Imperial Gaelic Ale
Highland Brewing

Imperial Gaelic AleImperial Gaelic Ale
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From:
Highland Brewing
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
English Strong Ale
ABV:
8.7%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.1 | pDev: 12.44%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
27
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 18, 2013
Added:
Sep 24, 2006
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Jul 22, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by TheZzyzxScarecrow from North Carolina

Nov 05, 2012
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Reviewed by thagr81us from South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This one was a part of cmrillo’s 40 Beers* @ 40 Birthday Bash! 2006 Vintage! Served from swing-top bottle into a Cantillon taster flute. Poured a deep red-orange with a minimal off-white head. There was no lacing evident throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet mat, caramel, wood, and sugar. The flavor was of sweet malt, peat, caramel, and wood. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. I was really surprised to see this one come out during this tasting as I never knew it even existed if I’m honest. I do enjoy the regular Galeic Ale, so it was nice to get the chance to try the imperial version. I was surprised to find a peat aspect going on here, or perhaps it was oxidation? Either way it was definitely unique to this brew. A well done brew from Highland, but it was a little past its prime in my opinion.
Jul 10, 2012
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Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a surprisingly hazy, dark mahogany-hued body with a thin, bubbly, off-white head.

Smell: Toasty malts with a decent dose of sweetish, fragrant caramel with mellowed hop notes of dried citrus peels and a spicy herbaceousness.

Taste: Pale malts, lightly toasty, with sweet tastes of aged caramel and toffee candy. Faint fruitiness. Though the bitterness has long since diminished, and is now mild at best, there's still a fair share of hop flavor left to enjoy, including tastes of citrus, wood, and a few leafy herbal undertones. A few more final fruit hints on the semi-dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: After around 2 years and 4½ months after it's official release on the day following the Bluegrass Beer Festival in Asheville, it's still an enjoyable beer. However, it seems to be beyond its peak, so if you have a bottle left, I'd get around to it sooner rather than later.
Feb 05, 2009
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Reviewed by AlexJ from North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This refridgerated since birth bottle poured a striking deep scorched mahogany brown with a fabulous head of oat colored froth that leaves epic lace. I certainly wasn't expecting a 2 year old bottle of nearly 9% beer to pour like this.

Aroma is deep, complex, and sinfully warming. Deeply scorched malts and toffee with candied orange and grapefruit peels. Undertones of dark fruit and pine shavings. Fruitcake spiked with Grand Marnier Reserve.

Flavor is equally impressive and similarly structured. A massive and complex malt base with almond toffee, caramel, and scorched brown sugar meets caramelized orange and grapefruit peels. The drying hop finish is still bold and has notes of pine, bitter citrus, and earthy floral notes.

An excellent beer. I did try it fresh but neglected to review it. I recall that it was a bit more full bodied and definately hoppier. By no means have the hops fully faded, this is still an intense beer. Probably not a lot of bottles left out there in Beer Land, jump if you get the chance to try this!
Jul 23, 2008
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Reviewed by SPLITGRIN from Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I traded a Darklord for this about 6 months ago so lets hope it holds up.

With a strong pour you are quickly shown that the carbonation has made the journey well, producing more than three fingers of spicey dough colored head. Sets atop a burnt carmel brown body. Nose is very inviting and complex with tones of raisen pie, over ripe dark fruit, spicey carmalized and sweet resiney hops. First sip shows strong deep dark characters. A lot of burnt malt and dark fruit tones. Dark rich mineral and roasty nutty notes are present all over the palate. Rich bold and fat is dry and very mineral based with a nice hop bitterness that I had not mentioned but is present throughout. A vewry unique beer that is hard to catorgerize.
May 05, 2008
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Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Limited Edition 2006. Caramelized orange with a Red Delicious apple blush. The two finger crown is the color of golden brown sugar and displays a wonderfully rich creaminess as it melts. Thick sheets of finely dotted lace add to an already attractive appearance.

The nose features a caramel malt bottom end and a musty-fruity top end. I've had a quite a few English barleywines that smelled just like this. No hint of alcohol is a definite plus.

Imperial Gaelic Ale *might* be beginning to show its age, but it's still a damn fine ESA that should last another year at least. Old ale would work as well, although I don't always see the clear boundaries between barleywine, strong ale and old ale.

Specific flavors include caramel, bruised apples, cherry pipe tobacco, leather and a spicy rye and pumpernickel breadiness. The still kickin' hops add shavings of bitter orange and white grapefruit peel that work very well in the grand scheme of things. The hop lineup (assuming it's the same as in the standard Gaelic Ale) includes Chinook, Willamette and Cascade.

The next highest taste score (4.5) is almost within reach. If I wait until I'm closer to the end of the liter bottle than the beginning before pulling the trigger, it just might get the bump. Alcohol always makes me generous. Speaking of which, it's buried very well.

The mouthfeel is closer to medium than medium-full and is where age is beginning to show. I'm sure the beer was more full and more sticky in its fresher days. On second thought, this brew probably has six months on it yet, but isn't likely to last another full year.

I hope Highland decides to brew Imperial Gaelic Ale again because it's a finely crafted sipper (that doesn't mind being gulped) that deserved a wider distribution. These guys have talent, there's no doubt about that. Thanks to Loki for the bottle.
Feb 07, 2008
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Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to Tony "The Beer Guy" Kiss for this special treat.

A-Deep reddish brown with a full light tan head.

S-Big sweet malt supported nicely with earthy hops. Much more hop scent than I expected from the brew.

T-Rich in sweet malt taste but supported heavily with a surprising hop kick. This Imp. is more complex than the standard gaelic ale.

M-Rich and full bodied. Very smooth for an almost 9% beer. Totally love the hop kick in the background.

D-My only bottle...sad really as it was a truly wonderful treat. Wish I would have known about its release in 2006...I would have secured more! A wonderful job by Highlands.
Jan 29, 2008
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Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.11/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Ahh…now this I was really thrilled to get my hands on. Much thanks to unclejedi for sending me a bottle as I foolishly missed out on last years release and have been hunting it ever since. Very nice flip topped liter bottle welcomed me on board. Poured a very hazy and silt and sediment filled medium brown with a large tan colored head. Some nice carbonation could be seen through the haze and a very nice. Very nice retention and ensuing side glass lace made it appear to be the total package. A very sweet aroma coming off of it. Some slight caramel and other sugary hints mixed in with a somewhat grain like base and a touch of an off bitter hoppiness. The flavor followed right along, very hard to nail down the specifics but it was quite unique to say the least. Very robust and sweet with the alcohol very well hidden indeed. This defiantly had some teeth though as the feel was quite full and the carbonation made it feel even fuller. This was a rare treat for me indeed. A very complex mixture of bitterness, some grapes maybe, a lot of sugar, and a touch of a brandy like quality made this one fine mixture. Obviously has stood up well over time and is a fine example of the NC brewing scene for sure. Glad I got to try this, would make a fine seasonal offering.
Nov 06, 2007
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Reviewed by dirtylou from Oklahoma

4.2/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
big 1 liter swing topper....i had a bottle of this right after it came out but did not take down any notes

the regular gaelic ale is one of my favourite drafts in NC

appearance: pours into my new bells tulip glass, dirty and murky mud-red colour, thick foamy tan head with nice soapy lacing, nice garnet highlights

smell: those gaelic hops are still right up front - the aroma is just flat out dirty (and i mean that in a positive manner) - caramel, nutmeg, butterscotch, thick malt, dehydrated dark fruits, fig, raisin

taste: this seems a lot different than when it came out but what do i know...biting pine hops up front, then you bite into the thick and chewy caramel center before getting smacked across the face with pine again...very well spiced - oregano, nutmeg...woody, a touch boozy, green tea, pretty interesting beer from my favourite (by far) NC brewery

mouthfeel: bitter hop presence, thick and chewy

drinkability: pretty nice
Aug 18, 2007
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Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

4.56/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Acquired via trade from NClifestyle almost a year ago, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him. Poured from a 1 Liter swing-top bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a bright ruby red color with a large tan head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of brown sugar, dark fruit, caramelized malt, a touch of alcohol and a little bit of hops.

T: The taste is excellently balanced, with sweet flavors of caramel, brown sugar and dark fruits (berries & raisins). There’s a pretty strong and complimentary hops profile, especially considering that I let this beer sit for nearly a year after I received it. A mild alcohol burn gives you a nice reminder that you’re drinking a potent beer. The after-taste is bitter-sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium-to-high body, light-to-medium carbonation, slightly sticky finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down quite easily for a high-gravity beer, not too filling, this one seems pretty close to a Barley Wine in flavor and I like the way that this beer still retains the essence of the regular Highland Gaelic Ale (which I liked a lot) and then takes it up a few levels. I was questioning whether or not I should have let this beer age as I did, but now that I’m drinking it, I can suggest to anyone that has it sitting somewhere that you’re doing the right thing because it is very, very good. My only regret with this beer is that I didn’t have two bottles, one to drink right away and one to drink now to compare them.
Jun 16, 2007
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Reviewed by orfeu from New Mexico

4.28/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Many thanks to Brouche for providing me with this classy one-liter swingtop bottle commemorating Highland's years of achievement in brewing. Poured slightly cooler than cellar temperature into an AleSmith tulip, Highland Imperial Gaelic Ale is bright, crystalline bronze, with a gigantic, fluffy khaki head that sticks around forever, leaving sheets of webby lacing all the way down the glass. The aroma is spicy, with a thick caramel base punctuated by rugged bitter hop notes and scant alcoholic vapors. In this aspect it strikes me as being very close to many American barley wines. Dried fruit compote flavors up front are steamrolled by leafy, herbal hops that quickly become smartly bitter. I'm not sure exactly how old this is (probably a year or so?), but I get the impression that it may have been a rather angry beast when fresh. Having mellowed for some time in the bottle, this is now dry and pruney with a notable port quality, in addition to bearing a formidable palate-sting from the hop content. Utterly smooth mouthfeel, dry and never syrupy or cloying. Nearly perfect abv for the style, if I may say so: strong enough to leave no doubt about its power but not too wildly over the top to be a caricature of itself. An excellent tribute to a fine brewery whose beers I'd love to have regular access to.
May 18, 2007
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Reviewed by barleywinebrewer from New Hampshire

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
thanks to afatty for this via trade! What a tasty treat. I wanted this for the background and because I enjoyed the regular gaelic ale. How can you not be curious about an imperial version of a good beer brewed to commemorate the successs of the brewery?

A - Rich reddish brown in color, light tan head, about a 1/2 inch that stays for quite some time.

S - Rich malts, earthy / piney hops. Definitely a wonderful layering of aromas.

T - Caramel and toffee swirl with a light presence of ripe fruit and piney hops. Much more complex than the regular gaelic ale.

M - medium to full bodied. Rich, smooth.

D - a treat to drink. Goes down with a wonderful mix of flavors and keeps you wanting to come back for another taste. This could be a production beer year round IMO.

It's a tough call to pop a commemorative brew like this one but it's well worth it!
Apr 13, 2007
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Reviewed by merlin48 from Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
1 liter swingtop bottle, 2006 Limited Edition, many thanks to mntlover for going to the trouble of picking this up at the old downtown Asheville brewery last fall. Pours into a snifter a dark copper body with a one finger beige head. The head quickly falls to a skim with some ring and spot lacing. Garnet hues are revealed when held to light. Striking in appearance.

Aroma begins with toffee and molasses, followed quickly by notes of nutty almond, brandy, and nutmeg.

Medium bodied in the mouth with soft carbonation and a slight alcohol burn.

Taste initially evokes toffee, earthiness, and nutmeg. Upon warming, the complexity kicks in. An earthy hop bitterness transitions into a heather like hops presence that is slightly herbal. A mild alcohol burn works well here and is appropriate for style.

Another excellent ale from Highland. Drinkability would be enhanced if you share this one with a friend, or two.
Apr 03, 2007
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Reviewed by doppelmeup from North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Brouche, for obtaining this bottle for me from the brewery.

Great packaging and label made this beer a real conversation piece. I shared it with several friends.

Poured a medium amber with a decent head and medium lacing.

Aromas of hops and more hops. Kind of fruity, not much malt.

The beer reminded me a bit of Arrogant Bastard. Lots of hops, some alcohol bitterness, just a bit of malt in the background.

I'm not a huge fan of strong ales, but this beer was definitely well crafted and I'm glad I had the opportunity to sample it.
Mar 12, 2007
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Reviewed by atsprings from North Carolina

4.73/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured a deep cloudy amber with a lasting off-white head that left great lacing on the glass. The aroma was a very good balance of burnt caramel and piney hops. The taste had the same balance with some dried fruits lingering in the background. The mouthfeel was slightly heavy with non overpowering strong carbonation. The alcohol was present, but also not overpowering. This is a sipper, but an enjoyable one at that.
Mar 05, 2007
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Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Dakotablue for popping this 1 Liter bottle...
Appears a hazy amber with a light beige head that slowly faded away. Scattered spots of lacing are left all around the glass.
Smell is of creamy caramel, toffee, whipped cream, toasted nuts, and candied cherries.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with toasted nuts and toffee jumping out and being the standout flavor. A mild citrusy hop flavor is buried in the background.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, smooth, & warming.
Feb 14, 2007
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Reviewed by blackie from Oregon

4.08/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
I've been anticipating breaking into this one for quite awhile...just wanted to give it some time in the bottle. I was finally prompted to consider pulling it out about a week ago by the review below. Traded an Edenton Surrender Monkey to Brouche for my bottle soon after the release, and cellared since. Consumed over the period of about 4 hours.

appearance: The pour into my favorite beer glass gives a modest sized tan colored head that steadily falls back to a thin ring. Swirls of carbonation on the surface stick around for the duration. Light lacing is left each time I tilt the glass, though no buildup occurs. The beer is a deep reddish-brown in color.

smell: Fruity and grainy malts blended with woody, piney hops at the front. Dripping with hops...grassy and tealike. Toasted caramel and peanut butter toffee. When I really think about it, it reminds me of a 5th Avenue bar, in a buttery peanut butter kinda way (this might be a reach, but I swear I find it). Just a light touch of ethanol, perfect in that respect. Notes of apricot, raisin, navel orange, and nutty breads. Extremely solid, but lacking a little.

mouthfeel: The carbonation is just over medium, and pretty smooth. The body is full without becoming overbearing. Nice and creamy overall.

taste: Toasted caramel and toffee malts bring a thick(ish) malty sweetness to the tongue. This immediately turns to a grainy flavor that gives flavors of dark, nutty breads and notes of various dark fruits. The hop flavor is formidable...a nice mix of earth and pine, progressing towards the piney side after the swallow. A big bitterness builds into the finish to linger with the nutty, grainy flavors. Not too complex, but tasty.

drinkability: Good enough...the 1L did me in, which is to be expected. Somewhat of a letdown, but that's my own fault. The smell (especially) and flavor both approach a 4.5, but fall just short in terms of complexity.
Feb 12, 2007
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Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Pours a cloudy copper color with a foamy head that sticks around and leaves good lacing

Smell: Rich, caramel fruity aroma with a strong sense of toffee and a touch of cherries

Taste: Starts with a nutty caramel flavor that begins to betray a cherry aspect mid-palate; after the swallow, an earthy bitterness kicks in; the finish is long lasting

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A rich, flavorful unique ale that deserves to be brewed again; lets hope it becomes the Dark Lord of North Carolina; I'll be there the next time it gets released
Nov 04, 2006
Imperial Gaelic Ale from Highland Brewing
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 27 ratings