Scotch De Silly - Brasserie de Silly S.A.

RoyalT

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance – This poured a nice copper brown in color with a beautiful head. The head came up but not overly so and left a blob of tanned white foam in the middle.

Smell – This is a heavy, yeasty, (certainly) Belgian example of the style. The malt is especially sweet with caramel and brown sugar. There’s a bit of peaty smoke here as well.

Taste – The malt backbone is loaded with caramel and sugars. It even leaves a sticky residue on the glass after sipping. The finish I thought was a bit off, though. Everything just kind of faded into bleakness at the end.

Mouthful – This is between medium and full in the mouth and very fluffy.

Drinkability – I enjoyed this interpretation of the style, but I thought it was a bit fluffy for a Scotch Ale and the lack of a solid finish cost it a few notches.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2004 02:38:16 | More by RoyalT

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2ozer from Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA.

Poured into a Rapscallion snifter, formed a nice sized honey-colored head, just about right, on top of a cloudy reddish brew. Pleasant aroma, with malt, hops and a tinge of alcohol, in order of decreasing intensity. Interesting taste, similar to what you would expect from a Scotch-style ale, but then this buttery flavor/feeling comes out and lurks about on your tongue. The expected warming after-effects are present, makes you want to tip the glass again, and soon.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2004 22:32:34 | More by ppoitras

cerevisiaephilus

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Smelled great. A nice malty smell with a bit of Belgian funk and a dash of ethanol. Taste was a little off to me. A bit harsh with a pronounced metallic aftertaste. Definately nice and malty and fairly sweet. Definately something a little strange in the aftertaste though, something that sits under my tongue and reminds me of licking a 9V battery kind of, but not that intense. Maybe it has something to do with the age of the bottle. Not sure how old or previous storage conditions, was a Xmas gift.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2004 02:54:06 | More by cerevisiaephilus

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Opaque mud sienna color. Lots of stiff and rising foam in the glass. Lace is very good and intricate. Aroma of spiced pears, cinnamon and alcohol notes, traces of yeast. Big flavor, but an odd marrying of mustly farm yard yeast and prune and toffee-ish qualities. While this isn't a hugely alcoholic beer, there's a Canadian whiskey quality to the mid mouth, complete with bitters and candied cherries in a lowball glass. Carbonation is quite moderate, mouthfeel is silky, but the beer is a little odd to be enjoyable for me -- just a weird combination of characteristics.

Source: Liquid Solutions

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2004 19:57:56 | More by ADR

hyuga

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very dark mahogany brew with a creme-colored head that stays very well. Leaves scattered lace trails down the glass. Great looking beer! Heavy molasses and caramel aroma with hints of Belgian yeast and some Belgian-style maltiness along with a little peat. On the tongue, it's thick, rich, and smooth. Big caramel and molasses all around. Alcohol spice and hops tickle at the tongue. Chocolate shows up here and there and a peatiness shows most in the aftertaste. Slightly metallic here and there, a characteristic which was a bit too pronounced in the first few sips, but waned with further sips. Suggestions of Belgian yeast are here and there and in the aftertaste. Smooth, thick, and creamy mouthfeel, as it should be. An interesting beer, a Scotch ale with some Belgian thrown in. I'm a huge fan of Scotch ales, so this was a treat for me. I'll definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2004 08:16:35 | More by hyuga

daledeee

Iowa

3.85/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A Scotch beer from Belgium. Hmmm. It tastes like the type too!!
Pours nice dark mahogany with a decent head that goes away. Can't pick up much in the nose except some malt. But it smells fresh that is a plus. Taste is nearly all malt. A little caramel. Little drier mouthfeel than I like. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2003 02:12:13 | More by daledeee

rkhaze

California

4.43/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a cloudy dark amber with a tan head that disappeared quickly but leaves good lace.
Great aroma. Rich sweet/smoky malt, butterscotch, candied fruits
and a bit of alcohol.
The flavor was rich and malty with toffee, butterscotch and some smokiness. Fruity and bready with an almost brandy-like alcohol that's hidden well and a mild hop presence. Fruitcake in a glass?
It had a nice mouthfeel and carbonation. Good drinkability for such a rich beer.
Let this one warm up. It gets more complex with the smokiness, butterscotch and fruitiness really coming out.
It gets an almost sticky, cloying sweetness that stops just short of being over the top. Outstanding for a dessert beer or night cap and a nice belly-warmer. I really liked this beer!

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2003 01:02:37 | More by rkhaze

nomad

Kansas

4.22/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a hazy ambered chestnut color, with a highly frothy head that sat sturdy and better than most beers I see. Supported by a decent albeit small fount of carbonation, it also had a fairly thick and very clumpy lace.

Smell was sweet but amber in tone, a calm malt, but also softtly and smoothly nutty, like a peanut butter. Showed highly softened but still definite whiskey notes, as well as grassy and peat-like notes as it opened. Not terribly exciting for a scotch ale.

Taste was immediately smooth and easy, full of nice malt - definitely a mix of amber, caramel, and maybe a touch of roasted barley. Some nutty presence here and there, as roasty overtones gently washed over the whole beer. Had a small hop appeal at the end that was green, tart, and slightly oily, but very nice and apparently hoppy. Rounds out with a proper amount of sugary sweetness that was small and appreciated. Just barely drying finish with small roasty and whiskey notes mingling, and afterwards I could feel a little stomach warmth from the alcohol.

Just between thin and moderate mouthfeel, this is a soft and even beer. Not subtle – its far from quiet – but instead calm and easy, not big or aggressive flavors. Smoothly sturdy and quietly confident, it comes off as a nice belgian turn on a Scottish jewel. In other words, very much soft, complex, and leveled like a Belgian artisanal.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2003 17:44:22 | More by nomad

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark reddish brown with a huge tan head with heavy sustained lacing. Very very good looking beer. Big sweet malt aromas. Smells thick and malty as hell.

Tastes of strong caramel. Oak flavors like you would taste in aged port. Very nutty with a molasses finish. Big, full-bodied beer. Very nice Scotch ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2003 01:42:35 | More by ViveLaChouffe

beerguy101

California

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Medium brown color. Large head. Aroma is malty and a little fruity. Full-bodied Scotch Ale. Malts are bold, but a little too sweet. Very fruity tasting. Flavors are molasses, chocolate, cherries, peat and smoke. Very smooth taste. Nice beer, its just a touch too sweet, but there is a slight bitterness at the finish to balance it out. It hides the 8% alcohol well. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2003 02:44:50 | More by beerguy101

SeanChouffe

New Mexico

3.65/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer has pleasant malty smell that becomes more distinctively caramel. . Earthy – and you can really smell the alcohol. The color is a dark hazy brown. It poured nice head that died quickly; but the lace held up all the way to the end. It has a very sweet taste on the front end; with a tart finish and a little bite. Somewhat smooth and creamy mouth feel. It has an interesting flavor, but lacked a well-rounded character.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2003 02:49:12 | More by SeanChouffe

jcalabre

California

3.1/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Originally sampled on 13 November 2002. I am writing this review from my notes. Scotch Silly has a slight licorice nose,. The flavors are chewy, nutty and slightly roasty. it's a ice drinkable beer, but it is nothing outstanding. It's unusual for a Belgian, but there are many better scotch ales out there

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2003 22:25:16 | More by jcalabre

marc77

California

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Hazy ruddy chestnut hue, topped by a thick, yellowish tan, well retained creamy head. Respectable lace remains. The aroma is a sweettart combination of tart, underripe plums and deeply caramelized, dark crystal malt along with subtle butterscotch and burnt hints of roasted barley. Ripe fig sweetness initially in flavor yields to rounded notes of dark toffee and candied plums, while diacetyl and borderline sugary caramel malt persists as a constant foundation. Hints of burnt biscuit and mild hop bitterness partially offset residual sugars mid palate, but linger only briefly, lending overall balance well skewed towards malt sweetness. Becomes progressively more molasses like as it breathes. A bit light in body, with dextrins present at a functional, malt supporting level only. This, however, lends a pseudo crispness in mouthfeel that aids in dangerous drinkability. Faint notes of leather and earthy hops struggle to poke through the dominant caramel malt presence late. Finishes clean, simply sweet and abrupt. Certainly an odd brew. Although off the mark for a Scotch ale, Silly is flavorful and light on the palate. Whimsically sweet, but not cloying. Akin to a dubbel fermented with a more neutral British yeast. Unique and recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2003 19:40:39 | More by marc77

aracauna

Georgia

2.68/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Heavy carbonation, sticky head sits over tea-like body. Aroma is weak and slightly lemony. The flavor is caramel dominant, molassas and a bit of char. Scuppernongs. The sweetness lacks support from other flavors. Seems unbalanced and odd, but not really old or infected. Not so great of a Scotch ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2003 00:18:27 | More by aracauna

Darkale

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice and deep and malty aroma, moderate head that subsides to more than moderate lacing, dark cherry-brown body.

The taste is deep and round and rich. Thick and chewy, and without that sort of charcoal, burning sourness, that harshness of aftertaste, that sometimes comes along for the ride with Scotch ales. Good, wide, deep sweetness.

Not the sort of beer that one would want to have several of in a night, but one of the better Scotch ales I've had in a long while.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2003 06:32:42 | More by Darkale

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy deep brownish amber with some wonderful aromas, mostly grapes, cherry, and yes, plenty of alcohol. Enjoyable smooth mouthfeel that leaves an acidic, but not bad aftertaste on the tip of the tongue. Hop flavor and alcohol are quite prevalent, and this beer has got a serious kick to it. Glad I found this one, and there's nothing "silly" about it. Oh I'm hilarious.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2003 15:55:51 | More by IrishRedRock

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a muddy brown, which quickly consolidates into deep black, topped with a spotty, roasted tan head. Great and powerful aromatics: grapes at first, followed by cherries, toffee, butterscotch. Sweets and alcohol, the perfect combination! You get the feeling of a candy bar, melted down and boozed up! Huge, thick malt on the palate, plus marvelous, lively hops doing their fandango on the taste buds, lush mouthfeel, and lasting finish. This Belgian Scotch ale is an absolute joy to drink, and makes a perfect dessert beer,or sweet, rewarding nightcap. Very mellow and relaxing. A classic

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2003 13:59:19 | More by feloniousmonk

Gusler

Arizona

4.28/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The pour somewhat hazy deep amber to almost brown, the head substantial, frothy, and the residual lace a fine sheet to coat the glass. Nose is malt, molasses tones, sweet, a bit earthy or more to the point rye bread like. Front is malt, the top is light, finish is strikingly acidic, modestly hopped, dry and somewhat sour aftertaste, and the robustness stays still the last drop is wrenched from the glass. A belly warmer, and I think a must try for "Strong Beer" lovers.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2003 15:57:30 | More by Gusler

mzwolinski

California

4.72/5  rDev +27.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark amber/ruby in color, with a two-finger head that leaves a very nice lace. The aroma is complex and enticing: sweet, with a tart fruitiness, lots of spicy notes and a bit of biscuity malt. The taste is quite sweet, with both the malt on candi sugar contributing. A bit of a licorice-like flavor mid-palate combines with apricot-like fruity notes. Finish is sweet with hints of yeast, and just enough support from the hops to create balance. The alcohol is very well-hidden in this beer, and each sip left me anxious for another. Velvety-smooth, this makes an excellent dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2003 15:46:29 | More by mzwolinski

purplehops

Maine

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This review is on a 1999 bottle from my celler.

This ale poured a cloudy orange-brown with a rich light brown head that dissipated to a thin ring within the first couple of minutes. The aroma is pleasantly malty with dry fruit odors and hints of spice with sour undertones. The taste starts off malty with carmel and biscuit malt flavors. Then it moves into an effervescence of raisin and apricot flavors with a hints of alcohol and lingering maltiness. The finish turns quite sour and dry. The aftertaste is a lingering warmth of malt and dry sourness. I don't remember this ale being quite this sour. It could be that three years is past this ale's prime. The mouthfeel is quite smooth and silky even with the sourness.

I bought a case of this ale in 1999 and enjoyed it over the last couple of years very much. But I think it has passed its prime. Good thing there are only two bottles left. Still, it is a tasty ale even with the sourness and if it has passed its prime. I will be buying more in the future and will update this review then if warranted.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2002 14:20:01 | More by purplehops

Amdahl

Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is my first Scottish ale. This is a 330 ml bottle with an attractive green label. There is no freshness date. Pours a dark orange to brown with about 2 fingers of fluffy tan head that reduces to a thin layer only covering the top of the beer. Nice lace is left on the glass. The aroma is of toffee and malt. This is a medium bodied beer. The taste is of toffee and caramel, and you can really notice the alcohol. I really enjoyed this beer. This beer make me want to try more Scottish ales. It is a little to much alcohol to enjoy more then 1 or 2 of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2002 17:45:15 | More by Amdahl

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +27%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Quite cloudy even after sitting in the fridge for a few days. Maybe my pour was rough? The body is a cloudy brown with orange-ish glows at the edges. The frothy tan head comes on strong and holds OK, but shortly drops to a thin 1/16" surface covering which holds throughout the glass and leaves some nice lace. The aroma is rich with fruit, yeast, and toffee/caramel maltiness. The body is medium/full with an extremely fine and mild carbonation that leaves it quite creamy and smooth in the mouth. Very nice! The flavor is very richly malty, starting with some dark fruitiness (raisins, soft dates, fig, and some underlying apricot - even light coconut as it warms and the malts combine!) that mellows as it warms and sweeter toffee notes emerge. The alcohol is extremely well hidden. The bitterness plays a supporting role, and it finishes semi-dry with some residual sticky maltiness and a touch of earthy/metallic hops (or is that oxidation?). Overall, a very rich and fairly complex beer that makes a nice appertif or after dinner drink. It also pairs well with rich "gravy" meats during the holiday season. Exceptional, and well worth seeking out!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2002 15:41:54 | More by NeroFiddled

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark, ruddy brown with a solid tan head. The aroma is malty and grainy, but not nearly as intense as I would have preferred. The beer is extremely sweet and malty, and a bit oily, with nut and caramel flavors. Very heavy, thick mouthfeel, with a slight alcohol warming. Very good for the style, and worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2002 17:14:56 | More by Suds

Bierman9

New Hampshire

3.83/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Silly Scotch possesses a somewhat cloudy brown color. A hard-pour whipped up a frothy, tan, 2" head, which shrank down to about 1/4". The head thereafter resembled one on a chocolate shake, and left decent lacing. Nose was a bit toffee-ish, and I could detect a bit of alcohol seeping through. Body was a bit above medium, and it felt quite nice cascading over my tongue. I enjoyed the flavor, which I found to have some nice malt, more toffee-like notes, and a subtle sweetness. I did, though, detect a trace of a metallic flavor near the finish. I expected a bit more, yet still not bad for a Belgian Scotch.

overall: 3.85
appearance: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4

384

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2002 14:45:09 | More by Bierman9

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Is it Silly Scotch or Scotch Silly? Super sweet malty aroma with a medium head and sticky lacing. Thick, almost syrupy body that hides the alcohol content surprisingly well. I will definitely try this one again someday.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2002 12:25:50 | More by Dogbrick