Louie's Reserve Scotch Ale - Lake Louie Brewery Company

mariposafan

Wisconsin

3.05/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Nice amber hue but with essentially no head even from a stiff pour.

The aroma is bready and malty - so far so good. Some hops. Mostly, though, not very strong at all.

The flavor shows some maltiness and quite a lot of alcohol and far too much bitterness. Some hop flavors as well.

The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with fine carbonation.

A shame about the excess bitterness and alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 23:49:21 | More by mariposafan

derkfromwi

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Quarter-inch light tan head, deep hazy reddish brown color, decent carbonation, some lacing not a lot

S: Caramel, malts, vanilla, some chocolate at end

T: Malty sweetness, some bitterness in the middle, balanced in the finish

M: Decent carbonation, medium bodied, fairly smooth

O: Good Scotch Ale, will seek out and try again

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 15:36:08 | More by derkfromwi

dudemuskie

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- Pours a deep amber that nearly blocks all light coming through. Dark beige head billows up to nearly 3 fingers and makes for a pretty delightful brew to look at!

Aroma- Floral esters, light caramel, moderate herbal hops, juicy malt, and a hint of alcohol gives this brew a bit of a vinous character. Aroma makes my mouth water a bit...

Flavor- Big malty sweetness up front with notes of caramel and some tasty balancing herbal hop bitterness. Finishes surprisingly well balanced and with a wealth of malt complexity- caramel, soft burnt sugar, a touch of roast,

Mouthfeel- Slightly viscous, almost chewy, with some warming alcohol in the finish. Lingering malt bomb, though nice balancing hop bitterness. Full bodied, especially with the warming alcohol, though I keep coming back for another sip...

Overall- Quite nice for a Scotch Ale. Big beer but great balance and loads of complexity. Fun to drink but dangerous. Would be nice with some caramelized onion smothered, pan seared pork tenderloin. Already wish I would have bought more than one bottle...

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 05:38:04 | More by dudemuskie

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The bottle version of this brew Isn't quite as stellar as the tap version (which I gave a 4.6). It's a beautiful pour into a snifter. Golden clean viscous motor oil. The aroma is really nice, moist zucchini bread, cookie dough, and a workaday flour malt.

In the mouth the high alcohol gives a fruity zip to the sweet malts. And the hop bitterness pulls it further ceiling-ward. There's a metallic tartness that I wish were less bright. Middle to high carbonation is somewhat of a drawback, for what otherwise would have been simple cream.

Still my favorite Scotch ale of all time.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 02:22:54 | More by martyl1000

znichols

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- A dark ruby pour with a medium, almost white head. Very sticky lacing on the side of the glass. A good looking beer.

S-Strong scents of rich malt and a touch of vanilla. Little to no hop aroma. No problem.

T- Very smooth and delicious. Tastes like a buttery sweet vanilla biscuit drizzled in maple syrup. A little boozy too. A true scotch ale at heart but much bigger than what i'm used to. Is this barrel aged??

M-Sticky with little carbonation. I really enjoy the mouthfeel on this one.

O- A solid beer to keep an eye out for during the fall. To be honest, i feel like it used to have even more flavor when they were making it in smaller batches (they used to release like 1/4 as many cases as they do now). I still enjoy the rich malty flavor and its a great beer to lay down until late winter.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 01:25:14 | More by znichols

fastpass17

New York

3.9/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz Bottle
Thank You FrankenBrew

A: Dark amber in color. Medium carbonation, thin less than a finger head which clings to the glass.

S: Sweet roasted malt, dried fruit, dark brown sugar, light spice towards the end.

T: Dark malt in the start, followed by candied pecans, and sherry, not cloying, very enjoyable.

M: Slight sweetness, with a clean crisp finish.

D: Very drinkable, I would enjoy a few of these with a rich stewed game meal.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 01:28:55 | More by fastpass17

barrelman

New York

4.65/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2006, Thanks to DaPeculiarDane for sending this 13 month old brew my way. I am in your debt. Split 3 ways with the brewhouse staff. They owe me for sharing this one (and better bring more midnight sun).

Looks like a brew that is content with its own perfection. Not too much going in the way of head but kicks up some bubbles when agitated.

I love the smell. If these reviews are meant to persuade people to scavenge for a product then trust me, seek this out. If there meant to describe in great detail the nuances, then, in this case, I don't know what to say.

Taste is rich and dank and bready. And sweet. Hops have mellowed into the assistant Grip role (important but hidden). Nip of alcohol at the end. Perfect.

Mouthfeel has devolved into a flat, syrup at this point as I try to stretch the four ounces I have into the better part of 30 min, but I remember it being just the right amount of soft carbonation in the beginning.

Drinkability is amazing. I only hope that my remaining bottles of '07 taste this good a year from now, as I will be saving them all with this on my mind.
___

2007, Thanks to my Dad for picking up a couple of sixers in Wisco for me.

Appearance is slightly darker than amber with decent head that keeps afloat until finished.

Aroma comes sweet and caramel with slight bit of alcohol.

Taste is hoppier and more alcohol than I remember, but, as a jaded hop freak, I like both of those qualities. No peat present.

Mouthfeel is bueno with not too much carbonation.

Drinkability is great, although if I had a choice, I would stick with the warp speed as my main beer for my brief, biannual visits to Madison. I guess it works out.

A-4 S-4 T-4.5 M-4.5 D-4

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2008 22:48:20 | More by barrelman

manitouman84

Wisconsin

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

Pours a translucent chocolate amber with a 1 finger head which dissipates quickly. Sweetness pours off the head of the beer, candy like, with a hint of booze. Chocolate, rich caramel, yeasty, some fig but much less estery than the warped speed. Big malt caramel, chocolate, toffee, candied sugar, pecans, nice sweetness with a balanced and mild bitterness. Finish is balanced, creamy, chewy and grainy malt, velvety finish, smooth and wonderfully rich all around, good stuff here. Excellent!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 23:19:39 | More by manitouman84

PurpleCloud

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Brown with a touch of red, translucent, very pretty.

S: Light on any nose, what I could smell was a bit malty, but otherwise the entire scent was nearly non-existent.

T: Fantastic! Powerful, full malt with slight yet perfectly blended hops.

M: A bit dry, but what's to be expected of a scotch ale.

D: It tastes so good, it'd be hard to have only one. Though dry, you could put a few of these down.

Overall: I loved this beer! I was a bit turned off by the smell, but as soon as I had a swig, I was totally impressed. The flavor has the distinct taste of malt and maybe some cocoa as well. The hops, though light, are blended perfectly. I'm not sure if this beer is sold anywhere but southwestern Wisconsin, but if you find yourself in Arena, WI, stop at any liquor store and pick some of this up. You'll be happy you did!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 02:47:58 | More by PurpleCloud

DragYourBone

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A red-brown, nearly opaque glass welcomed me on my first pour in over a week.
Slight malt, nutty, and some fleeing sweet caramel scents came through on first sniff.
On first taste, it is noticebly more full bodied than their Warped Speed offering. It was wet and mildy acidic on the way down. Definite tongue-smack quality present.
After a few more swallows, the warmth in my previously empty belly began to warm. The ABV was fairly well hidden despite the early acidity- that I attribute to not allowing the ale to warm fully.
The nuttiness becomes more present as it warms.

Although it was bit more than I wanted to spend (partly because the vendor), the ale is quite good and can see indulging again.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2007 01:02:10 | More by DragYourBone

onefmatt

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Transparent with a slight haze, dark copper color with a cream colored head that does not last aside from the ring around the glass

S: Rich malty nose, caramel and almost a raisin smell. Very enjoyable for the style

T: Deep raisin/prune flavor, caramelized malts, mild hop flavor, mild peat/smokiness.

M: Body is medium-low, carbonation is moderate.

O: This is a great Scotch ale, it is very pleasant and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 22:37:47 | More by onefmatt

wryepicures

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark brown shot with red highlights, murky as a lake and little tan head with low retention. It does have some legs that I can see in my large snifter glass.

Aroma: complex malts with notes of caramel, bread crust, nuts, and chocolate. Also with a little toffee, smoky/peat, earthiness, and some alcohol.

Taste: smooth, rich malts. sweet, caramel, nuts, bread, and hints of chocolate. The smokiness adds a bitter/dark chocolate sensation, also some fruits from the yeast add to malty sweetness. Some earthy hops are present but low. A bitterness finishes it out, preventing any cloying sweetness. Alcohol also dries it out.

Mouthfeel: body is lighter than expected, but still substantial. low/medium carbonation is very appropriate to style. a warming quality to the alcohol is present but not harsh, the slight bitterness lingers in the finish but overall I feel its well balanced for style.

A good, strong brew that I like to linger over.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2009 01:50:19 | More by wryepicures

ChrisPr

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark amber-brown with little head. Very little aromatics to give a sense of the beer. The mouthfeel is thicker than Warped Speed with much more intense dark flavors, leather and earth. This is a very good beer pushing to the edge of the Scotch ale spectrum, being a bit heavy to have more than one. It would have outstanding potential to be aged on oak.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 18:34:04 | More by ChrisPr