Bièropholie Scotch Ale

Formerly brewed at Bièropholie
Style: Scotch Ale
, Canada

Robust red pour and a thin whitish film. Syrupy, black anise notes dominate the aroma; lacings of caramelized raisins, prunes, molasses, and pepper. Clean and muscley. Flavor is firm and malty, a bit too crisp, but padded down nicely with this pungent, dusky black licorice sweetness. Minty and clean. Lively spicing impressions lead it a bit out of style but to a generally good place. Pitty, skinish, tannic fruit character with little jammy character is really fitting with that dominant licorice and spice flavor. Rich earthy maple. Black spiced honey lingers into a lovely, sweet-dusty chocolate presence mid palate. Medium-full body is round and firm with generous length of licorice and leafy, sweet tobacco in the finish.

The distinctive, singular character of the beer with a healthy smattering of nuances works really well for this style, making for a finely tuned and pointedly different scotch ale experience. Thanks Dany!

Bottle: Poured a deep brown color ale with a medium size foamy head with some retention and good lacing. Aroma is a ix between some chocolates and caramel notes with some distinctive star anises notes. Taste is also a nice mix between some robust caramel malt notes with some light touch of black chocolate and some easily distinctive notes of star anises. Full body with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. I really enjoyed the spicy take on the scotch ale style and I did not think it was too dominant as other prior reviews.

My bottle (341ml) shared with HogTownHarry -- courtesy of Viper666. Pours a very deep reddish-brown with a spare diminishing off-white head. Aroma: Something odd in there, a herb or something that I can’t quite place (Reading the other reviews, perhaps it’s star anise?). Also smells of toasted caramel malt and cola or Root Beer or something of the like. Flavour’s also odd to me, whatever it is I can’t place in the aroma is also in the flavour -- tastes kind of like flat cola with a weird aftertaste. Average watery body. I don’t know, something about this rubs me the wrong way, it’s not for me.

Bottle. Label says from the St.-Arnold Microbrasserie. DArk cola, mahogeny color with small head. Dark malt, clove spice and caramel. Sticky. Mild finish. Low carbonation.

Bottle… Clear, very dark, copper ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. Strange aroma; dark raisins, molasses, dark-medium-sweet port and a weird sassafras/mint ester or phenol. Full-bodied and oily with ticklish carbonation. Perfectly-balanced. Light molasses, sassafras, vinous esters and a rumor of chocolate. Adequate bitterness. Finishes minerally and lightly bitter. That sassafras/mint essence is out of place here and, for me, diminishes all the good qualities of this beer. However, I’m grateful for the opportunity to try it as it’s my favorite style and I really dig the brewery. Kudos to glouglouburp for shipping it to me!

Bottle (341ml). Shared by blankboy. Deep, somewhat murky bridk-red pour, smallish head, but interesting colour, sort of greenish-straw. Sweet and herbal aroma - like root beer, mint, maple and a specific hard candy from my childhood I can’t pinpoint. Taste - very much like a chocolate/licorice Quality Street toffee, some herbal hop bitterness and flat cola syrup in the finish. Still, thick-yet-watery body, herbal bitterness but a cloying finish, something a little not great here.

Objectively speaking: Draught at Brouhaha. Scotch ale or not, this is one tasty spicy, caramelly beer which does not forget about drinkability.
I like: Sweetness is absolutely kept under control. The spice level is not abusive at all, just unusual for the one who expects a straightforward scotch ale. Appealing jammy fruit profile rich with ripe cherries, strawberries and plums. Toasty, clean malt profile provides s surprisingly chewy body for a Bièropholie. Comfortable, smoothly carbonated and coherent.
I dislike: Some hop or peat audacity might be a fun addition, but I like it a lot as it is.

La bière se présente avec une robe rubis épaisse surmontée d’un beau col de mousse brun qui diminue lentement. Au nez la bière s’affirme avec des arômes puissants d’anis et de réglisse noire. En bouche la bière a un corps moyen et nous fait découvrir des flaveurs de caramel brulé, de tofee, de sucre brun, de grain torréfié et d’anis.