Black Forest Scotch Ale

When I was there recently, they marked it at 8.4% ABV, I don’t know if that is new or not.

Pours dark black with an off-white head. Aroma is pretty thin but is faintly of caramel. Flavor is slightly roasted malt with a strong note of brown sugar. Like most things at Black Forest, I feel that it was simply served too cold. Many of the flavors really came out as the beer warmed.

Tap @ Black Forest: Poured a hazy brown color and no head. The aroma was strong of diacetyl and lightly tart malt. The flavor started with tart malt and then hops and bitterness on the finish. Light body that was thin and watery.

Tap at brewpub. A brown pour, with an orange hue at the edges. The aroma was a bit earthy, wood notes, with some caramel sweet hints. The body was chewy maltyness. I like peat/ or earthy notes in the flavor of Scotch Ales as well, but this one did well with the cleaner, sweet malt profile. Nice nutty flavors, roasted caramel malt. Reminiscent of buttered toast, with a light roasty warming finish. Tasty stuff.

Tap at brewpub, poured into pint glass. Color is dark, dark amber with reddish tints. Poured with a strong, heavy full head. Aroma is strong candied sweet maltiness with just a hint of sweet smoke. Taste is pour Scottish-malt sweet with candied granny smith apples. The sweetness is finely offset by a light aftertaste and a medium-light body. Well balanced of sweet versus light. Low bitterness and very quaffable.

I’m still behind on my brewtopia ratings...reading off a scribbled notepad...I quite liked this scotch ale: distinct presence of sugar and heather, but maybe a little bit too sweet after awhile. Plant-like flavors and seems organic. I don’t remember being struck by the alcohol content, but I didn’t have this beer at the beginning of the night either.