Salty Scot - Parallel 49 Brewing Company

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650ml, slope shouldered bottle, round 3 of the 2013 incarnation of Robert Burns' birthday anniversary. Our currently celebrated poet is semi-famous for saying: "prudent, cautious self-control is wisdom's root.". Bah - didn't he ever let loose on a Friday night, especially one expressly set forth in his honour? Ok, maybe not.

This beer pours a hazy, dark bronze amber hue, with two fingers of puffy, somewhat foamy ecru head, which leaves some bulbous arched instances of landform lace around the glass as it evenly sinks away.

It smells of sweet, caramel/toffee malt, a subtle biscuity butterscotch character, some nutty pastry notes, a soft mineral essence, which I can safely purport to be of the specifically NaCl kind, and a bit of leafy, earthy hop bitters. The taste is more sweet pastry malt - bread, caramel, brown sugar, and that sneaky, barely perceptible salt addition that we very well know about, but do little to mitigate, a further restrained saccharine nutty essence, additional butterscotch notes, and quaintly understated dry leafy noble hops.

The carbonation is quietly engaging, i.e., supportive, but nowhere near overtly noticeable, the body a hefty medium weight, and generally quite smooth. It finishes well on the sweet side, the mildly biscuity, ever more so pastry-dominated malt palpably asserting itself, so much so as to put forth a dessert-friendly affair, tinged just enough with subtle alcohol and leafy hops to make for a generally well-balanced affair.

I was expecting a whole lot more on the salty side of things, given the name and label info, but as it turns out, this is more of warning shot across our collective bows, for the inherently insidious pleasant/unhealthy duality is just as underwhelmingly imperceptible here as it is in our daily grocery-drone lives. Anyway, this is still a pretty tasty, albeit sweet Scottish-style ale, moderated as it is by the aforementioned social conventions. Nix that - I suggest drinking this for its taste, and nothing else.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 04:11:16 | More by biboergosum

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-09-2013 19:22:15 | More by liamt07

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-03-2013 19:32:41 | More by Kmat10

souvenirs

British Columbia (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +17%

05-19-2013 01:47:24 | More by souvenirs

Danielbt

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-14-2013 20:07:56 | More by Danielbt

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From a 650 ml brown bottle. Pours out a hazed red oaky amber, suspended particles. Tall foamy off-white head at first that settles rather quickly to a thin cap.

Intense caramel aroma juxtaposed with some brine--unique.

Rich toasty caramel up front in the flavour, the sea salt helps intensify it while keeping things from becoming cloyingly sweet. Clean finish, with some toasty, slightly woody notes in the aftertaste. Lips end up coated with light brine.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel, light silky texture, medium carbonation that helps keep everything in check.

An interesting take on the style, wasn't sure what to expect, but am impressed with the results, this totally works and holds its own on its own merits. I'm normally not a huge fan of this style due to excessive sweetness, however this has easily become a quick favourite, and one worth revisiting.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 04:25:05 | More by IronDjinn

BlackAura

Alberta (Canada)

2/5  rDev -50.7%

03-17-2013 05:17:14 | More by BlackAura

LongRoad

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

03-17-2013 01:45:57 | More by LongRoad

604growler

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

02-18-2013 13:43:44 | More by 604growler

smekermann

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

02-13-2013 03:15:38 | More by smekermann

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to 4ster for this one.

Poured from a 650ml. bottle (no freshness info) and split with my wife.

Appearance: A respectable head rests on top of a reddish brown body that looks very vivid. Good retention, a bit of lacing.

Smell: Mild salt but all caramel and some butterscotch which gradually grows stronger. Manages to not be too sweet, if there's such a thing ;)

Taste: Buttery caramel, more butterscotch. All starts from the middle to long after the sip. Mils wisps of peat. Very comforting.

Mouthfeel: This is pretty smooth and feels right at home. Low carbonation adds to the creamy texture.

Overall: This is quite good. Very glad to have tried this.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 02:06:52 | More by papat444

4ster

Quebec (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into pint glass. Let warm awhile at room temperature to get close to the recommended 12 degree ~. Had with a sweet &salty chocolate 'salami' roll... nice dessert compliment or aperitif.

A: Reddish, brown colour, cloudy with some sediment dispersed throughout, micro bubbles, decent white 1-2 finger head, with good retention and lacing around the edge.

S: Lots of toffee, caramel as noted by others... lots of emphasis on the sweet malts here and a hint of nuttiness...also as it warms there is a light amount of alcohol on the nose...

T: Starts off with the sweet malt flavours, followed by a bit of salt, not overly so, but you can notice it, this is followed by the caramel/nut and more malt flavours, finishing with a slightly boozy, warming taste and a bit of ripe fruit.

M: Extremely smooth and well balanced. I'd almost say it tastes 'soft' or buttery... light to medium carbonation at first, which slowly disappears at the beer warms... slight bit of alcohol/heat also as it warms, which is typical of the style.

O: I hadn't had the chance yet to try any Parallel 49 beers until the Black Christmas and this is only the second I was able to find in store. That said, it came recommended and it was suggested it would be a good post dinner (dessert) beer which I found intriguing... As a Wee Heavy, I would say they've done a nice job with the style, and I would say they've taken a part of the Scottish Ale (slightly alcoholic/warming/sweet) and taken those characteristics and played on them by adding the sea salt which is noticeable, and turned this into a delicious dessert style beer not typical of this style. Everything is well balanced, making it not only easy drinking but making sure all the flavours stand out. I can see why people are giving cudos to this young brewery as they are already on the right track with a decent offering of beers out there. Worth trying, especially if you like Scotch Ales, and goes really well at this time of year....

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 07:42:42 | More by 4ster

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a copper brown with a finger width of foamy cream-coloured head.

Smell - Caramalt, plum, cherry, toffee, slight hazelnut.

Taste - Caramalts and toffee take the lead and are well accompanied by the plum/cherry and hazelnut flavours. Sea salt comes in at the finish, giving a pleasant sweet and salty profile.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall - A unique twist on a scotch ale by adding sea salt. A very tasty beer and an impressive offering by Parallel 49. Worth a try if you see it on the store shelf.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 02:55:15 | More by leaddog

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

650ml bottle poured into tulip 18/12/12

A murky brownish amber body with a large tight three finger dark tan foam that sits around for several sips leaving a few random patches of lace

S loads of caramel, butterscotch, toffee, ect, ect, lots of sweet malt and nutty hazelnut with a little coco powder and some fruity notes I can't quite place, a little Christmas cake as it warms

T mimics the smell, sweet caramels and hazelnut with faint coco. Is it salty? perhaps but not overly and I wouldn't thought about it had I not read the bottle, OK maybe a little salty, or is it ?

M medium full with just the right amount of carbonation, pretty sticky on the lips and no evidence of 7.5%, and a long nutty toffee finish, about what I expect from the style

O I didn't know what to expect with this one but it turned out to be a nice surprise. the salts easy to miss but caramels are hard to ignore and the booze is invisible

These guys have done very well for beginners, I've had very good luck from their brews and can't wait for them to tackle some of my favorite styles. Keep em coming

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 03:38:31 | More by wordemupg

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a hazy, amber-brown with 1.5 fingers of pale orangy-tan head.

Smell. Sweet toffee and a bit of lightly fruity alcohol and caramel malts.

Taste. Sweet caramel and a bit of caramel malts with just a trace of light fruits. The salt is there, but not in a big way. Not much more going on, but quite tasty.

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body, just a bit sticky and a medium amount of carbonation.

Overall. Well, as advertised it's definitely a salted caramel beer. Very nice and will look forward to drinking this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 02:40:03 | More by Rutager

thefullpython

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First review.

A - Pours a deep amber. Nice finger-and-a-half head.

S - Caramel. I've got a bit of a cold coming on but I could tell that caramel is what they wanted the drinker to notice.

T - More caramel when it hits the palette. My favourite part though is the subtle sea salt that comes through in the finish. I'll be honest, I didn't think salt in beer would work out but Parallel 49 used just enough to offset the sweetness of the caramel and add a unique flavour to the finish.

M - Goes down smooth, nice medium carbonation.

O - The caramel and sea salt are both present without being overbearing which is really nice coming from something that easily could've been a mediocre novelty beer. Very impressed with this brew from Parallel 49 as I have been with everything I've tasted from the boys on Triumph Street. I'll definitely pick up a couple bottles of this before they're gone.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 08:15:10 | More by thefullpython

chickenm

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

12-01-2012 16:56:33 | More by chickenm

Cookeeman

4.28/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Wow, this beer smells like a Salted Caramel Latte from Starbucks! This is one of those beers that is all about the added flavour, not about the beer. What I mean is, there is pretty much zero beer flavour here. The taste is entirely dominated by an out-of-this-world extremely delicious caramel flavour, with a slightly salted aftertaste. The caramel is rich and thick, with hints of maple, brown sugar, and plum. The finish is mostly where I taste the salt, and it pairs perfectly with the caramel. I suppose what is making me rave about this beer is the intensity of the flavour. I was expecting a scotch ale with hints of salty caramel, but really this is salty caramel with a hint of scotch ale: beer and dessert all wrapped up in one great bottle!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 00:46:51 | More by Cookeeman

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

11-28-2012 08:43:51 | More by schopenhauerale

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Caramel colour with an off-white head, thin ring of retention shows a bit of leg.

S: Light caramel and toffee sweetness in the aroma, golden raisins, nice fruity esters (figs, pear).

T: Great caramel flavour, slight saltyness in the aftertaste, though I'm not sure I'd pick it out if I didn't know it was there. Pleasant fruitiness, hints of cocoa and nuts. Slight earthy mineral. Some good bitterness to back up the sweetness. Slight warmth from the alcohol, though I wouldn't have thought it was this strong.

M: Light residual sweetness with a slightly drying finish.

O: Really well put-together novelty ale... it's not something I'd drink a lot of, but I'd be really happy to see this every season.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 00:57:27 | More by Derek

zduerr

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

11-20-2012 18:08:42 | More by zduerr

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Hazy tawny tan with plenty of suspended sediment. Head settled quick leaving a scant drift of tiny bubbles.

S: Sweet malts, butter scotch and caramel, bourbon maybe even a little golden raisin at the end.

T: Malts and caramel with a background note of minerals like soda water. Some hops that balance out the sweet notes, leaves some after taste of bourbon.

M: Leading off with a moderate level of carbonation, slightly light in the mouthfeel and I'd prefer something a little more syrup-y, only to hold onto that malty caramel flavours longer.

O: Enjoyable and very drinkable, the caramel could have been overdone, however it manages to enhance and highlight the brew. The salty flavours are represented by the mineral notes, like adding a small amount of salt to water.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 02:44:00 | More by FondueVoodoo

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

With 3 seasonal releases this winter ( all good as well) Parallel 49 is my choice for new brewery of the year. This is a classic wee heavy that has salted caramel added. The colour is on the lighter side for the style and the mouthfeel is lively and smooth. I noticed more hops than usual for this beer which helps balance out the caramel notes on the finish. The salted caramel is not too intrusive but rather works with the malty midbody. Great cold weather beer that goes so well with bread pudding.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 18:06:56 | More by canucklehead