Fat Scotch Ale - Silver City Brewing Co.

IntriqKen

California

4.47/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Many thanks to Skyhand for a growler of this wonderful Scotch Ale.
I really can't begin to evaluate it...it's very complex, yet so balanced in it's flavors that it seems simple.
Toasted amber malts give way to a light smokiness...sweet caramel, brown sugar and somehow a hint of hops on the tail end...enough to cleanse the palette and leave a slight drying although there is the lingering wonderful sweetness of the amber malts tasting a lot like candy or caramel.
This is a delicious Scotch Ale...too delicious. I'm gonna finish the growler tonight by myself and that may be a sin...but sinfully indulgent and delicious.
Pray for me in the morning.

Serving type: growler

02-27-2007 07:13:42 | More by IntriqKen

bjohnson

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Redbones 11/17/06

A: Pours a dark merlot like color with a cloudyness to it. One finger cream colored head that has decent retetion and leaves nice lacing.
S: Sugary sweet caramel malt notes dominate the nostrils. Almost cotton candy like sweet presence.
T/M: Many flavors burst on the palate---green apple, cotton candy, caramel, dark fruit. Pretty damn sweet this Wee Heavy is. Malt notes dominate the palate. Sugary aftertaste with a cotton candy like essence to it. Nice bold body to this fat bastard. Extra smooth on the palate--almost scary. Abv goes completely masked--amazing, but again, scary as a couple of these could leave you stumbling home.
D: Wonderful Scotch Ale. I was suprised this stayed on tap long enough for me to try it. Very glad the rest of Boston didn't go after this one! Cheers to Chris for putting this on.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2006 04:39:15 | More by bjohnson

Beertracker

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Silver City's Fat Bastard (Scotch Ale) is best served at warmer cellar temperatures (50-55°F) from a small brandy snifter or thistle glass. This award-winning Strong Scotch Ale (Wee-Heavy) pours up with some authority along with a moderate carbonation that creates a low, short lived beige-light brownish colored head that sits proudly atop a deep auburn-russet body. The clarity is bright with surprisingly good head retention and even shows some alcohol legs. The incredibly rich caramel aroma showcases the abundant maltiness with some fruitiness reminiscent of a banana sundae topped with hot caramel & walnuts. In addition, there's a leafy earthiness and peat smokiness which emerges as the beer warms in hand along with an intermingly of whisky notes that adds to the overall complexity. The malt dominated flavor starts off slightly fruity (plum preserves, raisin pie, ripened fig) with a rich, caramel maltiness that shows lots of kettle carmelization and carries a touch of oily smokiness. The chewy, full-body shows both power and grace with a big, bittersweet finish that stops short of being syrupy and packs plenty of warmth. This is just the tipple to add some color to the cheeks during a long winter's night. Here's to one hedonistic Fat Bastard!

CHEERS! Beertracker

*Taster's Note: Thanks to amatuerbeerguy for waiting to share this one!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2006 07:20:16 | More by Beertracker

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from waldowin, so a big "thank you" goes out to him. Poured from a 22oz. bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright reddish brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades very quickly and doesn’t leave very much lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is sweet and contains banana, vanilla, caramel and butterscotch.

T: Malty and sweet flavors of banana, dark fruit, butterscotch & vanilla hits you right away. There's a little bit of smokiness in there. After-taste is quite sweet.

M: Extremely smooth, medium-to-heavy body, light carbonation, clean finish without a lot of stickiness especially given the style.

D: An excellent beer, very tasty, easy-to-drink, not as filling as most beers in the style. This is definitely a sipper though.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2006 04:41:04 | More by TheManiacalOne

bigone4

Rhode Island

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Received a 22oz bomber from my fiancé’s parents about a month ago and we finally got around to drinking it last night. Pours a dark ruby brown color. Very ruby red when back lit. Nice creamy tanish white colored head. No real lacing present on the pint. Smells sweet like caramel with strong malt tones. Hint of a maple syrupy/ port wine smell. Most certainly had the distinct malt scent of a scotch ale. Nice low carbonation slowly rising up the glass. Rather roasted strong malt sweetness on the tongue. Nice balance of the alcohol flavors. Surprisingly smooth for 9% ABV. It hides this fact very well. Great flavor that mixes nicely on the pallet. Nice unfolding of the malt flavors and nice mild finish. Very drinkable and extremely enjoyable with every aspect of this beer. It has an even better bouquet when allowed to come closer to room temperature. It really starts to unleash the entire true flavor and smells that are associated with a true quality Scotch Ale. Well made brew and I hope to be able to have another taste in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2006 13:24:29 | More by bigone4

loren01

Oregon

4.7/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a chocolate brown color, good sized head, no lacing observed
S: Sweet fruity nose, sweet as in slight mollasses scent as well. Slight alcohol scent in there too
T: Fruity tasting, possibly apple, pear, grape. Sweet mollasses like taste, alcohol is well hidden for being 9%
M: Smooth creamy, slightly dry finish
D: Awesome scotch ale, very flavorfull, would for sure have this again, what a treat!!

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2006 22:57:41 | More by loren01

RedDiamond

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fat Bastard holds the distinction of winning two consecutive GABF gold medals in the Scotch-style ale category. Sure, the GABF gives out medals like airline peanuts. But two golds in a row is pretty impressive, and clearly, Fat Bastard is deserving of high praise.

FB is clear ruby-merlot with sluggish CO2 and a complex smell reminiscent of rum-raisin and port wine. The rich, malty flavor is elegant and receives no intrusion from the 9.2% alcohol. Similarly, though peat malts define the finish quite nicely, they are not overstated and know when to back down.

This beer sits soundly in the winner’s category and makes a great finish to a long, celebratious evening. For best results, allow Fat Bastard to warm ‘till nearly at room temperature.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2006 04:02:47 | More by RedDiamond

growler

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Much props to Warriorsoul for providing the Scotchy goodness...First had on tap at Redbones the day after Thanksgiving 2005, and was too lazy to review it then...

Pours brown with a thin tan head not too much going on with lacing....malty, sugary, smoky smell almost smells a bit like leather (not in a bad way)....Undescribably tasty, almost too good for words, sweet malty flavor with a nice smoky undercurrent, a little bit of heat from the alcohol, but it enhances the flavor instead of being a deterrent....Smooth creamy flavor goes down easy, a well balanced scotch for sure....Dammit why don't I live in the PNW....Could drink this baby all night except for the 9% ABV, but I could definitely slam down two after dinner...

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2006 23:26:45 | More by growler

brentk56

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear copper color with ruby highlights, a tan head that drops, eventually, to a ringlet and leaves some splashy lacing behind

Smell: Rich burnt caramel and brown sugar tones waft upward along with a touch of butterscotch; if you sniff real hard, you can also pick up a little peat

Taste: Starts with a caramel flavor that builds with brown sugar and butterscotch, after the swallow; rather grainy on the finish

Mouthfeel: Just shy of full bodied with very modest carbonation

Drinkability: A little too sweet and a little too grainy, but not bad otherwise

Thanks, waldowin, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2006 00:06:12 | More by brentk56

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle obtained via trade with CRJMellor. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" tan head over the clear burgundy brew. Head fades slowly, with lots of sticky lacing. Aroma is sweet malts, with some peat, and light alcohol tints. Taste is very tight, with the noise's peaty malt dominant, and a lightly alcoholic close, which lingers warmly. Everything melds nicely together. Mouthfeel is tremendously smooth, and drinkability is excellent as well. Wouldn't mind having this regularly in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2006 23:20:04 | More by ppoitras

blackie

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

appearance: The pour creates a good looking .5" khaki head that steadily retreats back into the liquid, save for a slight layer on top and a ring around the glass. The beer is an awesome reddish chestnut brown in color. A little more lacing and head retention is all I could ask for.

smell: Plenty of malt on the nose gives dark fruity aromas of candied cherry, plum, peach, and other fruits. There is also a considerable peat presence. Hints of milk chocolate, toffee, and butterscotch are present...and maybe even a slight nuance of smoke that reminds me of alderwood. The aroma is pretty complex, while keeping with the scotch ale trait of being subtle, though there could be a little more depth to the malt character. There's a low, English type hop aroma. The ethanol is very well hidden, though it does prick the back of the nose a bit.

mouthfeel: The carbonation is right on the border between the upper reaches of the low range and the low side of the medium range. The body is medium, and slightly slick.

taste: Ahhh, maltiness. The flavor is pretty much completely malt...there is only a hint of hop flavor, and the light bitterness that cleans up the finish. All this malt brings with it delicious flavors of dried, dark tree fruit, caramelized sugars, and toffee. There are also some hints of flavorful hardwood smoke and peat. Alcohol unnoticeable on the tongue.

drinkability: An easy drinking scotch ale. Limited somewhat by the ABV, as I am feeling it after consuming about 2/5 of the bottle.

One of two .26 gallon swingtops I acquired in an awesome trade with waldowin. This has been cellared since early January, and I'll probably keep the other until fall.

12-12-06: The ethanol has practically disappeared from the nose. Seems to be pretty similar to my last bottle, though the malt may have opened up, and a little more smoke revealed due to the reduced sweetness. Big notes of dried, sugary fruits and a light bourbon note. One of the better aging experiences I've had. Kicking the aroma up to a 4.5.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2006 01:17:59 | More by blackie

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to waldowin for the huge sample! Very nice,deep garnet color. Small head atop. Aroma of smoke, raisens, sherry and oak. Quite the underlying alcohol aroma as well. Big malt flavor-caramel tasting-somewhat vinuous. The alcohol is really there for me. Nice big, buttery slick mouthfeel. Overall a damn good effort of a wee heavy. The alcohol presence tends to detract some of the more positive notes. It really seemd more pleasant overall as the bottle warmed. Id like to try again someday to see if I enjoy it more. I would have to say worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2006 00:07:05 | More by lackenhauser

merlin48

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very stylish, .23 gallon swingtop bottle, obtained via trade with waldowin. Served slightly chilled into a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale snifter. Pours a very deep brown body with an incredibly creamy, light brown head that is about one finger tall. Head is quite sturdy for the 9% abv, and lacing varies from sheets to island chains.

Aroma is bold, with vinous white grapes immediately leading into a kick of Scotch Whisky. Toffee, caramel, and brown sugar front an enormous malty profile. Smoky peat is prominent and engaging, and there is a pleasant fruity hint of berries and cherries.

Mouthfeel is almost full bodied, smooth and velvety, with the expected low carbonation and some alcohol warming that is welcome on a cold winter night. Slightly syrupy, in a good way.

Taste has lots of malty toffee with a kiss of brown sugar. Smoky peat and Scotch whisky notes are present all the way through. A restrained fruitiness of plums and cherries segues into figs as room temperature arrives. Turns a bit dry toward the finish, with a lasting smokiness embraced by the Scotch whisky notes.

I spent two hours enjoying this puppy, and each sip was better than the last. Very smooth, with a dangerous degree of drinkability. Quite a treat!

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2005 16:17:34 | More by merlin48

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at a Redbones lunch on November 30. Typed up from notes I took that day.

Poured very dark red. Almost a blood red but not thick looking like blood. But when held up to the light it seemed to glow. No head to speak to mention, but that I believe was the result of the bartender spooning it all out.

Nose was mild and mostly of fruit such as raisins and grapes--could also smell some of the alcohol. Alcohol was at first kind of too noticeable. but as the beer warmed the alcohol started taking a deep backseat to the flavors. Very sweet but the raisins and plums in the flavor mellowed out the malts a bit. Got some hints of caramel and for some reason this reminded me of those caramel dipped apples I used to eat as a kid at Fall Fests.

Mouthfeel was a bit thin than I would have expected. Also, after the pour it was very fizzy. The carbonation began to diminish after a bit but at first I thought it was perhaps a bit too much. Still an awesome beer that was tough not to enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2005 23:13:11 | More by MuddyFeet

warriorsoul

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Chris and Redbones for having this one on tap and a big thanks to Muddyfeet for posting that is was still on...ran my ass down there today to find it still there...
Arrived a dark brown color with clear mahogony highlights in a 10.5oz. goblet with less than a half finger of off-white head...disappears almost instantly with very little lace.
Very nice aromas filled with raisins, sweet carmelized malt, and a nice underlying scotch scent.
The taste is great...semi-sweet with a huge malt profile...lots of rum raisins, subtle scotch, and toasted almonds.
Mouthfeel is thick, yet not cloying and the carbonation is perfect for the style....very drinkable and no hint of the alcohol until the very last sip. A warming sense comes over you with this one and it should be respected at 9%...either way, a great offering and one I am real glad to have enjoyed.
Get on over to Redbones if you can...it won't last the night.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2005 18:03:34 | More by warriorsoul

Higravity

Michigan

5/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Simply put the best Wee Heavy I have ever had period. This might be the first 5 I have given a beer but frankly words due no justice to the true character and taste of this beer. Smokey roasted caramel goodness, long lasting full body mouth coating, eye gouging tongue bitting pleasure. So good it hurts and yet another reason to visit the great northwest. Trade, buy, fight, this beer is everything promised and more. Thanks Knuckles, the wait was worth it.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2005 17:21:29 | More by Higravity

lostbearbrew

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

58 degrees in a 32 oz swingtop bottle - poured a dark amber, with light sneaking through on both sides. As it settled, the color darkened to a blood red, with brownish swirls. Nice 1/2-1" head which disappates quickly.

Smell is almost all malt with a touch of smokey residue. Perhaps a little dried fruit.

Taste - well, my o my, insanely smooth, with caramel, smoked woods and a little alchohol tinge. As beer warmed to about 65 degrees, the alchohol jumped out a little more, and the malt seemd to become "multi-layered." Smokey taste rises in the profile and the beer finishes a little drier. Still, wow, what a taste, what an insanely wonderful concoction. This is, to me, the perfect blend of whiskey/smoke/caramelly malts I could ask for.

Mouthfeel - wish I could get more in my mouth to swirl around...lol! Seriously, this is amazing.

Drinkability - well, at 9 percent, it isn't an "have a six pack" kind of beer. But it is imminently drinkable, and I would drink one again and again and again. I wish Silverdale were closer to Atlanta.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2005 14:13:53 | More by lostbearbrew

Gaisgeil

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Many thanks to the reigning queen BA Skyhand for the bottle sent to me many moons ago and left to age in my cellar a wee while.

This one got the better of me, I admit. I think I became sort of jaded over time in that I've tried a LOT of scotch ales and a lot of them frankly don't cut it. I'm not sure exactly what some brewers are thinking a wee heavy is but there sure are some "interesting" examples out there. I'd been sitting on this bottle for the better part of a year, sort of just letting it slide not wanting to be let down by yet another yankee attempt at my country of heritage's finest style of beer.

So on a cool early autumn night I decided to give it a crack, the timing just felt right. I sure am glad I did. This is truly a very good wee heavy all told, let me expand:

Pours a rich and dark brown with jewelled ruby tones around the edges and medium creamy head that left a swirling crown all throughout my pint. Nose is intensely malty, fruity with deep caramel wafts, bits and hints of smoke and peat, quite inviting and beautiful. Taste is quite amazing, again, quite malty with a good touch of peat and smoke. There are some devious caramel and toffee tones as well, very rich and complex and warming, as a good scotch ale should be. Mouthfeel is creamy and full, with plenty of body, but remains light enough to remain dangerously drinkable, the alcohol, while present, is nicely tucked into the background like a sgian dubh in yer kilt hose. I would drink a LOT of this if I had the resources to procure a steady supply.

Slàinte mhath!
This one'll wake ye in tha mornin' lads!

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2005 09:35:26 | More by Gaisgeil

Knuckles

Washington

4.9/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I've avoided reviewing this beer for as long as I've been a member of BA, simply because it's impossible for me to be objective about the damn thing. I've been drinking it non-stop ever since its introduction back in the fall of 2001, and love it as much today as I did back then. Fat Bastard got its introduction as a beefed up version of Silver City's regular Scotch Ale (which I don't particularly care for). Don Spencer added more peated malt, brought up the alcohol from 6% to 9%, and created an instant classic for the style of Strong Scotch Ale. This beer won gold medals two years running at the GABF, so it's been recognized for its excellence. I'd recommend getting your hands on some so you can recognize its excellence as well. If I were to equate a specific beer to a specific woman, this beer is Salma Hayek. Dark, intoxicating, beguiling, addictive, and not afraid to kick your ass.

Appearance: I am a Brewmaster VIP at Silver City (I realize I mention this all the time, but I'm just trying to justify the expense), so I get my beer in the big glass. This glass has caused great amounts of consternation amongst my drinking companions, as it seems to engender feelings of inadequacy. Don't feel inadequate, good people, enjoy your damn beer. What this means is that I get my beer in a 22 oz. mug that is approximately a foot tall. On the tray and on the table, the VIP glass filled with Fat Bastard possesses a sense of mystery and self-confidence that reminds me (for no particular reason) of the monolith from "2001: A Space Odyssey". Fortunately, there are no shilleighly-wielding monkeys about, so I can drink this dark brown beauty with the light brown head in peace. (SONOFABITCH!!!! I've already used this goddam line, and with a goddam Silver City beer no less. Crap.I'll have to edit.)

Take 2: On the tray and on the table, the VIP glass filled with Fat Bastard possesses a sense of mystery and self-confidence that reminds me of George W. Bush, yet I know my beer is smarter. I'm also quite confident that if elected, this beer will give me my four dollars worth.

Smell: Peat. Malt. Smoke. Beer. Mmmmm...this beer is a cornucopia of "ohmyfuckyes" aromas. The nose has just a hint of peat to it. It doesn't have the "Angus! Bring me another glass of fookin' whisky!" type of smell that the Traquair House Ale does, but it still smells damn good to me. In the words of Blackalicious, "Just a whiff of her ferment will make your knees get weak." My knees are weak now just thinking about it.

Taste: This is where my review always breaks down. How to describe the taste? Beautifully malty, just a wee bit smoky, and always, ALWAYS delicious. There's a brown sugar quality to it that reminds me of the sauce poured over Bananas Foster. This is a beer without fault to me, and the only beer in the world that my father and I agree on. Were we to be restricted to one beer only for the rest of our lives, this beer would be it.

Mouthfeel: I've never french kissed Salma Hayek (although it is on my 'to-do' list), but I hope her tongue feels half as sexy in my mouth as this beer does. It has the viscosity of melted ice cream, yet never leaves anything behind on the tongue. It wants to be with you, be part of you, and I welcome it's invasion each and every time. (That goes for the beer as well as Salma.)

Drinkability: I'm going to mark this bad boy down to a 4.5, simply because it's a 9.0% beer. I've had three of the 22 oz. Fats before, and needed to be shepherded home. Take your time and enjoy a pint, or two, or three. I mean, come on, would you limit the time you spent with Salma? I sure as hell wouldn't. Unless it got in the way of me getting another VIP Fat.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2005 19:17:59 | More by Knuckles

waldowin

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured out of a 750mL swing-top jug, aged for three months (I ran out of patience).

Appearance - Pours a dark, dark syrup, so dark it's black. When it's held to the light, thin streamers of blood red wrap around the sides which give hint to the true color. Absolutely massive head at least four fingers tall, so thick you could cut it with a knife (I actually did, as a test, the cut stayed). Fades to a thin cake of foam for several minutes, and finally fades to a sheen with a ring, and leaves ringlets all the way down. Very impressive for a beer this high in ABV. Every dark beer should have heads like this.

Smell - First hit is strongly of cinnamon, which surprised me. Having had this beer before, that wasn't something I'd noticed. Plums, scotch, and spiced rum. Almost a tropical smell.

Taste - Up front taste is malts. Caramel, toffee, buttery and some plum and molasses. Almost a bubble-gum like sweetness in there, like a Bazooka Joe is sitting on the bottom. A hint of smoked peat midway through, and a *very* slight hint of single-malt. Finishes with some cedar-like hops, and a bit of smoke. Definitely a big beer, it's easy to see how this won two golds back to back in '02 and '03.

Mouthfeel - Feels a bit slick (wondering if maybe this one was oxidized), and dry, at first. Then widens out to a massive chewy, bubbly feel, that almost literally tumbles along the tongue. The syrupy thickness of this brew combines with the large amount of carbonation to make a wonderful experience.

Drinkability - This stuff is scarily drinkable. It'd be so very easy to drink enough of this to be sick later, especially with all this sugar. Once it hits your lips, it pulls itself down your throat with abandon. The alcohol really sneaks up on you.

Would absolutely recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it, but it's so much fresher and bigger off the tap (I've had both tap and bottle).

As a footnote, as this beer warmed up, the buttery slickness faded, and the sweet notes got deeper. Once this beer hit about 50 degrees or so, it was fantastic. If you buy some, let it warm a bit before drinking it from the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2005 08:43:12 | More by waldowin

beertaster13

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice deep cherry wood with a decent looking mocha head. The smell is of toasted malts and rich clove yeasts. The alcohol aroma is ever present. A nice butter toast, deeply toasted. The taste is syrupy with a nice toasted almond and butter taste. The malts are deep and dark, a light plum sweetness. Great for those cold nights. Medium bodied and rich, perfect with meat.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2005 06:05:29 | More by beertaster13

FirstMan

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured dark dark brown out of the bomber bottle. I've had this a few times on tap at the Silver City Brewpub in Silverdale, WA, but it's a bottle I've got right now, so it's a bottle I'll rate.

Smell is of raisins, molasses and little smoke. Very malty nose with overtones of alcohol.

Alcohol is the first thing you notice in the taste, but then the smoke sets in and sticks around for a while with notes of peat and lots of sweetness. It's a scotch for sure - and a robust one at that.

A slick, full mouth-feel, slightly tempered by the carbination.

This is a big, full bear of a beer. The huge flavors and the 9% alcohol content make this a treat, but not a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2005 00:49:06 | More by FirstMan

beerceller99

Louisiana

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

32 oz. ceramic swing top bottle pours a mahogany fluid with a tan head. Smokey, sweet malt smell. Nice lacing. Sticky sweet smoked malt flavor with molasses and alderwood smoked tasting malts. Medium/heavy bodied with a very smooth mouthfeel.
The smoked flavors here went well with a cigar on Superbowl Sunday 2005.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2005 16:43:00 | More by beerceller99

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1 liter swing-top courtesy of the awesome west-coast BA RoyalT.

Poured a wonderful deep and dark cherry-colored gloriousness, with ruby-tinged highlights around the edges. Initial thick layer of barely off-white head quickly subsides into a paper-thin, edges-only ring. Decent lacing of the glass. Aromas are complex, to say the least. A funky "chocolatey-whiskey" smell is noted, along with a supporting cast of Heath Bar and caramel. Flavors are tasty, with some big-time sweetness shining through. Bourbon-soaked raisins also appear and mix nicely with the chocolate cocoa powder. Finishes with just a hint of alcohol burn and a smoky aftertaste that was as nice as it was unexpected. Mouthfeel is smooth...a little on the dry side. Quite drinkable, though the 9.0% ABV does limit you to a respectable quantity before calling it a night.

I'm liking this style more and more! Big thanks to RoyalT for this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2004 03:11:38 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Redbones during the NW fest. Nice dark pour that was opaque. Had a big fluffy off-white head that dissipated quickly. Aroma was a pleasant mix of roasted chocolate and toffee. Flavor was rather good, tastes reminiscent of those in the aroma. Found it very smooth, also noted some pear flavors in the aftertaste. pat

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2004 01:11:04 | More by PatandDavid