Highland Gaelic Ale - Highland Brewing

Frosty80

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Color: pours light golden-brown. sits brilliantly clear light amber with a small fluffy cola-colored head

Smell: very mellow and clean maltiness with notes of caramel and restrained fruitiness. light hop character

Taste: excellent balance of malt and hops, with the scale tipped slightly to the hop side. good clean caramel malt with a tinge of fruitiness and a light bitterness and hop flavor. finish is mostly bitter and is slightly dry with just a little malt to round it out

Mouthfeel: medium body with moderate carbonation

Notes: excellent, light American amber

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 02:54:47 | More by Frosty80

ShawnB

District of Columbia

4.76/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

My favorite beer. The perfect balance of easy-drinking and complexity.

Appearance: A beautiful red. One of the reddest beers I've ever seen. Pretty much transparent. The head isn't particular thick, but it lasts.

Smell: Mild, slightly boozy. Can detect the slight hoppiness present in the beer, as well as a strong malty scent.

Taste: My favorite tasting beer. Hoppy, but not overly so. A strong caramel, malty backbone that counteracts the moderate hops well. Has some of the strong flavors of a porter or a stout, but with the obvious taste and mouthfeel of a thinner ale.

Mouthfeel: If I have one complaint about this brew, I'd say it might be carbonated a little heavily. It is rather thin, but I do not like thicker brews so that's fine with me.

Overall: I love this beer. Such a complex flavor profile, but nothing is overpowering. Really a must try.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 02:03:18 | More by ShawnB

khargro2

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%

05-20-2013 02:46:50 | More by khargro2

mralbertson

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

05-15-2013 01:52:07 | More by mralbertson

KerryCummins1977

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-14-2013 20:52:14 | More by KerryCummins1977

naturallight1

Nevada

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-11-2013 04:12:28 | More by naturallight1

CMOrak

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-11-2013 00:54:41 | More by CMOrak

ADTaber

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-10-2013 12:22:55 | More by ADTaber

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.61/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

P: Clear amber brewed tea appearance with minimal khaki head. A foamy halo rest on top leaving the occasional leg of lace behind.

S: Toasted italian herb and cheese Subway bread, toasted caramel and orange juice and bitter orange peel.

T/M: Toasted caramel, bready malt, orange peel and spicy pippali pepper. Finishes dry with lemon zest and toast. Prickly moderate body. Once the beer warns it starts to have a metallic aftertaste to it. It's not bad but does throw it off a bit.

O: Well balance and simple. An easy drinking ale to throw back after a long day of work. The spicy kick at the end really makes this. Without it I think it would be dull.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 00:24:19 | More by Hopswagger

BucBasil

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the 12 oz bottle into a perfect pint glass.

A: The beer is a rusty deep orange and red color. Head is 2 fingers of off-white to really light tan and sticks around a while. Good looking beer.

S: Nice balanced character - sweet and matly for a quick second - bread and maybe some toast. Then comes a well proportioned hoppiness. Pine and light citrus. Well done.

T: Surprisingly hoppy at first then calms down to a nice balance. Has some light fruits throughout the middle there, but mostly citrus peel and some light piney notes. Bready malt holds it altogether. Nothing really stands out, just a solid beer with a good kick.

This is a super drinkable and flavorful beer with a great amount of balance. I could drink this all day in any season, but really reminds me of fall.

Well done Highland

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 22:25:17 | More by BucBasil

MLKincer

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-05-2013 01:15:01 | More by MLKincer

barczar

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear light amber with a frothy one inch khaki head that slowly dissipates, leaving sheets of holy lacing.

Nutty, toasty, slightly sweet caramel malt and floral hops form the aroma.

Flavor reveals sweet, caramel malt at the base, becoming slightly toasty, dry, and a touch bitter at the finish. Floral hops are evident throughout. Nutty, toasted malt add complexity. There's a hint of citrus at the base.

Body is moderate to slightly watery, with moderate carbonation.

Malt is definitely dominant, with bready, roasted caramel notes surfacing throughout. Slight bitterness at the finish rounds out the flavor profile well. Malt complexity is somewhat lacking, though, as well as hops for an amber. There's a metallic tang that is offputting.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 21:02:08 | More by barczar

Bamarooster

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

04-23-2013 22:17:31 | More by Bamarooster

baklo

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

04-21-2013 21:24:10 | More by baklo

Bluecane

North Carolina

2.75/5  rDev -28%

04-21-2013 06:47:05 | More by Bluecane

Goukbeergals

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep amber color I can barely see through. Not much head. Subdued malty nose. Bready caramel taste up front with a sharp hop kick in the middle with a malty finish. Pretty tasty and well balanced. Dry light mouthfeel highly carbonated. Overall a good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2013 06:40:56 | More by Goukbeergals

JakHammer

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%

04-12-2013 21:51:09 | More by JakHammer

drmystery

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

im starting to think highland brewing cant get their shi-stuff together.

their year round beers are, to be frank, underwhelming. especially this beer. to me it tastes like burnt hops...i do like the roasty characteristics of stouts and porters but in an ale im expecting it to taste, well, ale-y; i like those citrusy and hoppy smells and flavors from a good ale.

this beer looks good-it has a nice reddish/copperish/brown apperance. it smells good-nice hops and malts and all that.

but as soon as i taste it, it just tastes like burnt hops. that burnt taste is either from the amount of malts they use-this beer has 5 different types of grain and 3 types of hops., or from not enough hops. i am no "hophead" by any means, i just think this beer is too malty and not hoppy enough for what it is.

overall, i think this beer-and just about every other highland beer is underwhelming for the style it is. i think people tend to overhype this beer when its just an average beer. its not nasty, but its not great. i think this beer is like the guinness of asheville/nc because people come up to asheville and drink it because its one of the more popular beers here, just like how people go to ireland and drink guinness even though its an average beer. im not saying highland brewing are gimmicky, im just saying their beers are overhyped and just average.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2013 18:05:05 | More by drmystery

ecmoon3

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.7%

04-10-2013 19:58:52 | More by ecmoon3

marley2112

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%

04-09-2013 02:18:13 | More by marley2112

pauldave1976

North Carolina

1.5/5  rDev -60.7%

04-08-2013 23:35:20 | More by pauldave1976

RyanInGA

Georgia

5/5  rDev +30.9%

04-07-2013 08:52:38 | More by RyanInGA

CRJMellor

Arkansas

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%

04-07-2013 04:05:27 | More by CRJMellor

BigRedGator

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%

04-05-2013 13:28:01 | More by BigRedGator

GetTheYayo

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

04-04-2013 23:43:07 | More by GetTheYayo