor here, along with relatively low hop bitterness. Finishes malty but not too sweet, with a sort of bitter toasty grain flavor in the aftertaste that I find slightly disagreeable.

Mouthfeel-Medium body. Carbonation is moderately high, but very soft on the tongue.

On the whole, a good beer, though I'm not blown away by the flavor. I think the flavor lacks the complexity of a really good scottish ale, and I'm not a huge fan of the aftertaste. It's really more of an American Amber than a Scottish Ale, and if it were characterized as such, I might rate it a tad higher. Good, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 00:10:31 | More by plfahey

jbakajust1

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a standard pint glass

L - Rich deep copper to burnished red, clear with floaties at the bottom of the glass, very thin off white cap, no head, decent lacing

A - Fresh biscuits, chocolate, caramel, raisin, cinnamon, light floral note and spice.

T - Roasty, smoke, toasted biscuit, plum & raisins, caramel.

M - Medium body, slightly sweet but yet dryish smokey finish, smooth low carbonation

O - I enjoyed this beer, light smoke with deep malty biscuit and light chocolate, but the finish is slightly off for style, not sure if it is a slight tannic or maybe the smoke gives it a slightly dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 15:56:10 | More by jbakajust1

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into DFH signature glass. Thanks to eclipse54 for this one.

A: Amber color. 1/4 finger head that dissipates very quickly. Nice carbonation off the bottom of the glass. A little bit of lacing.

S: I get some piney hops, but not much. Toasty malts, but not too much. Some bready notes. Smells like a normal Pale.

T: Nice balanced Pale ale but not really. Good easy drinking beer. Not much there. Some hop crispness, but nothing to write home about.

M: Light to medium bodies.

O: This one is OK. Doesn't stack up to their IPA or DIPA, but they did a good job on it.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 20:21:20 | More by inlimbo77

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear ruby-hued copper, with 1 ½ fingers of rocky looking eggshell-white head. This retains with a frothy ½ finger that just drenches the sides of the glass with rich thick swathes of lace. Just a great look to this. The aroma has notes of caramel and toast, which mingle at first, and then is pretty much taken over by, an earthy ripe fruitiness. There is maybe just a touch of a grassy feel that hangs on the edges of the nose.

The taste has a lot of sweetness but not only from the malts, as there is a good bit coming from some softer dark fruit character as well. This also has a surprisingly assertive earthy citric bite to this, while a light roastiness lingers in the finish along with a raw pithiness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a lively prickle on the tongue at first that then gets much more smooth and creamy as this works its way across the palate.

While initially heavy on the malt and fruit, I found myself liking what the hops brought to this after a while, making this much more accessible to me than what I normally found in the style. This is a decidedly American take on a Scottish Ale and I overall mostly dug it!

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 18:44:10 | More by Kegatron

bigaltemple

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pretty aggressive pour produced only a small off-white head. Great looking amber/burnt copper color. Quite consistent bubbling rising up.

S - Rich, robust malt base. Very bready. No real detection of hops, but don't expect there to be.

T - Sweet, biscuity malts. Smallest bite of hops on the finish.

M - Good feel. Medium body with great carbonation.

O/D - Very enjoyable, drinkable beer. Don't think it needs to be sought out, but if you're working your way through the style (ticking) definitely worth grabbing.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 22:53:40 | More by bigaltemple

twaddlac

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - For a brown - holy hell! Beautiful, thick lacing with a yeasty type head that lingers for the duration of the pint. Maple syrup colored with noticeable carbonation throughout the beer.

S - Not much to it; sweet, molasses, and a subtle hop character.

T - DELICIOUS! The roasted and caramel malts jump out right away while the slight hop bite hitchhikes a ride and balances out the flavors. Finishes sweet with the toasted malts lingering on the back of your palate.

M - It feels like a milk stout - very creamy with very soft carbonation and transitions seamlessly to a dry finish.

O - This is the best brown that I've had so far. Everything is so delicate about it but it's still so complex and easy to enjoy. Definitely try this if you get the chance!

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2011 18:13:55 | More by twaddlac

eclipse54

Idaho

2.6/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. A Hazy amber liquid with golden hues near the edges, this beer evolves about a half inch of head before it fades to a thin foam layer. A grand amount of sticky, white lacing is left behind, enhancing the appearance. It smells of hops, faint citrus, a bit of smooth malt, and even fainter skunky/funky smell; something just seems off. This is reflected in the taste. It tries to find a middle ground between an amber and a scotch ale, but seems to fall short of excelling at either. Hops and very faint caramel lead the way before that odd skunk flavor takes over. Quite unfortunate. Mouthfeel is somewhat smooth, save a faint burning from the alcohol (which was surprising since there really wasn't a whole lot in there) and the rather unpleasant flavor. I'm a big fan of a number of Odell's products, but I won't be revisiting this one anytime soon. For some reason, it just doesn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 03:04:12 | More by eclipse54

Duff27

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Thin light tan head on top of a ruby red beer. Above average lacing and head retention.

S- Caramel malts. Smells like copper, pretty standard for the style for me.

T- Malt malt malt, caramel. No hops detected, as per style guidelines. Nice, pleasant ABV.

M- Low carbonation. Mid to low mouthfeel thickness.

D/O- Easy drinking Scottish ale here. Nothing stands out to put it in the top tier of the style but no bad attributes either. Good for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 02:25:48 | More by Duff27

litheum94

California

2.93/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. Date stamp 9/17/11A. Reviewed on 6/26/11.

Pour: A thick, dirty white head pours out of the bottle, protecting a ruddy colored body. The head settles to a thin, dense cover, leaving foam clinging to the side of the glass.

Aromas: 'Meaty' aromas, with some smoke and a hint of saltiness. Some caramel sweetness, and some earthy qualities from the yeast. Hint of floral hops.

Mouth: Kola nut flavors, with a vague caramel sweetness. Bready malts, thick and nutty. Very creamy mid-palate. Slight smoke, and some vanilla flavors. Very light hopping on the finish. There's a very weird taste left in my mouth. Vaguely medicinal.

Not quite sure what to make of the finish, but it ruins this beer for me. I can't explain it at all, which I know doesn't help, but it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I was disappointed by this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 00:40:51 | More by litheum94