A Little Bit of Scotland in an American Ale
Written: Jan 06 '05 (Updated Oct 17 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good complexity between the smoked peat, hops, and other malts
Cons: Only available in limited edition; Seems a little lighter than in the past
The Bottom Line: This is a good beer, but it seems a little toned- down when compared to its past production.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Samuel Adams Scotch Ale |
Everyone knows about the Boston Beer Company and its trademark Sam Adams line of beer products. The company has been around now for more than twenty years and is best- known for its signature product, Sam Adams Boston Lager. But the company makes many other beers and one of them is Sam Adams Scotch Ale, a resurrected beer from the past that is now brewed as a limited edition beer.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
This beer pours out of the bottle with a amber red/brown hue and a body that is completely clear. Topped with a creamy head of light tan foam that seems like soap suds and leaves lace on your glass as it subsides, the aroma from this beer suggests caramel, nuts, and a touch of vanilla.
The main tastes present in this ale are smoky peat malt, caramelized malt, some licorice, a little chocolate, and some fruit, perhaps plums and cherries. The taste is a little sweet at first, but quickly becomes bitter and a sweet flavor re- develops in the aftertaste.
Sam Adams brews this beer using two- row pale, Harrington, chocolate, Munich, and peat smoked malts along with Goldings and Fuggles hops. The final product has an alcohol level of 5.4 percent by volume.
Food Compatibility:
This beer is the type that matches up best with barbecued meats. The smoke flavor of the beer makes it a natural accompaniment to barbecued ribs, sloppy joes, barbecued chicken, buffalo wings, and other foods cooked over an open flame.
Final Thoughts:
Sam Adams Scotch Ale is a full- bodied brew with a taste that, while memorable and unique, doesn’t go too far over the edge. I obtained a couple bottles of this beer as part of the Sam Adams Brewmaster’s sampler 12- pack. I have not seen individual six-packs of this beer in a long time and I don’t believe Sam Adams has any intention to package and sell this product separately any more.
The taste sensation that stands out with this beer is the peat malt. This is the same type of peat that is used in some brands of whiskey and it’s what gives the beer its smoky/woody taste characteristics. It has a good degree of complexity overall, with a nice mixture of caramel, chocolate, grain, smoke, and hop flavors.
I can’t help but make comparisons between this “version” of Sam Adams Scotch Ale and the one of old. You see, this beer had been discontinued at one point, probably because its taste was a little too non- commercial and it wasn’t selling as well as had been hoped. I can remember sampling this beer for the first time many years ago and from what I can remember, the taste seemed a little more edgy in the past. This newer version still retains much of the flavor it had before, but it seems to be toned down a notch or two. I cannot confirm that Sam Adams did, indeed, alter the recipe a little bit for this limited edition release, but my palate seems to recall a richer flavor profile and a harsher edge in the past.
Even though the taste has (supposedly) changed a little, this is still a good tasting brew. I have tasted dozens of Scotch Ale in my day- mostly at brewpubs and brew festivals since they are hard to find- and while Sam Adams Scotch Ale isn’t as good as some of the better examples found at American craft breweries and in foreign breweries, it is still pretty good and it makes a nice change of pace from other beer.
I don’t know if Sam Adams plans to continue production of this beer or not so if you want to sample it, you had better get your hands on one of these Brewmaster’s 12- pack samplers. They contain 2 bottles each of six styles, including ones like this that are new(er) and difficult to find. The price is the same as other Sam Adams products- about $13 for a 12- pack, which isn’t a bad price at all for this style of beer.
Sam Adams Scotch Ale is a nice, full- bodied, malty brew with good complexity. It’s the type of beer that will be appreciated mostly by beer connoisseurs and others who like something a little more interesting than the typical lager. It may not be around much longer, so pick up a 12- pack while you can.
Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Reviews on Other Samuel Adams Products:
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Samuel Adams Boston Ale
Samuel Adams Golden Pilsner
Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Samuel Adams Spring Ale
Samuel Adams Holiday Porter
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Adams Vienna Style Lager
Samuel Adams Black Lager
Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Samuel Adams Light
Samuel Adams Hefeweizen
Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic
Samuel Adams White Ale
Samuel Adams Brown Ale
Samuel Adams Cream Stout
Recommended:
Yes
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