Appalachian Jolly Scot Scottish Ale

Brewed by Appalachian Brewing Company (PA)
Style: Scottish Ale
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA

Concentrated amber color with ruby highlights are topped by a frothy, half-finger thick (and I tried to summon more), tan colored head. The aroma is sweet with malt notes being prominent. Concentrated notes of caramel and toffee mix with notes of toasted caramel bread. There is a note here that seems to remind me of diacetyl; it is a butterscotch type note that is almost buttery. This could just be the malt character, but I think that there is some diacetyl here as well. It is light enough to just add to the complexity of the aroma though.

The taste is fairly dry up front, but picks some sweetness through to the finish where it is most apparent. This beer has a bit of a phenolic edge to it that seems like it might be derived from a bit of peat smoked malt. The beer is actually pretty light on the palate, but it is quite rich and flavorful with lots of malt character. Again notes of toffee and caramel are prominent in the flavors, but it is not just this, some light roasted grain notes and some interesting toasted grain notes round out a full suite of malt character that is a bit more complex than I have described.

On Tap: G-Lodge in Philly: Malty aroma with some roast notes. Much the same in the flavor with the malt coming on stronger than I thought it would. Not great by any means but drinkable.

Bottle from kramer17801. Pours ruby red with a tan dissipating head. Smells citrussy with some yogurt and an overwhelming metallic aroma. Tastes citrussy with tarte notes and some nuttiness thrown in. Some wet dog elements on the finish. Doesn’t even resemble a scotch ale.

On tap at brewpub in gettysburg, color was a deep garnet with tan lacing. Aroma was of caramel and malt with a touch of hops. Flavor was a surprising sweet caramel.

Bottle. Pours a clear brownish color. Much malt and bread. Some sweetness,malt and roasted flavor, but although it trys to be robust it falls short and ends up being this and watery, especially for this style. 2 of 6 from Kramer17801.

Not bad but not crazy about this beer. Needs to be taken up a notch like many of the beers here, however Scotch is a demanding style and so I feel like this came up short. Did not light my fire.

Jolly Scot 80-(shilling) Scottish Ale. This beer has a very interesting history. Harrisburg, PA was settled by Irish, Scottish, and German immigrants, and Appalachian Brewing Company, is not the first Harrisburg brewery to brew a beer called Jolly Scot. In fact, their beer, is a tribute to the original Jolly Scot beer that was brewed in Harrisburg for decades by the R.H. Graupners Brewery that closed in 1950. This is an absolutely delicious, malty Scottish ale, with lots of flavor and character. The Jolly Scot Scottish Ale pours to a beautiful, deep caramel to ruby red color with a thick and creamy tan head, and a soft to moderate amount of carbonation. The nose on this beer is wonderful, with lots of big sweet malt aromas of caramel, toffee, and light toasty aromas. The palate is firm, with lots of good sweet and caramel malty flavors, paired with flavors of buttered toast, and just a hint of butter scotch/toffee in the back ground. Jolly Scot finishes with more sweet malty flavors up front, then ends with just enough hop bitterness to balance this beer, so it is not too sweet or cloying. This is a delicious, very malt accented brew. I was very impressed with this beer.

Bottle. Brownie nice head. Looks right. Tastes smoky, meaty, would go excellent with a sheperds pie and a cigarette, two of Scotland’s favorite things. Grr. Malty, alcohol comes across well. Something weird about it that I both do and don’t like. Ambivalent about this one but it’s not bad.