Arcadia Loch Down Scotch Ale - Arcadia Brewing Company

zoso1967

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Loch Down pours a very dark tawny brown with a light tan head. The beer is surprisingly dark and looks a bit murky. The head has moderate staying power and leaves run of the mill lace.

The aroma is a bit one dimensional. It has a lot of malty sweet and not much else. It is a very caramelized sweetness that has a pleasant character to it, but I just wish it was a bit richer and had some peat. Some earthy hops and a bit of alcohol are also present, but way in the back.

The flavor is much like the aroma, but it does have a bit more going on. The caramelized malt is once again front and center. It is also joined by some dark fruity notes, a tad of roastyness, a touch of molasses and some earthy hops.

The mouthfeel is medium with a very low amount of carbonation. It is a sweet beer but finishes without being terribly cloying. Some nice malty flavors linger on my tongue.

Overall this is actually a pretty decent beer, though it seems a little weak for a scotch ale. It drinks a lot more like a smaller beer, which I guess is a good thing. If you want a more aggressive scotch ale with more peat character, look elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 00:45:19 | More by zoso1967

BangerNYC

New York

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Trappist Roquefort Chalice...

Seeing that this is my very first review, please bear with me here...

I tried this Scotch Ale two ways: 1) Fridge temp & room temp...

Aroma: With both pourings, I noticed a distinct oak barrel with underlaying scotch, caramel & fruitness, i.e prune & slight hint of orange (maybe some coriander?)

Cold pouring, I failed to unleash the sediment, but..

Pour: Cold poured; little to almost no head; and room temp, (where the sediment was released,) poured a nice head that subsided quickly. Both had little or no glass lacing.

Mouth: The barleys are not overpowering and are very pleasant. Cold, the yeasts aren't as active, but room temp, they danced on the pallet. I've only had one other Scotch Ale, but the hops seemed to be a little more present, but added to the taste.

Finish: The 8.0% is seductively there with a trace of pumpernickel and walnuts.

Overall: A very nice Scotch Ale whether you are chatting with your buds in Alaska or just want something different while in The keys!

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 05:42:01 | More by BangerNYC

Magpie14

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: large amounts of copper-orange and red from a chestnut earthy brown, slight transparency at the base of my glass. Capped off with dusty white foam with average retention. Bits and pieces of lace

S: nose is very subtle considering the style. Still, the stalwart scents of malted caramel and big roasted notes exist. Light herbal notes are present as well

T: my taste buds unlock plenty of toasted malts and caramel with some bread hints. Even more pronounced than the nose is the herbal tea-like flavors, in addition they finish with a soft bitterness. All in all this is not a very complex brew. No real depth of flavors. This is a sessionable Wee Heavy, although it's hardly "heavy" in terms. It is more assertively hopped than others within the style

M: slick and mild. Medium body has no quarrels. Very easy to drink, especially at room temp. At 8% this is very doable...and troublesome

O: I grab this brew only a few times a year for a change of pace. Overall, nothing I really crave within this one. Not as complex as it should be. Needs a little boost in flavor and complexity

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 16:26:25 | More by Magpie14

TwoHeartedMale

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a: almost black very little head that left almost nothing.

s:sweet coco with ritch malt.

t:roasted malt with a rich coco and a sour scotch finish.

m:med levil of of carb. sweet and smokey whisky aftertaste.

o:this beer is great but not anything new. its a nice scotch all nothinf more nothing less.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2011 00:33:21 | More by TwoHeartedMale

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a oversized snifter. Pours a mahogany plum color, with an off white head that quicjpkly dissipates to a thin riming around the edge of the glass and a little atoll floating in the middle of the beer.mince lacing as the beer is swirled.

Hefty aroma of alcohol, port, yeast, and tannic fruit. Hints of oak leaves, leather and brown sugar as well.

The taste starts with a hint of port, mild malt, yeast, and peat, before opening up to more of an alcohol, perhaps scotch like taste. Becomes more fruity as it warms, with buttery fig, prune and raisins prominent. Ends with decent bitterness and alcohol warmth.

Medium bodied, this beer becomes drier as you finish the glass.

Perhaps I started it too cold, but this really improved as it warmed. A decent scotch ale that I acquired as part of Arcadia's mixed 12 pack. I'd get this 12 pack again, if for no other reason than to have the nice assortment of quality beer from Arcadia.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 00:43:01 | More by TheHoppiest

Duhast500

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a Harpoon 100 barrel series tulip glass.

The color is a dark black with some dark maroon highlights and a brownish head with some thin lacing left on the glass.

The smell is dark malts at first with some roasty aroma. There is some sweetness mixed with almost an oat or wheat like aroma.

The taste is toffee with a toasty bread flavor that is dark malt with a little tobacco mixed in. There is even a sugary peanut butter flavor that touches just for a moment then is gone into some sweetness.

The feel of this beer is medium but leans toward a large beer since this does have a bit of a kick to it. It does drink well and has a smooth, milky feel as it goes down.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 02:53:46 | More by Duhast500

Erish

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this 12 oz. bottle into a Chimay chalice. No date code found.

A: the color of root beer without the head, what little head there is quickly falls into a miniscule cap with very little lacing. Seems a tad dark for a Wee Heavy.

S: the malt aroma is subdued, and it features a roasted note, there is also a bit of a vanilla/oak note, a bit of toasted caramel, roasted nuts, and a touch of damp earth. Not as expressive as I'd hoped for.

T: the caramel malt competes with the toast and oak rather than complimenting it, there is a plum and raisin fruitiness in the middle (actually my favorite part of this beer), which leads to a crème brûlée and burnt toast flavor at the "end of the middle", and finally there is a smoky, roasted, and charred herbal finish. It is a good combination in theory, but the flavors do not seem to marry for some reason. Maybe this beer needs to bottle age for a bit.

M: medium-bodied, creamy texture, moderate carbonation, and a lingering smoky finish.

O: I partly drank this for inspiration, as I am brewing a Wee Heavy tomorrow. I'm glad I did, as it sharpened my definition of what I want out of a Scotch Ale. I would want my Wee Heavy to be lighter in color, have better head retention, be a bit sweeter up front, and a bit more aromatic. Can I do it? I will certainly try!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 05:44:42 | More by Erish

output01x

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle (dated 03/16/11) into a pint glass.

A strong pour yeilds an unimpressive 1/2-finger off-white head that diminishes almost as quickly as it formed. Only a thin ring of foam clinging to the glass edge is all that remains throughout consumption. The body is a thin-looking near black with traces of maroon when held to light. Very little lacing leaves a glass that looks far too clean.

Plums, brown sugar, and a syrupy sweetness in the nose. A warm toffee is also present.

Flavors of toffee and caramel, followed by sweet malts with dark fruit notes. A medicinal alcohol warmth finishes each sip. A little more of a hop profile would have helped balance this beer and increased its drinkability.

Full bodied, this beer risks having a syrupy mouthfeel, but is luckily saved by the excessive carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 06:34:12 | More by output01x

BB1313

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 10/27/10. 12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a hazy color similar to iced tea, with ruby red hues. Decent head and lacing. Great aromas! I'm picking up alot of milk chocolate, along w/ some hazelnuts. Those can be picked up in the taste as well. Very roasty and toasty. Lots of caramel, toffee, and malts; practically no hop presense. There's also some brown sugar and molasses in the mix. Mouthfeel is slightly over-carbonated, but remains smooth. Finishes slightly warm; medium-bodied.

I can't say I've ever been the biggest scotch ale fan, but this is definitely one of the better ones I've come across. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 20:19:57 | More by BB1313

AJacob81

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Mahogany, with auburn highlights. Creamy one-finger head sticks around as a soapy white ring, leaving sporadic lacing.

S - Roasted malt, molasses, brown sugar, and a hint of caramel.

T - Follows the nose, with the addition of a warming alcohol presence that complements instead of overpowering. No hops at all, really.

M and D - Medium body, moderate carbonation. Drinks super easily.

The price is reasonable, and this is a pleasant enough example of a Wee Heavy. Will probably get this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 00:55:15 | More by AJacob81

Davidpgibbons

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Been saving for a year to see if its changed with age but i couldnt tell a differance
Pours a nice finger size creamy head that vanishes quickly. Smells just like any ord scotch ale but taste pretty smooth with minimal bozziness, heance the 8abv. I can taste notes of toffee and something sweet on my tongue, perhaps caramel? Aftertaste is great. Lots of lacing, and good carb
Overall i decent beer, not my fav scotch ale but pretty good. Im a decent fan of arcadia so....

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 00:05:49 | More by Davidpgibbons

MowryJC

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

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

A - Deep rich mahogany with dark rub highlights. Capped with an almost finger head of light walnut foam that collapses into a healthy thick film that sticks around to the end. Spotty lacing left down the side of the glass.

S - Super malty toffee and caramel, a bit of bread as well. Not even a hint of hops. An underlying booziness that you can barely sense, it's quite nice.

T - Powerful caramel maltiness, raisins and almost burned sugar. A certain sweetness that toes the line into being cloying, but not quite there. Very light smokiness. Definitely a strong example of the style, but could use a wee bit of balance from some hops, nothing perverse.

M - The best part of this beer, the thick mouthfeel is full of body and coats the mouth and tongue without being cloying. A little booze reminds you this beer should be a sipper. Quite nice.

This beer isn't made for slamming back, and that's a-ok with me. I'm not a raging fan of the style, but in the right mood or with the right food I'd happily pick up one of these guys. Nice job, Arcadia.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 22:51:03 | More by MowryJC

TheSarge

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours decent for the style. There's about a finger thick light tan head, and the body is dark brown and barely see through.

The aroma is bready and toffee in character, and a hint of metallic hops.

The taste is more of a brown ale to me... Caramel, sweet dark breads, but not as much of a hops profile as I expected.

Feels lightly carbonated, a bit wetting to the palate with a warm finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 23:50:40 | More by TheSarge

HOPPYKC

Kansas

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. No bb date available on the bottle but says it was bottled on 1/23/2010, but i think it was probably bottled on 11/23/2010, i don't know if it would be a year old, i just bought it from the store today and they haven't been selling Arcadia in Kansas for that long. It pours a nice and thick dark brown, almost to a black color but more of a nice mahogany. It gave a nice foamy light tan head that went away very quickly. Opaque to look through and shows descent signs of carbonation. Has a bit of a bite on the tongue and even more on the back of the throat. Ive had a few scotch ales and this one delivers on the full flavor. Compared to O'Dell 90 shilling this is a bit more flavorful but its def. a little hard to drink, its a sipper. Leaves a nice film on the tongue and palate, roasted malt and grains for sure, barely, almost a soft milk chocolate. I think its a little unbalanced as there isn't enough hop flavor to even the brew out a bit but i still enjoy the brew. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 04:55:08 | More by HOPPYKC

DannyDan

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours out to a dark reddish-brown body with a thin tan head that has some lacing, little retention and good carbonation. The smell is some apples, caramel, some dark fruits and overall a malty aroma. The taste is a mix of apples, caramel followed by chocolate with raisins coming at the end. I also taste a slight hints of hops at the very last drop leaving that along with the apples and caramel in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is soft on the cheeks and back of tongue, but has a little bit of a tingly feel on the lips and tip of the tongue. This is a nice beer to drink and feels lighter than I would have expected. I'm guessing it is a medium to full body instead of just a full bodied beer. Pretty good stuff, but not quite as good as Dark Horse or Founder's, still worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 05:30:50 | More by DannyDan

bfields4

Colorado

3.28/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thin head. Deep brown body.

Very malty aroma toffee, fruity, a vanillaish.

More toffee. Nuts and vanilla. Toasted malts a hint of prunes. Small cinnamon burn at the end.

Chewy and lightly carbonated. A bit of a alcohol burn. Nothing too complex or out of the box. A good beer all in all. I have been more impressed by scotch ales, but it fits the standard nicely.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 06:20:58 | More by bfields4

Brenden

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes...

This beer is a deep, opaque bronze with red-brown in the depth. A light reddish-brown head reaches just over one finger high. Retention and lacing are good.
Malts are big in the aroma here with a light, obviously present but not overbearing alcohol note. Underneath is some chocolate and caramel sweetness and a hint of nuts and a touch of raisin/prune.
The beauty of this one is how well everything melds together as well as the complexity and the excellent balancing of the hops, flavorfully adding a floral and earthy bitterness to balance the sweeter and boozier aspects. Otherwise all the caramel, toffee and dark fruits one would expect are here, along with a melding of light chocolate and slight nutty flavors.
Each swallow starts crisp and melds into a nocely smooth, medium-full body and ends in a lingering semi-dry finish.
This one is a bit underrated in my opinion and one of the best I've had from this brewery thus far.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 20:40:32 | More by Brenden

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Grand Rapids in December. Served in a tulip.

Pours a very, very dark brown color with a single-finger off-white head with really nice spotty lacing and a thin cap as the head falls. Nose brings forward quite a bit of dark fruits, molasses, and caramel. A bit of hops there as well, actually. The taste is fairly sweet with molasses, notes of wood, and some dark fruits. The mouthfeel is fairly full, but the finish is a bit too dry. Doesn't quite match the sweetness. Drinkability is pretty good. Something I'd have again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 03:09:26 | More by Thorpe429

homebrewhawk

Kansas

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle served in a Celebrator glass. Poured a deep brown with a thin tan head. Malt predominates the aroma with chocolate and caramel. Medium bodied, pretty easy drinking for 8% ABV. More malt in the flavor as you would expect from a Scotch Ale. Caramel and a hint of smoke in the finish. Decent version of a Scotch Ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 14:36:19 | More by homebrewhawk

RMcMinn

Kansas

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I don't often drink Scotch Ale but decided to try this one. Does not have a strong scotch flavor or odor, but the presence of oak is very detectable. Nice amber color. Very little head and what little is there does not stay very long. The flavor is nice, but not as much body as you would expect from a scotch ale. It is a nice, drinkable beer, but would not present it to others as a true example of a scotch ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 03:12:22 | More by RMcMinn

CHickman

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours opaque black with a small creamy tan head that faded quickly; zero lacing, and I mean zero.

Smells of roasted malt, chocolate, toast, cocoa, grains, caramel, coffee and a barrel aged or smoky aroma; nice roasted nose overall.

Tastes of roasted malt, chocolate, burnt toast, cocoa, toasted grains, caramel, coffee, toffee, herbs, light citrus hops, licorice, pepper and faint alcohol; the barrel aged/smoky flavor adds a nice sweet touch before the bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, with very little carbonation, a heavy body and a smoky slightly bitter finish.

Good drinkability, this was tasty and went down with relative ease. Will seek this out again, as this was a nice slow sipper and not a session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2011 04:30:40 | More by CHickman

AwYeh

California

3.05/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Upon pouring, color closely resembles Coca Cola, with less than a finger of light brown head.

S: Aroma is of caramel and dark fruit.

T: Taste follows through on the smell, adding a significant malty sweetness.

M: Medium bodied and syrupy, with moderate to soft carbonation.

D: Decent drinkability, but too one dimensional with the sweetness to really engage my interest while drinking it.

Not a bad beer, just doesn't bring much to the table, especially in the Scotch Ale category.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 05:06:24 | More by AwYeh

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this beer in Arcadia's mixed 12 pack. I sampled this beer a couple years ago but can't recall what it was like so let's see how it goes. Poured from a 12oz brown bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A- This brew poured a very dark brown color, almost black, with two fingers worth of off white head that turned into a very thin ring that stayed the rest of the time.

S- Roasted caramel malts and dark fruits are the main things I get from the aroma, there is also a very slight presence of booze. This beer has most of the aromas you would expect from a scotch ale.

T- The Roasted caramel malts make their presence known at the start and come off creamy and smooth. The dark fruits come into play next along with some sweet brown sugar on the finish. The alcohol is almost non existent in the taste.

M- Medium bodied, smooth, and good carbonation.

D- I find this beer to be very drinkable. The flavors are nicely balanced and the alcohol is hidden very nicely, it's hard to believe this beer weighs in at 8%. I would have no problem drinking 3 or 4 of these.

Overall I thought this was a pretty good scotch ale and the flavors were on point for the style. I was surprised to find a brew with 8% percent in a mixed 12 pack, but I feel it was a great addition and was my favorite of the four. Good job Arcadia this was one kick ass scotch ale that I am glad i revisited. I would say this is the second best wee heavy i have had, Founders dirty Bastard is number one.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 03:10:52 | More by StoutHunter

GDBEERMAN

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle of fresh winter 2010 "Loch Down".
A: A good deep brown to black body with slight red hues around the edges. Head holds well and lace is almost non-existing.
S: A nice example of the classic elements, but a strange chalky note. Good bit of intensity.
T/M: The front is a watery and almost vacant sensation until a sweetness of the body hits and throws in a bit of a caramel, barley note. Mouthfeel is a bit thin and too smooth. Finish is short and on the low intensity side of things.
D: Does not really have me running back for more, even so the rest of the beer was a bit off thinking about the false and empty front on this beer. Element all a bit short on this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 06:32:50 | More by GDBEERMAN

hosehead83

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Apparently now called "Loch-Down" Scotch ale-Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Dark brown in color, with a rather short head of off-white foam.
Aroma-Dark, toasted malt
Taste-Toasted dark malts and an unexpected smokiness that bumps the flavor up a couple of notches. Subtle hop note plays well with the malt and underlying smokiness. Smooth and silky upon warming. A decent brew overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 17:37:46 | More by hosehead83