Laughing Lab Scottish-Style Ale - Bristol Brewing Company

LittleDon

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy brown-red. Pours a decent enough head that quickly fades. Very little lace. It takes a bit of swirling to coax a malty aroma from this brew, where there appears to be a bit of caramel sweetness. Very dry compared to the majority of Scottish Ales I've had. Not much going on flavor wise, but this is possibly due to age (purchased 6 months ago, stored refrigerated). Mouthfeel is where this beer shines. Rich, soft, creamy, consistent flavor from start to finish. A mild hint of earthy bitterness at the end.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 20:14:37 | More by LittleDon

JamesStreet

Louisiana

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

05-12-2013 16:48:01 | More by JamesStreet

RRC03

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

05-08-2013 15:53:16 | More by RRC03

JTrav

Colorado

4/5  rDev +7.8%

04-12-2013 22:00:04 | More by JTrav

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.6/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

As a dog lover myself, I find great satisfaction seeing the panting Labadore on the label- always make these K-9 friends of ours appear to be laughing. Of course I give the beer all 5's, right?

Bright but dark in appearance, the conflicting descriptors seem an oxymoron at first. But dark garnet, ruby and mahogony in its saturated hues, the beer prevails in a brilliant depth of clarity- albeit slightly ominous. Medium-stern in its ivory-stained foam stance, the beer retains fairly well but it laces with blanketed quilted patterns in its wake.

Toffee and toast take hold in its sweet and malty scent. Backed by the dark fruit-fermented fruitiness of cherry and plumb- its complex nose does more that just imply simple syrups. Lightly charred bread, toasted peanuts and deep caramel give impressions of peanut brittle. Heavily caramelized sugars bleed into the alcohol scent to provide an overall roundness of fruitcake with spiced rum masculinities.

Malty-sweet and strong caramelization gives its taste a bread pudding flavor and feel. Sweet alcohol support is rummy, peppery and offers a dash of cinnamon. Light cola nuts, coffee grounds, and chocolate can be found underneath the caramel and bread taste.

Medium-full with hearty malt structure, its deeply embedded carbonation and starchy feel results in a firm creamy texture. The beer slowly proceeds toward a semi-dry finish with light spicy bite, rummy alcohol warmth, and mild grain-derived astringency.

Laughing Lab is a classic example of a Scottish-inspired, American-brewed crafted ale done well. But it needs more boldness in character, depth, and dryness to compete with the best that Scotland has to offer. But any fan of Porter or Brown Ales won't have any qualms about this beer in their glass.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 06:30:04 | More by BEERchitect

OriolesFan1008

Maryland

3/5  rDev -19.1%

04-07-2013 23:54:53 | More by OriolesFan1008

purppy

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.8%

03-26-2013 22:34:53 | More by purppy

spoony

Colorado

3.54/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

From a 355 ml bottle (bottled during the 4th week of December 2012) into a nonic.

A-This brew pours without any head. The beer is a nice color for the style; sort of a deep, rusty amber. It is clear with no visible carbonation.

S-The smells is mild, with dark toasted, lightly sweet malts being dominant. I detect a little bit of caramel and toffee, but unlike some Scottish Ales, there is not a ton of sweet, sugary flavors here.

T-This brew tastes much like it smells with lightly sweet malt flavors (toffee, caramel, nuttiness) being the most noticeable aspect. There is a slight hop twang that provides just a little metallic counterpoint to the maltiness. The finish is long and slightly bitter.

M-The feel is medium to lighter in body for the style with very little carbonation. Easy to drink.

O-This brew is a touch underwhelming. I prefer a bit more chutzpah in beers of this type, whether that means more spice, toffee/chocolate, or caramel...whatever. On the plus side, this beer does provide a nice, long finish, without cloying sweetness. In sum, this is a fair representation of a Scottish Ale that should appeal to those looking for something with a lighter, easy-to-drink flavor profile and feel.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 21:52:03 | More by spoony

MeisterMayhem

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

03-09-2013 18:08:09 | More by MeisterMayhem

RudnicsMEB

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%

02-21-2013 04:12:14 | More by RudnicsMEB

Mangstarr

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

02-19-2013 04:03:06 | More by Mangstarr

firstlighthiker

Tennessee

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

02-16-2013 03:10:33 | More by firstlighthiker

tsco7

Colorado

4/5  rDev +7.8%

02-13-2013 19:02:59 | More by tsco7

riored4v

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured in to a tulip. 1/2 finger, khaki colored head. Clear, ruby colored body.

Aroma was malty, a bit roasty, sweet and a hint of metallic. Some notes of dark fruit and a bit floral.

Taste had a good amount of malty sweetness, but still clean on the tongue. Maltyness upfront, with a chocolately, roasty flavor in the mix. Mild sweetness comes up before the hop flavor. A bit of dark fruit flavor, slightly bitter in the finish helps clean up the sweetness. Slightly floral.

Medium body, medium/high carb, crisp finish.

Nice Scottish Ale. Easy drinking. Sweet and malty, but finishes light enough to enjoy quite a few.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 00:45:12 | More by riored4v

HisGrinz

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%

12-25-2012 15:02:52 | More by HisGrinz

CaptainClarinet

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%

12-22-2012 08:36:34 | More by CaptainClarinet

kylemckinnis

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

12-18-2012 03:44:55 | More by kylemckinnis

brandon722

Colorado

2.75/5  rDev -25.9%

12-14-2012 04:24:21 | More by brandon722

Stwinchy

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

12-11-2012 00:57:34 | More by Stwinchy

Ispeakforthetrees

Colorado

3/5  rDev -19.1%

09-27-2012 01:29:59 | More by Ispeakforthetrees

mintfish

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +28%

09-03-2012 22:13:31 | More by mintfish

chernozem

3/5  rDev -19.1%

08-22-2012 20:55:32 | More by chernozem

JeffreyJDavis

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

08-19-2012 04:32:18 | More by JeffreyJDavis

MarkyMOD

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

08-04-2012 04:29:14 | More by MarkyMOD

envinoveri

Oregon

5/5  rDev +34.8%

07-28-2012 02:32:35 | More by envinoveri