Pike Kilt Lifter Scotch Style Ale - Pike Pub & Brewery

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.33/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky light brown color with a thin, large-bubbled foam that fades real quick to a few bubbles floating on the surface. The opacity of this beer is pretty surprising.

Smell is very sweet and carmely with just a touch of earthy peat and lots of dark fruits - strawberries, blackberries and figs covered with brown sugar. I typically like my Scotch Ale's more earthy and smoky.

The taste is sweet and light with some of the fruitiness coming through as well. The malts are there, but not in enough quantity to be rich and creamy. That makes it probably a good thing the ABV is only 6.6, just not enough body and flavor to support any more alcohol. As a beer, it is far from bad and I do not think I will have much trouble finishing the bomber, but for a Scotch Ale, this is a pretty weak attempt.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2009 18:30:24 | More by twiggamortis420

bigbluebeerguy

Kentucky

3.33/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle obtained via trade with beertunes, poured a cloudy, amber, almost light chestnut in color, with a very soapy looking off white head, about 1 finger in thickness. Receded very quickly to negligible lacing.

Smell was fairly non-descript. A little cold at first, I got some caramel sweetness. Much later, near the bottom of the glass, warmth brought out some nuttiness, with maybe a hint of hay.

Taste was better than the nose. The caramel and nuttiness was a little more pronounced especially as it warmed. Overall though, the flavors didn't seem to come off quite as heavy as I would have expected for the style. Maybe I just need to sample a few more from this style.

Mouthfeel was fairly average, not bad, not outstanding. Smooth, with just a little alcohol warmth on the tongue.

Drinkability is not bad. I certainly wouldn't turn this down, and wouldn't be upset to find it in another trade box.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 01:15:45 | More by bigbluebeerguy

blackie

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

appearance: Pours a low, off white head that recedes to a ring around the glass and a very thin layer on the surface. The beer is a rich orange-amber with some floaters suspended throughout.

smell: The dominant, and pretty much only, aroma is that of a light to moderate sweetness of toasted and lightly peaty malts. Some subtle aromas of dark sugars and a light, aged hop aroma. Slightly earthy.

mouthfeel: The carbonation is a smooth light-medium, and the body between medium and heavy.

taste: Toasted and lightly flavored malts dominate and lend a moderate sweetness. The flavors here are subtle, and not as smoky/peaty as I'm used to in a scotch. Light hop flavor and a drying, light bitterness. Not really much else to it.

drinkability: Easy to drink, but an average scotch ale

A gift from Seattle

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2006 23:13:59 | More by blackie

Pegasus

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Medium amber brown in color, with a touch of haze and a small white head.

Aroma: Earthy, fruit\y notes, no discernable hops, as expected, and a sweet, perfume note. The aroma seems less malty than typical for the style.

Taste: Mildly peaty and earthy from the start to finish, with a slight alcohol note. Finishes with a flourish of mild, but lingering earth and bitter chocolate notes.

Mouth feel: Smooth, but a bit thin, with very mild carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: Very pleasant, although a bit understated, conveys a feeling of being light for the style.

Many thanks to Bill for generously sharing this uncommon Scotch Ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2007 17:53:25 | More by Pegasus

joshuadlight

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass from a 22 oz bomber.
Orangey, red with a small head that acted like it had somewhere else to be. This hurts the aroma as well. The smell and taste are like a hybrid between a pale ale and scottish ale. This is hardly a wee heavy. Too much hop bitterness, not a strong enough malt profile. Its a little lacking in my book.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2009 02:44:38 | More by joshuadlight

RJLarse

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this beer in to a pint tumbler. It has a copper/brown color and is quite clear. The head was moderate, off-white and bubbly, but dissipated quickly to a thin white film, with some lacing.

The beer has a faint smell and is malty. The smell is generally unremarkable.

The taste is nice, smoky and malty with a slightly bitter hop finish. The after taste is short lived but pleasant.

I enjoyed this beer. It is light, tasty and very drinkable. I’d love to stop by the Pike Pub & Brewery and try one on tap some time.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2006 05:22:04 | More by RJLarse

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.4/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz from the Coop for about $1.50... shared with a buddy... mine from a small weizen glass.

Nice 1.5" head.. with pretty splotchy lacing.. color is amber at best.. It always suprises me that the color is not darker... I expect a bit more color out of a wee heavy.

Aroma is fruity yeasts for sure.. toasted malts and slight brown malts.. no hops to speak of.. still could use more maltiness in my opinion.

Flavor is bready and caramel.. there is an actual smoked flavor that undeniable (though lite until it warms up a bit) .. biscuits and yeasty phenols.. for this ABV, I expect a little more body.. not bad at all, and better than 5 previous notebook reviews reveal... Has Pike changed things up? It seems so.

I am torn over this one; I've never been impressed with this one, though Pike Kilt Lifter is my brothers "desert island beer". I've had it dozens and dozens of times over the years and have been underwhelmed for the most part.. tonight, though... it seems to be a better brew. Kilty still needs more over everything to really raise the bar.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2007 09:03:13 | More by JohnGalt1

ProudGreen89

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a dark copper with a thin white head that leaves a subsiding lace down the glass, as it settles down theres barely a head left and the lacing becomes very watery and disappates.

S-malty, caramel and some kind of legume. sort of a toasted biscuity aroma hidden behind a mellow dark fruit.

T-definitely malty, smokey and a little caramel near the end, a nutty and dark fruit flavor is deep in there. i also taste some adjuncts in there which im not fond of (its said that rice has no taste, but i disagree, i get a taste of it in here)i expect it was used as a filler to make the beers price cheaper. I was expecting a bolder flavor out of a scotch style ale out of seattle, i would have liked more hops for a more bitter finish and a higher alcohol content to give it that extra bite, its not bad but i was expecting more.

M-light body but the flavors and malts give it a pallete heaviness which is actually very nice, it goes down smooth but doesnt completely leave your tongue.

D-it is actually a very easy to drink ale, i would have liked more hops and alcoholic bite but i think i would pick this up again. not a bad price either for what youre drinking.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 23:35:20 | More by ProudGreen89

IPAaDay

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice brew with a good name. Looks good, smells good, tastes good. Has a range of flavors with each drink. Doesn't blow my socks off, but enjoyed it. Had a bomber from Total Wine ... would drink 2 back to back on a Friday. ;-) My taste buds need the equivalent of a 2x4 upside of 'em which is why I prefer IPA. That said, this brew has enough flavor and complexities in that flavor to keep me interested.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 02:03:55 | More by IPAaDay

flagmantho

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: rich amber hue with a ringer of frothy ivory foam. Body is entirely clear and has a dusky, autumnal feeling to it. I like it.

Smell: malt-bomb aroma; biscuity, bready and nutty, mostly. There's a little caramel characteristic; I'm betting there's lots of crystal malt in here. Almost like a strong amber ale. Not my favorite, but not too bad.

Taste: basically what I expected based on the aroma. This is super biscuity and nutty; I'm not a huge fan. Hop character is minimal, but there is a balancing bitterness. While it doesn't precisely float my boat, this is not a bad beer.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body; pretty light for a Scotch ale, in my opinion. Carbonation is pretty good, though, which yields a passable creaminess. Not bad but could be a lot better.

Drinkability: my palate grows weary of the onslaught of not-terribly-interesting malt flavors. For me, personally, this is not an exceptionally drinkable beer. It is serviceable, though.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 05:02:38 | More by flagmantho

Jason

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. brown long neck bottle with a freshness date on the back.

Appearance: Tawny leathery amber colour holding some haze, enticing head has a stable retention.

Smell: Big sweetness with a very faded smoke, light fruity alcohol and caramel malt twang.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Layered smoothness with a creamy slickness. Solid malty palate, sweetness plays off the toasted grain and medium hoppiness. Suggestions of fruit punch, earthy yeast and caramel in the back. Slightly warming alcohol. Hit of citric rind in the end? Handful of residual sweetness in the end combats the semi-think hop flavour in the end.

Notes: Smaller in stature than most Scotch Ales I have had, a decent strong amber that was easy on the palate with a balanced malt and hop.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2003 12:06:14 | More by Jason

Bfarr

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A clear, deep red amber with a very thin head. There is a faint tea and malt aroma, nothing too good. This is a very balanced beer with nice caramel malt with a slight herbal hop taste. It's very smooth but the taste became a little grainy by the end.

For a scotch ale this one is kind of light on what I look for in a scotch ale. It's very smooth an drinkable but just a bit shy for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2010 22:44:01 | More by Bfarr

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Acquired from kiltedtxn courtesy of the Nice Cans BIF, so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a coppery brown color, with a very thin off- head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains a butterscotch, vanilla, caramelized malts, tea, some smoke and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a lot more smokiness than I picked up in the smell followed by sweet flavors of vanilla, tea and caramel. There is not much balance but since the malt character is pretty thin for the style and there is very little hops presence; it’s surprising that there is any balance at all. I suppose that seems like a back-handed compliment but I’m calling like I’m tasting it. The after-taste is sweet.

M: A little smooth, not very crisp and a bit watery, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Kind of flavorful at least, goes down ok, not too filling, decent kick, not the best representation of style, while this is quite departed from your typical Scotch ale and not one I would jump at the chance to choose again, I don’t think this beer as horrible as some have made it seem. I’m finding it a bit unique if nothing else, yet if not of for the review, I don’t see myself drinking this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 04:11:54 | More by TheManiacalOne

harrymel

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

No bottle date

Pours a nice bourbon caramel with a small fleeting white residue. Brilliant clarity. Smells of toast, english tea, some brown sugar and a wee bit of cinnamon. Flavor carries plenty of bread, some yeast and slight oxidation (cardboard), hints of tea. Medium bodied with light carb and a noninvasive finish. A decent, approachable beer. I can see myself grabbing this on a cool fall day.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 06:01:10 | More by harrymel

kbub6f

New York

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The head is tiny, off-white, bubbly, greasy. Beer is hazy copper-orange, maybe tending somewhat toward brown. There's sweet toffee/caramel/brown sugar in the nose. Some pipe smoke. Dark tobacco toffee in front; tangy, fruity caramel in the middle; sour fruit and smoky caramel in the end. Interesting. Sour fruit and dark, burned caramel. Not bad. Kind of "homebrewy".

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2005 19:34:40 | More by kbub6f

Gavage

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: crystal clear amber color with a 1 inch head. Some spotty lacing developed.

Smell: very light caramel sweetness is all that is picked up.

Taste: caramel, a hint of peat and nuts, soft plum sweetness, and a very light bitterness. Malt level seems a bit weak.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Crisp throughout. The caramel and peat softly linger on the tastebuds after swallowing.

Drinkability: not too bad, but this needs to be kicked up a few notches on the malt and peat levels. Decent beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2006 11:27:11 | More by Gavage

PhiloPsych

California

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Completely clear Scotch-brown in the glass. Not much head to speak of. Appearance is true to style. Not a bad beer. But not a very notable beer, either. I'm visiting the area, so I'm happy to try local brews. But I've definitely had better Sotch Ales. It's not as sweet or malty as I expected; and both hoppier and more dank than I wanted when I bought it.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 21:54:26 | More by PhiloPsych

beertunes

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a clean, clear reddish-amber with just under an inch of off-white head that had good retention and moderate lacing.

The aroma was mostly malty sweet, with just a hint of hops and yeasty spice in the background. On the tongue, the beer had a nice little sharpness that wasn't apparent in the scent. The malt was the predominant feature of this brew however.

The body was light, but full. Drinkability for this beer is very good, having a sixer for a cookout is a great idea. The brewery no longer calls this a Scotch Ale, they now call it a "Ruby Ale", either way, it's a loyal beer friend. Worth trying when you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2010 00:21:07 | More by beertunes

cjgator3

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle

A- Pours a dark brown color with an off-white head that leaves a ring of lacing around the glass.

S- The aroma is much fainter than expected. The aroma is sweet malts and a good dose of caramel. Nit much else to note in the nose.

T- The taste is sweet malts up front with caramel and a hint of smoke as well. 

M- The mouthfeelis a little thin for the style with a good amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, Kilt Lifter is a decent scotch ale that is solid in some areas (taste, drinkability) but lacking in other areas (aroma, appearance). Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 03:48:15 | More by cjgator3

timtwoface

British Columbia (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is easily my favourite of all the offerings that Pike has to offer. Nothing exceptional, but it is a tasty, malty (but not overly so) beer that drinks very smoothly. I definitely would buy again and the price point isn't bad either. This is the first scotch style ruby ale I've tried and it's made me interested to try other offerings in this vein.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 06:08:54 | More by timtwoface

Wasatch

Utah

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a cloudy brown/amber color, some carbonation, tiny head, some lacing afterwards.

S - Scents of malts and a little smokiness.

T - The taste is sweet malty with a clean finish.

M - Light-Medium body, nicely balanced brew.

D - Drinkable. This brew surprised me, I thought that I would not like it, but it's really not that bad. Would buy again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2006 20:04:02 | More by Wasatch

TheBungyo

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pour is reddish orange. Head appears for a moment and then vanishes entirely. Nose reminds me of hops dipped in caramel. Taste is hoppy, brown sugary, and caramel-y. This one isn't completely doing it for me, I'll be honest. Mouth is quite nice though. Very thick ... carbonation is like a blanket. Drinkability is ok because the taste isn't bad or tastebud wrecking after only a couple sips. It would work to try a sixer of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2006 10:09:30 | More by TheBungyo

skillerified

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice dark amber color with red and gold hues peeking through in the light. No head, no real cap and not much lacing to speak of, maybe just a hint of tan and white floating in there. The smell is a sweet caramel-like scent. Not too complex. Some smokey tones linger there too. The taste was very much on the sweet side, but had a nice little spicey, smokey bite to it. Again though, not too complex. Light to medium bodied with a mildly carbonated mouthfeel. Goes good with the food at the pub, but I wouldn't necessarily be looking for this one otherwise.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2007 01:12:46 | More by skillerified

rkuhnel

California

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a 12 oz bottle. This was also called "ruby ale" on the bottle. It poured a light amber, very clear, with a small white head adn light lacing. Nose is mostly of malts and hops;. Medium mouthfeel and flavor is somewhat sweet. There is a little fruit and bit of herbal taste. Mild finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2007 05:34:47 | More by rkuhnel

woemad

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle purchased at Huckleberry’s in Spokane for $1.29. It features a different label than the one pictured on BA. In addition to an abv of 6.5%, the label also lists an IBU count of 27, and an original gravity of 1.064. Prominent on the Pike Brewing Co. emblem is the legend “Family Owned.” From what a friend was telling me, the original owners of Pike have bought back the brewery and are using the original recipes. While I don’t know if that is strictly true, it’s definitely different from the Kilt Lifter I have grown used to.

This poured a copper color, with a big, beige head that took a few minutes to drop. Sheets of lace dripped down the sides of my Boundary Bay pint glass, leaving a spotty lace behind. Definitely lighter colored than Kiltlifters I’ve drank in the past.

This has a more restrained nose than past Kilt Lifters. It is still strongly malty, however, with a peaty scent hovering over things.

Like the smell, this Kiltlifter is a more restrained beer than it’s immediate ancestor. It starts out with a malty sweetness, but it’s a fairly mild sweetness. The peat flavor is still present, but it is more balanced with the sweet aspects. The only place hops come into play is at the swallow, which is mildly dry.

This is a thoroughly medium bodied beer. The mouthfeel is relatively soft.

Despite the abv, this seems more like a session beer than the Kiltlifter I am accustomed to. While it goes down easier, I personally think it is less distinctive than it was before. I wouldn’t mild drinking more of this but don’t feel drawn to by any means. I’d call this re-tooling/restoration a success only with some definite qualifiers.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2007 07:00:01 | More by woemad