Scotch Ale - Fordham Brewing Company

dsshuck

Maryland

4/5  rDev +16.6%

01-04-2013 01:30:51 | More by dsshuck

SPThirtyThree

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +16%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear reddish amber with big flecks of something - hopefully hop matter. A thin finger of ecru cap quickly falls to thin patches of foam and persists as a thick collar. It tried to leave lacing on the glass, but only left small spots.

S: The smell is sweet, toasty bread. A faint spice smells exactly like clover honey, which perfectly accompanies the biscuit backbone. Hops and peat are minimal, but grassy and mild. It's hard to not smell similarities with a buttered, toasty biscuit. It's caramel-y and earthy.

After warming, the smell was much more hot and complex, with more esters and stickier caramel. Smells slightly like diacetyl.

T: Just as the note hinted, it's sweet, with a slight spice. There's just enough hop bite to make the hops known, but they blend smoothly with the beer. Every sip has loads of medanoidins. There are also hints of raisins and dark fruits in the finish.

M: The mouthfeel is big-bodied, with a slight spice from a combination of carbonation and hot alcohol flavors.

Overall, this is one of the best brown beers I've drank. It's plain but delicious. It's warm and alcoholic, but the alcohol hides smoothly with the other flavors. It's easy to drink, and tasty. Reminds me of a coworker's homebrewed Maibock.

Note to self: If this is representative of wee heavies, this is a great style.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 23:49:02 | More by SPThirtyThree

pjs234

Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -27.1%

04-19-2013 00:10:21 | More by pjs234

curasowa

New York

3.05/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Clear, copper color with one finger of head that fades quickly to a ring

Aroma: Toasted malt with a surprising amount of fruity notes mixed in along with a heavy, metallic aroma.

Taste: A pretty even toast malt taste from start to finish, leaving with a lingering, slightly grainy taste. There's a bit of molasses in the middle quickly followed by a little rush of carbonation that pricks-up the tongue.

The Rest: A fine Scotch Ale, but by no means a great one. Body is just to the thin side of medium, and the taste profile doesn't have a ton of depth to it.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 13:25:17 | More by curasowa

Celtics76

Rhode Island

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

03-07-2013 17:22:14 | More by Celtics76

RickS95

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

I don't care much for the style, but I like what I see so far. It pours a dark copper, caramel color. It's not a cloudy beer, but nothing close to clear so you struggle to see through it. Tiny little bubbles constantly rise to the top, which houses a slightly offwhite, thick, foamy head. Very cloud-like, it last a while and leaves a nice thin filmy lace behind.

There's little to talk about regarding smell because not much is present. It's mostly all malt but if you really get your nose in there, you can almost pick up a faint caramel scent, but I couldn't detect any smokey like I expected from reading the bottle.

The taste is a bit different from the smell in that it's packed with flavor. Lots of caramel malt and the standard rye-ness from a Scotch ale. Again, different from the smell, the Beechwood smoked malt is noticeable.

The mouthfeel is a bit strange, but that's because there's a lot going on. Plenty of sweetness, but nothing close to cloying. A spicy rye feel is there mid-sip. Nothing in the way of hoppiness. It's medium bodied and in the swallow, there's a lingering sweetness that lasts a good while.

It's a pretty good beer and that means something considering I don't care for the style. Fairly easy to drink because there's a lot happening and the alcohol is fairly well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:42:11 | More by RickS95

AlaskanYoung

Alaska

3/5  rDev -12.5%

02-20-2013 22:58:55 | More by AlaskanYoung

Lipstraw

3/5  rDev -12.5%

02-17-2013 00:58:58 | More by Lipstraw

Mtooman

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +9.3%

02-16-2013 22:17:29 | More by Mtooman

nitter

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

02-16-2013 22:13:43 | More by nitter

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.41/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

In a pint glass this beer was a copper color with a small tan head. There was a tiny bit of lace.

The aroma was caramel malt mostly. There was some sweet honey also.

It had a caramel/toffee taste.

Nice enough beer, but way too sweet. It was on the cloying side, as sweet as it was. I'm going to try to foist the rest on my wife. Well, maybe foist is too strong a word, but one was enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 22:41:18 | More by lordofthewiens

Metatron6

Maryland

2.5/5  rDev -27.1%

02-15-2013 19:37:19 | More by Metatron6

AAG

Texas

3.4/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a cold bottle into a beer stein. 8% ABV; bottled on 28 Nov 2012 (about 2 months prior).

Appearance - Very little head - dissipated immediately; still retained slight lacing on the sides of the stein throughout; brownish, malty color.

Smell - Malty smell; difficult to discern; fruity (grapes?); can smell the higher alcohol content in this scotch ale.

Taste - Smoked malt; nothing really jumps out at me here (at a rare loss for adjectives!).

Mouthfeel - Very pleasant on the palate; slightly carbonated but smooth and easy to swallow.

Overall, I like this Scotch Ale by Fordham Brewing Company. I struggled to define it a little bit b/c I think most of the tastes and smells are subtle and not over-powering....but the subtle, smoky, malt-taste is pleasant and I would drink this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 00:52:21 | More by AAG

logan0203

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +2%

02-11-2013 00:15:25 | More by logan0203

rorjets

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +2%

02-10-2013 02:46:53 | More by rorjets

sdaly3

New Hampshire

3/5  rDev -12.5%

02-06-2013 12:18:04 | More by sdaly3

jasonrking

4/5  rDev +16.6%

02-02-2013 01:55:32 | More by jasonrking

angusdegraosta

New York

3.71/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Deep amber color, not much head and a little lacing. Has a nice sweet aroma; you can smell some of the alcohol as well. This is a sweet roasted malt flavor. The "tea-like bitterness" listed as par for the style here is more like a subtle astringency, but not in an off-putting way. There's nothing bitter here, just sweetness with an herbal hop presence. I think the mouthfeel would be even better with just a little more carbonation, but I'm not complaining. Thumbs up.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 08:06:28 | More by angusdegraosta

comfortablynirm

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +2%

09-19-2012 14:06:14 | More by comfortablynirm

AndrewMichael

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +2%

06-25-2012 22:45:15 | More by AndrewMichael

briandaube

Delaware

4.5/5  rDev +31.2%

06-02-2012 21:09:35 | More by briandaube

abcramer

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -12.5%

06-02-2012 02:57:02 | More by abcramer

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Scotch Ale
Fordham Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
ABV: 6.8 % (per bottle)

LOOK: Deep copper colored brew with an off white head with good staying power. Lace clings to the glass. Fine clarity showing off the active carbonation.

SMELL: Bready malts, herbal hops, light hint of lightly smoked toasted malt.

TASTE: Malty with notes of toffee and caramelized brown sugar. Roasted malts come in with a mild smoked scotch malt flavor. Bready and flavorful, giving way to a mild complimentary bitterness. The ale achieves an even balance.

FEEL: Medium bodied, well carbonated to a high level, almost a dry finish.

OVERALL: A very serviceable scotch ale. Well rounded flavors, easy going body and drinks very well. Would be a welcome addition to any beer fridge.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 04:03:21 | More by Stinkypuss

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

04-30-2012 19:52:41 | More by goblue3509

Gatordaddy

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

03-25-2012 23:05:45 | More by Gatordaddy